Page 1975 - Week 06 - Thursday, 9 June 2022
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
there who actually develops it and has it on the market. The concern that I have, though, is when you look at the record of this Labor-Greens government and their deliberating strangling of land. It is driving up demand and it is driving up prices, so I do not really have much faith, based on their record, that they will treat this land any differently.
Whilst the Chief Minister will, once again, I am sure, say that he has already agreed to this and ask why I am bringing up it today, this is where we come to the pointy end. The Chief Minister spent more time sniping at Senator Seselja on this announcement than actually commenting on the substantive issue of whether this land should be for housing for Canberrans, whether he will commit to fast-tracking the developments here, and whether he will make sure that it is for detached and medium-density housing.
It will be an opportunity for this Labor-Greens government to put on the record its priority to get these blocks on the market as soon as possible. As we know, and from the motion we have just had as well, a lot of the Labor members in this chamber have spent a great deal of time talking about the opportunities under this new federal Labor government, but there has been a little bit of quiet on this specific issue. Let’s just make sure we get this done. Canberrans deserve genuine choice when it comes to housing.
There is clear demand for more blocks. We know, because we just have to have a look at the stats from the last lot of land ballots. Just last month the latest Ginninderra ballot in Macnamara had more than 1,700 applicants within hours of it opening—1,700 applicants for 51 blocks. Fifty-one blocks: 1,700 applicants. This is not an anomaly. There were 12,417 applicants for 101 blocks in Whitlam in March this year; 8,700 applicants for 71 blocks in Macnamara in February this year; 7,484 applicants for 115 blocks in Taylor in October last year; and 7,566 applicants for 92 blocks in Whitlam in March last year. That is thousands and thousands and thousands of Canberrans applying for a total of 430 blocks.
The numbers do not lie. Canberrans want genuine choice when it comes to housing, and there is clearly a demand for more blocks. The CSIRO Ginninderra site will have a significant impact by putting more blocks on the market. Before those that are opposed to release of land start to cry out about urban sprawl, let us remember that this land is situated between Belconnen and Gungahlin. It is clearly within the existing footprint of land in the ACT. The Liberal-Nationals government identified and protected a section of this land for environmental benefits and I would expect that the new federal Labor government will do the same. This is commonwealth land that the Labor Chief Minister has said, on the record, that he wants for the ACT.
Releasing this land for housing will play a big role in helping to relieve the housing crisis. It will play a big role in helping to address the clear demand for more blocks and it will play a big role in providing genuine choice for Canberrans when it comes to housing. In addition to putting an additional 2,000 blocks into the extremely tight market, it will provide a much-needed boost to the local building and construction sector. We know that there is a critical skills shortage, but a commitment over these blocks will provide much-needed certainty for the sector, particularly for the small
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video