Page 3333 - Week 10 - Wednesday, 19 October 2022

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release programs and purchase more, or enter ballots when they have already entered a ballot or a put-and-call arrangement, which is the requirement under those release programs.

I note that the government has already responded to an Auditor-General’s report on this same matter with regard to land release, as I noted in my previous comments regarding Minister Gentleman. The Indicative Land Release Program forms part of the government’s planning and housing policies through the Planning Strategy. It is a strategic document. It makes land available for a range of purposes to promote sustainable development.

The government remains committed to supporting development in line with the ILRP. I note the softening that it has been suggested has occurred within the housing market—although that has only been for five minutes, so I do not think we should place too much emphasis on that, until we see where things are heading with respect to interest rates, and house building supplies, as well as construction supplies. It is important to note all of these kinds of adjustments that have been occurring. In particular, the Reserve Bank’s increase in the cash rate for six consecutive months since May 2022, which now sits at 2.6 per cent, does have an impact on people in our community and their ability to pay off their mortgages or to purchase land.

In the ACT the delivery of the annual land release program, as I went through in detail before, while responding to a question from yesterday’s question time, is a complex process. It is not just a matter of driving past a piece of land, pointing at it, and saying, “We can build some houses there.” There are many elements that are not in the direct control of the land delivery agencies. However, the SLA works within these constraints and challenges to ensure that the Indicative Land Release Program can be delivered. If specific releases are impacted, the SLA uses best endeavours to bring forward other releases or identify opportunities to refine the mix of land offerings to offset those impacts.

I have an amendment to Mr Parton’s motion which I have circulated. I move:

Omit all text after paragraph “(1)(a)”, substitute:

“(b) the standing orders provide the Government with 4 months to respond to a Committee Report;

(c) the Indicative Land Release Program (ILRP) is an indicative program that forms part of the Government’s planning and housing policies from the Planning Strategy and the Housing Strategy, such as the 70 percent infill target;

(d) these policies inform the Government’s residential supply and demand model and methodology as well as policy guidance and criteria for the identification and allocation of affordable housing;

(e) these policies are available online for public scrutiny,

(f) the principles underpinning the Government’s indicative land release program are:

(i) delivering housing diversity and affordable housing choice;


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