Page 3787 - Week 11 - Thursday, 24 November 2022
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Questions without notice
Whitlam—land release
MS LEE: My question is to the Minister for Housing and Suburban Development. Minister, registrations for the latest land ballot at Whitlam, for 193 blocks, closed on Monday. How many people registered for the ballot?
MS BERRY: I will take that question on notice. It was in the thousands, although less than the number that applied for ballots during the peak, when housing prices went up around the country. I think it was about half that number, but still quite high for the ACT.
It should be remembered that, before COVID we had, for the first time in a decade, around 600 houses for sale over the counter, which had never happened before. Within two weeks, as COVID was impacting the country, those blocks sold. We still have a housing crisis, with respect to purchases, across the country. However, it looks like that is starting to soften a little bit, because the number in the ballots for Whitlam was about half—and other housing blocks for sale. I think that things are starting to change, and there are adjustments starting to happen in the housing market. I will take the detail of that question on notice and get the exact number for Ms Lee.
MS LEE: Minister, are you aware that the average price for the blocks of land on offer in this ballot is almost $770,000—$1,600 a square metre? Is this what your government considers affordable for most Canberrans?
MS BERRY: This is happening across the whole country right now. There have been a number of adjustments made across the country that have contributed to the price of housing and blocks of land going up. That is not something that the ACT has been immune from. However, we are continuing to make sure that we provide land in our Indicative Land Release Program, and that it is developed within two per cent of the targets that the ACT government sets, which is a significant success—
Opposition members interjecting—
MADAM SPEAKER: Ignore the interjections. They should not be interjecting, number one, but try not to respond to them.
MS BERRY: It was the ironical comments that were catching my attention, Madam Speaker, but you are right. I do need to try and ignore the interjections when they occur. Yes, there are obviously issues around the country that are causing prices of land and housing to go up. However, as we have seen, and has been reported, that is starting to soften and there is starting to be a change, having regard to the cost of housing and the number of people who are purchasing housing as well.
Of course, there is more that we need to do, and that is why we have signed up to the Housing Accord with the federal Labor Albanese government. For the first time we have been able to have a plan with a federal government that is committed to taking action in this space. We will work very closely with them and our colleagues across
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