Page 166 - Week 01 - Wednesday, 14 February 1990
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MR MOORE: And "Nimbys" and those sorts of terms, which is very interesting. When my wife and I decided that we would purchase our house in Reid, for the same money a house was available in Weston Creek. We looked at the house which had a swimming pool, four bedrooms and en suite - the sorts of things that the Tuggeranong, Belconnen and Weston Creek yuppies enjoy. Instead of purchasing that, we decided to purchase a two-bedroom house that was well worn in many ways - - -
Mr Duby: But worn well.
MR MOORE: And had worn well. I think that anybody who has been in it would notice that it has worn well.
Ms Follett: And it's worth a fortune.
MR MOORE: It was, at that time, a very difficult thing for us to buy. Most people in the house are aware that teachers' salaries are totally inadequate in the ACT, as indeed are nurses' salaries, and so forth. As two teachers we had worked and saved hard, not spending our money on fancy cars and other things that we have seen in other places. These are the sorts of people who live in many of the inner city suburbs. It is not a case of people moving there because they have tons and tons of money - as one of the members interjected a minute ago, who are "worth a fortune".
The other type of people who live in the inner city area are those who moved into their government houses 30, 40 or 50 years ago and who are now concerned about an Alliance policy to sell those houses which have not been purchased. Others who have purchased them are concerned about their rates going up with the value. But the one thing that is most interesting is that people value the characteristics of those older suburbs. Those are the sorts of values that have given rise to the strength of the residents associations and the City Residents Coalition. Perhaps some members find those bodies threatening, but they are made up of ordinary people - - -
Mr Whalan: Certainly the commuters from Tuggeranong do.
MR MOORE: Like people from Tuggeranong, and they have the right to ensure that their suburbs are protected. They appreciate the fact that the Alliance Government has moved to protect them from the commuter parkers. I say to those people who were parking in those suburbs that if they are concerned about it they ought not be concerned about - - -
Mr Whalan: You have said it to them in a big way - "PO" - and they all come from Tuggeranong.
MR MOORE: Thank you, Mr Whalan who interjects. I have never said "PO" and what it implies. What I have said to them, and I will say it again, is that they should be ensuring that the balance of development within the ACT remains just that - balanced.
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