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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2002 Week 1 Hansard (12 December) . . Page.. 187 ..
MR WOOD (continuing):
The government does not resist the points raised in the motion or the words expressed by Ms Dundas. Her motion refers specifically to emergency housing-generally housing provided under SAAP-and specifically to Belconnen. Ms Tucker, as is her wont, has significantly extended the motion to cover a range of wider housing issues and look towards process.
This motion will go through as Ms Dundas wants, but I think it is a bit unnecessary to take out the reference to Belconnen. It has been identified that there is a shortage of this sort of accommodation in Belconnen, so it seems to me a fairly proper thing for Ms Dundas to be arguing for it. Gungahlin, along with Belconnen, has also been identified as having shortages.
Let me indicate what is on the list of where we may find emergency housing: Downer, Downer, Hackett, Downer, Macquarie, Waramanga, Waramanga, Kambah, Kambah, Wanniassa. Tuggeranong is well represented; Gungahlin and Belconnen are not. So there is great validity in what Ms Dundas was proposing. Mr Corbell and I will take the motion as it is going to be amended, and we will do as required of that motion. We all want to improve housing outcomes. It has been a rhetoric of all of us over a long period, and we would hope to be able to do that.
MR STEFANIAK (5.33): Mr Speaker, I will be brief too, and I am actually very happy to hear the comments made by members. I agree with Mr Wood, and indeed Ms Dundas, and I am glad Mr Wood read out that list because Belconnen and Gungahlin do need additional assistance. It is very pleasing to see Mr Wood read out that list and acknowledge that. Nevertheless, I understand Ms Dundas is quite comfortable with Ms Tucker's amendment, as is the government, and we certainly would have had no dramas there.
My recollection is that the youth housing task force has some money. Some of its recommendations led to some money being allocated in the current budget. So, Mr Wood, in the housing budget there is in fact money for this, and that is very pleasing. So this unmet need can actually be met, and that is a very positive outcome.
I am very heartened to hear the bipartisan support in this Assembly. Mr Smyth and I were both involved several years ago with the youth housing task force. It was a very productive meeting in terms of looking at the areas of unmet needs, looking at the legitimate concerns of young people and starting some improvements there, which I am delighted are going to be continued.
The opposition is certainly happy to support the motion. Indeed, if the mover is happy to have it amended, we are happy to go along with that, too.
Amendment agreed to.
MS DUNDAS
(5.34): In closing, I would like to say that it would be nice if the minister could inform us of the existing programs. I believe he recognises the significant level of unmet need in the Belconnen and Gungahlin areas and across the ACT, as has been noted in the debate. I am looking forward to the report, and I hope that it, along with all the other reports that are being done, will not be dismissed out of hand but are taken in
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