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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2002 Week 6 Hansard (16 May) . . Page.. 1739 ..

MR WOOD (continuing):

to review the recommendations of the select committee and provide me with advice on implementing those commitments.

The affordable housing task force is also consulting widely with the community on the identification of affordable housing options in the ACT. Over the next few months the task force will conduct a series of seminars to obtain broader community input on housing affordability issues, such as land and planning and private sector finance. A website for the task force is currently being developed and will soon be operational. This will aid the dissemination of information on the task force's activities and facilitate community input.

In keeping with its election promise, the government will also soon commence a review of the Residential Tenancies Act.

The challenges facing the housing system require commitment and strategic partnerships. The government will continue to work with ACTCOSS, ACT Shelter, CCHOACT and others in the community to address these problems and develop future directions for housing.

Ensuring effective linkages between housing and other services is also important in achieving broader social outcomes. Central to the government's policy platform is the development of a social plan for Canberra which will be a major focus for addressing the housing, social infrastructure, and access and equity needs of our community. This will be an important mechanism for facilitating linkages between housing and other programs and ensuring government assistance is responsive to the range of community needs.

The Stanhope government has also taken a whole-of-government approach to addressing homelessness. This is another area where I will be working closely with Mr Corbell, who will be establishing a homelessness advisory group to facilitate linkages between services and to develop integrated strategies.

Access to emergency housing is also a priority. From a housing perspective, I am concerned to ensure that people in urgent need of housing are able to access accommodation. While ACT Housing gives priority allocation to people who are homeless, it is not well placed to respond to urgent needs for accommodation. In these circumstances, access to information about alternative options and assistance with accessing accommodation quickly are important. The government is examining strategies to increase options for people in housing crisis.

Finally, access to adequate housing is a key building block of our society. Health, education and employment outcomes all depend on a person having adequate shelter. In the past Canberra's tradition of public housing has contributed to the egalitarianism of our community. However, we are now faced with significant pressures on our social housing system at a time when the private rental market offers few choices for families and households on low to moderate incomes.

The government has embarked on significant planning processes for the future development of Canberra, and affordable housing will be a key challenge that we need to address. As a community, we are at the crossroads. We can face these challenges for housing in the ACT and start now to work towards a sustainable future-a future that

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