Page 230 - Week 02 - Tuesday, 6 March 2007
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They are going to have to respond to this boom and be ready for the next one so that we do not see house prices spiralling out of control, out of the reach of average Canberrans. That would be a real tragedy for many people in Canberra.
MR CORBELL (Molonglo—Attorney-General, Minister for Police and Emergency Services and Minister for Planning) (4.58): This is a matter of significant public policy importance and one which is challenging policy makers, governments, and communities right around the country. We in the ACT are not immune to pressure on the housing market when it comes to affordability, and we are seeing the same challenges here that we are seeing in other jurisdictions.
The government is committed to tackling and addressing these issues, and we have been now for a number of years. Members would recall that about 2½ years ago, under the previous housing minister, Mr Wood, an affordable housing strategy was released that encompassed a whole range of measures. From the planning side of things, one of the key measures that were put in place was the provision of the moderate income land ballot.
The moderate income land ballot process provided for people who met certain income thresholds to purchase blocks valued at under $150,000. That program has continued and over the last three years we have sold over 100 blocks to moderate income purchasers.
Dr Foskey has talked about social and community housing, and this is something which is equally important to the government. I am pleased to advise members that the LDA is continuing to develop a proposal with Community Housing Canberra for the provision of a set number of blocks to help improve the level of social and community housing available in the ACT community. It will do that through a direct grant process. That is another mechanism that is being used to put in place measures to address the affordability issue for people who perhaps cannot purchase a property, but nevertheless need that long-term tenure associated with social or community housing.
Equally, in Franklin and Dunlop the LDA has already announced its intention to undertake a smart housing-style project similar to Landcom’s Forest Glade project at Parklea. Forest Glade at Parklea, a joint venture of Landcom, the New South Wales public sector land developer, and Cosmopolitan Homes, is a 63-home development on three hectares. It provides a density of 21 dwellings per hectare and affordable housing products within the range of mid $200,000 to mid $300,000 for house and land packages. It is the type of project and innovation that we need to see to tackle what is a very complex and diverse issue.
I want, though, to address very directly the issues raised by Mr Seselja about the overall level of land supply. When Labor came to government in 2001, there simply was not any land pre-planned on the shelf to meet the boom. The planning authority had been run down under the previous administration to such a degree that there were no pre-planned estates available on the shelf. Just go and talk to the planners. Go and ask them how much pre-planned, estate ready, concept planned ready land was there
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