Page 3246 - Week 09 - Tuesday, 19 August 2008
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3,400 blocks released in 2007-08. That is the largest residential land release program in a single year since self-government. We have a further 4,200 blocks to be released in this financial year and an average of 2,750 blocks to be released over the following four years. The government now provides blocks for sale over the counter, with sites currently available in Bonner and Ginninderra Ponds.
The government has also listened to industry. Through our land release program, we have a number of new estates for development through regular englobo land releases, with house and land packages now available at west Macgregor, Casey and Uriarra.
Another key cornerstone of the government’s affordable housing action plan is our requirement that at least 15 per cent of new estates include house and land packages under $300,000. Through the government’s first englobo land sale, we have seen Village Building Co far exceed this requirement, providing almost 30 per cent of the estate as affordable house and land packages of that order. We now also have in place the OwnPlace initiative, in which the government has partnered with builders to deliver affordable house and land packages under $300,000. The first of those homes will have families in them by Christmas this year.
The government have also sought innovation through our action plan. We now have in place the land rent scheme, which is attracting lots of attention, with the first four information sessions on the scheme completely booked out and places for future information sessions filling fast. The land rent scheme which has just now been derided by the Liberal Party—a scheme which they have signalled that they will abolish—will make housing more affordable by allowing households on incomes as modest as $50,000 a year to rent rather than buy the land component of a house and land package at a concessional rate by removing the mortgage component of land and substituting it for a concessional rental rate. Many Canberrans on lower incomes will be able to realise that great dream of owning their own home. This government is providing homeowners with greater options to make housing more affordable.
I find it absolutely remarkable that the Liberal Party do not believe that the land rent scheme should be continued. They believe that it should be abolished. Their attitude is that you own a land and house as a complete package or you continue to rent. The Liberal Party would deny households on incomes of under $50,000 the opportunity of owning a house albeit through a land rent arrangement. They would prefer to see those people continue to access public housing or simply continue to rent from the private market. It is a wonderful Marie Antoinette response to issues around housing affordability: “Oh well, you earn less than $50,000; your fate is to remain in the rental market or wait and access public housing. We do not believe that there should be this innovative popular option to allow you to access your own home through a land rent scheme.”
It is remarkable. It is remarkably patronising of the Liberal Party to say to all those Canberrans—at those four booked-out first information sessions for the land rent scheme, to all those people who willingly accessed it—“We note your interest but this is not a scheme that we think is for you; we think you should continue to rent. We think you should continue to rent; you should stay in the rental market. Look, you earn less than $50,000; home ownership is not for you—not even pursuant to a land rent scheme.”
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