Page 1772 - Week 05 - Thursday, 2 April 2009
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“(2) notes that the funds from the stimulus package will supplement the ACT Government’s existing actions to address homelessness, increase the supply of affordable housing and support the public and community housing sectors;”.
(2) Omit paragraph (3), substitute:
“(3) welcomes the ACT Government’s commitment to a multi-partisan way forward on social housing;”.
(3) Omit paragraph (5), substitute:
“(5) recognises the Australian Government’s Nation Building and Jobs Plan timelines as they relate to the ACT.”.
I welcome the update from the minister for housing on the $102 million in federal funding for social housing in the ACT. I will say that Mr Hargreaves’s motion does almost mimic the motion I had passed last week. Perhaps it would have been more appropriate for the minister to make a ministerial statement providing the chamber with an update on his discussion with federal counterparts. Nonetheless, I thank the minister for bringing this motion on today, and we will be supporting it with the amendments I have circulated.
Item (1) proposes that we note the Australian government’s $102 million contribution to social housing in the ACT. We had already passed this, with my motion that we note the Council of Australian Governments’ nation building and jobs national partnership agreement of 3 February 2009 that will provide $102 million for new and upgraded social housing in the ACT.
Item (2) suggests that we note that the funds from the stimulus package will supplement the ACT government’s significant contribution to addressing homelessness, affordable housing and innovations in the public and community housing sectors. While it is true that this Assembly has not passed this proposal, it is slightly presumptuous of the minister to think that we would and it is a somewhat self-congratulatory statement. From 2006, we have seen the decimation of SAAP and community housing and the door of public housing closed to many vulnerable families. Affordable housing may grow via CHC but the numbers at present have not yet stacked up. Therefore, I have moved an amendment that draws it back to a more factual basis.
Item (3) calls on the chamber to support the ACT government’s commitment to a multi-partisan way forward, commencing with a consultative forum relating to social housing. We have already agreed, via my motion, that the ACT government, prior to issuing tenders for stage 2 of the project at the end of this financial year, conduct a consultative forum to provide further advice on the commissioning and construction of affordable, energy efficient, low-emission housing and initiate an ongoing process of engagement with community housing providers, key community service agencies and relevant advocacy and key representative bodies on the social housing issues, including the proposed mix of housing projects and the capacity of the
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