Page 3367 - Week 09 - Wednesday, 19 August 2009
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In addition, and I stress this, although there is no direct link between public housing and crime—
Ms Bresnan: No, there is not.
MR HARGREAVES: No, there is not. Accept that. Data, though, from the Victorian police reports that the city of Stonnington—where the K2 project is located and where there is a high level of public housing complexes in some streets—has the fifth highest crime rate of Melbourne’s 32 metropolitan municipalities. I am not saying that this is a causal link. What I am saying, though, is that you have got to be very careful when you place people within an environment that already has that sort of smoke about it. We have to be a bit careful about that.
If we were to follow this model recommended by the Greens, we would be replacing an eight-storey building with a newly painted eight-storey building. It could have the most sophisticated energy efficiency initiatives, but what of the resultant social disadvantage of our tenants living in such concentration? Even the Victorian government is yet to confirm that its K2 model is delivering the anticipated outcomes.
The government will not be supporting the motion, because we do not believe that the idea of the competition will adequately address the underlying issues affecting tenants in concentrations of multistorey, multi-unit public housing properties. It is about addressing disadvantage. This will be a costly window-dressing exercise, we believe. You can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear, as you know.
Madam Assistant Speaker, I seek leave to move two amendments together.
Leave granted.
MR HARGREAVES: I move amendments Nos 1 and 2 circulated in my name together:
(1) in paragraph 1(c), insert the words “potential for” after “the” (first occurring); and
(2) omit paragraph (2), substitute:
“(2) notes the ACT Government’s commitment to socially and environmentally sustainable public housing, which has as its main objectives:
(a) the aim and ambition of eliminating homelessness in the ACT;
(b) the allocation of public housing properties based on client need, as part of the suite of support packages designed to increase the quality of life of all clients;
(c) the provision of a Canberra-wide social mix of residents through a client focussed mix of stand-alone and small scale multi-unit properties;
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