Page 2115 - Week 06 - Tuesday, 21 June 2011
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generous concession regimes of any jurisdiction anywhere in the country will be in the ACT.
In 2011-12 the government will continue to focus on providing targeted assistance to help those most in need. In order to better target and inform our policy making and service planning, we need to ensure that our policy decisions are based on the strongest evidence base possible. The ACT government will update the tools to better identify those households most in need. Alongside this work, the government will review its concessions regime to ensure it continues to support those most in need of our support. We anticipate to have 25,000 householders supported under the concessions regime during this period.
The government is currently developing a strategy for a joined up, more coordinated approach to service delivery for vulnerable families. This approach focuses on keeping the client at the centre of government services and includes a no-wrong-door policy for clients with complex needs. Accommodation for people with disability will be enhanced through the commencement in February 2012 of an intentional community accommodation, which will provide tailored accommodation for people with a disability in Phillip.
We also aim to reform our services for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness in the ACT. The common ground feasibility study will be completed in 2011, and we anticipate it will provide a promising pathway to combating homelessness. The government will also move forward to pilot the triple bottom line assessment for selected policy proposals in 2011-12.
The government is committed to providing not only affordable but also appropriate housing for all Canberrans. Housing affordability, both in purchase and rental markets is a major factor influencing the ACT economy and the community. In recognition of this, the ACT government released the affordable housing action plan in early 2007 to address pressures in the purchase, rental and supported accommodation markets. The government is committed to address the housing challenges of the future. The population of Canberra will increase steadily to an expected 550,000 by 2057. Our population will also age significantly with the number of people aged 65-plus expected to make up 22 per cent of the population by 2059 compared to 10 per cent currently.
One way we are seeking to ensure the best housing outcomes for older Canberrans is through a retirement villages bill. The bill has undergone exhaustive consultation as an exposure draft and will be debated in the Assembly in coming months. As the government addresses the housing needs of our changing population, housing affordability will be an enduring focus.
The government’s affordable housing action plan is now a model for the rest of Australia. Through it, the government has successfully supported many in our community who may not have otherwise been able to purchase their own homes to find more affordable housing. In 2011-12 the government will seek to ensure there is an adequately diverse range of housing opportunities to meet the changing needs of Canberrans. We will develop adaptive housing options. We will further deliver progressive social housing reform. We will deliver community housing with a
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