Page 110 - Week 01 - Tuesday, 14 February 2012
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As a result, the first action plan extended to other crucial areas such as diversity of housing products, increasing market access, providing tenant information, bolstering the capacity of the community and not-for-profit housing sectors, enabling the public housing sector to better meet changing community needs, and assisting older persons to continue living in their current communities as they age. Since the release of that major plan in 2007 our commitment to affordable housing has been unwavering.
In 2009 the second phase of the affordable housing action plan was released, adding a further 21 initiatives to the already significant bodies of work. The wide-ranging scope of the original action plan allowed this second phase to be considerably more targeted, focusing on improving the circumstances of Canberra’s older persons and homeless. I am proud to report that of those 84 initiatives, 81 are either completed, ongoing, or expected to be completed this year.
Another notable step taken by this government to improve housing affordability has included the introduction of a requirement that part of all greenfield developments must be delivered within an affordable threshold. Currently 20 per cent of new dwellings in these estates must be made available at or below a price of $337,000, significantly improving the prospects of Canberrans on lower incomes to enter the property market.
We have also introduced through the Land Development Agency the OwnPlace initiative, which partners the LDA with local builders to deliver quality affordable housing to people earning under $120,000 per annum. Over 250 of those homes have now been completed and occupied to date, with another 200 either under construction or set to commence shortly.
In the same vein we have introduced the innovative land rent scheme, which is offered on blocks sold by the LDA regardless of size or cost. The scheme allows lessees to pay rent to the government of four per cent of the unimproved value of land. Last year the government announced that since the commencement of this in 2008, the land rent scheme has proved an attractive option for more than 1,000 low-income Canberra families wishing to achieve the dream of homeownership at a more affordable price.
More than 310 people have purchased housing using the land rent scheme, with a further 747 having exchanged contracts. That is over 1,000 Canberra families who have an affordable roof over their head as a result of this nation-leading scheme.
Comment has been made that Mr Seselja should really explain to the Canberra community what the Liberals’ alternative policies are, because we know that he has not supported the land rent scheme. I would like him to make a commitment today that he would not scrap the ACT land rent scheme altogether if in government. That would deny more families affordable housing.
The government has worked with ACT institutions and the commonwealth to delivery thousands of new affordable dwellings in the community through the national rental affordability scheme. In the four years the NRAS has operated, ACT applicants have been allocated incentives to build over 2,600 new rental properties, many providing two, three or more bedrooms.
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