Page 3433 - Week 11 - Wednesday, 22 October 2014
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Further leveraging off this unique position, the government has established Invest Canberra as a dedicated investment promotion agency to progress and to increase direct private sector investment, particularly with a focus on international and national-level investment. The government recognises the need for the territory to actively compete to pursue that national and international-level investment. It is a simple fact that there is not sufficient capital in our own economy with our small population to meet our city’s future economic growth needs. We simply must pursue national and international-level investment.
It is pleasing to see that in recent times around 35 per cent of commercial and residential sales from the Land Development Agency have attracted that international-level investment. We continue to promote Canberra to international investors to provide the business connections and the dedicated support through Invest Canberra to allow for even more new, direct investment to flow into our economy.
A leading example of our international liaison is, of course, the Chief Minister’s mission to China earlier this month and my work in Singapore and Japan. The Chief Minister signed an MOU with the city of Shenzhen which focuses on general economic development, with a technology and education focus, and reflects the primary synergies between our cities. From Canberra’s perspective, we expect the benefits to flow in the delivery of our digital city initiatives as well as to our universities, research organisations and private sector innovators.
Over the last four years the territory government has also facilitated growth and economic development in our city through land release, nearly 15½ thousand dwelling sites to the market, offering a wide range of housing choice in greenfield locations and in infill locations. The volume of releases has certainly relieved pressure on housing prices and rents and has provided greater choice. This continued sustainable growth across many of Canberra’s suburbs and new development fronts has been supported by a program of commercial and community land release to support the broader needs of the population. These new dwelling sites have contributed to the ACT having the highest proportion of public housing in Australia and have supported the growth of the community housing portfolio.
In closing, the government will continue to support the territory economy, continue to support jobs growth in our economy and put in place the range of policies and programs to ensure that we remain the most livable city in the world.MR GENTLEMAN (Brindabella—Minister for Planning, Minister for Community Services, Minister for Workplace Safety and Industrial Relations, Minister for Children and Young People and Minister for Ageing) (11.35): I thank Dr Bourke for his motion today. I will not be supporting Mr Hanson’s amendment. I rise today to celebrate the OECD’s acknowledgement of something we have all known for a long time, that Canberra is the best place in the world to live. Canberra being named the most livable city in the world is a celebration of the positive work that has been done by the ACT government, ensuring the livability of our city and the opportunities, of course, that exist for Canberrans.
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