Page 4312 - Week 13 - Thursday, 4 December 2014
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
We will retain a demolition strategy which sequences demolition in the most efficient and cost-effective way possible. We will seek to preclude any opportunities for predatory developer behaviour or individual profiteering down the track. We will work to limit the additional administration created by modifications to the scheme.
In relation to the impact on the property market, the advice to government remains that the issue will not have a large or long-lasting effect on Canberra house prices. Mr Fluffy houses represent less than 10 per cent of the annual housing turnover in Canberra; the entry of former owners into the housing and rental markets will be staged; and the government’s Land Development Agency is in a position to respond to these changes in demand. We particularly take into consideration the fact that some people may wish to stay on in their homes for the next five years.
The government will not raze blocks indiscriminately. We will seek to preserve the trees and yards of those committed to returning or where they add to the amenity and value of the blocks, as we have said—particularly, and only, if it is safe and cleared through the asbestos assessment report. Each of these aspects is secondary to the need for a test-driven approach to clearing, which does not stop until the asbestos stops being found.
On a similar note, where owners maintain that there is a complete absence of Mr Fluffy in their home and do not have a definite assessment, the government will facilitate an invasive test to provide clarity. We have deliberately not taken an approach of rating levels of contamination, as there is simply no way to guarantee that any of these homes are safe. Where issues have been identified around communication and support for home owners, these are taken on board, and we will, of course, look for improvements to be made where they can be.
I accept that some people have had difficult interactions with the government in recent months. Since the first assistance package was announced in July, we have been able to consider and assist in individual cases of extreme hardship and individual circumstances, and there is scope for this to continue. I have personally signed off a number of assistance packages for people whose individual circumstances were not being accommodated in the financial arrangements. The task force is soon to begin community outreach in town centres to make it easier for affected families to meet with the personal support team. We will continue to engage through social media and offer face-to-face meetings.
In relation to corporate and community support, the support base is continuing to grow. Thirteen banks have responded to the government’s invitation and are now offering special concessions for Mr Fluffy home owners. Major utilities are helping in the transfer of services. Local businesses are offering discounts and vouchers. And through the Community and Expert Reference Group we expect to see this support base swell further still.
For all the hard work that has occurred, it is in many ways still very early days.
I note the comparison between natural disasters like flood and fire. On any measure, when you look at what is being offered by the government’s assistance package, it
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video