Page 2696 - Week 09 - Wednesday, 12 August 2015

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(d) the ACT Government has not made a commitment to build new public housing properties along the Northbourne Avenue corridor;

(e) the Dropping off the Edge 2015 report shows that in 2015 Chisholm ranks as one of the most disadvantaged suburbs in the ACT;

(f) research shows that building large concentrations of public housing in one suburb or area can create a pocket of disadvantage; and

(g) the ACT Government has repeatedly expressed its commitment to the salt and pepper approach; and

(2) calls on the ACT Government to:

(a) develop and implement a strategic plan for locating new public housing;

(b) ensure that new public housing is not built in areas where public housing tenants will experience, or be at risk of experiencing, transport disadvantage;

(d) ensure that large concentrations of new public housing is not built in one suburb or area; and

(e) report back to the Assembly in September 2015 on progress.

I am pleased to move the motion today relating to the salt and pepper approach to public housing down the proposed light rail corridor. We all know that this government are charging recklessly down the path towards light rail. They are galloping off after an ideological pursuit and this is occurring at the expense of some of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged in our community.

Canberra has a long and proud history of public housing but we need a strategic approach for relocating people into new public housing. It should have started with careful planning about where to build new public housing properties, for example to ensure that proposed sites are close to public transport, essential services, employment and education and training opportunities. Instead, what we have seen is a headlong approach to light rail and all of a sudden the government realising they would have to move public housing tenants out of that light rail corridor.

We all know that the government’s public housing program includes selling all the public housing properties along the Northbourne Avenue corridor, including the Dickson flats and associated vacant land, Dickson garden flats, Owen flats, Northbourne flats in Braddon and Northbourne flats in Turner. We also know that the government are planning to relocate public housing tenants to other suburbs including Chisholm, Monash, Nicholls, Moncrieff, Coombs and Amaroo.

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