Page 789 - Week 03 - Tuesday, 21 March 2017
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
MS BERRY: I thank Ms Cheyne for the supplementary question. As we know, we are redeveloping 1,288 public housing properties across the ACT, building new and better public housing for public housing tenants, to replace some of the old, not sustainable, unsuitable housing within some of the higher density developments in the city and across the Canberra region. We have announced recently new public housing to be developed on community facilities land in five suburbs across the city, including Chapman, Holder, Wright—
Mr Parton: Mawson and Monash.
MS BERRY: Thank you, Mr Parton. I saw your video earlier of your visits across the city. It was fascinating. Importantly for public housing renewal, it is about making sure—
Members interjecting—
MADAM SPEAKER: Order! Allow the minister to be heard.
MS BERRY: It is about making sure that our tenants have the same kinds of options that every one of us has about where they want to live in the ACT and where it meets their need to live, whether that is connections with community that suit their family, connections to public schools, or whether they have some other reason for where they want to live in the ACT. Giving them some choice and some options is what this public housing renewal program is about. That is why we are making sure that it is distributed across the city, and public housing tenants have the same kinds of choices about where they want live as the rest of us.
Public housing—fire risk locations
MRS JONES: My question is to the Minister for Planning and Land Management. Minister, there has been a recent announcement of 141 new public housing developments, moving tenants from the inner city of Northbourne Avenue to suburbs such as Chapman, Mawson and Holder. Previously a residential development on the Chapman site was cancelled due to the site being deemed a fire risk. Minister, have you made the new tenants, or the potential tenants, aware that the site of their new homes has previously been deemed a dangerous fire risk to build upon?
MS BERRY: Madam Speaker, I think the question is probably best for me to answer and respond to. Around 50 per cent of the ACT is a fire zone. We are the bush capital. We voted for it to be included on our number plates and it is something we are quite proud of. What is good is that Chapman residents, particularly, are acutely aware of the hazard and the risk that they face living in the area that they do. So we are making sure that all residents, whether they are in private houses or private rentals or whether they are public housing tenants, are aware of the risks—for over 50 per cent of the ACT—of living in a bush capital like the ACT.
I think what Mrs Jones is referring to is a previous application to provide an aged-care facility at the Chapman site. The difference between the aged-care facility and public
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video