Page 1227 - Week 04 - Wednesday, 29 March 2017
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MS BERRY: I can confirm that I was prepared for questions from the opposition on this issue. I have heard from the Holder action group and residents from Holder about some of the concerns that they have with this particular development and I am particularly pleased that they are concerned about ensuring that public housing residents in the ACT are supported as much as we possibly can. It has been really good for the government to hear that the residents in Holder are keen to see the best possible outcome for residents in public housing.
As regards the issues that Mr Hanson has raised around services and public transport, of course public housing residents, just like the rest of us, have different needs. Some of them will require public transport options.
Mr Hanson: Madam Speaker, on relevance, the question was specifically about a comparison between what would be available in Holder and what is available on Northbourne Avenue, the existing site. If the minister could explain what difference there will be in amenity, infrastructure and transport, which was the question.
MADAM SPEAKER: Thank you, Mr Hanson. The minister was getting to services for client needs.
MS BERRY: That is right. Thank you, Madam Speaker. Yes, public housing tenants have different needs.
Of course it should be noted that it was this government that was elected on a transport reform election commitment around light rail. The opposition wanted to tear up the contract for light rail which would have put the public housing renewal program, the biggest renewal program in ACT government history, in jeopardy. It would not have happened. All of the new housing that the ACT government has been developing, which is intrinsically linked— (Time expired.)
MR HANSON: Minister, what studies have been done on the safety issues, especially increased traffic, and will you table those studies?
MS BERRY: There has been a lot of investigation of the sites, including Holder, to ensure that they meet the needs of public housing tenants. Of course, we want to make sure that the existing community is involved in those communications. We are very happy to meet with, and I have offered to meet with, the Holder action group as well. I spoke with a member of the group yesterday, and I will be making time in the very near future to meet with them. We will listen to the concerns of the Holder action group and the broader community. We want to make sure that public housing tenants are welcomed and that their safety is not put at risk, or that of the existing community. So all of that will be taken into consideration in the conversations that we have with the Holder community.
MRS JONES: Minister, how will the development impact the community amenity, including green spaces, which is the heart of this community and which residents feel will be completely changed?
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