Page 1252 - Week 04 - Wednesday, 29 March 2017
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residents of Northbourne Avenue at the moment living in supportive housing? If so, which services are being provided to them?
The planning guidelines specifically indicate that multi-unit housing is a prohibited development on the sites, and the government intends to build standard-issue multi-unit housing in Wright, Chapman, Mawson and Holder. The site at Wright is the only block of land of reasonable size specifically set aside for community facilities in this new and developing suburb, and it certainly looks as though it was never designed for public housing.
We know that there were many other sites considered for public housing renewal. We would like to know exactly where. I would also like to know about the public consultation process involved here, because the residents of Wright, Chapman and Holder feel as though they have been left in the dark again, as this government attempts to push through its agenda without enough thought being given to those who are impacted. Residents groups have been quickly assembled in those three suburbs and they are systematically doing what the government has failed to do at this point: inform the community of what is going on, how they are going to be impacted and what they can do about it.
I call upon the government to cancel the planned public housing developments in Chapman, Wright and Holder and to consider more suitable locations, including on Northbourne Avenue itself.
MS BERRY (Ginninderra—Deputy Chief Minister, Minister for Education and Early Childhood Development, Minister for Housing and Suburban Development, Minister for the Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence, Minister for Women and Minister for Sport and Recreation) (4.06): I want to clarify a few things with respect to the comments Mr Parton has made. Mr Parton repeatedly referred to some comments I made when I was a backbencher, and I did make those comments back in 2014. I want to ensure that the member understands why public housing could not be built on those sites.
The asset recycling initiative prevented replacement housing being built within the time frame required under the agreement. What I have been able to do as minister for housing is ensure that housing that is built as part of this renewal program continues to occur within the corridor. It has occurred in Lyneham, O’Connor and Ainslie, and in the future the government has made a commitment to additional housing in Dickson through Common Ground.
Reference was made by the member opposite to a pharmacist being concerned about tenants. I encourage Mr Parton to get in touch with that pharmacist and recommend that those tenants engage with Housing ACT and the support services that are being wrapped around tenants who are moving into new homes so that they can be properly supported within the community.
Again Mr Parton is also making assumptions about the needs of public housing residents. The government actually respects public housing residents much more and, instead of assuming what their needs are, we are asking them. I am personally
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