Page 3733 - Week 10 - Thursday, 14 September 2017
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strong and stable demand for our securities under a wide range of market conditions. This is important because government will need to access finance at various points in time.
Over recent years we have received very strong, positive feedback from our program of bond investor meetings, including increased awareness of the ACT and a very positive view of the government’s borrowing strategy and objectives which are, of course, supported by out AAA credit rating. It is important that we continue to develop our relationships with more investors to further diversify our borrowing program and to promote its sustainability over the longer term.
These relationships can take time to develop but the benefits for the territory in secure and affordable access to financing are, of course, very significant. Conversely, simply sitting here and hoping that international investors stumble across us is a short-sighted and self-defeating approach.
Housing—affordability
MS LE COUTEUR: My question is to the Chief Minister and concerns his recent release of a statement of expectation for the City Renewal Authority. The statement includes only one brief mention of affordable housing, and the government has not yet released the affordable housing targets as required by the authority’s act. When will you be setting and releasing the affordable housing targets?
MR BARR: In the fullness of time, but not too long away.
MS LE COUTEUR: Chief Minister, what place is there for low income Canberrans in the Northbourne Avenue corridor?
MR BARR: Very significant. This provides an opportunity to address at least one of the misconceptions in this particular public discussion. There is and will remain public housing on Northbourne Avenue. Although the government is disposing of some aged, outdated public housing, we will be retaining public housing in the Northbourne Avenue corridor and we will also be building—
Opposition members interjecting—
MR BARR: Facing Northbourne Avenue; you guys just don’t quite understand the full public housing portfolio, clearly. You also need to look at this in the context of our commitments in relation to the Northbourne corridor. Being 10 metres from Northbourne Avenue I think is still a reasonable proximity to light rail; being 20 metres from Northbourne Avenue is still a reasonable proximity to Northbourne Avenue.
Indeed, in relation to our election commitments on social and affordable housing in the City Renewal Authority precinct and areas immediately adjacent, I want to highlight particularly our commitment to Common Ground, stage 2, in Dickson.
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