Page 4850 - Week 13 - Wednesday, 1 November 2017
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This inquiry will help us to understand the level of existing housing diversity and the actual and perceived demand for different housing types. The outcomes of this inquiry should be considered and integrated into the government’s housing strategy, whether it be affordable housing, changing the Territory Plan regulations, changing zoning, reducing barriers to achieving diverse housing stock or a broader focus on other things to ensure that Canberrans can have a roof over their head.
The Labor-Greens parliamentary agreement commits the government to set affordable housing targets across greenfield and urban renewal development projects. Ms Orr talked a little bit about one of the small aspects of this—ensuring that the affordable housing that is developed stays in the hands of people who need it. This, again, was part of our agreement, and I am very pleased that the Suburban Land Agency and the City Renewal Authority’s legislation includes commitments to both of those. Setting concrete targets for social housing and affordable housing is a necessary step to ensure that we have enough of it. Overall, I commend the minister for housing for hosting the summit last week, and I look forward to the future. (Time expired.)
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) (4.53): I welcome Ms Orr’s private member’s motion today and I thank Mr Parton for his enthusiasm in support of our housing summit held the other week. I thank you for the credit for that as well, but I really want to make sure that that credit goes to the people who were involved in providing some advice on how that housing summit would go ahead and how the conversations and consultations that were leading to the summit occurred.
That was all provided to the government through the advisory group and the individuals on the advisory group that were brought together to put this in place and to continue to work with us as we develop a housing strategy in the ACT. Those people are Peta Dawson and John Jacob, public housing tenants; Travis Gilbert from ACT Shelter; Adina Cirson from the ACT Property Council; Christine Shaw, Luton Properties; Chris Redmond from Woden Community Service; Professor Edwards from the University of Canberra; Neil Skipper from Havelock Housing Association; and Alan Morschel from the ACT Chapter of the Australian Institute of Architects. That group of individuals have worked very closely together in advising the government on the best way forward and how we communicate with the community.
Of course, following months of community consultation and engagement, the summit was achieved. Personally, I was really happy with the outcome. I have also heard that so far around 79 per cent of people who attended have indicated their satisfaction with the event. I think that is not a bad effort from everybody that was involved—from Housing ACT, the public housing renewal task force, the advisory group and all of the people who came along and contributed. It is really important to developing a new housing strategy into the future for the ACT.
All along the way I had wanted to raise awareness of the issues in housing in the ACT. Mr Parton is right. There are issues around housing in the ACT and all across the country. It is always natural for a government to want to defend some of the good
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