Page 412 - Week 02 - Tuesday, 20 February 2018
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
centre, with a particular emphasis on the Woolley Street project. It will progress land sales within the precinct associated with the asset recycling initiative. It will develop a comprehensive program of place-making and activation for public spaces in the city precinct and partner with local businesses and the creative sector to support the cultural capital of the city centre.
The authority is working closely with the Environment, Planning and Sustainable Development Directorate to ensure good governance in its operations, decisions and implementation of this range of city renewal activities. This, again, will be a process of continuing review and improvement to ensure that the city renewal function is well managed. The authority will deliver a more rigorous approach to the release, development and renewal of land and places in the precinct. I commend this statement to the Assembly.
MS LE COUTEUR (Murrumbidgee) (3.43), by leave: As the Chief Minister alluded to, the ACT government has been required to set targets for its land agencies to release sites for affordable community and public housing as part of the 2017 legislation establishing the CRA and the SLA. This was due to amendments the Greens proposed. I asked the Chief Minister in September last year about the targets, and I was told that the targets would be available in the fullness of time. It is very pleasing that the fullness of time has finally arrived.
Earlier this month I wrote to the housing minister, calling on the ACT government to maintain the existing proportion of public housing in Canberra, which we calculate to be 7.1 per cent of all housing. The notifiable instrument states that there will be over 14,000 new homes built on urban renewal sites that are scheduled for release in 2017-18 in Braddon, Turner, Reid and Red Hill. It is disappointing that this will not include any affordable community or public housing.
The notifiable instrument sets aside 143 new sites for public housing dwellings in the year. Given that the notifiable instrument shows that we are releasing land for 4,120 dwellings, that would appear to be grossly inadequate if we are serious about maintaining the current levels of public housing stock. This means that only 3.5 per cent of new dwellings will be public housing, less than half the current rate of public housing across the territory.
In response to my question without notice about this matter earlier today, the Chief Minister noted that these figures only tell part of the story of the targets for new land release and that these targets do not include existing or planned affordable public or community housing in these areas or, indeed, across the territory where they would be taking advantage of land that has already been released.
I understand that there are fluctuations in stock numbers of new public housing due to asset renewal, new construction in existing areas not covered by the SLA and CRA land release program and spot purchasing. It is worth noting, however, in this context that the Community Services Directorate’s most recent annual report for Housing ACT shows that there were only 72 dwellings delivered as part of Housing ACT’s capital renewal program, as distinct from the more major public housing renewal program, which is aiming to be a roof-for-roof replacement.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video