Page 4398 - Week 12 - Thursday, 24 October 2019
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I applaud the Greens—yes, I said that—for bringing an amendment to this chamber last month, which was carried, in regard to the end of the trial period for the land tax rebate, but I hold a fear, as do the various community housing organisations in this town, that this scheme will be ineffective unless it becomes more of a permanent arrangement now—not in three months time, not in six months time, not at the end of the trial, but now. The change is needed. When landlords set up rental arrangements, they do not set them up for short blocks of time like the 12 months or so that remain on the current pilot arrangement. One of the reasons, interestingly, that this is the case, is that landlords actually wish to provide security of tenure to those that are living under their roof.
The land tax rebate was designed to change the mathematics of rent for a number of properties so as to allow the landlord to take those properties to the market as affordable rentals. Anyone who signs up now to this program will only have a year-long period to offer that property as an affordable rental before the rug is pulled out from underneath them. Granted, it is possible that the rug will not be pulled out from underneath them, but there is no certainty, so these affordable rental providers cannot go to the market and promise certainty.
The Community Housing Industry Association met yesterday, and this was at the forefront of their discussions. CHI ACT will release a policy recommendation in coming days. I have it in front of me now. The Community Housing Industry Association will recommend this:
Extend the two-year pilot of the provision of land tax exemptions for private landlords for properties being managed by Community Housing Providers.
The pilot was welcomed by CHIA ACT and private property owners are engaging in the scheme through CHC ACT’s Homeground and YWCA Canberra’s Rentwell. However, the short-term nature of the scheme is deterring some landlords from being engaged in the pilot as they are concerned that it may cease at the end of the two year period.
CHIA ACT is calling for the two-year pilot to be extended to encourage more private landlords to be engaged and provide an assurance to landlords that the scheme will continue.
So while I welcome Mr Rattenbury’s motion in regard to seeking more of the very important economic analysis that will help all of us in this policy space, I cannot let this opportunity pass by without amending the motion in this way.
The Greens have said to me privately, “Hang on a second, Parto, this has nothing to do with the original motion.” Well, welcome to our world, brothers and sisters. Welcome to our world. The number of times that we put up a motion and it is amended removing all words after “to move that this Assembly” is absolutely staggering. Of course, I have not done anything of the sort here. I have left your motion exactly as it is and tacked on what I think are very important amendments because they may well lead to positive outcomes.
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