Page 645 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 20 May 1992
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Mrs Carnell may have heard criticisms on the media today of a so-called restructure of IDS which it is alleged will reduce the level of care. The criticism was answered by the critic who said, "What we are doing - shock, horror - is reducing middle management". Indeed, we are doing that throughout IDS with the objective of having more carers caring for more people and having less bureaucratisation - fewer resources at middle management and more resources providing actual care.
Housing Industry
MR LAMONT: My question is directed to the Chief Minister and Treasurer. What is the Chief Minister's assessment of the outlook for the ACT housing industry?
MS FOLLETT: Madam Speaker, I think the question that Mr Lamont has asked is particularly relevant in view of the question asked of Mr Wood about land development. I think that all members here would recognise also that the housing industry is a very significant employer in the ACT. So, its condition is indeed relevant to my portfolio. I am happy to report that on the latest figures which are available, those for the month of March, the housing industry in the ACT is in a very healthy state indeed. In fact, you could probably describe it as buoyant.
Madam Speaker, in March the housing finance commitments in the ACT were up, in nominal terms, some 4.7 per cent on the previous month. But, more significantly, compared with March of last year, the increase in March of this year was 42.2 per cent. So, it is a very significant increase. There were also significant increases in a number of the other statistics that are kept, particularly in the number of dwellings financed, which increased from 797 in February to 896 in March. During the month finance was obtained for the construction of 119 new dwellings, which was up 75 per cent on March of the previous year. So, again, it is a very significant increase.
There was also an increase in newly constructed dwellings of 43 per cent on March of last year. The increase in housing finance is consistent with recent increases that have been recorded in ACT residential housing approvals. During the March quarter, if we look at the quarter rather than just the month, 1,002 new dwellings were approved. This was some 33 per cent higher than for the December quarter. But, very significantly, it was 200 per cent higher than for the March quarter of last year.
So, it is a very encouraging set of statistics for the housing industry. I believe that we can attribute it in part to the falling interest rates and in part to our sustained level of increase in population in the ACT. As I say, the housing industry is a significant employer. The statistics mean that there are jobs in that industry and that new jobs are coming on. They also mean, of course, in social justice terms, that in the ACT people continue to be able to afford their own homes, whether they are constructing new ones or buying homes that are already on the market. I think that is something that we should all be very pleased about.
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