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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2002 Week 8 Hansard (26 June) . . Page.. 2244 ..


MR HARGREAVES (continuing):

sizes; funding for high school development; the laptops for teachers program, promised but not delivered but now delivered by Labor; students pathway initiatives; enhanced indigenous support program-contrast that with the removal of an indigenous teacher in the Liberal regime in 1996; and schools IT capacity upgrade.

Mr Speaker, we are also looking at implications for Brindabella regarding the affordable housing task force. One of the government's highest priorities is to address the shortage of affordable housing. To this end, the government established the affordable housing task force to make recommendations for an affordable housing strategy. I know that Mr Wood has been pushing this initiative for some time and I have to say it is of immense pleasure to find that a member for Brindabella is the minister for housing, because we do have that sympathetic ear.

The ACT is currently experiencing one of the lowest vacancy rates in the private rental market in recent history and there is growing evidence that the number of households in housing stress in our community is increasing. The task force will consult widely with the ACT community in the course of its investigations and will develop broad-based strategies for increasing housing affordability, taking into account financial, land use, planning, taxation and other considerations, as well as the role of both the social and private housing sectors.

I note, and Hansard should record, that the empty opposition bench we are now seeing reflects the contribution of opposition members. This strategy will define the nature of affordable housing.

Ms MacDonald: There is now one.

MR HARGREAVES: Correct, Ms MacDonald. The collective contribution of the opposition at the moment is one. One opposition member for Brindabella in fact is sitting opposite; the other one is lounging at the other end of the room.

The strategy will also identify the factors, extent and incidence of housing stress and lack of housing affordability overall within the ACT community. It will identify and assess opportunities and constraints for the development of affordable housing in the ACT; identify strategies used to increase housing affordability in other jurisdictions in Australia and overseas, and assess their appropriateness in the ACT context; and, finally, develop broadly based strategies for increasing housing affordability, taking into account, as I said, financial, land use, planning, taxation and other considerations as well as the role of both the social and private housing sectors.

Mr Speaker, in Brindabella this time, instead of the long awaited "let's look into it and see what we can do" policy of the Liberals, we have seen the emergence of major infrastructure projects and real-time cash in the budget for them. The government is committed to major infrastructure projects and upgrades to essential services and facilities in the Brindabella electorate.

Mr Smyth: Ha, ha!


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