Page 4256 - Week 13 - Wednesday, 16 November 2005
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
Moreover, the government’s planned maintenance program provides for ongoing rejuvenation initiatives such as the replacement of windows and doors. This has recently been completed at Gowrie Court. At Red Hill external repainting will soon commence. This work is part of a planned maintenance program that is the central focus of a $30 million facility management contract for public housing. These contracts include key performance measures and encourage a redirection of maintenance funds away from the immediate band-aid maintenance solutions and into long-term revitalisation of housing stock.
As I said before, we are doing a whole heap of things and we will continue to do a whole heap of things. We are encouraging people, with a government home buyer concession scheme; we have got the rental bonds housing assistance program; we have got the people that can buy their own homes. In fact, the government’s home buyer concession scheme benefited 1,662 people in 2005, each of them receiving an average stamp duty saving of over $6,100.
We have been doing a whole heap of things since we came to government in 2001. We have picked up an absolute, screaming mess, which is what the Liberals left us—1,000 properties down—and have managed to start to claw this back. We have got better and more relevant stock. On top of that, we talk to the tenants.
Mr Smyth: Mr Speaker, I would like—
MR SPEAKER: Mr Smyth, you have already spoken.
MR SMYTH (Brindabella—Leader of the Opposition): Yes, but I seek leave to speak again.
Leave granted.
MR SMYTH: Thank you, members. The tirade and vitriol from the minister cannot go unanswered. We have gone straight back to the standard answer when you have not got an answer: blame the commonwealth. The commonwealth relinquished control of this 16 years ago. You have been in control of this for the last four years, through your government, Mr Hargreaves. And what have you done? What could you answer to the questions? You could not answer a single question that I asked. This is almost straight off ACT Health’s budget estimates guide for 2003. When you do not know what to say, blame the commonwealth; then go the commonwealth for underfunding; then twist with a knife. This is terrible.
We quoted the number. There have been 470 modifications. How many of them were existing houses that you put some baths in, Mr Hargreaves, and how many of them were houses that you purchased? That is the question. You said, “You left us this screaming mess.” I loved the “screaming mess”. You said, “We were 1,000 properties down.” What is the usage rate at this minute? How many properties are empty under this government because they have not maintained them properly? How many of the properties at Northbourne flats are empty? How many at Fraser Court are empty? How many at Currong are empty? How many at Gowrie Court are empty? How many at Stuart are empty? How many at Red Hill are empty?
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .