Page 2891 - Week 08 - Wednesday, 24 June 2009
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development plan process has recently been reviewed in line with the new legislation and the territory plan to further speed up the delivery of affordable housing to the market. As part of the review, the Planning and Land Authority undertook extensive consultation with industry representatives and agencies.
The territory plan, through the residential subdivision development code and the precinct codes, requires the provision of a mix of block types, including those for affordable housing. In assessing proposals for residential subdivisions, the Planning and Land Authority ensures that at least 15 per cent of the blocks are able to accommodate affordable housing in accordance with government policy, including, importantly, the delivery of compact blocks and multi-unit development sites. This is further enforced through the deeds of agreement with private developers as part of a direct sale or joint venture arrangement. All deeds of agreement for residential estates require at least 15 per cent of blocks to be provided for affordable housing.
The Planning and Land Authority has recently approved a number of subdivisions, including a number of affordable housing options in west Macgregor, the Flemington Road corridor, Crace, Bonner, Dunlop and Phillip, with future proposals to be considered for Franklin, Watson, and west Macgregor—once again, a simpler, faster and more effective planning system, delivering better and cheaper housing.
In conclusion, I am very glad to have the opportunity to support Ms Burch’s motion today. She is absolutely right to bring this to the Assembly. It is in the interests of her constituents in the electorate of Brindabella.
We know from their fairly aggressive stance against the government’s affordable housing action plan that the Liberal Party clearly oppose diverse measures to achieve housing affordability. We know that they oppose progressive measures that the Labor Party have put in place in this area. So it is important to have a member like Ms Burch who will stand up for households on modest incomes and Canberrans who have been historically locked out of the housing market. I know Ms Burch takes this matter very seriously and will continue to advocate very strongly for affordable housing in this city. It is because Labor believes in the dream of homeownership; that it is for the many, not a few. I commend Ms Burch’s motion to the Assembly and thank her very much for putting this important matter before us this afternoon.
MR CORBELL (Molonglo—Attorney-General, Minister for the Environment, Climate Change and Water, Minister for Energy and Minister for Police and Emergency Services) (4.53): I am very pleased to join the debate this afternoon and I thank Ms Burch for raising this very important issue of the importance of homeownership policies as a mechanism to encourage and assist Canberrans to achieve secure housing.
Secure, appropriate and affordable housing has long been recognised as one of the key contributors to a person’s quality of life—and not just homeownership but also appropriate and affordable rental accommodation and appropriate and affordable supported accommodation. Homeownership is something we are all entitled to aspire to, and to aspire to a form of accommodation that is appropriate to our needs, our desires, our lifestyle and our circumstances.
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