Page 4057 - Week 09 - Thursday, 26 August 2010
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right up to about 10 per cent of tenants being market renters. I do not know the details of the formula of the CPI—at what point of the year they would come in and at what point of the year they are assessed. I do not have that detail. I can bring it back to Mr Coe, if that is of interest to him.
MR SPEAKER: A supplementary, Mr Coe?
MR COE: Minister, do you think that the wage price index or male total average weekly earnings would be a more equitable way of determining market rent?
MS BURCH: We have a set process in place at the moment but that is not to say that Housing ACT cannot look at other ways of determining rent that responds to whether it is wage or whether it is the value of the rent of the property. This is something that Housing ACT may consider in the future but it is not currently active, on the table, at the moment.
MR SPEAKER: A supplementary, Mr Smyth?
MR SMYTH: Thank you, Mr Speaker. Minister, in suburbs like Yarralumla where the only two-bedroom units available are ACT Housing units, how do you determine what the market rent is?
MS BURCH: It is my understanding—and certainly I could get the detail wrong here because I am not in the operational side of things; I am sitting here—that the market rent is the market rent for other comparable options. If there are only two-bedroom units in public housing, you could say that is difficult, but I am sure that those who understand the market will be able to get a private market rate out of a one-bedder or a three-bedder and apply the difference.
MR HARGREAVES: A supplementary, Mr Speaker.
MR SPEAKER: Yes, Mr Hargreaves.
MR HARGREAVES: Thank you very much. Minister, isn’t it true that legislation requires you to get an independent valuation of all of our properties around the ACT and apply those to individual properties and isn’t it true that the market rent only really affects 10 per cent of the tenants, because nearly 90 per cent of people have a rebate in any event?
MS BURCH: I thank Mr Hargreaves for the question. Yes, he is absolutely right. He is absolutely spot-on. Ten per cent of our tenants do pay market rent, but I think that reflects the changes we have made to how we allocate our housing as well. We have three tiers. We have priority housing, high-needs housing and general housing. It seems to reflect that we are indeed housing those in most need, which is reflected in the 10 per cent as market renters.
Tourism—Stromlo Forest Park
MR HARGREAVES: My question is to the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation. Are you ready for this? Look how excited they are! They are almost beside themselves.
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