Page 5561 - Week 13 - Thursday, 17 November 2011
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Joy Burch and Mary Porter. This site at John Cleland Crescent was previously a greenfield site provided by the ACT government. It has been transformed into a development that consists of 33 two-bedroom units and a three-bedroom unit. It has energy efficiencies and accessibility features that match or better anything currently offered in the private market. These features include gas-boosted solar hot-water systems. All units have met the six-star energy efficiency guidelines set for stage 2 of the economic stimulus package construction phase. Most units on this site have scores of 6½ stars and above.
Then there are the water efficiency measures. Each home has a 2,000-litre water tank, which is plumbed back to the laundry and toilets and can be also used for irrigation. This is in addition to the 25,000-litre underground water tank for irrigation of the common areas.
So this particular example of renewal has resulted in an excellent outcome in terms of sustainability and built form but much more, as well, for the tenants that now call it their home. And I know from speaking to a number of them on that day that they were very impressed that they hardly needed to use the heating during winter and that the height adjustable kitchen benches, designed to permit wheelchair access, meant that these homes would accommodate all their future independent living needs. I have heard that nearby residents have asked how they can become eligible to live in one of these desirable properties. Gone are the days when public housing was instantly identifiable and sometimes stigmatised accordingly.
This is a government that has always been, and will always be, absolutely committed to social housing renewal.
MR COE (Ginninderra) (3.19): It was another special speech by Dr Bourke, one that I will happily follow and discuss what is a very important issue. It is an issue that by and large has been a policy-free zone for many years in Canberra. What we have seen is just more of the same—more of the same with tenancy agreements, with the management of public housing, with regard to property construction and with how they deal with problem tenants.
The problem is that the people that do the right thing in this system get totally jaded by the handful of people that do the wrong thing. It is up to this minister and this department to clamp down on the problems in this area. I think that our Minister Burch does know what the problems are, and I think that people in the department know. But at some point she and her cabinet need to step up and actually say: “Enough is enough. We are going to start to enforce tenancy agreements.” That is something that I know they would speak about privately, but are they actually going to do it publicly? Are they going to say that we want to stand by Housing ACT properties and stand by Housing ACT tenants that are doing the right thing?
Where possible, public housing should be a transitional arrangement. I do not think that, if it can be avoided, it should be a house for life. There will be some circumstances where it will be. However, if it can be avoided, it should be a stopgap until someone is able to get back on their feet.
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