Page 423 - Week 02 - Tuesday, 18 March 2014
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particularly in the building and construction industry. We responded in a timely way to the local industry feedback and the need to support local jobs, to provide certainty to business with a program of upcoming works and to provide short-term stimulus for continued development across the city. The government has been pleased to be able to respond to these pressures through this approach with local businesses.
The response from the business community has been very positive. I saw a number of media releases out supporting the package that we had worked carefully on. This package did not give everything that the business community wanted, of course, as we know. And, as we know, the Liberal Party would have supported everything they asked for, because that is what they do. But we have the public interest test which we apply to these things.
Members interjecting—
MS GALLAGHER: We have the public interest test: is the community getting something back—not just freebies for the business community? Whilst it was not everything they wanted, it was certainly supported by their industry groups. It was targeted and it looks to support jobs in a particular industry where we know that the ACT can perform strongly. As much as it pains the opposition—I know; it is hard sitting on the sidelines and not actually being able to deliver anything other than criticism, which you do very well, and may you long continue with that talent—we will get on and do things, work with the industry and actually deliver. At the same time we are delivering for those industry groups, we are actually delivering for the community as well.
MADAM SPEAKER: A supplementary question, Ms Porter.
MS PORTER: Chief Minister, what are the benefits of bringing forward civil work contracts and how will the release of land contribute to the government’s affordable housing targets and complement the government’s other land releases?
MS GALLAGHER: I thank Ms Porter for the supplementary. A major driver of the ACT economy is the housing construction sector and, in order to support the market through some of the challenging times ahead, the government has asked the Land Development Agency to fast-track the development of the new suburb of Moncrieff in Gungahlin following the necessary approval.
As a first step, the LDA will shortly call for tenders for the first stage of capital works and civil construction of the infrastructure which will commence midyear. Initial feedback again from the construction industry on the approach has been very positive. The release of civil works contracts in Moncrieff will provide direct work to the civil works industry and secondary benefits among those ACT businesses that service that industry as well as providing flow-on employment benefits to ACT businesses more generally. Tender packages of between 200 and 300 dwelling sites will provide substantial work for each of the contractors, valued at between $15 million and $20 million each, with total direct investment in infrastructure for Moncrieff in the vicinity of $150 million.
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