Page 1360 - Week 05 - Wednesday, 6 May 2015

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The renewal program will mean a move to a new home for some public housing tenants. We will work with these tenants, give them the support they need, but also make sure we find places and communities that work best for these tenants. We are working with our tenants to identify their needs, to make sure we meet those needs as best as we can.

The government is committed to working with local communities where new public housing is proposed to ensure that the design and location of homes is appropriate for the local area and the community. In determining where new public housing can be located, we need to take into consideration access to shopping centres, local shopping services and transport, including public transport routes. We need to consider the impact of any new development on an existing area through the necessary traffic and planning studies. We will work with the community to ensure we take on board concerns about planning and design.

This process is already well underway, with a series of preliminary initial meetings with community councils and the offer of further consultation meetings with the public if required or requested. Community consultation is critical to making sure we develop new housing that fits within existing communities. Local residents know their communities best, and we certainly rely on local knowledge to make sure our new housing builds on existing communities.

The government are committed to this program of renewal. We are committed to providing modern accommodation that is distributed across Canberra so that our public housing tenants are able to access services and be part of an inclusive and supportive community. These are values we hold close, values we support and values we will enact as a government. I am very pleased that the largest renewal of public housing in the history of self-government is underway and that we will continue to support this program through the forthcoming territory budget. I commend Ms Fitzharris for her motion today.

MR RATTENBURY (Molonglo) (10.39): I am happy to support this motion today and talk to the vital importance of public housing being integrated across all of Canberra’s suburbs. The reasons for this are manyfold, well documented, evidence based and essential to the continued policy of this government of a socially and culturally inclusive Canberra that celebrates its diversity. As we all know, Canberra was in part built on a public housing foundation. The workers cottages, the public servants quarters spread out across the suburbs and town centres are all part of the growth and identity of our city. Fast forward to now, past our 100th year, and we should not be caught forgetting that tradition.

As we embark on the most ambitious public housing renewal project we have ever seen, it is important we ensure we are not forgetting that the success of our public housing strategy has been built on the salt and pepper approach. This salt and pepper approach sees units and houses under Housing ACT being built and maintained right across our city. It would be fair to say that, in recent times as we have expanded into new areas and intensified development in existing areas, we have fallen a little short of that ideal mix of social, affordable public and private housing.


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