Page 5186 - Week 14 - Tuesday, 28 November 2017
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My fourth point is about the availability of land. If work is not done to facilitate land for this process, the risk is that the only entities that can be involved will be those with an existing land bank that they can hold on to for a few years while the EOI and the Territory Plan variation process take place. I urge the government to consider making some of its large land holdings available for this, both in greenfield areas and, courtesy of ACT Housing, in general, in existing areas where urban renewal could be taking place. Additionally, I believe the government could call for proposals for consolidation to allow groups of landholders to participate. The debate that we have just had about the LVC will be very relevant to how well this process finally works out.
Finally, the time line for delivery is going to be critical for keeping the confidence of the people who submit EOIs. The time line shown in the housing choices paper would see decisions made on EOIs in August 2018 and housing delivered during this term of the Assembly. This would be excellent. I very much hope that Minister Gentleman and the government can keep the project to this time line.
This is a promising start to delivering what should be an important step towards better housing, more affordable housing and a better planning system for Canberra.
While I have a few seconds left, I would like to very much thank all my staff for their contribution to this: Jason, Veronica and Travis, and the staff that I share with the rest of the Greens. My office and Minister Rattenbury’s office work closely together in an interesting dance while respecting very much the limitations between ministerial and crossbench activities. It is a pleasure to be working with them, and all of you, and the attendants. I wish us all a happy festive season.
Valedictory
MR RAMSAY (Ginninderra—Attorney-General, Minister for Regulatory Services, Minister for the Arts and Community Events and Minister for Veterans and Seniors) (6.48): Having put up the Christmas tree last weekend, I have been reflecting on this past year and found myself thinking about the song Seasons of Love from the musical Rent. Possibly people more the ages of Ms Cheyne and Mr Pettersson might recall that the lyrics suggest that a year can be measured as 525,600 minutes. It can also be measured in sunsets, cups of coffee, and laughter and strife, amongst other things.
I have been contemplating this past year as the member for Ginninderra, as the Attorney-General and as Minister for Regulatory Services, the Arts and Community Events and for Veterans and Seniors. I have discovered that life as a minister of the government can be measured at least in everyday terms by meetings held, decisions made, letters received and responded to, community events attended, grant funds disbursed, a number of corny puns about my name and, of course, cups of coffee.
In basic numeric terms I calculate that I have read and signed approximately 2,000 briefs and pieces of correspondence this year and participated in just under 900 meetings or events. These events have been wonderfully diverse, from the solemn privilege of representing the ACT government at veterans’ remembrance ceremonies
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