Page 879 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 21 March 2018
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I understand that it is a matter for a committee to decide on what they do and do not inquire into, but I understand that Mr Parton is a member of the standing committee which would have coverage of this very important matter. I assume that we will see a committee inquiry into construction quality, compliance, enforcement and any other gaps that may be in effect in the current building regulation in the coming months. I hope that when that does happen we all, particularly those members of the community who have raised these concerns with me, get an opportunity to have our say and to provide evidence to the committee on the things that we believe need to be done better. I would have thought that it was Mr Parton’s job to look into these important matters as part of being a member of a committee. But when the cameras are turned off he is all celebrity and no policy.
I thank Mr Gentleman for his work today and Ms Le Couteur for her work with Mr Gentleman’s office in preparing this amendment. It really embodies some of the issues that have been raised with me by constituents, particularly since I have been elected here but even before that, having, as I said, been around the building and construction industry for many years. I look forward to seeing an inquiry come out of this. I look forward to seeing and hearing from members of the community about the important matters they would like to raise. Again, I thank Mr Gentleman for his amendment and I look forward to supporting that.
MS ORR (Yerrabi) (5.29): Like other people, I thank Mr Parton for his support in moving this motion here today. As people in this chamber may be aware, I have been working hard with residents in my electorate on this topic, trying to find a path forward. Part of this has included conducting a survey which my colleagues have also been sharing with their constituents. The survey seeks to understand the extent and intricacies of concerns people have regarding this topic. I have spoken with a number of people in my electorate, as well as community groups, and I am sure some of these groups have spoken to other people within the chamber. I have also been in discussion with the relevant directorates to understand how we currently do things in the ACT. All of these steps are integral to understanding what exactly the problem is and to forming a path forward. I know that Mr Parton understands this and appreciates the work I have already done in this space. I acknowledge that Mr Parton’s moving this motion symbolises a bipartisan sentiment and sets aside party politics for the sake of the community.
It is incredibly important to ensure that we get our build quality settings right, because it impacts people’s housing decisions. The Winton sustainable research strategies report on the 2014 housing choices community survey found that quality issues were an impediment for three out of five people when considering whether to move to a higher density development. The relevance of this finding is emphasised by the fact that 54.3 per cent of people over 60 and 41.9 per cent of people generally would consider moving to a dwelling in a higher density development in the future. However, half of people over 60 advised that they would not wish to move to a high-density development in the future, due to perceptions of poor quality.
We must listen to the community on these matters to ensure that everyone has the confidence and security they need when making housing decisions. The “Improving
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