Mr MILLS - 2000-08-17
The changes to the HomeStart Scheme for first-home buyers which she announced last week appear to be very well received. Can she please advise the response to date to this welcome initiative, particularly by the construction industry?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I can only describe it in one word - ‘fantastic’. It is far greater than we expected.
This government has a proud record of improving our lifestyle and boosting economic development. The changes to our first-home buyers purchase scheme, which I announced last week, are another example of this government responding to the needs of the community. I think we need to put that clearly on the record.
The announcement has been very positively supported by both the construction industry and the real estate industry. They believe, as we do, that this scheme will boost first-home constructions and sales. The response of would-be first-home buyers is equally strong. At 11 am last Tuesday, after Question Time, we had our first inquiry. It does prove some people out there are listening to Question Time.
My staff know personally how popular the scheme is. Some of the local businesses put our media release in their windows. My press secretary within three days of that announcement had 47 inquires. On top of that, Territory Housing and the TIO had received an estimated 260 inquiries from Darwin and Alice Springs - a fantastic result.
The industry, of course, have taken up this package and they are running with it. Let’s face it, it is to their benefit if the scheme succeeds. I will mention some companies that have been pro-active in promoting it. PRD Realty has announced a first-home buyers seminar which will include speakers from TIO Easy Loans and PRD. This weekend the Delfin property group is holding a promotional day to promote our new HomeStart scheme. PTM Homes, Glenwood Homes, Overlander Homes, Di Mella Homes and New Haven Homes are devising land-and-house packages for less than the $180 000, specifically to cater for those people who are considering a purchase through HomeStart.
We will have a HomeNorth stand at the Chase display village this weekend manned by Territory Housing staff to handle inquiries. People have asked me: ‘Have you been running radio advertisements?’ No, I haven’t, but the industry have, and the way they have run them has been promoting our scheme. The industry radio advertisement on MIX FM included Able Finance Services, PTM Homes, Pricemaster Homes, PRD Realty and Beare Homes all promoting our scheme.
In central Australia - we must not forget that - there was a two-page spread on Tuesday this week which was supported by a range of Alice Springs businesses, including Helmut Meier, Raine & Horne, The Professionals, TIO and Sue Wright, the conveyancer. I understand this weekend in the NT News there is also going to be a considerable spread.
All in all, there has been an overwhelming response to this government program. Most importantly, it has been largely industry-driven, demonstrating that the private sector approves of the scheme.
We have a number of other initiatives under way. I am pleased to announce today a $2.3m project for the construction of ground-level general public housing units in two separate lots in the Narrows, under the overpass on your left as you are heading that way. This is something a little different. An agreement has been signed to purchase the houses within a private development. This has provided us with excellent land-and-unit packages and certainly has ensured the future of that development.
The style of the two blocks of public housing will blend in perfectly with the private nature of the development, by Vynence Pty Ltd. They approached us and said: ‘We would be more than happy to have some public housing in our development’.
Of course, this really puts to an end what the Leader of the Opposition has been saying to us ever since we announced that we were going to redevelop Kurringal. She claims that we are trying to move public housing tenants to the outback, way out of urban areas. This is close to shops, close to the bus stop, close to a school and not far from the CBD.
It was interesting today that the Leader of the Opposition tabled a petition from 43 residents of Kurringal. What happened to the other 350 people who live in Kurringal? They didn’t support your petition, did they? I believe you called a public meeting for this petition and six people turned up at Kurringal. So you must have doorknocked those 43. The thing is, people at Kurringal do know what is going on, and they are getting to the stage where they are ignoring you. Forty-three out of 400 residents is a bit of a joke.
The truth is, this government is providing appropriate housing for public tenants. Along with this $2.3m development I have mentioned at the Narrows, $13m worth of other projects are under way. The member for Wanguri the other day asked: ‘How come you have only got $4m cash in the budget?’ He really knows how to read a budget! How does he think we are going to pay for all of these developments if we only have $4m cash in the budget? Really, they have not got their act together.
At the moment there is more than $15m worth of construction on the table and there are two other projects worth $8m still to go before the end of the financial year. All these projects are aimed at providing industry with a boost and providing good homes for our public housing tenants. Most important of all, it is showing that people can have a choice of public or private housing in prime locations and this Territory government is doing what they always do, provide our Territorians with choice.
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I can only describe it in one word - ‘fantastic’. It is far greater than we expected.
This government has a proud record of improving our lifestyle and boosting economic development. The changes to our first-home buyers purchase scheme, which I announced last week, are another example of this government responding to the needs of the community. I think we need to put that clearly on the record.
The announcement has been very positively supported by both the construction industry and the real estate industry. They believe, as we do, that this scheme will boost first-home constructions and sales. The response of would-be first-home buyers is equally strong. At 11 am last Tuesday, after Question Time, we had our first inquiry. It does prove some people out there are listening to Question Time.
My staff know personally how popular the scheme is. Some of the local businesses put our media release in their windows. My press secretary within three days of that announcement had 47 inquires. On top of that, Territory Housing and the TIO had received an estimated 260 inquiries from Darwin and Alice Springs - a fantastic result.
The industry, of course, have taken up this package and they are running with it. Let’s face it, it is to their benefit if the scheme succeeds. I will mention some companies that have been pro-active in promoting it. PRD Realty has announced a first-home buyers seminar which will include speakers from TIO Easy Loans and PRD. This weekend the Delfin property group is holding a promotional day to promote our new HomeStart scheme. PTM Homes, Glenwood Homes, Overlander Homes, Di Mella Homes and New Haven Homes are devising land-and-house packages for less than the $180 000, specifically to cater for those people who are considering a purchase through HomeStart.
We will have a HomeNorth stand at the Chase display village this weekend manned by Territory Housing staff to handle inquiries. People have asked me: ‘Have you been running radio advertisements?’ No, I haven’t, but the industry have, and the way they have run them has been promoting our scheme. The industry radio advertisement on MIX FM included Able Finance Services, PTM Homes, Pricemaster Homes, PRD Realty and Beare Homes all promoting our scheme.
In central Australia - we must not forget that - there was a two-page spread on Tuesday this week which was supported by a range of Alice Springs businesses, including Helmut Meier, Raine & Horne, The Professionals, TIO and Sue Wright, the conveyancer. I understand this weekend in the NT News there is also going to be a considerable spread.
All in all, there has been an overwhelming response to this government program. Most importantly, it has been largely industry-driven, demonstrating that the private sector approves of the scheme.
We have a number of other initiatives under way. I am pleased to announce today a $2.3m project for the construction of ground-level general public housing units in two separate lots in the Narrows, under the overpass on your left as you are heading that way. This is something a little different. An agreement has been signed to purchase the houses within a private development. This has provided us with excellent land-and-unit packages and certainly has ensured the future of that development.
The style of the two blocks of public housing will blend in perfectly with the private nature of the development, by Vynence Pty Ltd. They approached us and said: ‘We would be more than happy to have some public housing in our development’.
Of course, this really puts to an end what the Leader of the Opposition has been saying to us ever since we announced that we were going to redevelop Kurringal. She claims that we are trying to move public housing tenants to the outback, way out of urban areas. This is close to shops, close to the bus stop, close to a school and not far from the CBD.
It was interesting today that the Leader of the Opposition tabled a petition from 43 residents of Kurringal. What happened to the other 350 people who live in Kurringal? They didn’t support your petition, did they? I believe you called a public meeting for this petition and six people turned up at Kurringal. So you must have doorknocked those 43. The thing is, people at Kurringal do know what is going on, and they are getting to the stage where they are ignoring you. Forty-three out of 400 residents is a bit of a joke.
The truth is, this government is providing appropriate housing for public tenants. Along with this $2.3m development I have mentioned at the Narrows, $13m worth of other projects are under way. The member for Wanguri the other day asked: ‘How come you have only got $4m cash in the budget?’ He really knows how to read a budget! How does he think we are going to pay for all of these developments if we only have $4m cash in the budget? Really, they have not got their act together.
At the moment there is more than $15m worth of construction on the table and there are two other projects worth $8m still to go before the end of the financial year. All these projects are aimed at providing industry with a boost and providing good homes for our public housing tenants. Most important of all, it is showing that people can have a choice of public or private housing in prime locations and this Territory government is doing what they always do, provide our Territorians with choice.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016