Mr MITCHELL - 1999-02-16
I am glad the Leader of the Opposition asked that question because I want to do a bit of a follow up on it. My question also refers to today’s NT News where it carried a story that development confidence is high in the Territory. The story supports the general view that extensive building activity is occurring and the interest is right up there. Can the minister expand on what’s going on over at Myilly Point?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, it is a very relevant question following on from the Chief Minister. I’m happy to say in my new portfolio that the Territory land development and construction industries are very vibrant and are continuing their strong activity. Obviously this is due in part, as the Chief Minister has outlined, to the framework that the government provides in land release. The successful partnership that comes about from government and private enterprise really allows these sorts of developments to take place. The Territory government, unlike the Labor Party opposite, has well-defined policies on land release, as the Chief Minister has stated, going back quite a number of years, which have been very effective and have been demonstrated very clearly in many projects over that period.
I will give some examples because I think it is worth while getting them on the public record: The private housing subdivision at Fairway Waters, the Chase and Bakewell subdivisions, defence housing at Katherine East, Bayview Haven, Cullen Bay, integrated housing estates in the Gap area of Alice Springs, the Sentinel, the Holiday Inn and the bus transit centre. These all come from land released by the Northern Territory government under its land-release policies. Also, I had the pleasure of announcing 1000 new units that will be built under the Housing to 2003 program over the next 5 years, worth some $88m. There are the residential towers in Carey Street, integrated housing development at the 2 Mile. There is also a range of other private developments that come about from developers getting in there and providing jobs for the Territory and Territorians: the redevelopment of the Top End Hotel, the 10-storey tower next to the Top End Hotel, a 13-storey apartment block on Harry Chan Avenue, and a $4m nightclub. The list goes on and on.
This multi-million-dollar development and building activity obviously provides a lot of jobs. It provides growth. It adds to the economy because it also, as we know, has a very significant multiplier effect out there in the community. As the minister responsible for land release, I am certainly committed to supporting that concept and those jobs.
I take this opportunity to clear up some misinformation that is being peddled - we heard it here today from the Leader of the Opposition - about the process. It is not unusual. It goes back a long way, as has been said. The Leader of the Opposition likes to peddle that there is some collusion between government and private developers in the way that land is released. Nothing could be farther from the truth. The government has had long-established policies, very clearly spelled out, under which it releases land for development.
I will table some documents today for the public record. The first is a publicly-available brochure on the sale of crown land. I table that for members opposite so that they may inform themselves before they go out to the media and rabbit off at the mouth. We have 4 different ways of releasing land. One of the 4 in that regard ...
Mr STIRLING: A point of order, Mr Speaker! While I appreciate the information that the minister is sharing with members of the Assembly, it was a fairly specific question from the member for Millner. What the minister is getting into now is far more …
Members interjecting.
Mr STIRLING: Answers should be concise and to the point, and the minister should restrict …
Mr SPEAKER: There is no point of order. I thought the question was fairly broad and the minister is answering that question. But I would ask him to make his answer as brief as possible.
Mr BALDWIN: Mr Speaker, I know it is taking a little time but I think it is important for the opposition members to understand the process and for the public to be able to hear that it is a very open, long-established policy.
I also table, for the opposition’s benefit, a briefing paper that outlines the government’s land-use planning for the release of crown land. My officers gave a briefing to the media on that. It is a comprehensive document. It might put paid to some of the misconceptions being peddled out there.
I also table an extract from the Land Administration Act of Western Australia and draw honourable members’ attention to the section which says:
The minister may sell crown land and may, without limiting the generality of that power, invite expressions of interest in crown land.
That’s Western Australia’s policy. I am just trying to portray here that we are not the only people who call for expressions of interest. I also table for members’ information an advertisement from Palmerston Town Council calling for expressions of interest in motel-style accommodation on a block of land that it owns.
The government is not guilty of any secrecy regarding its land-release policies. They have been around for a long time. The only people guilty here are the people opposite who like to peddle misinformation and create angst for Territorians. What this policy is all about is creating development, creating jobs for Territorians and adding to the strong economy of the Northern Territory.
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, it is a very relevant question following on from the Chief Minister. I’m happy to say in my new portfolio that the Territory land development and construction industries are very vibrant and are continuing their strong activity. Obviously this is due in part, as the Chief Minister has outlined, to the framework that the government provides in land release. The successful partnership that comes about from government and private enterprise really allows these sorts of developments to take place. The Territory government, unlike the Labor Party opposite, has well-defined policies on land release, as the Chief Minister has stated, going back quite a number of years, which have been very effective and have been demonstrated very clearly in many projects over that period.
I will give some examples because I think it is worth while getting them on the public record: The private housing subdivision at Fairway Waters, the Chase and Bakewell subdivisions, defence housing at Katherine East, Bayview Haven, Cullen Bay, integrated housing estates in the Gap area of Alice Springs, the Sentinel, the Holiday Inn and the bus transit centre. These all come from land released by the Northern Territory government under its land-release policies. Also, I had the pleasure of announcing 1000 new units that will be built under the Housing to 2003 program over the next 5 years, worth some $88m. There are the residential towers in Carey Street, integrated housing development at the 2 Mile. There is also a range of other private developments that come about from developers getting in there and providing jobs for the Territory and Territorians: the redevelopment of the Top End Hotel, the 10-storey tower next to the Top End Hotel, a 13-storey apartment block on Harry Chan Avenue, and a $4m nightclub. The list goes on and on.
This multi-million-dollar development and building activity obviously provides a lot of jobs. It provides growth. It adds to the economy because it also, as we know, has a very significant multiplier effect out there in the community. As the minister responsible for land release, I am certainly committed to supporting that concept and those jobs.
I take this opportunity to clear up some misinformation that is being peddled - we heard it here today from the Leader of the Opposition - about the process. It is not unusual. It goes back a long way, as has been said. The Leader of the Opposition likes to peddle that there is some collusion between government and private developers in the way that land is released. Nothing could be farther from the truth. The government has had long-established policies, very clearly spelled out, under which it releases land for development.
I will table some documents today for the public record. The first is a publicly-available brochure on the sale of crown land. I table that for members opposite so that they may inform themselves before they go out to the media and rabbit off at the mouth. We have 4 different ways of releasing land. One of the 4 in that regard ...
Mr STIRLING: A point of order, Mr Speaker! While I appreciate the information that the minister is sharing with members of the Assembly, it was a fairly specific question from the member for Millner. What the minister is getting into now is far more …
Members interjecting.
Mr STIRLING: Answers should be concise and to the point, and the minister should restrict …
Mr SPEAKER: There is no point of order. I thought the question was fairly broad and the minister is answering that question. But I would ask him to make his answer as brief as possible.
Mr BALDWIN: Mr Speaker, I know it is taking a little time but I think it is important for the opposition members to understand the process and for the public to be able to hear that it is a very open, long-established policy.
I also table, for the opposition’s benefit, a briefing paper that outlines the government’s land-use planning for the release of crown land. My officers gave a briefing to the media on that. It is a comprehensive document. It might put paid to some of the misconceptions being peddled out there.
I also table an extract from the Land Administration Act of Western Australia and draw honourable members’ attention to the section which says:
The minister may sell crown land and may, without limiting the generality of that power, invite expressions of interest in crown land.
That’s Western Australia’s policy. I am just trying to portray here that we are not the only people who call for expressions of interest. I also table for members’ information an advertisement from Palmerston Town Council calling for expressions of interest in motel-style accommodation on a block of land that it owns.
The government is not guilty of any secrecy regarding its land-release policies. They have been around for a long time. The only people guilty here are the people opposite who like to peddle misinformation and create angst for Territorians. What this policy is all about is creating development, creating jobs for Territorians and adding to the strong economy of the Northern Territory.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016