Ms WALKER - 2014-08-20
Territorians are struggling under crippling rises in the cost of living. Rises in housing costs are driving people out of the Territory. You have dropped the ball on land release with not one new block released which was not already part of Labor’s land release program.
This week, you told Territorians that new houses starting at $495 000 are affordable. In 2010, you criticised the Labor government for delivering housing product at $375 000, saying people ‘could not afford mortgages like that’. Now you are telling Territorians $500 000 is affordable housing. You are completely out of touch with Territorians. After two years in government, can you place a date on the next new land release to ease the burdens on families?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I welcome the question as an opportunity to put this information on the record. I note the excitement in the voice of the member for Nhulunbuy, who whines about everything this government does.
There are a few facts that need to be put on the record: the speed of the economy in the Northern Territory and the lack of land release by the former government, which led to the prices of land and housing in the Northern Territory going through the roof.
Add that to a government coming into power with the budget situation we had of a projected debt of $5.5bn. We have to be very careful about where and what the focus is on. The reality is we have a record land release program this year and have budgeted for more than any previous government has ever done before.
I will show you this little graph; it just appeared from under my desk. It shows quite clearly the rents paid by Territorians from 2004 to the election. You can see that it just went up and up under Labor. All of a sudden there is a correction in the market. Why is there a correction in the market? It is not about the economy slowing down, we know the economy is going through the roof. We are seeing a correction in the market because of the policies of this government and the fact we are getting on with releasing land quickly enough to restore balance to the market.
Since May 2013 we have released four residential greenfield sites to the market, with potential yield for approximately 1350 residential lots. In Kilgariff, 1 ha in Alice Springs will yield 33 lots.
Those on the other side …
Ms WALKER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113: relevance. We have given the minister certain latitude. The question was very specific: can you place a date on the next new land release to ease the burden on families?
Mr ELFERINK: Speaking to the point of order, Madam Speaker. There was a long preamble which needs to be addressed. If they want answers to specific questions, they should ask them.
Madam SPEAKER: It is not a point of order.
Mr CHANDLER: The other side will talk a lot about the plans they had. They had plans to print glossy documents and put out a perception they were doing something in the areas of land release. You only have to look, when you take over a department, at how little planning there was.
In Katherine, Stage 1 of a 19 ha site is expected to yield over 100 lots in Katherine. The Labor government of the day might have talked a lot about it, but did not deliver anything. Zuccoli Stage 2 — another 600 lots. Zuccoli Stage 3 and Stage 4 closed on 28 July this year, and are expected to be awarded in late September – another 750 lots. Rather than talk about it, this government is putting its money where its mouth is, backing what we are saying by releasing land quickly to restore balance to the market, unlike the former government, which sat on its hands and did nothing ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, your time has expired. Order!
This week, you told Territorians that new houses starting at $495 000 are affordable. In 2010, you criticised the Labor government for delivering housing product at $375 000, saying people ‘could not afford mortgages like that’. Now you are telling Territorians $500 000 is affordable housing. You are completely out of touch with Territorians. After two years in government, can you place a date on the next new land release to ease the burdens on families?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I welcome the question as an opportunity to put this information on the record. I note the excitement in the voice of the member for Nhulunbuy, who whines about everything this government does.
There are a few facts that need to be put on the record: the speed of the economy in the Northern Territory and the lack of land release by the former government, which led to the prices of land and housing in the Northern Territory going through the roof.
Add that to a government coming into power with the budget situation we had of a projected debt of $5.5bn. We have to be very careful about where and what the focus is on. The reality is we have a record land release program this year and have budgeted for more than any previous government has ever done before.
I will show you this little graph; it just appeared from under my desk. It shows quite clearly the rents paid by Territorians from 2004 to the election. You can see that it just went up and up under Labor. All of a sudden there is a correction in the market. Why is there a correction in the market? It is not about the economy slowing down, we know the economy is going through the roof. We are seeing a correction in the market because of the policies of this government and the fact we are getting on with releasing land quickly enough to restore balance to the market.
Since May 2013 we have released four residential greenfield sites to the market, with potential yield for approximately 1350 residential lots. In Kilgariff, 1 ha in Alice Springs will yield 33 lots.
Those on the other side …
Ms WALKER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113: relevance. We have given the minister certain latitude. The question was very specific: can you place a date on the next new land release to ease the burden on families?
Mr ELFERINK: Speaking to the point of order, Madam Speaker. There was a long preamble which needs to be addressed. If they want answers to specific questions, they should ask them.
Madam SPEAKER: It is not a point of order.
Mr CHANDLER: The other side will talk a lot about the plans they had. They had plans to print glossy documents and put out a perception they were doing something in the areas of land release. You only have to look, when you take over a department, at how little planning there was.
In Katherine, Stage 1 of a 19 ha site is expected to yield over 100 lots in Katherine. The Labor government of the day might have talked a lot about it, but did not deliver anything. Zuccoli Stage 2 — another 600 lots. Zuccoli Stage 3 and Stage 4 closed on 28 July this year, and are expected to be awarded in late September – another 750 lots. Rather than talk about it, this government is putting its money where its mouth is, backing what we are saying by releasing land quickly to restore balance to the market, unlike the former government, which sat on its hands and did nothing ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, your time has expired. Order!
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016