Mr KURRUPUWU - 2012-10-24
How has the failure to release sufficient land affected the cost of housing in the Territory?
Madam Speaker, I thank the honourable member for Arafura. It is a very important question. We recognise that the failure to plan properly has impacted on the lives of Territorians, no matter where they live. Spending time with my good friend on the Tiwi Islands, it is no different than if I were in Borroloola, Maningrida, Moulden, or even Alice Springs.
One of the core duties of government is to plan for the future of its community. If our economy and population are to grow sustainably there must be sufficient land available for the development of housing and infrastructure; it is pretty basic. The land must be there. Fortunately we are blessed with a lot of land in the Northern Territory that is ready to support businesses to either set up in the Territory or grow their operations so Territorians can have somewhere to call home.
Effective land use planning must be underpinned by comprehensive, dynamic strategies to meet future demand. When the rate of population growth outstrips the rate of land release and progress on new infill developments, it has a direct effect on Territorians - on Territory families. They are forced to compete for appropriate housing in a market where demand outstrips supply, creating a seller’s market for property and driving up rental prices. And haven’t we seen that over the past five plus years under the former government!
Maintaining balance in the market requires a long-term outlook that understands the impact of major projects and other economic growth figures. The former government knew INPEX was coming but just talked about INPEX and did not plan for it. We will be different, we will be different and we will set to work as you will see. Watch and see.
Government has a deep responsibility in this space, it holds most of the greenfield development land in the Territory and its decisions about how much, when and by who flow directly into the opportunities available to Territorians. Land prices stabilise when there is direct and fierce competition between developers. Without competition, prices ratchet up quickly and Territorians pay for that in monthly mortgage repayments going on for many years. Some, sadly, make the decision they cannot afford that and have to leave the Northern Territory.
We want to reverse that. We cannot do it overnight but we can do it and we will change the direction and the attitude in the Northern Territory and begin to make progress on this most important area.
Madam Speaker, I thank the honourable member for Arafura. It is a very important question. We recognise that the failure to plan properly has impacted on the lives of Territorians, no matter where they live. Spending time with my good friend on the Tiwi Islands, it is no different than if I were in Borroloola, Maningrida, Moulden, or even Alice Springs.
One of the core duties of government is to plan for the future of its community. If our economy and population are to grow sustainably there must be sufficient land available for the development of housing and infrastructure; it is pretty basic. The land must be there. Fortunately we are blessed with a lot of land in the Northern Territory that is ready to support businesses to either set up in the Territory or grow their operations so Territorians can have somewhere to call home.
Effective land use planning must be underpinned by comprehensive, dynamic strategies to meet future demand. When the rate of population growth outstrips the rate of land release and progress on new infill developments, it has a direct effect on Territorians - on Territory families. They are forced to compete for appropriate housing in a market where demand outstrips supply, creating a seller’s market for property and driving up rental prices. And haven’t we seen that over the past five plus years under the former government!
Maintaining balance in the market requires a long-term outlook that understands the impact of major projects and other economic growth figures. The former government knew INPEX was coming but just talked about INPEX and did not plan for it. We will be different, we will be different and we will set to work as you will see. Watch and see.
Government has a deep responsibility in this space, it holds most of the greenfield development land in the Territory and its decisions about how much, when and by who flow directly into the opportunities available to Territorians. Land prices stabilise when there is direct and fierce competition between developers. Without competition, prices ratchet up quickly and Territorians pay for that in monthly mortgage repayments going on for many years. Some, sadly, make the decision they cannot afford that and have to leave the Northern Territory.
We want to reverse that. We cannot do it overnight but we can do it and we will change the direction and the attitude in the Northern Territory and begin to make progress on this most important area.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016