Mr BURKE - 1994-08-31
Given the increasing prices of land in Palmerston and concerns expressed to me about possible delays in the release of the land to the new suburb of Rosebery following a native title claim, what is the government doing to address the timely and adequate release of land in Palmerston, including land for first-home buyers?
Page 123
ANSWER
The member for Brennan has been working very closely with me. Many of us have been seeking to address the adequate and appropriate supply of land at Palmerston over the last couple of years with the resurgence of development activity in the Northern Territory, particularly in the Darwin region. As a consequence of the resurgence of the housing market, land sales have progressed at a much more rapid pace than in the last few years. Our department has been monitoring this situation very closely. Inevitably, most of the land that will become available for subdivision development is Crown Land at present. Unlike interstate, where significant amounts of private land are subdivided by private landowners, usually it is government land that is released in the Territory. We are monitoring that because a balance is important. If we flooded the market with land, we could kill off land development and the market generally. We need to release land at an orderly rate in order not to cause undue hardship for the population generally while, at the same time, attempt to ensure that land remains within the limits of affordability.
Palmerston is the developing area of the Territory. Over the last couple of years, it has become increasingly attractive as a place to live. The level of demand for housing construction in Palmerston is quite extraordinary. Obviously, that is of significant benefit to the Palmerston community. To give members an idea of where we are at now, a briefing I received 2 weeks ago indicated that there are about 60 lots of land for sale, 140 lots being developed and 100 lots yet to be developed. Of these, only 50 lots are in Moulden, and they will be in the lower price range whereas the others will be $45 000 or more per block. Our department has a further 90 lots to sell in Woodroffe, but the last 20 lots sold for almost $39 000 at open public auction. Those lots were mainly for first-home buyers. That gives an idea of the health of that market.
We have been planning to release the next subdivision development which is at Rosebery. With the advent of the Native Title Act at the beginning of this year, it has become necessary to take that into account as a first step in any land policy. As early as February this year, we provided to the Native Title Tribunal what is known as a non-claimant application. That is the only procedure available under the Native Title Act for us to find out whether or not native title exists on land. That was done after an extensive native title history search which showed that no previous titles had been issued for the land in the southern part of Rosebery and the proposed suburb of Bellamack. Therefore, there was a possibility of native title existing.
In late June, when the tribunal had sorted out the first of its procedures and advertised them, we found that some people are claiming to have native title rights in the Rosebery and Bellamack areas. That brings us into a very long, complicated and tortuous procedure under the Native Title Act, a subject that I will not deal with now. However, I would like to deal with that subject at a more appropriate time because, frankly, the legislation is a dog's breakfast and the procedures built into it are driving parties towards conflict rather than towards resolution.
We have been looking at a second plan in relation to land releases in the Palmerston area. In the north-western part of Rosebery and the proposed suburb of Bakewell to the north of Rosebery, native title was extinguished by a previous freehold title over that land. Therefore, it
Page 124
is available for development although it is not the preferred development location. Although it is a second choice, it provides an opportunity for us to have a timely release of reasonably-priced land for people to purchase.
Given the probability of an extended time frame to resolve the native title issues in Rosebery in an orderly fashion, the government has decided that we will move now to develop in the north-western part of Rosebery and in the south-western part of the proposed suburb of Bakewell. This will meet the timetable of land being subdivided and available for release to the public by the second half of 1995. It will support the market demand in the Palmerston area and keep land prices at a reasonable level. It also will provide opportunities for first-home buyers in particular to access land and take advantage of our very generous HomeNorth loan scheme. That scheme enables people to take the first step in owning their own homes.
This decision comes hot on the heels of a very exciting decision that was announced late last week in the Palmerston area. We have been negotiating with the Defence Housing Authority all of this year in relation to our ...
Mr Stirling: It was supposed to be a joint release.
Mr HATTON: It was a joint release.
Mr Stirling: It was only you on Friday night. I saw it.
Mr HATTON: I guess that was because I happen to be in Darwin.
Mr Stirling: I did not see the federal government.
Mr HATTON: As a matter of interest, the joint release was sent to me by Mr Punch's office. It was circulated to the media and they approached me for comment. In fact, if you had looked at it, you would have seen that Mr Punch actually appeared in the Channel 8 News broadcast on Friday. If the member for Nhulunbuy wants to nitpick and carry on like a goose, that is his problem and I will simply ignore him.
Mr Stirling: No, you needed a good news story and you could not wait.
Mr HATTON: If he can shut up, I will tell the people of Darwin what is happening.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr HATTON: This development is very exciting. It is on the other side of University Avenue from the current developments. It will involve an arrangement between the Northern Territory government, the Palmerston Golf Club and the Defence Housing Authority. We have signed an options agreement that will provide upwards of 1000 blocks of land in Palmerston over a period of time. It is an innovative approach. Rather than ask for the cash for the land, we have told the Defence Housing Authority to construct the second 9 holes of the Palmerston Golf Course so that people in Palmerston have their 18-hole golf course completed, a quite attractive golf course estate development and significant housing that is in the mid-range with an estimated price of about $50 000 per block. That is why it was
Page 125
important also to resolve the other issue of Rosebery and Bakewell in order to meet the market demand. That has been negotiated by the 3 parties during the course of this year. I am very pleased to say that the matter is progressing and, over the next 2 months, we will finalise details to provide for that.
It means also that there will be adequate housing and land released to meet the demands for the relocation of the defence forces to our north. We will be moving towards having a full armoured brigade in the Darwin area, probably by the turn of this century. Obviously, having land available and housing to accommodate the troops that come north is an important consideration. If we do not take account of that, we constrain that relocation and its enormous economic value to the Northern Territory, particularly the Darwin region. The packaging of land to achieve that looks very hopeful. Thus, between the Defence Housing Authority and this decision, we will be able to meet the demand for a range of land releases in the Palmerston area and Darwin generally. We have been working towards that obligation. We will continue to monitor that and other centres around the Territory to ensure adequate primary land availability.
Page 126
Page 123
ANSWER
The member for Brennan has been working very closely with me. Many of us have been seeking to address the adequate and appropriate supply of land at Palmerston over the last couple of years with the resurgence of development activity in the Northern Territory, particularly in the Darwin region. As a consequence of the resurgence of the housing market, land sales have progressed at a much more rapid pace than in the last few years. Our department has been monitoring this situation very closely. Inevitably, most of the land that will become available for subdivision development is Crown Land at present. Unlike interstate, where significant amounts of private land are subdivided by private landowners, usually it is government land that is released in the Territory. We are monitoring that because a balance is important. If we flooded the market with land, we could kill off land development and the market generally. We need to release land at an orderly rate in order not to cause undue hardship for the population generally while, at the same time, attempt to ensure that land remains within the limits of affordability.
Palmerston is the developing area of the Territory. Over the last couple of years, it has become increasingly attractive as a place to live. The level of demand for housing construction in Palmerston is quite extraordinary. Obviously, that is of significant benefit to the Palmerston community. To give members an idea of where we are at now, a briefing I received 2 weeks ago indicated that there are about 60 lots of land for sale, 140 lots being developed and 100 lots yet to be developed. Of these, only 50 lots are in Moulden, and they will be in the lower price range whereas the others will be $45 000 or more per block. Our department has a further 90 lots to sell in Woodroffe, but the last 20 lots sold for almost $39 000 at open public auction. Those lots were mainly for first-home buyers. That gives an idea of the health of that market.
We have been planning to release the next subdivision development which is at Rosebery. With the advent of the Native Title Act at the beginning of this year, it has become necessary to take that into account as a first step in any land policy. As early as February this year, we provided to the Native Title Tribunal what is known as a non-claimant application. That is the only procedure available under the Native Title Act for us to find out whether or not native title exists on land. That was done after an extensive native title history search which showed that no previous titles had been issued for the land in the southern part of Rosebery and the proposed suburb of Bellamack. Therefore, there was a possibility of native title existing.
In late June, when the tribunal had sorted out the first of its procedures and advertised them, we found that some people are claiming to have native title rights in the Rosebery and Bellamack areas. That brings us into a very long, complicated and tortuous procedure under the Native Title Act, a subject that I will not deal with now. However, I would like to deal with that subject at a more appropriate time because, frankly, the legislation is a dog's breakfast and the procedures built into it are driving parties towards conflict rather than towards resolution.
We have been looking at a second plan in relation to land releases in the Palmerston area. In the north-western part of Rosebery and the proposed suburb of Bakewell to the north of Rosebery, native title was extinguished by a previous freehold title over that land. Therefore, it
Page 124
is available for development although it is not the preferred development location. Although it is a second choice, it provides an opportunity for us to have a timely release of reasonably-priced land for people to purchase.
Given the probability of an extended time frame to resolve the native title issues in Rosebery in an orderly fashion, the government has decided that we will move now to develop in the north-western part of Rosebery and in the south-western part of the proposed suburb of Bakewell. This will meet the timetable of land being subdivided and available for release to the public by the second half of 1995. It will support the market demand in the Palmerston area and keep land prices at a reasonable level. It also will provide opportunities for first-home buyers in particular to access land and take advantage of our very generous HomeNorth loan scheme. That scheme enables people to take the first step in owning their own homes.
This decision comes hot on the heels of a very exciting decision that was announced late last week in the Palmerston area. We have been negotiating with the Defence Housing Authority all of this year in relation to our ...
Mr Stirling: It was supposed to be a joint release.
Mr HATTON: It was a joint release.
Mr Stirling: It was only you on Friday night. I saw it.
Mr HATTON: I guess that was because I happen to be in Darwin.
Mr Stirling: I did not see the federal government.
Mr HATTON: As a matter of interest, the joint release was sent to me by Mr Punch's office. It was circulated to the media and they approached me for comment. In fact, if you had looked at it, you would have seen that Mr Punch actually appeared in the Channel 8 News broadcast on Friday. If the member for Nhulunbuy wants to nitpick and carry on like a goose, that is his problem and I will simply ignore him.
Mr Stirling: No, you needed a good news story and you could not wait.
Mr HATTON: If he can shut up, I will tell the people of Darwin what is happening.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr HATTON: This development is very exciting. It is on the other side of University Avenue from the current developments. It will involve an arrangement between the Northern Territory government, the Palmerston Golf Club and the Defence Housing Authority. We have signed an options agreement that will provide upwards of 1000 blocks of land in Palmerston over a period of time. It is an innovative approach. Rather than ask for the cash for the land, we have told the Defence Housing Authority to construct the second 9 holes of the Palmerston Golf Course so that people in Palmerston have their 18-hole golf course completed, a quite attractive golf course estate development and significant housing that is in the mid-range with an estimated price of about $50 000 per block. That is why it was
Page 125
important also to resolve the other issue of Rosebery and Bakewell in order to meet the market demand. That has been negotiated by the 3 parties during the course of this year. I am very pleased to say that the matter is progressing and, over the next 2 months, we will finalise details to provide for that.
It means also that there will be adequate housing and land released to meet the demands for the relocation of the defence forces to our north. We will be moving towards having a full armoured brigade in the Darwin area, probably by the turn of this century. Obviously, having land available and housing to accommodate the troops that come north is an important consideration. If we do not take account of that, we constrain that relocation and its enormous economic value to the Northern Territory, particularly the Darwin region. The packaging of land to achieve that looks very hopeful. Thus, between the Defence Housing Authority and this decision, we will be able to meet the demand for a range of land releases in the Palmerston area and Darwin generally. We have been working towards that obligation. We will continue to monitor that and other centres around the Territory to ensure adequate primary land availability.
Page 126
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016