Ms PURICK - 2008-09-18
The constipated decision-making process in your department has led to ever-increasing prices for land and houses in the Northern Territory - and ever more revenue for Treasury. Having contributed to the skyrocketing price of land and houses in the Territory, can you tell the House how much it will cost to buy a home in Bellamack in the 15% of the land set aside for affordable housing?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I welcome the shadow minister for Planning and Lands’ question. It is curious. During the election campaign, I looked for the CLP’s land release strategy, because they have been beating the drum on land release. The only land release that they identified and costed …
Mr TOLLNER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 67 - this is absolutely not relevant to the question that was asked.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Fong Lim, there is no point of order.
Ms LAWRIE: The only land release that the CLP costed within their proposed term of government …
Mr TOLLNER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! This is not relevant. The question had nothing to do with Country Liberal policy. I cannot understand how you can find this relevant.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Fong Lim, resume your seat. I remind honourable members that during Question Time there is an extraordinary amount of latitude in the asking and answering of questions. The minister has the call.
Ms LAWRIE: Madam Speaker, I am not surprised the member for Fong Lim is trying to gag me, because he does not want to hear the answer.
Let us go to the land release. The land release CLP announcement, which was costed in their costs, was for the relocation of Sports House at Fannie Bay, which would free up 15 lots. They did confirm that they would not move Berrimah gaol, which would yield about 500 lots. That provides for a land release policy of something like minus-485 lots. So, we would have headed backwards by 485 lots under the CLP land release strategy …
Mr TOLLNER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The minister was asked the cost of a home in 15% of Bellamack set aside for affordable housing - absolutely nothing to do with what she is reeling off now.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Fong Lim, there is no point of order. This is Question Time and, as I have already said, it has been the precedent in this House, in the House of Representatives, where you have been a member as well, and in the House of Commons that, during Question Time, there is a lot of latitude in both the asking and answering of questions. The Speaker has no capacity to direct a minister or a member on how to answer a specific question.
Mr TOLLNER: Madam Speaker, I draw your attention to Standing Order 67.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Fong Lim, resume your seat.
Ms LAWRIE: Madam Speaker, I know the rumour before Question Time was that a member would try to be thrown out. I am sure the member for Fong Lim is trying to be thrown out. However, the people of the Territory deserve to know what the land release options are. With Weddell …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Ms LAWRIE: … the Leader of the Opposition, early in the election campaign …
Mr Mills: You would be the last person to announce our policies.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Ms LAWRIE: He does not want to hear this. The Leader of the Opposition, early in the election campaign, said that they would develop Weddell - no costings for that development, none included in their costings - and then later in the election campaign sees a shift away from that ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Please resume your seats.
Honourable members, Standing Order 51:
Honourable members, I am having considerable difficulty hearing the answer which the opposition has asked of the minister. I will call the minister again. .
Ms LAWRIE: Madam Speaker, in stark contrast, with our land release, we are already out in the marketplace through a detailed assessment process for the Bellamack expressions of interest. I have stated on the public record previously in announcing the stage we are at now, that Urban Pacific and Brierty Limited, the preferred developers, are now in negotiations with the government on the development agreement. That will then determine the element of affordable housing. We know what the scope of those negotiations will be; I am not going to prejudice those negotiations by naming a price in here. What I can say, categorically, is it will be at least 15% below the market rate. Now, that will be the first time a government in the history of the Territory is delivering affordable housing …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Ms LAWRIE: … a government policy delivering affordable housing.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I welcome the shadow minister for Planning and Lands’ question. It is curious. During the election campaign, I looked for the CLP’s land release strategy, because they have been beating the drum on land release. The only land release that they identified and costed …
Mr TOLLNER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 67 - this is absolutely not relevant to the question that was asked.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Fong Lim, there is no point of order.
Ms LAWRIE: The only land release that the CLP costed within their proposed term of government …
Mr TOLLNER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! This is not relevant. The question had nothing to do with Country Liberal policy. I cannot understand how you can find this relevant.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Fong Lim, resume your seat. I remind honourable members that during Question Time there is an extraordinary amount of latitude in the asking and answering of questions. The minister has the call.
Ms LAWRIE: Madam Speaker, I am not surprised the member for Fong Lim is trying to gag me, because he does not want to hear the answer.
Let us go to the land release. The land release CLP announcement, which was costed in their costs, was for the relocation of Sports House at Fannie Bay, which would free up 15 lots. They did confirm that they would not move Berrimah gaol, which would yield about 500 lots. That provides for a land release policy of something like minus-485 lots. So, we would have headed backwards by 485 lots under the CLP land release strategy …
Mr TOLLNER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The minister was asked the cost of a home in 15% of Bellamack set aside for affordable housing - absolutely nothing to do with what she is reeling off now.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Fong Lim, there is no point of order. This is Question Time and, as I have already said, it has been the precedent in this House, in the House of Representatives, where you have been a member as well, and in the House of Commons that, during Question Time, there is a lot of latitude in both the asking and answering of questions. The Speaker has no capacity to direct a minister or a member on how to answer a specific question.
Mr TOLLNER: Madam Speaker, I draw your attention to Standing Order 67.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Fong Lim, resume your seat.
Ms LAWRIE: Madam Speaker, I know the rumour before Question Time was that a member would try to be thrown out. I am sure the member for Fong Lim is trying to be thrown out. However, the people of the Territory deserve to know what the land release options are. With Weddell …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Ms LAWRIE: … the Leader of the Opposition, early in the election campaign …
Mr Mills: You would be the last person to announce our policies.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Ms LAWRIE: He does not want to hear this. The Leader of the Opposition, early in the election campaign, said that they would develop Weddell - no costings for that development, none included in their costings - and then later in the election campaign sees a shift away from that ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Please resume your seats.
Honourable members, Standing Order 51:
- No Member may converse aloud or make any noise or disturbance which in the opinion of the Speaker is designed to interrupt or has the effect of interrupting a Member speaking.
Honourable members, I am having considerable difficulty hearing the answer which the opposition has asked of the minister. I will call the minister again. .
Ms LAWRIE: Madam Speaker, in stark contrast, with our land release, we are already out in the marketplace through a detailed assessment process for the Bellamack expressions of interest. I have stated on the public record previously in announcing the stage we are at now, that Urban Pacific and Brierty Limited, the preferred developers, are now in negotiations with the government on the development agreement. That will then determine the element of affordable housing. We know what the scope of those negotiations will be; I am not going to prejudice those negotiations by naming a price in here. What I can say, categorically, is it will be at least 15% below the market rate. Now, that will be the first time a government in the history of the Territory is delivering affordable housing …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Ms LAWRIE: … a government policy delivering affordable housing.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016