Ms SCRYMGOUR - 2009-10-22
Bellamack Gardens is an innovative residential development. Can you update the House on the current status of the development?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for her question. The aim of government through this particular development is to offer housing at a reasonable price point to a part of the market which currently is not being served.
My colleague, the Treasurer and Minister for Planning and Lands, is absent today, but she has outlined to the House, particularly over the last fortnight, a number of land releases in Palmerston East: Bellamack, Johnston, Mitchell and Zuccoli. Over the next few years, 6000 lots will be coming on the market.
This is a special end of the market, and very much a pilot project, if you like. When we originally came out with this proposal, there were 32 dwellings involved, which has been cut down to 28 to provide more open space. It is aimed at families. The feedback we received when we asked people about these price points and this type of development, many people believed it was a good entry point, particularly for young couples possibly with one child, or before they start their family, to get a foothold in the market and start to build up some equity in their property.
Of the 28 dwellings, there are 18 two-bedroom ground-level town houses; two one-bedroom units with adaptable capacity to become two-bedroom ground-level town houses; and eight one-bedroom attached units. The average floor area for the two-bedroom units is 155 m2, and between 91 m2 and 138 m2 for the one-bedroom units. That is quite large compared to similar units and town houses in Palmerston in particular. The total entitlement – the total area of the development of the particular units and town houses - is between 162 m2 and 518 m2, which is also quite large.
One feature of is 55% of these developments will be open space, and that will enable people to have a front and back garden. They will be able to have a spa and a barbecue. It is quite private, with the fencing in between the properties ...
Mr Conlan: I thought it was a spa or a barbecue.
Dr BURNS: The member for Greatorex can scoff, but there will be a lot of interest in this particular development.
We have built in energy efficiency into the plans for these units and town houses. That has been scoffed at by some, because we were not whacking in airconditioners to begin with; there is capacity for people to put split-level airconditioning in. The wiring, etcetera, is already there for people should they want to do that. These dwellings have quite high ceilings. We have extended the overhang on the eaves, and the orientation in terms of the plan to enable breezes and cooling.
I believe it is a good entry point. People who are eligible for these units have to be eligible for Homestart. The rental that they would pay on equivalent properties in Palmerston is equivalent to what they would be paying in repayments in this particular development. The June quarter average rent for a two-bedroom unit in inner Darwin was $460 per week; the average in Palmerston was $330 per week. It is estimated that the average weekly mortgage repayment, based on the shared equity loan with Homestart NT, would be $338 per week. What I am saying is that, by paying $338 per week, similar to what you would pay in Palmerston, you are also building up equity in the property.
The planning application was lodged on 28 September, with an exhibition period of four weeks commencing on 2 October, and we are hoping to go out with a pre-qualified ballot in January 2010. The target date for completion is October 2010.
This is a very important project. Many people are interested in it. I know the Minister for Planning and Lands is keen to have further affordable housing at these regional price points through those developments I mentioned previously.
For the information of members, I table information about Bellamack Gardens so that they might acquaint themselves with what it is all about.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for her question. The aim of government through this particular development is to offer housing at a reasonable price point to a part of the market which currently is not being served.
My colleague, the Treasurer and Minister for Planning and Lands, is absent today, but she has outlined to the House, particularly over the last fortnight, a number of land releases in Palmerston East: Bellamack, Johnston, Mitchell and Zuccoli. Over the next few years, 6000 lots will be coming on the market.
This is a special end of the market, and very much a pilot project, if you like. When we originally came out with this proposal, there were 32 dwellings involved, which has been cut down to 28 to provide more open space. It is aimed at families. The feedback we received when we asked people about these price points and this type of development, many people believed it was a good entry point, particularly for young couples possibly with one child, or before they start their family, to get a foothold in the market and start to build up some equity in their property.
Of the 28 dwellings, there are 18 two-bedroom ground-level town houses; two one-bedroom units with adaptable capacity to become two-bedroom ground-level town houses; and eight one-bedroom attached units. The average floor area for the two-bedroom units is 155 m2, and between 91 m2 and 138 m2 for the one-bedroom units. That is quite large compared to similar units and town houses in Palmerston in particular. The total entitlement – the total area of the development of the particular units and town houses - is between 162 m2 and 518 m2, which is also quite large.
One feature of is 55% of these developments will be open space, and that will enable people to have a front and back garden. They will be able to have a spa and a barbecue. It is quite private, with the fencing in between the properties ...
Mr Conlan: I thought it was a spa or a barbecue.
Dr BURNS: The member for Greatorex can scoff, but there will be a lot of interest in this particular development.
We have built in energy efficiency into the plans for these units and town houses. That has been scoffed at by some, because we were not whacking in airconditioners to begin with; there is capacity for people to put split-level airconditioning in. The wiring, etcetera, is already there for people should they want to do that. These dwellings have quite high ceilings. We have extended the overhang on the eaves, and the orientation in terms of the plan to enable breezes and cooling.
I believe it is a good entry point. People who are eligible for these units have to be eligible for Homestart. The rental that they would pay on equivalent properties in Palmerston is equivalent to what they would be paying in repayments in this particular development. The June quarter average rent for a two-bedroom unit in inner Darwin was $460 per week; the average in Palmerston was $330 per week. It is estimated that the average weekly mortgage repayment, based on the shared equity loan with Homestart NT, would be $338 per week. What I am saying is that, by paying $338 per week, similar to what you would pay in Palmerston, you are also building up equity in the property.
The planning application was lodged on 28 September, with an exhibition period of four weeks commencing on 2 October, and we are hoping to go out with a pre-qualified ballot in January 2010. The target date for completion is October 2010.
This is a very important project. Many people are interested in it. I know the Minister for Planning and Lands is keen to have further affordable housing at these regional price points through those developments I mentioned previously.
For the information of members, I table information about Bellamack Gardens so that they might acquaint themselves with what it is all about.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016