Ms LAWRIE - 2002-08-20
With the government’s commitment to delivering on the recommendations of the Learning Lessons report and the focus that needs to be directed on education in the bush, what does this budget do for teacher housing to make delivering education outcomes in the bush a reality?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Karama for her question. I am also very proud to stand with other ministers in our government and the budget that we have been able to deliver today. The luncheon was excellent. I sat back and watched and talked to people. I have been to a few budget luncheons that the CLP have delivered over the last six years.
Members interjecting.
Mr AH KIT: None of you people were there. But in opposition I did go to a few of these budget luncheons and listen up.
What I walked away with was the perception that this budget was a pleasant budget and it is going to be well received in the business community. In fact, there was one question only to the Chief Minister, as well as a statement about whether the railway should be Adelaide to Palmerston or Adelaide to Darwin, but that was from a tourism industry operator. But there was one question, so that in itself speaks volumes about how the budget was received really well in the business community. The rabblerousers opposite have caused me to digress.
In respect to the question from the member for Karama, you are all aware of the big issues of accommodation we face in recruiting staff to the Territory, particularly to posts in remote areas. The Government Employee Housing program is one of the three key programs provided by Territory Housing Services, and it is this program which we rely on to provide accommodation for teachers, doctors, nurses and other essential staff in the bush. In this year’s budget, I am pleased to be able to announce that we have $11m allocated for government employee housing. This will ensure the construction of 39 new houses and the replacement of 31 properties that need a complete overhaul.
The key focus, which the Martin Labor government has developed with this program, is on housing for teachers. Of the 70 houses that will be built this year, 47 will go to the Department of Employment, Education and Training; 18 of these will be new houses and 29 of them replacement properties. What this means is that 67% of the construction program will be focussed on teacher housing, which is an increase of 23% on that provided by the previous government. The 47 houses which will be provided for teacher housing in this one financial year is nearly equivalent to the number provided by the previous government in the last three financial years of their incumbency. This is in keeping with our commitment to address the recommendations of Learning Lessons, the independent review of indigenous education in the Northern Territory.
Currently, Territory Housing owns 892 properties which are leased to various agencies. It also head leases 206 private properties, adding to the stock of housing available to Territory public servants. Over half of the stock in remote areas is in the smaller Aboriginal communities.
This program also has another important function. Sometimes a department may change its staffing profile in a region and we may find one of the government employee houses vacant. In such an instance, the property then becomes available to local industry or the community sector for industry welfare housing. This gives the government the opportunity to support local business and community groups. The houses are leased on the understanding that if government requires them in the future, when the lease expires the property must return to departmental use.
The Government Employee Housing program is on track and supported by the Martin Labor government, and we will continue to move forward to implement those recommendations of Learning Lessons.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Karama for her question. I am also very proud to stand with other ministers in our government and the budget that we have been able to deliver today. The luncheon was excellent. I sat back and watched and talked to people. I have been to a few budget luncheons that the CLP have delivered over the last six years.
Members interjecting.
Mr AH KIT: None of you people were there. But in opposition I did go to a few of these budget luncheons and listen up.
What I walked away with was the perception that this budget was a pleasant budget and it is going to be well received in the business community. In fact, there was one question only to the Chief Minister, as well as a statement about whether the railway should be Adelaide to Palmerston or Adelaide to Darwin, but that was from a tourism industry operator. But there was one question, so that in itself speaks volumes about how the budget was received really well in the business community. The rabblerousers opposite have caused me to digress.
In respect to the question from the member for Karama, you are all aware of the big issues of accommodation we face in recruiting staff to the Territory, particularly to posts in remote areas. The Government Employee Housing program is one of the three key programs provided by Territory Housing Services, and it is this program which we rely on to provide accommodation for teachers, doctors, nurses and other essential staff in the bush. In this year’s budget, I am pleased to be able to announce that we have $11m allocated for government employee housing. This will ensure the construction of 39 new houses and the replacement of 31 properties that need a complete overhaul.
The key focus, which the Martin Labor government has developed with this program, is on housing for teachers. Of the 70 houses that will be built this year, 47 will go to the Department of Employment, Education and Training; 18 of these will be new houses and 29 of them replacement properties. What this means is that 67% of the construction program will be focussed on teacher housing, which is an increase of 23% on that provided by the previous government. The 47 houses which will be provided for teacher housing in this one financial year is nearly equivalent to the number provided by the previous government in the last three financial years of their incumbency. This is in keeping with our commitment to address the recommendations of Learning Lessons, the independent review of indigenous education in the Northern Territory.
Currently, Territory Housing owns 892 properties which are leased to various agencies. It also head leases 206 private properties, adding to the stock of housing available to Territory public servants. Over half of the stock in remote areas is in the smaller Aboriginal communities.
This program also has another important function. Sometimes a department may change its staffing profile in a region and we may find one of the government employee houses vacant. In such an instance, the property then becomes available to local industry or the community sector for industry welfare housing. This gives the government the opportunity to support local business and community groups. The houses are leased on the understanding that if government requires them in the future, when the lease expires the property must return to departmental use.
The Government Employee Housing program is on track and supported by the Martin Labor government, and we will continue to move forward to implement those recommendations of Learning Lessons.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016