Mr MILLS - 2011-05-05
At this morning’s Master Builders’ breakfast, you were asked a question about why you have not accelerated the public housing building program to encourage private investment. To the dismay of many listeners, you failed to answer the question. If residential development is critical to boosting levels of private investment, why has your budget so badly missed the mark?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, he has a bit of form, because he is misquoting the question. Those who were there know he is. He has form on that because he tried to misquote and mislead yesterday in Question Time …
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The Treasurer well knows that if she wants to accuse him of misleading this House, she can do so by way of substantive motion or she withdraws it.
Madam SPEAKER: Treasurer, can you just withdraw that comment, thank you, and reword?
Ms LAWRIE: Yes, he was in furphy land yet again. We are used to that ….
Madam SPEAKER: If you could just withdraw the comment though, thank you.
Ms LAWRIE: I withdraw, Madam Speaker. Another furphy from Terry, but I withdraw.
The Master Builders Association members were quite pleased with the amount of funding in the budget for public housing. In relation to stimulating the market with the BuildBonus, I was asked what could be done to accelerate that spend. I stated it was a good question. I pointed out that the Minister for Public and Affordable Housing had a track record of accelerating the construction activity, particularly the R&M activity of the department of Housing. I am sure the minister is well on top of any opportunity to accelerate the actual construct.
What do you need to accelerate a construct? First, you need the money in the budget; that is what we have delivered. Second, you need the land on which to do it; that is what we have delivered. We have spent tens of millions of dollars, budget on budget, rolling out headworks across those all-important Palmerston East suburbs. That is where the house and land packages will be available. Of course, you need the blocks and the sites on which to do the construct and builds.
Sites have been identified in Palmerston East and across suburbs in Darwin for the construction of one- and two-bedroom units. I do not have the figures with me, but it has been the most comprehensive increase in public housing stock through the national partnership stimulus dollars with the Commonwealth that we saw significantly in the 2010-11 budget. New stock has been coming online at a rapid rate across our urban centres as a result of that stimulus partnership agreement with the activity of the department of Housing, driven by our Housing minister. He is also turning stock around at a rapid rate regarding when stock is vacated, doing a total refurbishment and bringing it on for tenancy.
We have new accommodation for transitional public housing. At Crerar Road there are 78 beds. There are 70 beds at Percy Court in Alice Springs, which is new stock. In Alice Springs, the figures are around 520 additional public housing beds in this calendar year. That accelerated construction of public housing is unheard of in the Territory over the last few decades.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, he has a bit of form, because he is misquoting the question. Those who were there know he is. He has form on that because he tried to misquote and mislead yesterday in Question Time …
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The Treasurer well knows that if she wants to accuse him of misleading this House, she can do so by way of substantive motion or she withdraws it.
Madam SPEAKER: Treasurer, can you just withdraw that comment, thank you, and reword?
Ms LAWRIE: Yes, he was in furphy land yet again. We are used to that ….
Madam SPEAKER: If you could just withdraw the comment though, thank you.
Ms LAWRIE: I withdraw, Madam Speaker. Another furphy from Terry, but I withdraw.
The Master Builders Association members were quite pleased with the amount of funding in the budget for public housing. In relation to stimulating the market with the BuildBonus, I was asked what could be done to accelerate that spend. I stated it was a good question. I pointed out that the Minister for Public and Affordable Housing had a track record of accelerating the construction activity, particularly the R&M activity of the department of Housing. I am sure the minister is well on top of any opportunity to accelerate the actual construct.
What do you need to accelerate a construct? First, you need the money in the budget; that is what we have delivered. Second, you need the land on which to do it; that is what we have delivered. We have spent tens of millions of dollars, budget on budget, rolling out headworks across those all-important Palmerston East suburbs. That is where the house and land packages will be available. Of course, you need the blocks and the sites on which to do the construct and builds.
Sites have been identified in Palmerston East and across suburbs in Darwin for the construction of one- and two-bedroom units. I do not have the figures with me, but it has been the most comprehensive increase in public housing stock through the national partnership stimulus dollars with the Commonwealth that we saw significantly in the 2010-11 budget. New stock has been coming online at a rapid rate across our urban centres as a result of that stimulus partnership agreement with the activity of the department of Housing, driven by our Housing minister. He is also turning stock around at a rapid rate regarding when stock is vacated, doing a total refurbishment and bringing it on for tenancy.
We have new accommodation for transitional public housing. At Crerar Road there are 78 beds. There are 70 beds at Percy Court in Alice Springs, which is new stock. In Alice Springs, the figures are around 520 additional public housing beds in this calendar year. That accelerated construction of public housing is unheard of in the Territory over the last few decades.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016