Mr BURKE - 2007-05-03
In the suburb of Farrar, within my electorate where I live, I recently counted 30 or 40 houses in the process of being constructed. Can the minister advise the House on any initiatives in Budget 2007-08 towards releasing more land for residential development in the Northern Territory?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Brennan for his question. It has been phenomenal to see the growth in Palmerston. If you listen to the CLP, there are no homes being built anywhere in the Territory and there is no land available for anyone to purchase. They go around with little blinkers on their faces, as they do not seem to have any view at all as to the reality in the marketplace right now.
I have said on the record - they have floppy ears, they do not want to hear it – that the demand for new house blocks in the Top End of the Territory is about 300 a year. In meeting demand for new house blocks - that is, people wanting to purchase a house and land package or, indeed, buy some land and build the house of their dreams - we turn off approximately 300 a year.
In terms of having a look at land release and how you meet demand, there is a very fine line, because one thing government should not do is flood the market. That would send house values crashing down and, as we all know, families have their life investment in their house, in their mortgage. Their dreams are wrapped up in the value of their house and, if you flood the market, you are actually crashing down the wealth of Territory families.
Mr Wood: They can only afford a unit. I am not asking that; that is a furphy.
Ms LAWRIE: I pick up the interjection. The member for Nelson says that is a furphy. That is pretty incredible. I would get him to put that to some key economists who have actually spelt that out. The industry itself said to be careful how much land you release. They know as well that if you flood the market you devalue existing houses.
The good thing in Budget 2007-08 is that it does lay out a very clear process for the future and, unlike previous CLP governments where they would program something and there would be no cash to do the work so it would just go from year to year, sitting on a program, empty hollow promises, no delivery, no action. Unlike that, the Martin Labor government does respond and we do put real cash against our items.
Importantly, a component within this budget is $7m to provide headworks for the new suburb of Bellamack in Palmerston. I notice the member for Blain is shaking his head. What is it? You do not want the release of Bellamack in Palmerston, member for Blain?
Mr Mills: I am shaking my head at you, I cannot believe you.
Ms LAWRIE: You do not think $7m is a reasonable expenditure to promote land release in the Territory?
Mr Wood: You can take all these lots out at Bellamack and sell them at …
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mrs Braham: How much will these blocks be?
Ms LAWRIE: Bellamack will provide, we believe, anywhere between 650 to 700 new residential lots.
Mr Wood: How many will be sold to builders and developers in one lot?
Ms LAWRIE: If the member for Nelson wants to answer the question for me - he just has not stopped. It is difficult, member for Nelson …
Mr Wood: I just do not think you care, that is the problem.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Ms LAWRIE: It is hard to keep going when you keep interjecting. I do not want to be rude and talk over you. That is all.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Opposition and Independent members, cease interjecting. Minister, please continue.
Ms LAWRIE: It sounded like it was something rude, Madam Speaker.
The $7m in headworks - real cash allocated to do real work to produce a real outcome - is providing water and sewer reticulation, a sewer pump station, power reticulation, roadworks and, importantly, trunk stormwater drainage. The best advice to me from my agency is that the work will start on the headworks this Dry Season. The government has previously advised that lots will be set aside for first homebuyers. The Housing minister and I met with industry some months ago, and clearly put it before industry, which included the HIA, TCA, Real Estate Institute of the NT and the Chamber of Commerce, that we would be inserting a component in our expression of interest for developers for this land to come forward with innovative suggestions as to how lots within the development can be provided to first homebuyers.
We are not coming up with plucking figures out of the air and just making up a notional amount as a voodoo dollar figure of about $100 000, which I note the CLP Opposition Leader is now starting to back away from - this voodoo $100 000 which was solid yesterday in her budget reply, and is now, after Daryl Manzie’s interview on Top FM …
A member: Not so sure now. What did she say?
Ms LAWRIE: She was just getting a little shaky. An entire package, whereby discounts could be …
A member: Could be, not would.
Ms LAWRIE: ‘Could be’ offered, up to $100 000 on the purchase of a block of land. It went from, ‘there will be $100 000 off the cost of your land’ to ‘it could be’ or ‘up to …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Ms LAWRIE: I am interested in hearing the next instalment on Daryl Manzie’s show. Maybe it will be ‘could have been’, ‘might have been’ …
Mr Vatskalis: Would not be.
Ms LAWRIE: Maybe not, because it is actually a voodoo figure.
Sorry, I was momentarily diverted because I was very interested in the movements of this mythical $100 000 figure ...
Mr Wood: Tell us what you are going to sell it for.
Ms LAWRIE: That is a good interjection, member for Nelson: ‘Tell us what you are going to sell it for’. The last time I checked with the government, we are not real estate agents …
Mr Wood: Yes, you are. You own all the Crown land and you are selling it.
Ms LAWRIE: … we are not developers, we sell land to developers to develop. Curious that, is it not? It is a curious thing. Should we become a socialist or communist? Should we just set up and control everything and sell every individual block of land? Is that what you are proposing, member for Nelson, because it is getting …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Ms LAWRIE: The land release debate is getting to be bizarre!
What we have announced is that there will be lots within Bellamack for first homebuyers. We have already indicated to industry to come forward with innovative suggestions as to how many, what the process will be, and how it meets the needs for our first homebuyers. This really does complement the great news for first homebuyers in Budget 2007-08.
The other great news, as we know …
Mr Kiely: More good news?
Ms LAWRIE: More good news. … is stamp duty cuts and …
Mr Mills: Madam Speaker, it is a very long answer.
Ms LAWRIE: I would have been quicker, but the member for Nelson keeps interjecting.
Mrs Miller: You love it! You love the stage.
Mr Wood: It is the only time we can get some debate on the subject.
Ms LAWRIE: We can debate this any time you like. Come up for a cuppa.
Members interjecting.
Ms LAWRIE: Stamp duty cuts are a direct dollar assistance to first homebuyers in …
Members interjecting.
Ms LAWRIE: Not a voodoo figure there - not a safety voodoo ‘could be’, ‘may be’ - a solid erasing of the stamp duty.
Regarding the HomeNorth scheme, it is really interesting; the CLP’s policy did not even mention HomeNorth – did not even go to HomeNorth ...
A member: They are going to scrap it.
Ms LAWRIE: Good point. Are they going to scrap HomeNorth? HomeNorth has helped 1000 Territorians to buy their own homes. It has been a phenomenally successful program and this did not rate a mention …
Ms CARNEY: A point of order, Madam Speaker! We plead with you to do something about the minister who is abusing Question Time in ways that we have not even seen her abuse Question Time before.
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition, there is no point of order. However, there will be …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! There is a lot of disorder in the Chamber. I remind members of Standing Order 69. I would like you to read that while the minister is completing her answer. Minister, please continue.
Ms LAWRIE: Madam Speaker, I was just getting to the end there. The Northern Territory already has the highest percentage of first homebuyers in the property market, and we are convinced that these new initiatives will help families buy their first homes. The land release at Bellamack and Mt John Valley, important changes to stamp duty, and a phenomenal revamp of the HomeNorth scheme, is an entire package to help more Territorians to buy their dream home in the Territory and raise their families.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Brennan for his question. It has been phenomenal to see the growth in Palmerston. If you listen to the CLP, there are no homes being built anywhere in the Territory and there is no land available for anyone to purchase. They go around with little blinkers on their faces, as they do not seem to have any view at all as to the reality in the marketplace right now.
I have said on the record - they have floppy ears, they do not want to hear it – that the demand for new house blocks in the Top End of the Territory is about 300 a year. In meeting demand for new house blocks - that is, people wanting to purchase a house and land package or, indeed, buy some land and build the house of their dreams - we turn off approximately 300 a year.
In terms of having a look at land release and how you meet demand, there is a very fine line, because one thing government should not do is flood the market. That would send house values crashing down and, as we all know, families have their life investment in their house, in their mortgage. Their dreams are wrapped up in the value of their house and, if you flood the market, you are actually crashing down the wealth of Territory families.
Mr Wood: They can only afford a unit. I am not asking that; that is a furphy.
Ms LAWRIE: I pick up the interjection. The member for Nelson says that is a furphy. That is pretty incredible. I would get him to put that to some key economists who have actually spelt that out. The industry itself said to be careful how much land you release. They know as well that if you flood the market you devalue existing houses.
The good thing in Budget 2007-08 is that it does lay out a very clear process for the future and, unlike previous CLP governments where they would program something and there would be no cash to do the work so it would just go from year to year, sitting on a program, empty hollow promises, no delivery, no action. Unlike that, the Martin Labor government does respond and we do put real cash against our items.
Importantly, a component within this budget is $7m to provide headworks for the new suburb of Bellamack in Palmerston. I notice the member for Blain is shaking his head. What is it? You do not want the release of Bellamack in Palmerston, member for Blain?
Mr Mills: I am shaking my head at you, I cannot believe you.
Ms LAWRIE: You do not think $7m is a reasonable expenditure to promote land release in the Territory?
Mr Wood: You can take all these lots out at Bellamack and sell them at …
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mrs Braham: How much will these blocks be?
Ms LAWRIE: Bellamack will provide, we believe, anywhere between 650 to 700 new residential lots.
Mr Wood: How many will be sold to builders and developers in one lot?
Ms LAWRIE: If the member for Nelson wants to answer the question for me - he just has not stopped. It is difficult, member for Nelson …
Mr Wood: I just do not think you care, that is the problem.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Ms LAWRIE: It is hard to keep going when you keep interjecting. I do not want to be rude and talk over you. That is all.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Opposition and Independent members, cease interjecting. Minister, please continue.
Ms LAWRIE: It sounded like it was something rude, Madam Speaker.
The $7m in headworks - real cash allocated to do real work to produce a real outcome - is providing water and sewer reticulation, a sewer pump station, power reticulation, roadworks and, importantly, trunk stormwater drainage. The best advice to me from my agency is that the work will start on the headworks this Dry Season. The government has previously advised that lots will be set aside for first homebuyers. The Housing minister and I met with industry some months ago, and clearly put it before industry, which included the HIA, TCA, Real Estate Institute of the NT and the Chamber of Commerce, that we would be inserting a component in our expression of interest for developers for this land to come forward with innovative suggestions as to how lots within the development can be provided to first homebuyers.
We are not coming up with plucking figures out of the air and just making up a notional amount as a voodoo dollar figure of about $100 000, which I note the CLP Opposition Leader is now starting to back away from - this voodoo $100 000 which was solid yesterday in her budget reply, and is now, after Daryl Manzie’s interview on Top FM …
A member: Not so sure now. What did she say?
Ms LAWRIE: She was just getting a little shaky. An entire package, whereby discounts could be …
A member: Could be, not would.
Ms LAWRIE: ‘Could be’ offered, up to $100 000 on the purchase of a block of land. It went from, ‘there will be $100 000 off the cost of your land’ to ‘it could be’ or ‘up to …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Ms LAWRIE: I am interested in hearing the next instalment on Daryl Manzie’s show. Maybe it will be ‘could have been’, ‘might have been’ …
Mr Vatskalis: Would not be.
Ms LAWRIE: Maybe not, because it is actually a voodoo figure.
Sorry, I was momentarily diverted because I was very interested in the movements of this mythical $100 000 figure ...
Mr Wood: Tell us what you are going to sell it for.
Ms LAWRIE: That is a good interjection, member for Nelson: ‘Tell us what you are going to sell it for’. The last time I checked with the government, we are not real estate agents …
Mr Wood: Yes, you are. You own all the Crown land and you are selling it.
Ms LAWRIE: … we are not developers, we sell land to developers to develop. Curious that, is it not? It is a curious thing. Should we become a socialist or communist? Should we just set up and control everything and sell every individual block of land? Is that what you are proposing, member for Nelson, because it is getting …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Ms LAWRIE: The land release debate is getting to be bizarre!
What we have announced is that there will be lots within Bellamack for first homebuyers. We have already indicated to industry to come forward with innovative suggestions as to how many, what the process will be, and how it meets the needs for our first homebuyers. This really does complement the great news for first homebuyers in Budget 2007-08.
The other great news, as we know …
Mr Kiely: More good news?
Ms LAWRIE: More good news. … is stamp duty cuts and …
Mr Mills: Madam Speaker, it is a very long answer.
Ms LAWRIE: I would have been quicker, but the member for Nelson keeps interjecting.
Mrs Miller: You love it! You love the stage.
Mr Wood: It is the only time we can get some debate on the subject.
Ms LAWRIE: We can debate this any time you like. Come up for a cuppa.
Members interjecting.
Ms LAWRIE: Stamp duty cuts are a direct dollar assistance to first homebuyers in …
Members interjecting.
Ms LAWRIE: Not a voodoo figure there - not a safety voodoo ‘could be’, ‘may be’ - a solid erasing of the stamp duty.
Regarding the HomeNorth scheme, it is really interesting; the CLP’s policy did not even mention HomeNorth – did not even go to HomeNorth ...
A member: They are going to scrap it.
Ms LAWRIE: Good point. Are they going to scrap HomeNorth? HomeNorth has helped 1000 Territorians to buy their own homes. It has been a phenomenally successful program and this did not rate a mention …
Ms CARNEY: A point of order, Madam Speaker! We plead with you to do something about the minister who is abusing Question Time in ways that we have not even seen her abuse Question Time before.
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition, there is no point of order. However, there will be …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! There is a lot of disorder in the Chamber. I remind members of Standing Order 69. I would like you to read that while the minister is completing her answer. Minister, please continue.
Ms LAWRIE: Madam Speaker, I was just getting to the end there. The Northern Territory already has the highest percentage of first homebuyers in the property market, and we are convinced that these new initiatives will help families buy their first homes. The land release at Bellamack and Mt John Valley, important changes to stamp duty, and a phenomenal revamp of the HomeNorth scheme, is an entire package to help more Territorians to buy their dream home in the Territory and raise their families.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016