Mr ELFERINK - 2003-08-14
Alice Springs is strangled by the lack of residential allotments. Larapinta Stage 4 would help alleviate this problem. The Minister for Central Australia promised the real estate industry that the lots would be turned off by Christmas 2002. That did not happen. The revised dates since then have been April 2003 - nothing has happened; July 2003 - nothing has happened; Christmas 2003 - nothing looks like happening; and recently you let it slip that the deal was in trouble. When will this problem be fixed, and how much will the blocks cost when the problem is finally fixed?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, the only thing I will agree with the member for Macdonnell is that Alice Springs lacks land available for building houses. Everything else is a figment of his imagination. My colleague never stated it was going to be released in Christmas 2002. I do not even recall that one. We never said it was going to be released in 2003. We have always maintained that the blocks will be released early in 2004.
For your information, the engineering report is nearly completed, and the only thing remaining to be resolved are two issues with sites of significance. This is going to be released very soon. As to the information that I said it is not going to happen, that is absolutely rubbish! Everybody here knows where this information, or misinformation, comes from.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, the only thing I will agree with the member for Macdonnell is that Alice Springs lacks land available for building houses. Everything else is a figment of his imagination. My colleague never stated it was going to be released in Christmas 2002. I do not even recall that one. We never said it was going to be released in 2003. We have always maintained that the blocks will be released early in 2004.
For your information, the engineering report is nearly completed, and the only thing remaining to be resolved are two issues with sites of significance. This is going to be released very soon. As to the information that I said it is not going to happen, that is absolutely rubbish! Everybody here knows where this information, or misinformation, comes from.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016