Natasha Griggs (Solomon, Country Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Last week the Assistant Minister for Defence and I made an announcement for an additional 2,300 houses in the Top End. Under this plan we will deliver an additional 800 houses for Defence members and over 1,500 houses for non-Defence personnel in my electorate of Solomon.

As a long-time advocate for reducing the housing squeeze in Darwin and Palmerston I was delighted to be able to make the announcement with the Assistant Minister for Defence. He confirmed that the Abbott government is listening to my requests for additional housing in my electorate. Unlike the previous Labor government, which took houses away from my electorate, this government is actually putting houses into the electorate.

This decision by the Abbott government is a significant milestone in my attempts to bring relief to the Darwin housing market, and shows how Defence, DHA and the Abbott government are working together to relieve the housing pressure on the people of Darwin and Palmerston. Additionally, an announcement at Defence's former 2 Control and Reporting Unit—the 2CRU—represents the first phase of the government's Top End Defence housing strategy. The proposed sale of 2CRU to DHA is the first step in delivering more quality housing for Defence members and easing the housing pressure on Darwin and Palmerston.

This particular development will provide 400 additional homes, and 200 of these will be available to Defence and the other 200 will be available to the private sector. (Time expired)