Mr. Logan questions the Minister for Housing about the justification for government-led luxury apartment development in the Pilbara, given the public housing waitlist and empty apartments in the Pelago complex. The Minister defends the apartments as affordable and a necessary alternative style of accommodation.

AnsweredQoN 729Legislative Assembly
Asked
23 September 2014
Portfolio
Housing

QuestionView source ↗

PELAGO
APARTMENT COMPLEX — DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING
729. Mr F.M. LOGAN to the
Minister for Housing:
I have a supplementary question. The Premier today referred
to the model of Darwin for high-rise apartments for Pilbara Cities and said
that the government would have to lead with and promote high-rise development.
How does the minister justify what the Premier has said about the government
taking the lead on luxury apartments when hundreds of people in the Pilbara are
on the public housing waitlist waiting for apartments that are now empty in
this luxury apartment block?

AnswerView source ↗

That is another question, but I will
answer it. The price of these units is below the market rate; they are
affordable units. The issue is that people are not interested in buying them
because the property market is going down. Why would they buy when the property
market is going down?
Mr
F.M. Logan interjected.
Mr
W.R. MARMION : We own these assets.
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Cockburn, I call you to order for the first time.
Member for Warnbro, you were lucky you were drowned out.
Mr
W.R. MARMION : These are good-quality apartments, deserving of public sector
people and any worker who wants to live in Karratha.
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Carine, I call you to order for the first time. Member
for Cockburn, I call you to order for the second time.
Mr
W.R. MARMION : The point I would like to finish on is that we have supplied
an alternative style of accommodation that is really needed in places such as
Karratha so that the same accommodation is available there as is available in
Perth. The price of these units is lower than the price of houses. The member
said that they are empty. I am very confident that within a short space of
time, they will be full.

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