Media Release by The Hon Brendan O’Connor MP

ACT Affordable housing project nationally recognised

Minister for Housing and Homelessness Brendan O’Connor and Member for Fraser Andrew Leigh today congratulated the Bonner Residential Estate project on being a finalist in tomorrow night’s 2012 Property Council of Australia awards.

The Bonner Residential Estate was nominated in the Best Master Planned Communities Award category. It is one of five Gillard Government-supported projects that are finalists in this year’s awards for delivering innovative affordable housing for people.

The north Canberra development was made possible through $3.5 million from the Gillard Government’s Housing Affordability Fund, which helps cut the cost of new homes by investing in infrastructure like roads, bridges and sewers that new housing estates need.

Dr Leigh said the Housing Affordability Fund was about helping families and individuals afford to buy a home.

“The Bonner development is giving Canberrans the security of a stable place to live,” Dr Leigh said.

“This development not only provides 330 subsidised house and land packages, it uses innovative, environmentally sustainable technologies including a stormwater detention basin.

“The Housing Affordability Fund is reducing housing-related infrastructure and planning costs, so these savings can be passed on to new home buyers in Bonner.”

The winners will be announced in Sydney on Saturday, 26 May.

“We understand that shortages of affordable housing are affecting many families and workers around Australia, and have invested more than $20 billion in tackling affordability,” Mr O’Connor said.

“Through the Housing Affordability Fund, we are supporting more than 70 projects across Australia through grants to local councils and state government agencies to make housing more affordable by reducing infrastructure and planning-related development costs.

“Projects like these deserve national recognition for their innovative approach to addressing housing and homelessness. I want to congratulate the Bonner Residential Estate project and all the nominees and wish them the very best for tomorrow.”