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A new body to guide the territory’s housing agenda aims to make the Northern Territory “the easiest place in Australia to build and buy a home”.
The Northern Territory Housing Alliance will reportedly include senior leaders from the building, community housing, social services and industry sector who will consult on the issues facing the housing sector across the territory.
The aim of the body is to drive the government’s policies and incentive programs. It will be asked to identify opportunities and suitable land sites to deliver the required increase in housing, provide recommendations for investment initiatives into housing, and advise on policies and supply chain issues relating to housing delivery.
The alliance will report directly to the NT’s Chief Minister, Natasha Fyles.
Allan McGill has been named chair of the NT Housing Alliance, with further board members to be announced at a later date. Mr McGill is also the current chair of Venture Housing and holds roles with the NT Planning Commission and NT Heritage Council.
In introducing the alliance, Ms Fyles described it as a necessary element for not only solving the territory’s housing challenges, but the country’s as well.
“The great Australian dream might be unachievable everywhere else in the country, but in the territory we are going to make sure more people can achieve it. The territory is the place to build your future,” she said.
Ms Fyles added that with the help of the alliance, the government would “deliver the confidence and certainty the construction sector needs, and the strong supply of land and homes that the territory and the country desperately need”.
Moreover, Mr McGill spoke of the alliance’s work as pivotal for the territory’s future prosperity.
“The territory is on the cusp of great economic opportunity. To make sure we maximise this, we need the homes for families and new members of our community.”
Mr McGill promised he would work with the board to identify blockages and changes to the current system to “create faster blocks being turned on and homes built”.
NT Minister for Infrastructure, Planning and Logistics, Eva Lawler, added that the alliance will particularly ensure that land for building is in ample supply.
“The Territory Labor government is working towards creating a steady pipeline of land release for more homes, as our workforce and population grows.
“The expertise that the Northern Territory Housing Alliance will bring will allow us to create a more streamlined process for both brownfield and underdeveloped lots,” she said.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Juliet Helmke
Based in Sydney, Juliet Helmke has a broad range of reporting and editorial experience across the areas of business, technology, entertainment and the arts. She was formerly Senior Editor at The New York Observer.
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