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Governing the City State - Chief Minister and Treasury Directorate ...

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Suggestions:• <strong>the</strong> sustainability policy framework be formally articulated, incorporating <strong>the</strong> role of <strong>the</strong> various<strong>Directorate</strong>s, including Triple Bottom Line Sustainability Policy Alignment (proposed <strong>Chief</strong><strong>Minister</strong>’s Department), environmental sustainability (Sustainable Development <strong>Directorate</strong>),economic sustainability (Finance <strong>Directorate</strong>), <strong>and</strong> Social sustainability (Community Services<strong>Directorate</strong>);• <strong>the</strong> implementation strategy, timeframe <strong>and</strong> division of responsibilities for all sustainability policyinitiatives <strong>and</strong> actions be clearly articulated in a single publicly available document (<strong>the</strong>sustainability policy); <strong>and</strong>• progress on achievement against <strong>the</strong> sustainability policy be monitored <strong>and</strong> reported against,including progress against timeframes.Housing AffordabilityBackgroundA significant public policy issue that has emerged in <strong>the</strong> past decade concerns housingaffordability. Rising house prices, particularly in <strong>the</strong> past decade, has seen rapid growth in <strong>the</strong>gap between those able to buy a home (<strong>and</strong> sustain a mortgage), <strong>and</strong> those who cannot. Theimplications of declining housing affordability go beyond simply home ownership; <strong>the</strong>y areat <strong>the</strong> heart of <strong>the</strong> Australian dream <strong>and</strong> a strong <strong>and</strong> viable society.Declining housing affordability is being tackled on many fronts at all levels of government. TheCOAG communiqué of 19-20 April 2010 noted:The housing market faces significant pressures, with population growth <strong>and</strong> a healthyeconomy continuing to add to strong housing dem<strong>and</strong>. Housing supply has notresponded as strongly as it could have to this dem<strong>and</strong>. Unless dem<strong>and</strong>-side pressuresare well understood <strong>and</strong> supply-side constraints are identified <strong>and</strong> addressed it islikely <strong>the</strong>re will be greater pressure on house prices. 403Under <strong>the</strong> National Affordable Housing Agreement, Australian governments have agreed towork toge<strong>the</strong>r to ensure people have access to “affordable, safe <strong>and</strong> sustainable housing thatcontributes to social <strong>and</strong> economic participation.” 404Much of this work is being undertaken through a Heads of <strong>Treasury</strong> working group, butprogress has been slow. This arises from <strong>the</strong> significant disparity between <strong>the</strong> variousapproaches adopted by jurisdictions to tackle housing affordability. Development of ‘one sizefits all’ measures is <strong>the</strong>refore difficult to achieve <strong>and</strong> may not be sensible anyway.403 Council of Australian Governments (2010) - Communiqué - 19 <strong>and</strong> 20 April 2010, Canberrahttp://www.coag.gov.au/coag_meeting_outcomes/2010-04-19/docs/communique_20_April_2010.pdf404 COAG Reform Council (2010) National Affordable Housing Agreement: Baseline performance report for 2008-09 – Report to<strong>the</strong> Council of Australian Governments. Sydney, p. xi.Sustainability, Housing Affordability <strong>and</strong> Transport: 302

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