Gary Gray (Brand, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service and Integrity) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That, in accordance with the provisions of the Public Works Committee Act 1969, the following proposed work be referred to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works for consideration and report: Proposed development and construction of housing for Defence members and families at Weston Creek, ACT.

Defence Housing Australia, DHA, proposes to develop an 8.3 hectare prime property in Weston Creek, Australian Capital Territory. Land is in reasonably short supply in Canberra, and the rezoning of land to residential in the Greater Molonglo area, of which Weston Creek is a part, has opened up an opportunity for DHA to secure land and develop new housing which meets Defence standards in Canberra.

The site is located approximately two kilometres from the Australian Defence College, within 12 kilometres of the Canberra CBD and has quick access to the Tuggeranong Parkway. The proposal is for DHA to develop the site for residential construction, consistent with the approved Weston Creek Estate Development Plan. Following the site development, the proposal envisages construction of 50 dwellings for the Department of Defence over a 12-month period. The remaining sites will be sold for complementary development.

The development of the site involves the provision of infrastructure of 73 single-dwelling lots, of which 50 will be used by Defence families, plus three multi-unit sites which are expected to yield up to 47 dwellings. The first stage will provide this infrastructure and involves the design and construction of roads, stormwater drainage, sewer, water, natural gas, telecommunications and electricity. Once the infrastructure is completed, construction of the 50 dwellings for Defence will be undertaken.

The project costs of $39 million, inclusive of GST but excluding cost of land, will be met by DHA and recovered through the sale of surplus lots and the sale and leaseback program. Subject to parliamentary approval, sewer construction is expected to commence in January 2013, with dwellings construction to be completed by December 2014. I commend the motion to the House.

Question agreed to.

I move:

That, in accordance with the provisions of the Public Works Committee Act 1969, the following proposed work be referred to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works for consideration and report: development and construction of housing for Defence members and their families at Lindfield, New South Wales.

Defence Housing Australia, DHA, proposes to develop a 13.8 hectare prime property abutting Lane Cove National Park in Lindfield, New South Wales. The site is about 3.5 kilometres from the Chatswood commercial centre and 14 kilometres from the Sydney CBD.

This site has been used for tertiary education purposes since its development by the New South Wales government in 1969 for a teachers college. When colleges of advanced education were amalgamated into universities it was transferred to the University of Technology Sydney, UTS, and became known as UTS Kuring-Gai. DHA purchased the land by public tender from UTS in March 2011. The DHA development is adjacent to UTS Kuring-Gai and will complement the area.

This proposal will involve road and civil infrastructure development, followed by the construction of 345 dwellings for an integrated residential community for the Department of Defence and other families. Following site development, construction will be undertaken to deliver 345 dwellings in five precincts. The site will provide housing for families of personnel posted to Fleet Base East, to major Defence establishments in the Sydney CBD and to other units and formations scattered around the Greater Sydney area. The site's close proximity to Chatswood, the Macquarie Centre and Macquarie Park also provides Defence families with opportunities for employment, entertainment and shopping.

The project costs of $202 million, inclusive of GST and escalation but excluding cost of land, will be met by DHA and recovered through the sale of surplus lots and the DHA sale and leaseback program. Subject to parliamentary approval, civil construction is expected to commence in November 2012, with dwelling construction to be completed by November 2016. I commend the motion to the House.

Question agreed to.

I move:

That, in accordance with the provisions of the Public Works Committee Act 1969, the following proposed work be referred to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works for consideration and report: Integrated fit-out of new leased premises for the Australian Taxation Office at the site known as 913 Whitehorse Road, Box Hill, Victoria.

The Australian Tax Office—ATO—proposes to undertake an integrated fit-out of new leased premises at 913 Whitehorse Road, Box Hill, Victoria. The ATO has a substantial presence in the Box Hill region and is currently located in a building at 990 Whitehorse Road, Box Hill, which has a lease in place that expires on 30 June 2014. It is expected that relocation into a new building will provide the ATO with considerable advantages in terms of building design, operational performance and operating cost efficiencies, and long-term viability through improvement in building infrastructure. The estimated out-turn cost of the proposal is $36 million plus GST. The developer will commence building works on site in June 2012, with demolition and excavation for the basement areas being the first tasks. Subject to parliamentary approval, the proposed integrated fit-out works are scheduled to start in May 2013 and be completed by 1 April 2014. The ATO is expected to commence occupancy of the building in April 2014. I commend the motion to the House.

Question agreed to.