URBAN LAND SUPPLY

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY (Leader of the Opposition) (14:53): I have a supplementary question. Is the minister indicating that the government intends to manipulate the market, shall we say, to force more people into transit-oriented developments rather than at the urban fridge?

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY (Minister for Police, Minister for Mineral Resources Development, Minister for Urban Development and Planning) (14:55): As I said, it was an aspirational target that we should have the ratio. In fact, we are now achieving something close to 60 per cent of dwellings from infill. That is what we have in 2008, so we are already nearly up to the 60 per cent mark. I think something like 7,500 to 8,000 new dwellings are built in this state every year. One only has to look at the number of new apartments that have been built in the CBD (each building can have up to 300 or 400 apartments) to see that the number of new dwellings that come out of infill development is significant.

So that we can preserve our character suburbs and get the best value from railway lines, we intend to make it more attractive to live along those lines, and that is where electrification comes in. At the moment, people do not want to live too close to a railway station when there is a diesel rail system, which is noisy and polluting. With the electrification of our system we will be able to provide a much better and more attractive service.

One only has to look at other parts of the country, such as Subiaco in Perth, Chatswood in Sydney, and other places, where there is transit-oriented development. Believe me, people want to live in these places where, previously, in some cases, such as Subiaco, half of the suburb was old industry. Blocks there are now selling for $2 billion or $3 billion each. Perhaps the question for government is: how do you make them equitable? How do you make enough dwellings available for lower income earners to live in these suburbs? They are very attractive.

It is obviously up to the planners and the government to ensure that our new transit-oriented developments are attractive to customers. Given the proximity and the 'walkability' of these suburbs, if we get this right, people will want to live in these corridors, and they will at the same time take pressure off the roads system, our water, our liquid fuels, and so forth.