Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Joining us on the line right now to talk a
little bit more about that and plenty of other things
is the Treasurer and the Minister for Housing and Construction,
Bill Yan. Good morning to your minister.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Good morning Katie, and congratulations on moving Indian new digs.
Speaker 1 (00:15):
Oh Bill, wait till you see it. It's proper flash mate,
compared to where we were before. You'll love our new
studio when you get to come in for the week
that was there for an interview.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Yeah, I'm looking forward to it, Katie.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
Now, Bill, I do want to move to some pretty
serious issues, very serious and something that we've been grappling
with here in the Northern Territory for such a long
period of time. I mentioned a little bit earlier a
woman's died allegedly at the hands of her partner in Catherine.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
Bill.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
Do you have much more info about exactly what's gone on?
Speaker 2 (00:46):
Yeah, Kayleb, this is a really tragic incident and I
want to pass on my deevat simplies of course to
the victim's family, But I don't have a lot more
information at this stage. I know police have taken her
part in the custody, and I believe there's been a
history of DV there for quite some time. So look,
(01:08):
this is absolutely tragic and of course we need to
address this discourage of this DV and it's been going
on for too long. We've got some additional funding from
the FEDS and we need to probably work on getting
some more. But it's not just about money either care
it's about how we approach the law and order issues
(01:29):
are around dealing with DV offenders, and we've got a
heap of stuff coming in in our first Parliament in
a couple of weeks, which of course Declin's Law and
some other stuff, and there's there'll be a number of
pieces of legislation will also work towards dealing with violent
offenders which will crossoverer course into that DV space and
hopefully start to provide that protection to the current victims
(01:53):
and any possible victims of DV because we can't have
this happening. It's it hurts the community, it hurts families,
and it's something that we definitely need to address sooner
rather than later. So I hope these swite of legislative
change will we bring in that first Parliament will start
to make that change, give the police some opportunities to
(02:16):
do a little bit more hopefully give the courts some
other opportunities around electronic monitoring, because the previous government took
out a mandatory sentencing for DV offenders and it didn't
even require electronic monitoring of offenders who were then we're
trying to reverse some of those decisions, Katie Well.
Speaker 1 (02:37):
And in terms of some of those decisions and what
was done by the previous government, I mean, what's been
happening in the space of domestic violence is clearly not working.
Just before I went on leave, there was a life
another territory, woman's life lost. It is something that we
are reporting on far too often. It is something that
(02:57):
is happening so often in the than territory and you know, something,
if it was happening in another state, I feel like
it'd be on the front page of every paper. It
is woe for what's going on, and no government seems
to have been able to really get a handle on things.
You know, like what more can be done. We've spoken
(03:18):
about that needs based funding. There seems to be quite
a bit of money being thrown at this, but I
just don't know whether it goes far enough.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
Yeah, And that's the thing. Okay, look there's another DV offense,
I believe in Alice Springs overnight and I said, sadly,
it's an all to come on occurrence, and it's something that, sadly,
I think in some respects that it becomes sort of
second nature. It was here in a Terrifian It shouldn't.
Speaker 1 (03:41):
What happened overnight.
Speaker 2 (03:43):
What happened overnight, Analys I was. I believe there was
a report from police yesterday of a domestic violence incident.
The police here balance incidents every night, and not just one,
but a number of them. And we shouldn't. We shouldn't
be accepting this stuff, Katie. It's not something that it's
(04:04):
not something that we should be accepting. We should be
dealing with this. Every person in the territory has a
responsibility to work with and report domestic violence. We have
to do it. Unless we start to change our narrative
and start to change our thoughts around domestic bonds, we're
not going to see that change. So funding is one thing.
(04:24):
Funding is one thing. Attitude of everybody here in the
territory is another thing as well.
Speaker 1 (04:30):
Bill. I know that there's been actually three shocking incidents
in our Springs. Across the weekend there was cars stolen,
driven dangerously, frontline workers targeted, a police officer injured, vehicles damaged,
and a security guard robbed at knife Port knife Point.
We know that seven youths have so far been arrested.
Are things blowing up in our Springs again? I mean,
(04:52):
do we need another curfew?
Speaker 2 (04:55):
Well, I don't know if curf is exactly the answer Icati,
but I said, I certainly feel for police at the moment.
I met with police on Friday at Police Remembrance Day
and we're talking about some of the incidents and they're
really concerned at the level of violence being specifically directed
at police. It's something that they've not seen before. They
(05:15):
don't understand why it's happening. Like Strikeforce Archer has now
been implemented after some of the stuff we've seen on
the weekend, But the behavior is being displayed by some
of these kids and these young adults are really dangerous,
not towards just themselves, but towards everybody else. And the
fact that they're targeting our police is I said, it's
(05:40):
something that shouldn't be happening. Now we've got stuff again
as more legislation giving police the opportunity to deal with
these offenders, because it's a situation that's been allowed to
occur over the last eight years with the weekend of
the laws, that the police have been stripped with the
capability to be able to deal with some of these offenders.
So again, that's a first thing for our first parliament
(06:01):
in two weeks is to go back and change some
of that legislation, give the police the powers to deal
with them, but also to make people who commit offenses
and violent offenses against our police they're going to face
some mandatory sentencing options. So the message you're going to
be really really clear to those out in the community
you want to target our police and our first responders.
(06:24):
If you do that, I said, you're going to face
some fair this year as consequences, because that's what's been
lacking now I think for the past eight years, and
those consequences have been stripped away.
Speaker 1 (06:33):
And people voted that way. People well and truly voted
and voted for change when it comes to the issues
that we've been experiencing in the Northern Territory. When it
comes to crime, it's not going to be an easy fix.
We know it's not going to happen overnight. But do
you reckon like, are we starting to see any indications
that things are getting a bit better from your perspective
(06:54):
or is it still way too early when we don't
have the legislative.
Speaker 2 (06:57):
Changes, Well, we need those letters should changes, k because
that change gives the police and the courts the options
to have consequences for offending. What we have done is
said the Chief Minison pretty well. The day after we
were successful action in the election, she was out with
the Police Commissioner and talking about visual policing and what
police can do and make some of those changes. And
(07:19):
police have done that. I've noticed certainly here in Central
Australia more police in uniform on the ground walking around
the community in the CBD and out in the suburbs,
and that's a great thing to see and that's certainly
had an impact on some of those things. But what
we're seeing now is that escalation in I said, young
(07:42):
people stealing cars and driving in a manner that is
dangerous to themselves, dangerous to the community and specifically targeting
the police. And the last thing we want to see
is a repeat of the young person that dive when
they rolled a car over here in CBD. Nobody wants
to see that anymore. But we need the laws in
place to be able to give the police the powers
(08:02):
and courts the powers to deal with those offenders so
then they're not back out doing it again.
Speaker 1 (08:07):
Well, Bill, let's move along, because I've just asked you
about twenty questions that aren't your portfolio. But I know
that I know that you guys are well and truly
keen to, you know, to discuss what is going on.
But let's move on to these home by grants now.
In terms of the way in which this is going
to work, can the funds be used as a deposit?
Speaker 2 (08:29):
I believe so, yes, Katie. We've spoken to the banks.
The banks have said if someone is success is successful
in getting a grant, the bank will consider that as
a deposit towards their loan auto application for credit to
either buy a new place or to build a new place.
(08:49):
That's a major bonus for those people looking to get
in the market because we know cost livings and pressures
are pretty bad in the territory at the moment, so
it's really really difficult to save up that money for
a deposit, and when you're stuck in that rental cycle.
So this will give those new homeowners the opportunity to,
if they're successful in the grant, to use that grant
as a deposit towards getting into their own home.
Speaker 1 (09:12):
So I know that brokers are wanting some clarity on
how the grants are going to be paid and whether
it's going to be at the beginning of the loan
application or at the end. At what stage will those
funds become available for people?
Speaker 2 (09:26):
Yeah, so some of the funds will certainly become available
for commencement, is my understanding. But a lot of that
comes down to the way that the lender has structured
the contracts as well. So there's a couple of there's
a couple of variations in how that will work. I
think a lot of us explain when you get on
to the website. So the whole the NT dot dot
(09:50):
I think it's property slash homeowner assistance. A lot of
those explaining there because it's not of one size fits
all for everyone. Yeah, ideas, there'll be variations in how
the money is released from the scheme to the lender yep,
(10:10):
and no doubt, and then possibly onto of course that
the person who's are the building or buying.
Speaker 1 (10:16):
Now we know the scheme is obviously focused on building
more homes, it's also about stimulating the construction industry. Where
do you anticipate these new homes are going to be built?
Because I know there's been some discussion out of the
likes of Alice Springs saying that you know there's not
a huge amount of opportunity to sort of build a
new home. So where do you anticipate they're going to
be built?
Speaker 2 (10:36):
Yeah, look, I checked in, so I've got some questions
on this previous day. So we've got the blocks here
at kill Gareth and we're releasing the next stage at
kill Gareth soon in Tenant Creek. Talking to the department,
there's housing blocks becoming available in Tenant. There's also some
becoming available in Catherine, and of course you've got all
(10:57):
the development that's going on, so there's a release of
land blocks all over the place up in Darwin Palmerston.
So and also, just if you apply now doesn't mean
that you have to have your house built in the
first twelve months either. We know that that's probably not
going to be achievable. But if you've bought your land
and make that commitment and got your contracts and you've
(11:18):
got your grant funding. It may be your house doesn't
start construction in that period. It may take a little
bit of time, so there's some options there, so we're
not specifically locked into timeframes on completion. But the one
thing we have done though is open the scheme up
for twelve months and that gives the lenders that's certainty
(11:39):
to be able to do those loans within that twelve
month period rather doing is like running it to have
a fixed amount of money or a fixed amount of
applications will open up for the twelve months, so that
provides some certainty for the lenders.
Speaker 1 (11:55):
Bill a few listener questions coming through on this. I
know somebody's people need to have lived in the Northern
Territory for a set period of time before they apply
for the grant, or can someone from Queensland move here
and apply straight away.
Speaker 2 (12:10):
Absolutely, and that's one of the parts of the scheme too,
is we want people to come to the territory, utilize
the scheme and come here and said put down some
roots and come and live into the territory. The cave
it is if you build a house or buy a
house under the scheme you've got to live in it
for twelve months here in a territory. So it's about
attracting people to come to the Northern Territory. So bring
(12:32):
their families, put down routes, come and live and work
and call a territory home. And that's what we want
people to do.
Speaker 1 (12:38):
Someone's just messaged and said, Katie, could you please ask
with existing owners? Not first time. So looking at this
thirty thousand dollars grant, this person says, we bought a
five acre property and could only afford to build a
shed slash house which has been classified as a grunny
flat so under eighty square meters and now we want
(13:00):
to build a house on our block. Are we going
to be eligible for the grants?
Speaker 2 (13:04):
Well, I think that's something that has to happen in
the application process. So that's really down to the needy
gritty and operation of it. I don't have that to
hand at the moment. But if the shed on there
is not classes are dwelling, and there's obviously some rigor
around how that's successed, then if it's not classes are dwelling,
they may be able to apply for the grant, and
(13:28):
that's something that will happen in the application process. So
there is a fairly there is an application process, and
it's some regulatory stuff in there to make sure that
people meet the criteria, and that's where that would be assessed.
Speaker 1 (13:41):
But a couple of quick ones. How many people is
the government expecting you're going to take up these grants?
I mean, is it unlimited or how many are you?
Are you? I guess estimating that you'll need to pay out.
Speaker 2 (13:54):
Yeah, when we initially bought the legislation or the idea
into the territory, we're looking at around that twenty twenty
plus million dollars, so we're estimating still around about that level,
and how that's made up will be quite difficult because
there's be a lot of people may take up to
ten thousand dollars for the first home fires, so there
(14:18):
may be quite a lot take up that option. Then
you've got the fresh Start, which is a thirty thousand.
Then of course there's the new builds at fifty thousand.
So it's how people take up the opportunities within the
grant will determine how many will be delivered. So I
can't sit here and say, hand on heart, we're going
to build five hundred new homes, because we might might
(14:41):
not be that those new bills, it might be some
of the new sorry, the first home buyers.
Speaker 1 (14:46):
In terms of the interest over the first sort of
twenty four hours, has there been a lot.
Speaker 2 (14:51):
Well, I think so, particularly once we made the announcement
the other week that we're introducing and opening the scheme.
As of yesterday, the emails and phone calls I got
were absolutely staggering the interest from people.
Speaker 1 (15:07):
How many are you talking?
Speaker 2 (15:09):
Oh, I reckon, I've probably got forty or fifty emails
on the day that we announced it, and I've probably
got twoteen to twenty phone calls from people who are
interested that I know that Electric officers right across the
territory have been getting queries about when it was going
to open and some of the intricacies of the scheme.
So the interest is certainly there. Cad, I'm going to
(15:31):
be really interested. Now we've only been out for a day,
but I said, I'll be reaching into the agency to
find out how many people have actually started to or
start down the application process. So it's only early days yet,
where I think thirty six hours in well, but I'll
be keen probably after the first week to try and
(15:51):
get some of those numbers and share those numbers with
you in the community.
Speaker 1 (15:54):
And just in terms of you know, the legislation obviously
for this grant is set to be introduced in that
week of parliamentary sittings October fifteenth, but the applications already open,
so I'm assuming it's going to be retrospective those laws,
so any.
Speaker 2 (16:08):
Want to apply, and that's specifically around the first home
the homeowner charitory gap, which was the previously the first
home owner grant, so we need to make a couple
of legislative tweets around that. It's nothing particularly major, so
anyone who applies that scheme now we will be made
(16:28):
retrospective of when we get the legislation into place, so
people can apply now and not have to worry about
that will make the legislative change to support what we
want to do under the under the home Grown Territory grant,
so people won't be disadvantaged.
Speaker 1 (16:43):
Minister Bill Yam, we are going to have to leave
it there. Thank you so much for your time this morning.
Sorry about the delay, that's all right, Katie.
Speaker 2 (16:50):
Always a pleasure to be on.
Speaker 1 (16:51):
Thank you, Thanks for your time.
Joining us on the line right now to talk a
little bit more about that and plenty of other things
is the Treasurer and the Minister for Housing and Construction,
Bill Yan. Good morning to your minister.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Good morning Katie, and congratulations on moving Indian new digs.
Speaker 1 (00:15):
Oh Bill, wait till you see it. It's proper flash mate,
compared to where we were before. You'll love our new
studio when you get to come in for the week
that was there for an interview.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Yeah, I'm looking forward to it, Katie.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
Now, Bill, I do want to move to some pretty
serious issues, very serious and something that we've been grappling
with here in the Northern Territory for such a long
period of time. I mentioned a little bit earlier a
woman's died allegedly at the hands of her partner in Catherine.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
Bill.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
Do you have much more info about exactly what's gone on?
Speaker 2 (00:46):
Yeah, Kayleb, this is a really tragic incident and I
want to pass on my deevat simplies of course to
the victim's family, But I don't have a lot more
information at this stage. I know police have taken her
part in the custody, and I believe there's been a
history of DV there for quite some time. So look,
(01:08):
this is absolutely tragic and of course we need to
address this discourage of this DV and it's been going
on for too long. We've got some additional funding from
the FEDS and we need to probably work on getting
some more. But it's not just about money either care
it's about how we approach the law and order issues
(01:29):
are around dealing with DV offenders, and we've got a
heap of stuff coming in in our first Parliament in
a couple of weeks, which of course Declin's Law and
some other stuff, and there's there'll be a number of
pieces of legislation will also work towards dealing with violent
offenders which will crossoverer course into that DV space and
hopefully start to provide that protection to the current victims
(01:53):
and any possible victims of DV because we can't have
this happening. It's it hurts the community, it hurts families,
and it's something that we definitely need to address sooner
rather than later. So I hope these swite of legislative
change will we bring in that first Parliament will start
to make that change, give the police some opportunities to
(02:16):
do a little bit more hopefully give the courts some
other opportunities around electronic monitoring, because the previous government took
out a mandatory sentencing for DV offenders and it didn't
even require electronic monitoring of offenders who were then we're
trying to reverse some of those decisions, Katie Well.
Speaker 1 (02:37):
And in terms of some of those decisions and what
was done by the previous government, I mean, what's been
happening in the space of domestic violence is clearly not working.
Just before I went on leave, there was a life
another territory, woman's life lost. It is something that we
are reporting on far too often. It is something that
(02:57):
is happening so often in the than territory and you know, something,
if it was happening in another state, I feel like
it'd be on the front page of every paper. It
is woe for what's going on, and no government seems
to have been able to really get a handle on things.
You know, like what more can be done. We've spoken
(03:18):
about that needs based funding. There seems to be quite
a bit of money being thrown at this, but I
just don't know whether it goes far enough.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
Yeah, And that's the thing. Okay, look there's another DV offense,
I believe in Alice Springs overnight and I said, sadly,
it's an all to come on occurrence, and it's something that, sadly,
I think in some respects that it becomes sort of
second nature. It was here in a Terrifian It shouldn't.
Speaker 1 (03:41):
What happened overnight.
Speaker 2 (03:43):
What happened overnight, Analys I was. I believe there was
a report from police yesterday of a domestic violence incident.
The police here balance incidents every night, and not just one,
but a number of them. And we shouldn't. We shouldn't
be accepting this stuff, Katie. It's not something that it's
(04:04):
not something that we should be accepting. We should be
dealing with this. Every person in the territory has a
responsibility to work with and report domestic violence. We have
to do it. Unless we start to change our narrative
and start to change our thoughts around domestic bonds, we're
not going to see that change. So funding is one thing.
(04:24):
Funding is one thing. Attitude of everybody here in the
territory is another thing as well.
Speaker 1 (04:30):
Bill. I know that there's been actually three shocking incidents
in our Springs. Across the weekend there was cars stolen,
driven dangerously, frontline workers targeted, a police officer injured, vehicles damaged,
and a security guard robbed at knife Port knife Point.
We know that seven youths have so far been arrested.
Are things blowing up in our Springs again? I mean,
(04:52):
do we need another curfew?
Speaker 2 (04:55):
Well, I don't know if curf is exactly the answer Icati,
but I said, I certainly feel for police at the moment.
I met with police on Friday at Police Remembrance Day
and we're talking about some of the incidents and they're
really concerned at the level of violence being specifically directed
at police. It's something that they've not seen before. They
(05:15):
don't understand why it's happening. Like Strikeforce Archer has now
been implemented after some of the stuff we've seen on
the weekend, But the behavior is being displayed by some
of these kids and these young adults are really dangerous,
not towards just themselves, but towards everybody else. And the
fact that they're targeting our police is I said, it's
(05:40):
something that shouldn't be happening. Now we've got stuff again
as more legislation giving police the opportunity to deal with
these offenders, because it's a situation that's been allowed to
occur over the last eight years with the weekend of
the laws, that the police have been stripped with the
capability to be able to deal with some of these offenders.
So again, that's a first thing for our first parliament
(06:01):
in two weeks is to go back and change some
of that legislation, give the police the powers to deal
with them, but also to make people who commit offenses
and violent offenses against our police they're going to face
some mandatory sentencing options. So the message you're going to
be really really clear to those out in the community
you want to target our police and our first responders.
(06:24):
If you do that, I said, you're going to face
some fair this year as consequences, because that's what's been
lacking now I think for the past eight years, and
those consequences have been stripped away.
Speaker 1 (06:33):
And people voted that way. People well and truly voted
and voted for change when it comes to the issues
that we've been experiencing in the Northern Territory. When it
comes to crime, it's not going to be an easy fix.
We know it's not going to happen overnight. But do
you reckon like, are we starting to see any indications
that things are getting a bit better from your perspective
(06:54):
or is it still way too early when we don't
have the legislative.
Speaker 2 (06:57):
Changes, Well, we need those letters should changes, k because
that change gives the police and the courts the options
to have consequences for offending. What we have done is
said the Chief Minison pretty well. The day after we
were successful action in the election, she was out with
the Police Commissioner and talking about visual policing and what
police can do and make some of those changes. And
(07:19):
police have done that. I've noticed certainly here in Central
Australia more police in uniform on the ground walking around
the community in the CBD and out in the suburbs,
and that's a great thing to see and that's certainly
had an impact on some of those things. But what
we're seeing now is that escalation in I said, young
(07:42):
people stealing cars and driving in a manner that is
dangerous to themselves, dangerous to the community and specifically targeting
the police. And the last thing we want to see
is a repeat of the young person that dive when
they rolled a car over here in CBD. Nobody wants
to see that anymore. But we need the laws in
place to be able to give the police the powers
(08:02):
and courts the powers to deal with those offenders so
then they're not back out doing it again.
Speaker 1 (08:07):
Well, Bill, let's move along, because I've just asked you
about twenty questions that aren't your portfolio. But I know
that I know that you guys are well and truly
keen to, you know, to discuss what is going on.
But let's move on to these home by grants now.
In terms of the way in which this is going
to work, can the funds be used as a deposit?
Speaker 2 (08:29):
I believe so, yes, Katie. We've spoken to the banks.
The banks have said if someone is success is successful
in getting a grant, the bank will consider that as
a deposit towards their loan auto application for credit to
either buy a new place or to build a new place.
(08:49):
That's a major bonus for those people looking to get
in the market because we know cost livings and pressures
are pretty bad in the territory at the moment, so
it's really really difficult to save up that money for
a deposit, and when you're stuck in that rental cycle.
So this will give those new homeowners the opportunity to,
if they're successful in the grant, to use that grant
as a deposit towards getting into their own home.
Speaker 1 (09:12):
So I know that brokers are wanting some clarity on
how the grants are going to be paid and whether
it's going to be at the beginning of the loan
application or at the end. At what stage will those
funds become available for people?
Speaker 2 (09:26):
Yeah, so some of the funds will certainly become available
for commencement, is my understanding. But a lot of that
comes down to the way that the lender has structured
the contracts as well. So there's a couple of there's
a couple of variations in how that will work. I
think a lot of us explain when you get on
to the website. So the whole the NT dot dot
(09:50):
I think it's property slash homeowner assistance. A lot of
those explaining there because it's not of one size fits
all for everyone. Yeah, ideas, there'll be variations in how
the money is released from the scheme to the lender yep,
(10:10):
and no doubt, and then possibly onto of course that
the person who's are the building or buying.
Speaker 1 (10:16):
Now we know the scheme is obviously focused on building
more homes, it's also about stimulating the construction industry. Where
do you anticipate these new homes are going to be built?
Because I know there's been some discussion out of the
likes of Alice Springs saying that you know there's not
a huge amount of opportunity to sort of build a
new home. So where do you anticipate they're going to
be built?
Speaker 2 (10:36):
Yeah, look, I checked in, so I've got some questions
on this previous day. So we've got the blocks here
at kill Gareth and we're releasing the next stage at
kill Gareth soon in Tenant Creek. Talking to the department,
there's housing blocks becoming available in Tenant. There's also some
becoming available in Catherine, and of course you've got all
(10:57):
the development that's going on, so there's a release of
land blocks all over the place up in Darwin Palmerston.
So and also, just if you apply now doesn't mean
that you have to have your house built in the
first twelve months either. We know that that's probably not
going to be achievable. But if you've bought your land
and make that commitment and got your contracts and you've
(11:18):
got your grant funding. It may be your house doesn't
start construction in that period. It may take a little
bit of time, so there's some options there, so we're
not specifically locked into timeframes on completion. But the one
thing we have done though is open the scheme up
for twelve months and that gives the lenders that's certainty
(11:39):
to be able to do those loans within that twelve
month period rather doing is like running it to have
a fixed amount of money or a fixed amount of
applications will open up for the twelve months, so that
provides some certainty for the lenders.
Speaker 1 (11:55):
Bill a few listener questions coming through on this. I
know somebody's people need to have lived in the Northern
Territory for a set period of time before they apply
for the grant, or can someone from Queensland move here
and apply straight away.
Speaker 2 (12:10):
Absolutely, and that's one of the parts of the scheme too,
is we want people to come to the territory, utilize
the scheme and come here and said put down some
roots and come and live into the territory. The cave
it is if you build a house or buy a
house under the scheme you've got to live in it
for twelve months here in a territory. So it's about
attracting people to come to the Northern Territory. So bring
(12:32):
their families, put down routes, come and live and work
and call a territory home. And that's what we want
people to do.
Speaker 1 (12:38):
Someone's just messaged and said, Katie, could you please ask
with existing owners? Not first time. So looking at this
thirty thousand dollars grant, this person says, we bought a
five acre property and could only afford to build a
shed slash house which has been classified as a grunny
flat so under eighty square meters and now we want
(13:00):
to build a house on our block. Are we going
to be eligible for the grants?
Speaker 2 (13:04):
Well, I think that's something that has to happen in
the application process. So that's really down to the needy
gritty and operation of it. I don't have that to
hand at the moment. But if the shed on there
is not classes are dwelling, and there's obviously some rigor
around how that's successed, then if it's not classes are dwelling,
they may be able to apply for the grant, and
(13:28):
that's something that will happen in the application process. So
there is a fairly there is an application process, and
it's some regulatory stuff in there to make sure that
people meet the criteria, and that's where that would be assessed.
Speaker 1 (13:41):
But a couple of quick ones. How many people is
the government expecting you're going to take up these grants?
I mean, is it unlimited or how many are you?
Are you? I guess estimating that you'll need to pay out.
Speaker 2 (13:54):
Yeah, when we initially bought the legislation or the idea
into the territory, we're looking at around that twenty twenty
plus million dollars, so we're estimating still around about that level,
and how that's made up will be quite difficult because
there's be a lot of people may take up to
ten thousand dollars for the first home fires, so there
(14:18):
may be quite a lot take up that option. Then
you've got the fresh Start, which is a thirty thousand.
Then of course there's the new builds at fifty thousand.
So it's how people take up the opportunities within the
grant will determine how many will be delivered. So I
can't sit here and say, hand on heart, we're going
to build five hundred new homes, because we might might
(14:41):
not be that those new bills, it might be some
of the new sorry, the first home buyers.
Speaker 1 (14:46):
In terms of the interest over the first sort of
twenty four hours, has there been a lot.
Speaker 2 (14:51):
Well, I think so, particularly once we made the announcement
the other week that we're introducing and opening the scheme.
As of yesterday, the emails and phone calls I got
were absolutely staggering the interest from people.
Speaker 1 (15:07):
How many are you talking?
Speaker 2 (15:09):
Oh, I reckon, I've probably got forty or fifty emails
on the day that we announced it, and I've probably
got twoteen to twenty phone calls from people who are
interested that I know that Electric officers right across the
territory have been getting queries about when it was going
to open and some of the intricacies of the scheme.
So the interest is certainly there. Cad, I'm going to
(15:31):
be really interested. Now we've only been out for a day,
but I said, I'll be reaching into the agency to
find out how many people have actually started to or
start down the application process. So it's only early days yet,
where I think thirty six hours in well, but I'll
be keen probably after the first week to try and
(15:51):
get some of those numbers and share those numbers with
you in the community.
Speaker 1 (15:54):
And just in terms of you know, the legislation obviously
for this grant is set to be introduced in that
week of parliamentary sittings October fifteenth, but the applications already open,
so I'm assuming it's going to be retrospective those laws,
so any.
Speaker 2 (16:08):
Want to apply, and that's specifically around the first home
the homeowner charitory gap, which was the previously the first
home owner grant, so we need to make a couple
of legislative tweets around that. It's nothing particularly major, so
anyone who applies that scheme now we will be made
(16:28):
retrospective of when we get the legislation into place, so
people can apply now and not have to worry about
that will make the legislative change to support what we
want to do under the under the home Grown Territory grant,
so people won't be disadvantaged.
Speaker 1 (16:43):
Minister Bill Yam, we are going to have to leave
it there. Thank you so much for your time this morning.
Sorry about the delay, that's all right, Katie.
Speaker 2 (16:50):
Always a pleasure to be on.
Speaker 1 (16:51):
Thank you, Thanks for your time.
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