The ACT opposition will call on the government to request the Commonwealth to release land at the CSIRO's Ginninderra field station for new houses, which had been a commitment made by the former federal Liberal government.
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Opposition Leader Elizabeth Lee said an extra 2000 homes could be built if the land - which is nestled between Belconnen and Gungahlin in the ACT's north-west - was sold by the Commonwealth.
"Canberrans are doing it tough when it comes to housing and we must be doing everything we can to help relieve the housing crisis. That is why I am calling on all parties in the Assembly to urge their federal counterparts to release the CSIRO site to the market as soon as possible," Ms Lee said.
Ms Lee will move a motion in the Legislative Assembly on Thursday, calling on party leaders to commit to writing to their federal counterparts encouraging the land release. It was unclear on Wednesday night whether the government would support the motion.
The ACT government indicated before the May 21 federal election it would be interested in buying the site if it was put on the market by the Commonwealth.
Liberal senator Zed Seselja, who is now facing electoral defeat, said a re-elected Coalition government would release a third of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation's Ginninderra testing station for housing to the private sector.
The ACT government said at the time the announcement was not groundbreaking, and noted it had been working with the Commonwealth for a number of years on the sale of the site.
The Canberra Times understands it could take up to five years to ready the land for residential development.
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Jasper Lindell
Jasper Lindell joined The Canberra Times in 2018. He is a Legislative Assembly reporter, covering ACT politics and government. He also writes about development, transport, heritage, local history, literature and the arts, as well as contributing to the Times' Panorama magazine. He was previously a Sunday Canberra Times reporter.
Jasper Lindell joined The Canberra Times in 2018. He is a Legislative Assembly reporter, covering ACT politics and government. He also writes about development, transport, heritage, local history, literature and the arts, as well as contributing to the Times' Panorama magazine. He was previously a Sunday Canberra Times reporter.
