3 June 2009

The sod, turned! in Casey!

| johnboy
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With Cleverclogs sending in a photo I felt inspired to pass on the Chiefly One’s enthusiasm for the new suburb of Casey. He can be seen here starting work for it with his shiny shovel.

The great enthusiasm for Casey is that 22% of the blocks are considered to be “affordable” as opposed to the mandated 15%.

    “Casey is a further sign of the success of the ACT Government’s expanded land release program and our efforts to target affordable housing.”

So there you go.

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screaming banshee10:54 am 05 Jun 09

djk said :

I would assume these amounts have gone up, because I have not seen any blocks for sale anywhere near these prices in Casey.

A coupe of clicks finds these, so really not that hard if you actually look. I would expect to see Casey added to these pages shortly unless they have all been snapped up already.

http://www.geshaw.com.au/OwnPlace.htm
http://www.smprecision.com.au/ownplace.html

It is probably the official ACT Government sod-turning shovel.

The shaft looks to short for it to be an ordinary construction implement.

screaming banshee said :

To ensure ongoing access to affordable housing, the Government will require that at least
15 per cent of blocks are priced in the $60,000-$120,000 price range. It will achieve this
by introducing a range of block sizes, rather than by cross-subsidising the affordable
blocks through ‘inclusionary zoning’.

found here – http://www.actaffordablehousing.com.au/resources/pdfs/Affordable_House_Land_Packages_FS.pdf
You can also read about it here – http://www.lda.act.gov.au/?/ownplace

I would assume these amounts have gone up, because I have not seen any blocks for sale anywhere near these prices in Casey.

Holierthanthou9:02 pm 03 Jun 09

I want that shovel. It is most shiny and lustrous. Almost scintillant.

Although, it could in fact actually be a shovel.

A sod on both ends of the shovel!

screaming banshee7:00 pm 03 Jun 09

niftydog said :

screaming banshee said :

Nope nice and clear, some people clearly expect that the government should significantly subsidise the cost of buying a house.

Yuh huh.

Having read through the comments again niftydog I missed a blatantly obvious point.

Whilst you may not agree that affordable=small surely a degree of common sense will indicate to you that smaller=cheaper. I personally then make the assumption that something that is cheaper is more affordable.

On the topic of developers being involved in the process. Is that really any different to using subcontractors rather than your own staff.

Clown Killer6:48 pm 03 Jun 09

I’ve got a reasonably large house on a fair size block and it didn’t cost that much.

screaming banshee6:33 pm 03 Jun 09

Clown Killer said :

Builders build houses that will sell quickly. I have no idea why, but people seem to like large houses on small blocks.

Because large houses on large blocks would be unaffordable

Clown Killer5:30 pm 03 Jun 09

Builders build houses that will sell quickly. I have no idea why, but people seem to like large houses on small blocks.

Gungahlin Al5:07 pm 03 Jun 09

VYBerlinaV8_the_one_they_all_copy said :

Not if you buy a house and land package. Then YOU get to choose the size and shape of the house.

Or buy the land and figure your own house out. Why pay stamp duty on both land AND house? Just toss a few grand down the dunny – it’s quicker.

VYBerlinaV8_the_one_they_all_copy said :

Why do you think builders who do spec homes build large houses? Because they can sell them. If you want a smaller home, buy the land and build it. When you buy from the LDA, you don’t actually have to build a monstrosity!

no matter how you make use of the tiny little block, you will still end up with your neighbours house right up against your fence.

screaming banshee said :

Nope nice and clear, some people clearly expect that the government should significantly subsidise the cost of buying a house.

Yuh huh.

VYBerlinaV8_the_one_they_all_copy4:30 pm 03 Jun 09

Why do you think builders who do spec homes build large houses? Because they can sell them. If you want a smaller home, buy the land and build it. When you buy from the LDA, you don’t actually have to build a monstrosity!

GardeningGirl4:25 pm 03 Jun 09

ant said :

I wish the gov’t would re-assume control of specific projects like this, and hold a competition or something for aspiring designers to come up with clever and environmental and attractive and AFFORDABLE dwellings for people, rather than commercial developers feathering their own nests and building monsters on tiny blocks.

Yes!

VYBerlinaV8_the_one_they_all_copy4:22 pm 03 Jun 09

Are you able to provide housing for yourself and family on your income? If so, not sure what the problem is. Either get a better paying job, send your spouse to work, or wait unti later in life to buy.

Owning your own home isn’t the be all and end all some people seem to think…

TP 3000 said :

I am wondering when this picture was taken? As in some time back in April I drove on the already opened roads in Casey & the bus stops had already been painted on the road.

Photo was taken yesterday (2nd June 2009) on the large, as yet undeveloped patch of land on the left side of the large roundabout.

I guess expecting to be able to buy a dwelling when working and earning what they tell us is the average is unreasonable, after all. Because the cost of housing is reasonable and reflects reality and hasn’t been artifically affected in any way. In fact those of us who don’t earn enough to buy a home on a single income are just lazy.

screaming banshee said :

I cant see where stanhope is being turned?

Its in the next photo, he is currently digging his own grave.

VYBerlinaV8_the_one_they_all_copy2:36 pm 03 Jun 09

But I need leather seats, because the cloth ones chafe me, and I need a really smooth ride, because I have a bad back you know, and I need to be able to 240km/h, because otherwise 60km/h is stressing the car, and my partner prefers it 2 degrees cooler, so dual climate control is critical.

It’s, like, totally not about the badge.

screaming banshee2:11 pm 03 Jun 09

niftydog said :

I think you’ve misunderstood the motivation behind some of the comments.

Nope nice and clear, some people clearly expect that the government should significantly subsidise the cost of buying a house.

I want an Audi, why should I make do with a Toyota. I’ll just have to whinge and moan to the government so they implement a First Audi Owners Grant, drop the stamp duty and then whinge some more when they tell me I can afford an A3 when what I really want is an A8.

screaming banshee said :

Oh, and suck it up princesses…

Hmm, how original.

screaming banshee said :

Why is it people go through life expecting everything to be laid out for them without having to do any hard work.

I think you’ve misunderstood the motivation behind some of the comments.

VYBerlinaV8_the_one_they_all_copy1:34 pm 03 Jun 09

You could always buy a cheap place in Yass, Goulburn, Cooma or Braidwood and enjoy a similar commute to many Sydneysiders. It’s all about the choices.

screaming banshee1:32 pm 03 Jun 09

How about a partially renovated 3 bedder for $49K

Not in canberra obviously but you are choosing to live here with our, as you say, unnafordable housing.

VYBerlinaV8_the_one_they_all_copy1:30 pm 03 Jun 09

Not if you buy a house and land package. Then YOU get to choose the size and shape of the house.

Trouble is, whatever size blocks they release, the developers will fill them with the largest and most expensive edifice they can get away with. The concept of modest little houses on small blocks doesn’t compute when some man wants to make money. This “marketplace” stuff works real well so long as you’re rich, but for those who aren’t, it’s led to a situation where the average income will not allow you to have a home. The government needs to re-assume control, and *responsibility*.

screaming banshee1:09 pm 03 Jun 09

– introducing over-the-counter land sales at a range of block sizes and prices,
particularly focusing on the release of land priced between $60,000-$120,000, thereby
allowing home buyers to establish dwellings in the range of $200,000-$300,000.
How will the Government ensure the land is affordable?

To ensure ongoing access to affordable housing, the Government will require that at least
15 per cent of blocks are priced in the $60,000-$120,000 price range. It will achieve this
by introducing a range of block sizes, rather than by cross-subsidising the affordable
blocks through ‘inclusionary zoning’.

found here – http://www.actaffordablehousing.com.au/resources/pdfs/Affordable_House_Land_Packages_FS.pdf

You can also read about it here – http://www.lda.act.gov.au/?/ownplace

Oh, and suck it up princesses, you could be in any other large city where there is significantly less land to be released.

Why is it people go through life expecting everything to be laid out for them without having to do any hard work.

Gungahlin Al1:01 pm 03 Jun 09

It’s fair for people to equate affordable with small. Up until recently the government was releasing so-called Moderate Income Blocks, reserved from the ballot process for people of more modest means. But when I did some calculations on costsize, it was a straight line relationship. It was just a farce of saying in essence that if you aren’t rolling in it, then you can have a yard for your kids.

And so it has continued with the current methods – just an excuse for producing ever-shrinking block sizes, and then being able to turn around and claim “the market” is demanding smaller blocks.

Hog. Wash.

I am wondering when this picture was taken? As in some time back in April I drove on the already opened roads in Casey & the bus stops had already been painted on the road.

What do they mean by “affordable”? Under half a million dollars? Affordable on a single income (yeah, right, not). Probably the former.

I wish the gov’t would re-assume control of specific projects like this, and hold a competition or something for aspiring designers to come up with clever and environmental and attractive and AFFORDABLE dwellings for people, rather than commercial developers feathering their own nests and building monsters on tiny blocks.

screaming banshee12:38 pm 03 Jun 09

I cant see where stanhope is being turned?

The sod, turned.

Was he facing the other way at some point?

So, what, “affordable” = small?

I’m sure the developer took a lot of convincing to allocate 22% to “affordable” housing. What an altruistic gesture! Congratulations indeed.

Woody Mann-Caruso12:26 pm 03 Jun 09

In other news, the garden gnome community was outraged today by the theft of one of its tiny shovels.

Gungahlin Al12:01 pm 03 Jun 09

I was surprised that the construction for duplication of a large chunk of Flemington Road between Harrison and Franklin started last week with nary a whiff of a pollie sod turning.

Certain media advisers missing some obvious op ops.

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