NATIONAL RENTAL AFFORDABILITY SCHEME BILL 2008E NATIONAL RENTAL AFFORDABILITY SCHEME (CONSEQUENTIAL AMENDMENTS) BILL 2008

Order of the day read for the adjourned debate on the motion of the Minister for Superannuation and Corporate Law (Senator Sherry)—That these bills be now read a second time.

Debate resumed.

Senator Payne moved the following amendment in respect of the National Rental Affordability Scheme Bill 2008:

 At the end of the motion, add "but the Senate calls on the Government to make such amendments to the National Rental Affordability Scheme as would:

  (a) provide for incentives to be given on a sliding scale to take account of the different development and land costs in different locations;

  (b) provide for successful applicants to transfer their tax offsets on a once-only basis to project financiers in return for a lower cost of funds, including providing such tax offsets to not-for-profit entities for this purpose;

  (c) require that state and territory governments match the incentives provided by the Commonwealth under the scheme;

  (d) extend project eligibility criteria to include conversions to affordable housing from existing residential stock, particularly where such projects involve substantial redevelopment to provide for specific needs groups such as aged or disabled accommodation;

  (e) extend the upper level income limits for tenant income eligibility criteria by 30 per cent in each band to ensure greater access for key workers and those seeking to save to buy their first homes;

  (f) provide `as of right' eligibility for the federal Government's solar panel rebate and solar hot water rebate schemes; and

  (g) extend the establishment phase criteria that approximately 20 per cent of incentives be available for projects of not less than 20 dwellings, to the entire scheme".

Debate ensued.

At 2 pm: Debate was interrupted while the Parliamentary Secretary for Social Inclusion and the Voluntary Sector (Senator Stephens) was speaking.