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The Canberra Times
The Canberra Times
Jasper Lindell

Liberals open to examining future of ACT's 99-year lease system

The Canberra Liberals would consider changes to the 99-year leasehold land system in the ACT, including whether the territory could be shifted to a freehold system.

Opposition Leader Elizabeth Lee on Tuesday said she was "very open" to considering issues with the leasehold system.

But any overhaul of the system would require the co-operation of federal parliament.

Ms Lee said the Liberals' focus would be areas including cost-of-living pressures, housing, health, education and suburb maintenance, but a government under her leadership would be able to look at other issues.

"We've been very clear about the priorities of a Canberra Liberals government. There are of course other issues that have been raised with us, and this issue of the 99-year lease is something that we are very open to looking at," Ms Lee said.

Canberra Liberals leader Elizabeth Lee. Picture by Karleen Minney

Peter Conway, a registered lobbyist in the ACT, raised the issue of land tenure in the ACT at a meet the candidates event in Manuka last month.

Mr Conway raised the issue of longer crown leases in the territory and the imposition of Commonwealth betterment tax on national land.

ACT Labor said there was no reason to change the leasehold system.

"For constitutional and legal reasons, there is unlikely to be any move away from leasehold in the ACT. It is ultimately a matter for the Commonwealth Parliament but there isn't any practical reason to change," the spokeswoman said.

The Australian constitution says the Commonwealth seat of government "shall be determined by Parliament and shall be within territory which shall be granted to or acquired by the Commonwealth and shall be vested in and belonging to the Commonwealth".

The leasehold system was established with a 1910 law establishing the seat of government, which said, "No Crown lands in the Territory shall be sold or disposed of for any estate of freehold".

The Australian Capital Territory (Planning and Land Management) Act 1988 passed by the federal parliament established the executive of the ACT government would be responsible for managing territory land.

That law sets out the lease term "shall not exceed 99 years or such longer period as is prescribed, but the estate may be renewed".

Greens leader Shane Rattenbury said his party was open to a discussion about the issue but no constituent had ever raised it as any issue with him.

"I mean, there's a fairly clear understanding that, people, when they buy a property here in the ACT, can have confidence that the government will continue to respect that," Mr Rattenbury said.

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