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ABC 7.30: If you build it, they will come

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Looking up towards a crane cabin in a city beside a big building
ABC 7.30: If you build it, they will come

SUBJECTS:  Geography

YEARS:  7–8


It's been 'all systems go' in the Northern Territory, with a range of new development projects springing up.

In this clip from 2013, see Territorians coming up with novel solutions to the age-old problem of housing.

Could a shortage of affordable housing derail the good economic times?


Things to think about

  1. 1.Darwin, the capital city of the Northern Territory, is attracting people from other states. Why might people move to the Territory? Can you think of any challenges they might face?
  2. 2.What concerns about housing availability and affordability in Darwin are expressed early in the clip? Outline the impact that housing issues have had on Ted Lalor's Darwin-based removal business. Give examples of other businesses, organisations and locations within the Northern Territory that have experienced similar difficulties. Describe the government's intended course of action in May 2013, when this item was first broadcast.
  3. 3.Account for the marked difference in rental prices between northern Australia and the southern states. Explain the measures that businesses in the Northern Territory have taken to attract/retain staff. Have they been effective? Why/why not? How do Fly-in fly-out (FIFO) workers' lives differ from those of workers who settle in the region they work in? What are the advantages and disadvantages of each way of working?
  4. 4.Describe the process of 'urban infill' (which uses Crown land) being considered in order to address the housing crisis. On a map of Darwin and its suburbs, investigate the extent of urbanisation. What patterns of settlement do you notice? Can you identify any possible areas for further housing development?



Date of broadcast: 14 Jun 2013


Copyright

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