Housing minister Yvette Berry's fears about Northbourne Avenue turning into a zone of "posh" apartments for the rich came back to bite her on Thursday, as she was forced to defend her government's public housing policies.
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As a backbencher in 2014, Ms Berry had vowed to push the government to keep public housing along the corridor.
But after 25,000 square metres of former public housing land along the Northbourne Avenue was this week snapped up, Liberal politician Mark Parton reminded her of her comments and asked her whether there was plans to build more public housing along the city's main gateway.
"Yes that's correct, I did say that. That's why I'm making sure as the minister for housing and the renewal of public housing that there is still public housing for tenants within the city and within the corridor," Ms Berry said.
"We are continuing to purchase and renew housing within the Northbourne corridor and within the city so people have the choice to live in the city if that's what they would prefer.
"We're also providing housing all across the city in Belconnen, Gungahlin, Weston Creek so that public housing tenants have a choice about where they live that best suits their needs as we go through this renewal program."
But after a point of order, Ms Berry was forced to clarify there were no current plans to build more public housing on Northbourne Avenue.
"For Northbourne Avenue at the moment there are no plans to build public housing on the corridor at this time but there are opportunities in the future," she said.
In estimates in 2014, Ms Berry raised concerns about moving public housing tenants from Northbourne Avenue.
She asked senior housing officials whether the government was keeping its "salt and pepper" housing policies in flasher areas like New Acton and Kingston, or whether the suburbs were bearing the brunt.
