Alistair Coe hopeful new land acquisitions bill will be passed

Mr Coe last week introduced the new bill, after making some key changes to clarify how it would deal with easements, in an effort to secure government support.

It comes as the government continues to face pressure over its controversial land dealings, with three Assembly committee inquiries now on foot into various dealings of the now-defunct Land Development Agency.

While the Suburban Land Agency and City Renewal Authority are required to table reports on their land acquisitions, other government agencies like Housing ACT are not - a key issue Mr Coe wants changed.

The bill will widen such disclosure requirements to all territory government purchases, requiring reporting on how value for money was pursued and the reasons for the purchase, Cabinet or ministerial oversight and key details such as risk assessments and valuations.

The ACT Greens have said while they supported the intent of the original bill, they remained concerned about how it would ensure privacy of sellers would be protected, as well as privacy of land used for women's refuges.

However, Mr Coe said it would protect the privacy of sellers and in cases like refuges or land to be used for public housing, it would not identify specific block and section numbers, rather just suburb-level identification.

He also said the technical changes around the treatment of easements were completed at government's request, so he hoped the bill would be able to pass the Assembly.

Mr Coe said while the two main land agencies were likely to make more high-profile land purchases, Housing ACT and other government directorates could also buy land, and such purchases needed extra scrutiny.

But he said it was unclear how many, or how regularly, other agencies bought land in the city, but he believed the bill would help to find out.