THE Canberra Liberals are calling on the ACT government to urge their federal counterparts to support the release of land at the CSIRO Ginninderra site in a bid to create more housing.

ACT Opposition leader Elizabeth Lee said based on average block size in Canberra, the 243 hectares of land identified could provide an additional 2000 homes for the territory if it were sold by the Commonwealth.

“To put this into context, the ACT Labor-Greens Government is planning on releasing a mere 4171 blocks over the next five years,” said Ms Lee.

“Canberrans are doing it tough when it comes to housing and we must be doing everything we can to help relieve the housing crisis.”

Liberal Senator Zed Seselja, who looks likely to lose his seat to Independent David Pocock as election counting continues, promised in April that a re-elected Coalition government would release the 243 hectares that have been identified as surplus to the needs of the CSIRO.

The land is located at the The Ginninderra Experiment Station, between Belconnen and the Barton Highway.

Ms Lee is now calling on all parties in the ACT Legislative Assembly to keep the land release on the table, saying housing in Canberra is ” at crisis point”.

“Recent land release ballots have seen thousands and thousands of Canberrans apply for a few blocks; with the most recent at Macnamara receiving 1700 entries within hours for just 51 blocks,” said Ms Lee.

“The Labor-Greens government must also commit to allowing low and medium density housing at the site, in keeping with Canberrans’ housing preference; and what is clearly currently starkly missing on the market.”