ACT affordable home scheme delays strain Canberra buyers

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ACT affordable scheme delays

Highlights

Whitlam townhouse buyers under the ACT Suburban Land Agency's Affordable Home Purchase Scheme face years-long delays, incomplete works, and contractual disputes, with homes still unready despite practical completion notices.
Of 181 homes in the scheme, 170 have been occupied, but multiple buyers report emotional and financial stress while the agency sends its own inspector to address ongoing quality and completion disputes.
Buyers received breach and possible buyback notices for not signing occupancy documents, while the agency acknowledges miscommunication about switching from brick to foam cladding without proper buyer notification.

Whitlam handovers face delays and defects

As reported by ABC News, buyers in the ACT Suburban Land Agency's Affordable Home Purchase Scheme say they remain caught between delayed construction, incomplete works and contractual disputes with the builder over Whitlam townhouses that were meant to be finished years earlier.

Tash Lawther says she signed in December 2021 to buy a three-bedroom, one-bathroom townhouse for about $440,000 after being selected through a ballot. Participants were told construction would start in 2022 and finish in 2023, but some homes are still not ready for occupancy despite notices that they have reached practical completion.

Some purchasers are refusing to sign occupancy documents because they believe work remains unfinished, and they have received formal breach notices carrying the threat of possible buyback action. Lawther says she was told to leave the property when she brought an independent assessor to a practical completion inspection, and the builder later said outside inspectors would not be allowed on site before handover because the homes had already been checked by the certifier.

Buyers also raised concerns earlier in the process after discovering the homes were not built in brick, despite brick being the only external material listed in the inclusions schedule. The Suburban Land Agency endorsed the use of foam cladding, while acknowledging that the builder did not properly communicate the change to purchasers.

Scheme performance and pressure on the agency

Kathy Bai, who bought another home in the same street through the scheme, says she still has not moved in after being advised her property was completed in late 2025. She describes the experience as a disaster and says she feels unsupported as she disputes issues with the property.

Independent MLA Fiona Carrick says she has received multiple complaints from buyers and argues the program is causing significant emotional and financial stress. She says the Suburban Land Agency needs to better support purchasers and redesign the scheme.

Suburban Land Agency chief executive Adam Davey says some of the homes are taking extraordinarily long to finish, although he maintains the scheme has worked broadly speaking. Of 181 homes in the program, he says 170 buyers have moved in, and the agency has recently sent its own inspector to the Whitlam properties to examine quality and completion issues before sharing reports with the builder and buyers.

Chief Minister Andrew Barr tells the ACT Legislative Assembly that the agency is working with buyers and builders to avoid buyback action. He says the scheme has generally been positive but that one builder in particular has been very difficult for both the agency and purchasers to deal with.

In our earlier article on Menara Asia’s launch of the Menarabena platform, we covered how the construction sector is using digital tools to connect contractors with building-material suppliers while centralising certification, technical documentation and compliance data. We also noted the industry’s ongoing difficulties with cost pressures, meeting material specifications and completing projects on schedule—issues that make transparent quality checks and clear documentation especially important.

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