In recent years the Canberra Liberals have decried the lack of land available for single residential housing.
So when it came to an election, the opposition was always going to need to present a bold measure in a territory running out of space.
The announcement to develop Kowen Forest is one such measure.
The Liberals have previously flirted with the idea of developing Kowen but this is the first time they have fully committed to the idea.
Bulldozing a forest isn't necessarily a headline politicians would embrace but the forest in question is in for commercial purposes.
If governments are to clear land for housing a pine plantation would seem like the most logical solution from an environmental perspective, setting aside the fact further urban sprawl is not the best for the environment.
The problem for Kowen is its distance from the rest of Canberra. At the moment it is only accessible through NSW.
Kowen is between Queanbeyan and Bungendore. On a map of the territory it appears to be an anomaly.
The Liberals have previously been critical of people moving to housing developments over the border but Kowen may as well be in NSW. Opposition Leader Elizabeth Lee says it is no further out than Tuggeranong but a major transport link would be needed to link it to the rest of the territory.
The development of Kowen is going to be no easy task. New roads and utilities will need to be established and it won't come cheap. The Liberals have made a risk with this commitment, especially if a study says it is going to be too expensive.
While Ms Lee says the costs will be offset by the development but a proper feasibility study is necessary to confirm this.
The decision the party has made to drop further investigations for development on the territory's western edge is also an interesting one. Environmental groups have expressed concern at any potential development in this area due to it being identified as having significant ecological values.
But the Liberals were also highly critical of the process by the government to buy up nine rural land blocks in the area for $43 million. Are the Liberals trying to avoid a situation where they are then seen to be developing the land?
It seems strange the Liberals would drop all further investigations into one area while committing to developing another area before fully understanding the cost.
