Refuges to stay open
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The lies spread by Labor about the cessation of local specialist homelessness services are outrageous and dangerous. Labor’s claims, coupled with two unsuccessful service providers being public about their disappointment in missing out on a local tender, would have the community think that services are being slashed when this isn’t the case.
Let me be crystal clear – the refuges at Bega and Moruya for women and children will remain open. How dare a Labor staffer as a candidate for the next election make claims they are closing down because they are desperate for a vote, and how dare Labor speak out against successful faith based organisations delivering services.
It is a fact that under the last Labor Government the homelessness rate increased in five years by 20 per cent and that currently there are too many people accessing support at the point of crisis.
As the NSW Treasurer I signed off with the Minister for Family and Community Services a $515 million package for NGOs to tackle this problem.
The current system has been operating for 30 years without major reform and unapologetically the NSW Government has taken action.
At its centre are reforms to re-shape the NSW specialist homelessness system to break the cycle of homelessness while also providing a strong safety net for those in need. The current service system predominately focuses on crisis support, often in refuge-type accommodation. Evidence shows that it is more effective to assist people at different stages of need – through a balance of prevention, early intervention, crisis and post crisis support – and in different types of accommodation, including assisting people to stay in their own homes to avoid homelessness in the first place.
Resources will be delivered where they are needed most based on evidence not history. Providers in our region are as follows: $674,500 has been awarded to Mission Australia for Bega Valley Homelessness Support Service; Campbell Page Limited has been awarded $372,000 for Eurobodalla Youth Homelessness Support Service in the Eurobodalla region; Anglicare Regional Alliance has been awarded $346,000 for the Eurobodalla Homelessness Support Service; South East Women and Children's Services Incorporated has been awarded $436,000 for Eurobodalla Domestic and Family Violence Homelessness Support Services; and South East Women and Children's Services Incorporated have been awarded $178,000 for Bega Valley Youth Homeless Support Service.
I am sorry that one local service provider in Batemans Bay missed out on the recent funding round but it is entirely inappropriate that I should step in and somehow influence a live tender process. I am now going to seek a meeting with the Minister to discuss future options for them
In addition to the local funding, the NSW Government will introduce a number of complementary initiatives including $31.2 million to extend and increase the Start Safely program that provides stable, private rental housing for 1300 women and children escaping domestic violence; a new $27 million program to provide up to 4000 unaccompanied homeless children and young people under 16 years with help to reconnect with family, or transition to independence through education, training and employment; and a new $4.5 million homelessness hotline and referral service that will act as a single state-wide phone line for people who require homelessness services.
Andrew Constance
Member for Bega
Flawed tender process
I'm writing as a member of this community who has been saddened by recent events involving the broken tendering process for homelessness and women's and children's services, and I want to say a few things directly to the member for Bega and state Treasurer:
Sir, I applaud you for finally meeting with the service providers at Hope Place and Hope House in Batemans, who were unfairly shut out of the tender process, and whose pleas for help and information went unheard by your colleague, Minister Gabrielle Upton.
I agree with you that the tender process was deeply flawed and unfair in this electorate, and across the entire state. It takes courage to admit that your government made a mistake, and thank you for admitting to it.
I now urge you to meet with every other service provider in this electorate who has been forced to pick up the pieces left by this broken tender process. As you say, this “shouldn't have happened in the first place”, but a better policy can be had by listening to the community and taking on their concerns, as I have.
Finally, I ask you to hear the community's call for a full inquiry into the process. No one thinks that a reactive, piecemeal approach will solve the current problem and start the healing we need. You need to put an end to this sorry episode.
Leanne Atkinson
Labor candidate for Bega
Four Winds volunteers
A sincere thanks to all the 2014 Four Winds audience and volunteers for being part of this year’s festival and putting the region on the map again as a place of beautiful nature, people, food and music!
Did you know? Approx. 1500 people attended each day of the Four Winds Festival, and 120 volunteers formed 21 teams to bring Four Winds to life.
Survey results tell us, that a clear highlight of the weekend was Sunday morning’s ‘A Portrait of Three Artists’ panel with Margaret Throsby joined by Richard Tognetti, Dejan Lazic and Giovanni Sollima and we were thrilled to bring these musicians from around the world to play for us.
Also to have our local musicians have time and make music together, was rewarding and adds more to this region's love of beautiful music.
Audience facts from the survey include; 72 per cent of the audience had attended in previous years, 28 per cent were new to Four Winds, and 95 per cent said they would return. 32 per cent of the audience are from this local region, 16 per cent from ACT and 22 per cent from Sydney with Victoria, South Australia and the rest of NSW making up the last 30 per cent.
We are proud of all the people in our region who were so welcoming to all our visitors and celebrated the opening of our stunning new Windsong Pavilion where events will run throughout the year.
A new phase for Four Winds is now upon us and we’ll be in touch soon.
Thanks for your support and find our more at www.fourwinds.com.au
Sheena Boughen
Chairperson, Four Winds
A huge thank-you
Just wanted to say a huge thankyou to Jeff, Mal and Steve from Narooma VRA for coming to my rescue on Monday afternoon.
Being a typical 3 year old I was getting into mischief and found my finger very stuck in an empty breast cancer donation tin (that mum was about to give to a shop).
My mum and I would like to say a very big thankyou to Jeff, Mal and Steve for their efforts and kind and calming nature.
Many thanks also to the lovely Ambulance officer.
My mum and I were incredibly thankful at their patience and safely removing the tin.
I think it’s safe to say I've learnt my lesson.
Thanks again and high fives all round!
Tex Bourke (3 years old)
Narooma
Benefits of Food Forest
Last Sunday week, I felt privileged to be able to display at the Tuross Food Forest Workshop, organised by the Tuross Community Gardeners.
The Highlight of the event was the presence of Costa Georgiadis, known to all watchers of the Garden Australia on the ABC. His co presenters at this workshop were John Champagne and Walther Kolher Bond.
In his presentation, Costa emphasised the benefits of eating locally sourced food from home gardens, community gardens and freshly grown produce at local farmers’ markets.
Costa pointed out the considerable economic benefits to each community from locally grown food, not forgetting the improvement in one`s health, sustainability and future security of our food.
The recycling by worms of food and other organic waste into rich garden soil saves the need for the present costly problem of finding of finding unpopular sites.
John Gibson
Dalmeny
Incredible metadata
I am so glad that I could smother my face in it; the entire nation was finally informed by the Federal Minister for Employment, Hon Eric Abetz what the root cause for breast cancer is!
Apparently Minister Abetz has found medical science from the 1950s; that says breast cancer is caused by woman having had an abortion.
Not long after that announcement, we were further informed and educated by none-other than high ranking Attorney General, the Hon George Brandis, how the Metadata will work and what that animal actually is. It reminded me of the great American under George Bush who explained the Known and the Unknown to the world, metadata explanations were just as clear and a true classic from the crown minister.
One would think that the minister would be well informed and briefed prior by his staff before he speaks and that the information provided is up to date and credible.
The question remains what else is there that the ministers don't understand: is the current boat arrival also an issue that the minister is struggling with, after all these ministers are senior members of the ruling government of our nation and their uninformed decisions affect us all, one way or another.
Mark Ikonen
Dalmeny
Jacksons say farewell
After 12 years of living in Narooma, we are swapping the south of NSW for the south of Queensland.
Yes, we've been told many times that we must be mad and we are actually starting to believe it ourselves.
But having been part of the community of Narooma, we couldn't leave town without saying a huge and heartfelt thank you to the people who have made it such a special place for us.
We have raised our babies here and even helped give birth to a festival - the reason for Nige's baldness and my carefully hidden grey hairs (thank you Ellie).
We have been part of creating some things through the Narooma Chamber of Commerce that we're proud of - like the narooma.org.au website and the 'how life should be' tagline.
But it is the friendships that we will value forever and that we will miss in our everyday lives.
So, thank you to all those soccer kids that Nige has run ragged, to the amazing staff of Narooma Public School, to the great ladies of the P&C, to Dalmeny Book Club, the Wednesday Night Indoor guys, the SMACC boys and to all the kids and adults that have so enriched our lives over the past 12 years.
We will miss you all.
Kate, Nigel, Sam, Emma and Jimmy Jackson
Mystery Bay
Tilba community concern on NBN tower
There is a proposal to site a 40-metre National Broadband Network (NBN) wireless internet mono-pole and associated infrastructure within the Tilba Conservation Area (TCA) about 1km north of the Central Tilba village.
A recognised aspect of the Tilba Conservation Area’s significance is the visual context provided by the eastern slopes of Gulaga (Mount Dromedary). This tower will sit on the foothills of Gulaga overlooking this eastern slope, sited in a significant landmark of a natural strand of spotted gum trees which are visible from many vantage points around the National Trust Classified village of Central Tilba.
It will extend 7 metres above the tallest gum, with at least 20 metres of the tower visible from the southern side of the strand of trees and the entire tower (equivalent to a 10 storey building) visible from and significantly impacting, three residences on the northern side.
The site contravenes the guidelines as set out in the Eurobodalla Shire Council’s “Tilba Villages & Conservation Area -Development Control Plan 2012”.
Neighbours opposing this proposal have a petition of over 400 signatures and support from many areas of the local community. I am not averse to better technology for this area but feel a more appropriate site needs to be found that does not impact on this beautiful and significant heritage area.
NBN Co at some stage will hold a community meeting before a DA is lodged for this proposal in October.
However, it doesn’t end there.
While Narooma, Bermagui and Bega will get NBN fibre-optic, any town within that area, of less than a 1000 people will get either NBN wireless or satellite.
So how many more towers are to be constructed? Under NSW State Planning guidelines, some sites can be exempt from the DA process.
If you are at all concerned where a tower might be located in your area and whether a DA is required, then contact NBN Co on 1800 687 626 for more information.
Lyndall Magnusseson
Central Tilba
Mayor's say… Reforms on the way
LAST week I attended the Country Mayors Association quarterly meeting in my role as vice chairman and as always, it's heartening to see this group of 47 mayors continue with its priorities of advocacy across governments and agencies and sharing information for the betterment of all our regional communities.
In the past few months five new councils have expressed their interest in joining with a clear message that the association is recognised as the strongest advocate for rural and regional councils in NSW.
NSW Minister for Local Government Paul Toole, Attorney General of New South Wales and the NSW Minister for Justice Brad Hazzard, and Local Government NSW President Keith Rhodes joined us and we were able to listen, and be listened to, about issues affecting local government.
I expressed a strong recommendation to Keith Rhodes that Local Government NSW take a more active advocacy role on behalf of the local government sector on the recent federal government budget that did a back flip on supporting some of the most vulnerable members of our communities by revoking pensioner rebates on rates.
Keith talked about how pleased they were to have engaged Donna Rygate as the new CEO of LGNSW and that her experience as a business leader with a solid track record of positive transformation and strategic change will help LGNSW lead and support its member councils throughout this period of reform for Local Government in NSW.
Minister Toole spoke about the Independent Local Government Review Panel that was tasked with looking at ways to strengthen the effectiveness of local government in NSW. The panels' final report, Revitalising Local Government, was released in January and Minister Toole said that the NSW government hoped to have a decision on the proposed reforms that have been recommended by the end of this year.
Minister Toole was the Mayor of Bathurst until 2011 and he spoke in support of councils needing more flexibility and autonomy in the way they manage their finances and in particular, opportunities to generate income to meet the needs of their communities through the rating system that is currently pegged at an annual rate less than CPI, and increased cost shifting from state to local government.
The group formally asked Minister Hazzard to support Minister Toole in pushing through the much needed and long awaited recommendations that will reform local government.
Minister Hazzard spoke about the justice system in NSW and the significant and rising cost of delivering the system. For example, it costs around $1 billion to build a jail and $180,000 a year to house a prisoner. Some councils spoke of the social unrest amongst young people in their areas and the importance of retaining local courts and a strong police presence and Minister Hazzard responded saying he was keen to continue to support these services in regional local government areas.
Please let me know if there are any issues that Council can assist with. You can contact me at mayor@eurocoast.nsw.gov.au or phone 0418 279 215.
Clr Lindsay Brown, Mayor of Eurobodalla Shire.