IS PLANNING A DOING WORD OR SOMETHING YOU GET AFTER A PLANNER HAS DONE HER/HIS THING!?

QUESTION SUBMITTED TO THE MAYOR & ALL COUNCILLORS

The following questions, as submitted to Council on 14 August 2024 by Ray Norman have been answered by Nathan Williams (Chief Financial Officer) and Chelsea van Riet (General Manager Community and Place Network).

CONTEXT

Given the Councils’ commitment to facilitate the development of a housing estate at St Lenard’s bounded by the North Esk to its south and almost to its west that is being marketed as the area that will provide housing sites for the city for decades it is time to engage with the city’s citizens in a meaningful way.

 

Albeit without lodging a tender for their consultancy, Mesh Planning are the Council officer’s preferred consultants but in Council’s deliberations there was no evidence of there being a community consultation process to determine community aspirations and expectations relative to the ‘placemaking’. This is concerning as is the lack of public exposure for the consultant’s brief. 

 

These two elements would/should be key references that ensure council, and by extension the city’s ratepayers and citizens are receiving value for a significant expenditure. Given the housing crisis communities in Tasmania and elsewhere the expenditure of public monies on planning for housing developments without this class of community engagement is unsustainable.

 

THE QUESTION

 Will Council publish the publish the brief being provided to Mesh Planning prior to Council’s next meeting and ensure that within it there is provision for expenditure to conduct an independent arm’s length consultation process that enables any citizen who wishes is enabled to do so? 

Response:

Council is currently scoping the development of a housing strategy as one of its

Annual Plan Actions for 2024/2025. As part of this strategy we will bring an open mind

to how we can do things differently or work with stakeholders and the community to

address the issue of constrained housing supply in Launceston. Our population is

going to grow and to house existing and new residents we need to be delivering

approximately 320 homes per year, but our long term average hovers around 200

homes per year. There are many challenges and opportunities that City of Launceston will explore over the coming year and there will be an opportunity for community feedback on that strategy.

RESPONSE TO THE  RESPONSE

There is a number of issues that this response draws attention to:

•  Firstly, the question was put to "the Mayor and All Councillors" but has been responded to by Lorraine Wyatt (Council and Committees Officer) with the approval of Sam Johnson OAM (Chief Executive Officer) without any evidence that the Mayor and/or Councillors were consulted in the providing of the response; and

•  Secondly, the question as put has not been answered which indicates that management lacks confidence in the ratepayers' representatives competence to provide cogent and relevant answers to questions relevant to strategic matters; and

•  Thirdly, the response canvasses placatory rhetoric and irrelevant opinion apparently harboured by management without direct reference to the question nor any indication that a delegated authority has been granted to them so to do; and

•  Fourthly, the question is being virtually answered as a NO on behalf of the 'governing body', the Councillors, which insults the Councillors' deemed lack of capacity and by extension the people they represent.

NOTE: It has been sad, and often, that miscarriages of justice have occurred because of the absence of proper representation. If Council's management claims to be representing the City of Launceston's constituency in this or any other instance, the officers who assert that it is so, now need provide evidence of their position within the framework of the Local Govt Act.  

QUESTIONS ARISING

Is there a draft Master Plan or Project Plan in any form that has been developed in-house that is relevant to the proposed St Leonards Housing Estate?

Have Councillors discussed at any level, or detail, the:

• The overarching vision for the proposed St Leonards Housing Estate?

• The key objectives and milestones to be reached in realising that vision?

• The rationales for developing the St Leonards Housing Estate now?

 

Given the projected cost to engage Mesh, has a brief been prepared with any level of detail along with KPIs against which Mesh’s performance and outcomes can be measured and assessed?

 

If a brief has indeed been drafted, and given that the cost to develop a plan has been estimated to cost $514,450, who drafted it, when, and under what circumstance?

 

In this ‘planning process’, given that it is reported that it costs $1Million PA to keep a child in care who will be speaking for and with children and to what end?

 

Given that Mesh is not in competition with any other professional service provider, and that the citizens of Launceston and those wishing to be citizens are and will be the clients in the placemaking, and there is no indication that Mesh will be, or will be required to, proactively engage with citizens/clients why should Council’s constituency be comfortable with what has been decided on their behalf?

INDEED why should the City of Launceston’s constituents be at all comfortable with what has transpired given that all the signals are present for them being sidelined yet again!?

EXAMINER: Council narrowly approves $500k contract after claims of 'malfeasance'

Council narrowly approves $500k contract after claims of 'malfeasance' 

By Joe Colbrook August 11 2024

BACK LINK

A $500,000 contract to produce a development master plan for St Leonards was narrowly approved by City of Launceston councillors. Picture by Phillip Biggs ................. The council has waived the regular tender process and awarded a $500,000 contract to a mainland consulting firm for its St Leonards master plan, citing time pressures. ................. Melbourne-based Mesh Livable Communities will be paid $514,450 to develop the St Leonards Structure Plan and Infrastructure Funding Framework after a fierce debate and narrow vote by City of Launceston councillors. [AND THERE BEING NO OVERT INDICATION OF COMMUNITY CONSULTATION] ................. Under law, any council-related contract valued at more than $250,000 must be put out to tender. ................. Skipping this process requires approval from an absolute majority of councillors - more than half of all councillors, not just those present at the meeting. .................Council officers said a 12-month deadline to use a $327,000 federal government grant was appropriate justification for skipping a weeks-long open tender process. ................. The council officers said they approached Mesh as the preferred consultant, based on the firm's track record. ................. Councillor Alex Britton said he would support the proposal as it would allow better development through prime housing land, despite his misgivings over the process.[WHY? HOW?] ................. "I think it's a little bit weird we got to here without going through a regular tender process," Cr Britton said. ................. "That being said, I'm not going to stand here and get in the way of the development of St Leonards." ................. Most councillors shared that view, and deputy mayor Hugh McKenzie said there were "327,000 reasons why" councillors should support the proposal. ................. Councillor Joe Pentridge held a different view, and said none of it would "pass the pub test". ................. "This community elected 12 aldermen, not to support the administration, but to support their interests," he said. ................. "None of this here will pass the pub test. None of this is transparent. There's just a whole heap of written stuff which I don't believe fore one minute." ................. This prompted a rebuttal by councillor Andrea Dawkins. ................. "I'm really hoping that I can maintain a professional air in this debate, because I am quite upset by what I just heard," Cr Dawkins said. ................. "The idea that there's some malfeasance here because we need to work to a timescale is unbelievable. ................. "The idea that somehow, who I represent and who I am as a councillor, is beholden to another councillor's perception is actually beyond me." ................. Concerns were also raised about the consulting firm's track record as it was previously engaged to develop a similar document for South Prospect. [LINK]................. This did not result in a similar strategy document, as highlighted by developer Tim Shaw, however council chief executive officer Sam Johnson said the firm held up its end of the bargain. [AND WHAT WAS THAT?]................. "The previous work undertaken by Mesh to delivered exactly what the council asked for," Mr Johnson said. ................. "It's important that members recognise that the council asked for something specific, Mesh delivered what the council wanted. ................. "That doesn't mean that they delivered what maybe external stakeholders were looking for or hoping for, but they delivered exactly what the council asked for five years ago." [THIS NEEDS URGENT EXPLANATION]................. A motion to pause discussions was put forward by councillor Susie Cai, who said it was better to take a considered approach rather than rush headlong into big decisions based on her own personal experiences. ................. This was voted down. ................. A motion to award the tender to Mesh received the backing of seven councillors. ................. Three councillors - Danny Gibson, Andrew Palmer and Tim Walker - were absent. Councillors Cai and Pentridge voted against the motion.

QUESTIONS

 

Given the Councils’ commitment to facilitate the development of a housing estate at St Lenard’s bounded by the North Esk to its south and almost to its west that is being marketed as the area that will provide housing sites for the city for decades it is time to engage with the city’s citizens in a meaningful way.

 

Albeit without lodging a tender for their consultancy, Mesh Planning are the Council officer’s preferred consultants but in Council’s deliberations there was no evidence of there being a community consultation process to determine community aspirations and expectations relative to the ‘placemaking’. This is concerning as is the lack of public exposure for the consultant’s brief. 

 

These two elements would/should be key references that ensure council, and by extension the city’s ratepayers and citizens are receiving value for a significant expenditure. Given the housing crisis communities in Tasmania and elsewhere the expenditure of public monies on planning for housing developments without this class of community engagement is unsustainable.

 

THE QUESTION

 

Will Council publish the publish the brief being provided to Mesh Planning prior to Council’s next meeting and ensure that within it there is provision for expenditure to conduct an independent arm’s length consultation process that enables any citizen who wishes is enabled to do so?

prefabCONCRETE Homes

 

 VIDEO LINK ... Mercury Link

Tasmania set to build 1,700 homes annually with precast concrete panel plant

David Marriner plans to address Tasmania’s housing crisis by repurposing a factory to manufacture precast concrete panels for 1,700 homes annually.

David Marriner: Set to manufacture precast concrete panels in Tasmania for 1,700 homes annually.

Prominent property developer and theatre owner David Marriner, based in Melbourne, has grand designs to transform the Tasmanian housing sector with his plan to manufacture up to 1,700 precast concrete homes annually. Marriner’s proposal involves establishing Australia’s first automated, precast concrete manufacturing facility. He estimates that these homes will be up to 20 per cent cheaper to construct compared to traditional methods.

As first reported in The Mercury newspaper, the developer currently owns a factory in Brighton, which is producing concrete segments for Tasmania’s Bridgewater Bridge. Upon the bridge’s completion, Marriner intends to convert this factory into a facility capable of producing precast panels for housing. Potential sites for these new homes have been identified, including Dowsing Point, Brighton, New Norfolk, Evandale, Burnie, and Westbury.

Bridgewater Bridge: When all precast elements are complete, Marriner’s factory will begin manufacturing precast panels for housing.

Marriner sees this initiative as a clear shift in Australian housing construction, marking the first move towards industrialising the production of homes. The project will involve world-class architects, with a prototype set to be showcased at Bushy Park later this year. Marriner claims that the construction method will not only reduce costs but also offer up to 35 per cent savings in energy efficiency compared to traditional construction.

The architectural team includes Professor Michael Obrist from the Technical University of Vienna and prominent Australian architect John Wardle, known for his work with the University of Tasmania. Marriner highlights Austria’s long standing leadership in sustainable social residential living as an inspiration for this project.

In July, Marriner will unveil Derwent 7010, a masterplan which encompasses plans for 2,600 houses and sporting facilities at Glenorchy, using land at Dowsing Point owned by the Defence Department.

Marriner emphasised the environmental benefits of the project, noting that the new concrete panels are significantly lighter and stronger than traditional panels, capable of supporting structures up to eight storeys high. The conversion of the existing factory into a housing factory will require an investment of approximately $30 million and will be crucial in retaining jobs once the Bridgewater Bridge project is completed.

Marriner is not seeking government funding for the factory conversion but is looking for government support in terms of housing orders to ensure a stable financial base for the factory. He has been in discussions with the Derwent Valley Council regarding the planning approvals needed to erect the prototype at Bushy Park.

YEP! ... WATCH THIS SPACE!!

The best self promotion is your next book. And the book after that and after that. .... Bella Andre

Hugh McKenzie boasts an impressive resume. .................... Elected to the City of Launceston council in 2011, he is the joint longest-serving member of the council elected in October 2022. .................... He's sat on numerous boards and worked for consulting firm KPMG, however the deputy mayor said that didn't mean he knew everything. .................... "I learn every day," Cr Mckenzie said. .................... "One of my big things is to sit down every day and think about what I did yesterday, and so what could I do better tomorrow. .................... "That's not about perfectionism. That's just about reality, knowing that there's always something to learn. If you're not learning then you're too narrow in the way that you are thinking." .................... No 'I' in team ... Much like the mayor, Cr McKenzie said it was a slower start to the council term compared to others, with several changes in high profile roles and seven first-term councillors sitting at the table. .................... "We're just starting to hit our cadence 18 months into our term," the deputy mayor said. .................... Given his background in consulting, he was aware he had a certain reputation and perspective on the issues that came before the council, which at times clashed with his colleagues. .................... "There's no doubt that I am fairly ordered in the way I think about things," Cr McKenzie said. .................... "I've been trained in governance and all sorts of different things through my journey. Everybody says 'you're a finance man, you're gonna look at numbers'. .................... "I say to people now that I wouldn't employ me on my financial skills, I'd say that's just a bonus." .................... Instead, the deputy mayor said his best asset was his people skills. .................... These came in handy working with council officers to clarify details on issues before it came time to vote on them. .................... That wasn't to say he always went with the grain, or shied away from taking unpopular decisions - like approving the TasTAFE redevelopment against planning officers' advice or supporting charging rates to retirement villages. .................... However, Cr McKenzie said getting the best outcome for the city was bigger than one man alone. .................... "It's not about who did this or who did that. We did this. We. That is what I'm all about, it's all about 'us'," he said .................... "If I've helped trigger something, or helped get us to where we've got to on that journey, then I'm really thrilled about that..................... "It doesn't have to be about what I did because, ultimately, what I did will be a very small list but what we did should be a very big list." .................... Cr McKenzie said having - at times robust - conversations with his colleagues meant a better outcome was reached. .................... "The only way you're going to get something done is you need another six other people to have worked with you," he said. .................... "My view is it's better to have the 12 working together for an outcome - that doesn't mean we have to agree on everything. .................... "But if we're having a good hearty conversation, and it's 10-2 or whatever it might be, then I'm comfortable with that." .................... Council reporter Joe Colbrook and deputy mayor Hugh McKenzie chat over a coffee at Inside Cafe. Picture by Phillip Biggs.................... Pragmatism does not rule out passion.................... Cr McKenzie said he wasn't purely pragmatic, there were some matters he was genuinely passionate about. .................... This occasionally gave rise to frustrations, like when the sale of the Birchalls building fell over - something Cr McKenzie said was out of the council's hands - or slow-going on changes to the city's transport infrastructure to allow alternative forms of transport. .................... There were also renovations to the Albert Hall, which required some patience. "You look at the Albert Hall, it is frustrating sitting here three years on and that place has been closed for so long," Cr McKenzie said. .................... "As much as people say you can't keep blaming COVID, we had a budget for the work then COVID came and escalated the budget. We had to rethink the whole thing. .................... "It's challenging but it'll be great when we get it done. The Princess Theatre, again, is another passion of mine." .................... At the end of the day, or at least at the end of his time as an elected representative, the deputy mayor said he felt as though the decisions he made as a councillor were for the betterment of the city. .................... This, he said, came down to a vested interest in seeing Launceston do well. .................... Cr McKenzie raised his family here, was a self-professed lover of local footy and theatre, and a strong supporter of its multicultural community - all things that made the town great. .................... "I've lived here since I was about 10," Cr McKenzie said. .................... "I was in boarding school from 10 to 17. I've worked here. I've raised a family here. I've educated my kids here. .................... "This town has been really really good to me, this was my opportunity to give back. It's not just my town though, it's the community's too."

THE VALUE OF A TREE!?

 

OH MY GOODNESS JUST WHAT IS GOING ON?

Council narrowly approves $500k contract after claims of 'malfeasance' 

By Joe Colbrook August 11 2024

The council has waived the regular tender process and awarded a $500,000 contract to a mainland consulting firm for its St Leonards master plan, citing time pressures.

Melbourne-based Mesh Livable Communities will be paid $514,450 to develop the St Leonards Structure Plan and Infrastructure Funding Framework after a fierce debate and narrow vote by City of Launceston councillors. 

Under law, any council-related contract valued at more than $250,000 must be put out to tender. 

Skipping this process requires approval from an absolute majority of councillors - more than half of all councillors, not just those present at the meeting. 

Council officers said a 12-month deadline to use a $327,000 federal government grant was appropriate justification for skipping a weeks-long open tender process. 

The council officers said they approached Mesh as the preferred consultant, based on the firm's track record. 

Councillor Alex Britton said he would support the proposal as it would allow better development through prime housing land, despite his misgivings over the process. 

 "I think it's a little bit weird we got to here without going through a regular tender process," Cr Britton said. 

"That being said, I'm not going to stand here and get in the way of the development of St Leonards."

Most councillors shared that view, and deputy mayor Hugh McKenzie said there were "327,000 reasons why" councillors should support the proposal. 

Councillor Joe Pentridge held a different view, and said none of it would "pass the pub test".

"This community elected 12 aldermen, not to support the administration, but to support their interests," he said. 

"None of this here will pass the pub test. None of this is transparent. There's just a whole heap of written stuff which I don't believe fore one minute." 

This prompted a rebuttal by councillor Andrea Dawkins. 

"I'm really hoping that I can maintain a professional air in this debate, because I am quite upset by what I just heard," Cr Dawkins said. 

"The idea that there's some malfeasance here because we need to work to a timescale is unbelievable. 

"The idea that somehow, who I represent and who I am as a councillor, is beholden to another councillor's perception is actually beyond me." 

Concerns were also raised about the consulting firm's track record as it was previously engaged to develop a similar document for South Prospect. 

This did not result in a similar strategy document, as highlighted by developer Tim Shaw, however council chief executive officer Sam Johnson said the firm held up its end of the bargain. 

"The previous work undertaken by Mesh to delivered exactly what the council asked for," Mr Johnson said. 

"It's important that members recognise that the council asked for something specific, Mesh delivered what the council wanted. 

"That doesn't mean that they delivered what maybe external stakeholders were looking for or hoping for, but they delivered exactly what the council asked for five years ago." 

A motion to pause discussions was put forward by councillor Susie Cai, who said it was better to take a considered approach rather than rush headlong into big decisions based on her own personal experiences. 

This was voted down. 

A motion to award the tender to Mesh received the backing of seven councillors. ................ Three councillors - Danny Gibson, Andrew Palmer and Tim Walker - were absent. Councillors Cai and Pentridge voted against the motion. 

Comment 

In a democracy the ever present suspicion is that more than half of the people are right more than half of the time but what is right. At this meeting the suspicion about motives reared its ugly head. Everything that rumour and innuendo touches is tainted. 

It is interesting that in all Mesh says about themselves and their self-sufficiency they are deathly silent about their position on community consultation – surplus to requirement quite possibly. Anyway, they are virtually in-house, ensconced as they are in Council's Macquarie House in Civic Square. As they say it is not about getting the job done, its about how you get it done. 

As the saying goes, if it quacks like a duck and waddles like a duck you can be forgiven for thinking that it is actually a duck. 

Anyway, how convenient was it that some Councillors were absent? Can they now shower themselves with perfume, or will they just smell like air freshener in a smoker's taxi anyway?

Generally we don't give governments extra money because governments generally stink to high heaven when it comes to spending our money. Always remembering that the $500K fee going to Mesh is $100K less that a goodly number of the Councillors spent on themselves for an end-of-trip-shower for their exclusive use. Asking them to care about accountability is a tall order.

Governments stink because too few governments accomplish all that much. They talk about all the issues and typically do nothing about them for the term of their natural lives. 

It is never a good idea to lead anyone to an expectation which is eventually contradicted by a predictable outcome. 

As some wise man said, if there is smoke in the air plus the glint of mirrors be aware that illusions are the mere shadows of reality, fleeting and transient, but quite capable of inspiring wonder and awe nonetheless.

Tanda Vale

COMMUNITY HOUSING NEEDS MORE CONSIDERATION IN A 21ST C CONTEXT

 

From: jack.bower@bigpond.com Date: Thursday, 8 August 2024 at 4:35 pm To: George Town Council , West Tamar Council , North Midlands Council , Meander Valley Council , Rosemary Armitage MLC , Archer, Bridget (MP) , Senator Polley , Felix Ellis , Dean Winter , Hon Clare O'Neil MP Cc: Examiner Editor , MERCURY , I43-1 , School of Architecture UTAS 

Subject: FW: AGAIN: Question on Notice .... COMMUNITY HOUSING 

To whom it may concern, 

I write now having just read the very disappointing response I have received from my question on notice to Launceston’s councillors and copied to those receiving this email. ........................... First of all, in the light of the seriousness of the city’s, indeed Australia’s, constituencies’ recalcitrant homelessness the Councillors find themselves totally unwilling commit to addressing the problem in any meaningful way. The proposition here is if you can see an issue and the social devastation it brings about, as a representative, you are obliged to muster the required resources needed to address it. ........................... More to the point, it was very disappointing to address my question to the councillors and to have received a response from a staff member who it seems, given the response, has questionable expertise relevant to my question. As well, I asked, “will Launceston Council in collaboration with adjoining councils now look with an open mind” and the answer I received indicated that Launceston Council has a closed mind on this, but to what end one must wonder. ........................... I had hopped that there might have been an indication that Launceston Council is intent on opening a conversation with adjoining councils but that seems very unlikely. From what I have been able to discover none of the councillors at Launceston have all that much direct experience as project designers of the kind needed to address the complex issues governments now need to address the housing issues they are confronted with. ........................... In Launceston well away from public view. Councillors seem to find comfort in keeping things the same and to continue to use the same bureaucratic machinery. There is no doubt that the self-satisfied are content with its plan for a new housing estate that will mirror the treeless lowest common denominator investment opportunities in metropolitan Australia. Today Council agreed to appoint a consultant without any hint of an open transparent deliberative consultation process. No Councillor raised the slightest concern about the community being sidelined. ........................... Also, at one Councillors likewise endorse Housing Tasmania’s plan for a ghetto next to Ravenswood where the rents will no doubt be just affordable for some and not so for all so many. ........................... Therefore, with this in mind ignoring homelessness and claiming that it is not an issue for a council it makes it possible look away day to day and look after their own interests in relative safety. This is not representative governance. ........................... However, there is no safety looking ahead as the numbers of those the economy leaves behind is likely to keep on growing leaving in its wake social mayhem, increasing direct activism, and with all the makings for disruptive dissidence none of which profits anyone in any way in the long term. ........................... To intensify the problem, currently governments rarely appoint architects to their administrations and when they do, their plans are set in stone. Therefore, the lowest common denominator always wins, it being the least threatening to the self-nominated incumbent’s world view. That is the thing that fails people looking for an innovative housing options for them, and relevant to their long-term aspirations. Not so curiously, it just seems to be the case and that the investment industry is quite happy with all that for now. ........................... However, it is said that it was not raining when Noah built his ark and likewise if we can sit quietly in the shade somewhere, it is because someone planted the tree, or they just stood aside and let that tree grow. ........................... Because governments, particularly local governments, are populated by self-nominating elected representatives this mitigates against there being a cohort of decision makers with all the appropriate expertise working for the common good. In so much of what any government needs to make good decisions, it is sound expert advice and the local Govt Act 1993 in Tasmania sort of guarantees that. How? Well, if you self-nominate and you are not Mother Teresa, your motives are always questionable. ........................... By extension when experts are appointed to fill credibility gaps, usually they are chosen by managements, who themselves are often challenged or the chosen are a part of their managerial network. They offer almost nothing that can be considered fault free, not suspected of being damaged goods. Even if that is ignored these experts ought not be granted the freedom that otherwise wouldn't have been believed possible. ........................... It is apocryphal that we should let this alone, as when the blind lead the blind the blind lead the blind, and both will fall into the ditch. The trouble being that there is a lot of looking away and the supposed way ahead has many more ditches to fall into. ........................... Achievers know that if they to achieve exceptional things, really big things, even ordinary things, just two things are required; a plan, and not quite enough time to do what needs doing. Urgency is a winner. ........................... The spiral towards some lowest common denominator begins when the time for it is allowed. This may well be an outcome that is fit for purpose on average, but not always, or even likely. Local distinctiveness is always that which is ignored or put aside in leu of some size fits call that most often turns out to be a very poor fit. ........................... The self-nominating pragmatists who claim representational authority turn out to be mere chancers in one sense and covert orchestrators for some cabal in another. Whereas real leadership is about unconditional regard for those leaders lead for and that being reciprocated. It’s about selflessness all round, and with the need to put the common good ahead of personal and sectional interests. ........................... What is often forgotten is out there in the community there are a great many experts who for their own reasons do not, indeed often will not or cannot, nominate for election, who have expert advice to offer. ........................... Recognising this, and the limitations of representational governance, it is the foundational rationale that underpins direct deliberative democracy initiatives. All the necessary expertise needed to deal with issues that require community endorsement is not to be found within any group who self-nominate nor among those they appoint to do their bidding. ........................... It stands to reason that if a problem seems to be intractable you throw everything you have available at it. However, political battles are won when the rich favour the winning but in community housing the battle should not be political. If it is, its lost cause. Napoleon was a great general because he knew that when he did win battles it was the expertise in warfare to be found within his armies. Lose sight of that and the battle is lost before a shot is fired. ........................... It is quite evident that right down to an individual, Launceston’s elected representatives are minding their own business and that is where the conflicts of interest are to be found. One or two will mouth platitudes and you can listen to what people say. But it is far more effective if you pay close attention to what a representative will and will not do. As in Britain right now great store can be placed in those who come out with their mops, brooms, and shovels to clean up the handiwork of the frighted and unintelligent fire bombers doing the bidding of the unintelligent status quoists. ........................... Without question a mindset shift is needed if Australia’s and Tasmania’s and in fact the region’s housing options and opportunities are to meet diversifying communities’ current needs and aspirations. Clearly, better understandings of community needs are required, and it is highly unlikely that they are well understood within the status quo bureaucratic planning structures that has evolved within local governance. ........................... Concerningly, today the City of Launceston voted to send the Mayor and the city CEO to a national housing conference with the subliminal factor being that they would be the informal representatives for the region therefore assuming a somewhat arrogant stance on housing. ........................... Converse to the City of Launceston’s stance, Citizens Juries and Assemblies have a record of successively providing expanded understandings, consequently by now there should be no realistic inhibition applying this method of direct and deliberative community consultation. ........................... Against the backgrounding set out here I am formally requesting that Tamar Regional Local Govts formally consider: 1. Initiating a formal open deliberative process that engages a broad-spectrum sampling of the aspirations of communities in the region; and 2. Proactively engage with each other regarding developing a diverse fit-for-purpose 21st C relevant strategies for people seeking to make a home relevant to their needs and aspirations so that the status quo can be challenged openly; and 3. Deliberately and actively engage with the wide range experts within the region who have a direct interest in developing a sustainable place to live and for various reasons have not self-nominated to serve on a governance body. I look forward to being advised of your respective determinations with considerable interest. ........................... Yours sincerely, JJ Bower

HOMELESSNESS AND RESPOSIBILITY

 

HOMELESSNESS AND ACCOUNTABILITY

ONE BY ONE THIS WEEK OUR SELF NOMINATED REPRESENTATIVES COULD

INDEED SHOULD TELL THOSE WHO THEY CLAIM TO REPRESENT WHAT THEY

ARE PREPARED TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR  AND WHAT THEY ARE NOT

PREPARED TO DO ABOUT HOUSING PEOPLE NOW OR IN THE FUTURE

Number of Launceston rough sleepers

in the hundreds, Salvation Army says

By Hugh Bohane August 5 2024 - 4:00pm

IMAGE: Salvation Army Launceston Corps officer Roderick Brown. Picture: Phillip Biggs

The statistics are unfathomable - on any given night, 45,850 children and young people will be homeless in Australia, and as many as 300 people have been estimated to be sleeping rough in Launceston alone.

Salvation Army corps officer Roderick Brown said the problem was becoming more and more noticeable, with the charity aware of between 250 and 300 rough sleepers in the city.

"I would say it's more visible," Auxiliary Lieutenant Brown said.

"We see tents in the Brickfields, tents at various other locations, and people sleeping rough around our CBD."

The number of people experiencing homelessness in Australia has grown 5.2% in the past five years with women and children, as well as Indigenous Australians, bearing the brunt of the housing crisis.

One of the Salvation Army's main community service programs is Street to Home (S2H), an outreach program for people experiencing homelessness.

"We advocate for the homeless, help them with applications at Homes Tasmania, and keep applications moving forward," Auxiliary Lieutenant Brown said.

Street to Home
Through the Street to Home program people experiencing homelessness are supported in practical ways, like transport to medical appointments or giving out mobile phones so Homes Tasmania can contact them.

"We distribute sleeping bags appropriately rated for the Tasmanian winter, camping gear, and dome tents, and we also provide appropriate support for people in the interim period," Auxiliary Lieutenant Brown said.

On August 1, the charity held the annual Salvos Sleep Out, raising much-needed funds to keep the Street to Home community outreach program running.

For 15 years, the Salvos Sleep Out has kept the vital Street to Home assertive outreach program running in Tasmania. Pictured are Sarah McCormack of the City of Launceston, Chris Lee of Penny Royal, Salvation Army Corps officer Roderick Brown, Tracy Briggs of Salvation Army, Anthony Kwong of Tsing Wah Asian Grocers. Picture by Phillip Biggs
For 15 years, the Salvos Sleep Out has kept the vital Street to Home assertive outreach program running in Tasmania. Pictured are Sarah McCormack of the City of Launceston, Chris Lee of Penny Royal, Salvation Army Corps officer Roderick Brown, Tracy Briggs of Salvation Army, Anthony Kwong of Tsing Wah Asian Grocers. Picture by Phillip Biggs

Care Finder Program
Another key program the charity runs is the Care Finder Program.

This supports people over 55 years old - over 47 years old for Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people - who might be at risk of homelessness.

"They might be in a rental that's being sold, they might have no family support, and they need to navigate the process of moving into a nursing home or residential care," Auxiliary Lieutenant Brown said.

"So our workers help them locate alternative housing solutions."

The Salvation Army runs youth services with 10 crisis refuges across Australia and supports more than 4500 young people annually.

The charity says it helped more than 19,000 Australians at risk of homelessness - nearly 2500 of them youth - between January and April 2024.

This represented a 5 per cent overall increase compared to the same time last year, and an 11 per cent increase in demand for youth services.

Almost half of the sessions (47 per cent) were related to accommodation issues, and more than one in six (16 per cent) people accessing homelessness services were with children under the age of 14.

According to Auxiliary Lieutenant Brown, the rising cost of groceries has also directly impacted people's food security.

"We've also averaged about 10,000 meals a year, going out from our site to support the community, particularly those experiencing primary homelessness," he said.

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Thor star Chris Hemsworth says we can all be heroes for the homeless 

 By Megan Doherty Updated August 5 2024 - 12:22pm,

In an exclusive interview with the ACM network, the Hollywood star opens up on why he contributes to services for the homeless in his community and wants to see politicians, policymakers and the privileged doing more for families and children living on the brink. ...................... Watch: Chris Hemsworth's gratitude to the workers and volunteers helping the homeless in his home town of Byron Bay ...................... Byron Bay is waking up, the cafes starting to bustle and the streets bathed in a golden morning glow. Chris Hemsworth parks his non-descript four-wheel-drive and walks towards the Fletcher Street Cottage, a one-stop shop for people sleeping rough in the tourist mecca and, increasingly, also a lifeline for the working poor who can no longer make ends meet. ...................... The sun is out but there's a chill in the air. Winter still visits this world-famous surf town that attracts more than 2 million visitors a year but also has the highest rents in the nation, more rough sleepers than any other NSW local government area and house prices so astronomical that long-time locals are being driven out. ...................... With 2024 Homelessness Week beginning on August 5, Hemsworth is using his star power to urge governments and the big end of town to do more to help those living on the brink - not just in Byron, but across the nation. ...................... "I'm completely aware that a lot of people are also doing it hard," he said. "So, I'm not speaking to those individuals. It's more people like myself who are financially stable and can contribute and also to raise awareness to government about the issue." ...................... Hemsworth, Hollywood superstar and Byron local, is a major donor to the Fletcher Street Cottage which on Friday morning is serving up breakfast burgers and coffee to people who might have spent the night in their car, on a couch or on the beach. ...................... Chris Hemsworth says people in a position to help and governments need to back services like the Fletcher Street Cottage. Picture by Karleen Minney ...................... The warm, light-filled cottage in the centre of Byron also provides services to those in need, whether it's a haircut, a phone call to sort out Centrelink or a place to have a shower and wash their clothes. ...................... One of the long-term users of the cottage, who used to sleep on the banks of the Brunswick River but now lives in public housing in the town, says it is a place people can catch their breath and feel like they "belong somewhere". ...................... "The staff are very dedicated in every sense, they really care about people. They care for them as people, not numbers" the man, in his 60s, said. "It's a beautiful place in that way." ...................... And, without Chris Hemsworth and other key local donors, it's likely the cottage would have to close its door. ...................... Alarming new report shows shocking extent of child homelessness Homelessness is everywhere. We can't keep looking away...................... Homelessness in Australia IS solvable and here's how we do it It's run by the local non-profit Byron Bay Community Centre and general manager Louise O'Connell said donations from Hemsworth and others had helped renovate the cottage and engage specialist staff in areas such as mental health. ...................... "Without any any ongoing government support, we rely on philanthropic donations to keep Fletcher Street Cottage open," she said. ...................... Operating hours had to be reduced late last year from five days a week to four even as demand for services, which include meals, laundry and shower facilities plus access to community support workers, more than doubled. ...................... Chris Hemsworth in the kitchen at Byron Bay's Fletcher Street Cottage with Byron Community Centre general manager Louise O'Connell and volunteers Rhonda Whelan and Julie Ross. Picture by Karleen Minney Chris Hemsworth in the kitchen at Byron Bay's Fletcher Street Cottage with Byron Community Centre general manager Louise O'Connell and volunteers Rhonda Whelan and Julie Ross. Picture by Karleen Minney Cottage assistant manager Maddi Powell said the number of people turning up for breakfast each day had increased in the past two years from 30 to around 80 to 100. ...................... "And the need is just growing and growing," she said. ...................... "And we've definitely seen a change in the people. We're seeing a lot of families at the moment. A lot of women. A lot of single mothers escaping domestic violence. And a lot of older women who are sleeping rough or sleeping in their cars." ...................... Hemsworth, down-to-earth but also considered in everything he says, is world-famous for his role as Thor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. ...................... At Fletcher Street, he is just Chris the Byron local checking in on how things are going, not wanting to draw attention to himself but feeling a responsibility to step up because of his privileged position. ...................... "There are very vulnerable individuals coming through the doors from varied backgrounds and circumstances and they need our support and not our judgement," he said, after greeting the staff with a hug and chatting with the volunteers in the kitchen. ...................... He says the thought of women and children becoming homeless because they are fleeing domestic violence should be enough motivation for real change. ...................... "That should ignite in all of us a deep sense of compassion and empathy and need and want to contribute and be involved and help," he said. ...................... Hemsworth, wife Elsa Pataky and their three children live just south of Byron. It's here he retreats to between making movies and television around the world. His kids go to school locally. He plans to get them and their school mates eventually volunteering in the kitchen at Fletcher Street. ...................... Chris Hemsworth with volunteers Julie Ross and Rhonda Whelan. Picture by Karleen Minney Chris Hemsworth with volunteers Julie Ross and Rhonda Whelan. Picture by Karleen Minney "I moved here about 10 years ago and fell in love with the place and like everyone was shocked to hear about the issue of homelessness and how prominent it is here," he said. ...................... "I heard about the work Fletcher Street Cottage and Louise were doing and was motivated to get involved and contribute." ...................... The NSW government recently provided emergency funding to the cottage. Hemsworth hopes that translates into ongoing support. ...................... " [NSW Minister for Homelessness] Rose Jackson has agreed to give some government support and funding, which is great," he said. ...................... "But it still requires a lot of involvement from the community, including people who are in a position to help, like myself." ...................... Hemsworth says he's learnt a lot from his involvement, including that the homeless, those living on the edge, do not always fit the stereotype - something repeated across the country during a cost of living crisis. ...................... "I've heard stories from the team here about the people who are in the shadows and how there is a certain shame or guilt that comes with it," he said. ...................... "They're living in cars and various places ... still taking kids to school, still trying to seek work or going to work, but living out of the back of a car. And so it's not just the obvious cases." ...................... Click above to learn more about Byron Bay's Fletcher Street Cottage. ...................... An alarming report released on Monday reveals the homelessness crisis is not easing - and children are suffering. ...................... The new Homelessness Australia data shows that more than 76,000 children under the age of 18 sought help from homelessness support services across the nation annually. ...................... Almost 16,000 of them were alone - unaccompanied by a parent or care-giver - and many were fleeing family violence, abuse or neglect. ...................... A further 19,833 children were turned away from support services without being provided any assistance at all, a result of what Homelessness Australia says is the "severe lack of resources and overwhelming demand faced by the sector". ...................... "As a dad, as a human being, for all of us, it pulls on our heartstrings in a very dramatic way," Hemsworth said. ...................... "My parents spent their working career in child protection and I was always inspired by the work they were doing and also found it incredibly heartbreaking. "Those formative years as kids are the foundation of who we are as people, our opinions of ourselves, the world around us. If that period is not spent in a safe environment, with love and support, the ripple effect is catastrophic." ...................... Hemsworth wants more people like him who are in a better financial position to help fix homelessness. Picture by Karleen Minney ...................... That takes him back to his first point: fixing homelessness is a collective responsibility. ...................... "We as human beings have a responsibility to each other, we have a responsibility to take care of one another, to be kind, to be compassionate," he said. "We don't always do the best job at that, but when we do we can have a profound, positive effect." ...................... Not everyone at the cottage knows Chris as the actor. Julie Ross, who lives on a nearby macadamia farm and volunteers once a week in the cottage kitchen, had no idea he was someone famous. She's just happy to lend a hand and give a cheery hello to whoever walks through the door. ...................... Anonymity is something that suits Hemsworth just fine. He wants to be part of the community and, here, he can be just Chris. ...................... "It's why we moved here," he said. "I lived in LA for probably 15 years and had kids and it got very chaotic as far as the paparazzi went. People travel there from all around the world to go and sightsee celebrities. So we moved here to fly under the radar and I've found that we've had a great relationship with the local community here. ...................... "The paparazzi pop up occasionally but it's nothing like the States. And it's just a beautiful place. There's a magnetic pull here that runs deep. It certainly feels like home now and I feel very fortunate and grateful to live here." ...................... Fletcher Street Cottage volunteers Rhonda Whelan and Julie Ross. Picture by Karleen Minney ...................... Retired occupational therapist Rhonda Whelan, 64, has lived in Byron for 40 years and also volunteers at the Fletcher Street Cottage. ...................... She's seen a lot change and things become harder for families. The median house price, for a start, is $2.8 million. ...................... "My own children and my friend's children, who are now grown up, can't afford to live in the town where they grew up," Mrs Whelan said. ...................... "And that's very common among my peers. Their children have no expectation they will be able to buy a house here. ...................... "It's very sad, we can't keep teachers. I'm an OT and when I retired, it was very difficult to fill my position. Those middle-range professionals can't even afford to come here. It's a real problem." ...................... While the image of Byron Bay is of carefree backpackers and Instagram models, Mrs Whelan says it also has a strong bedrock of community. Something that Hemsworth feels too. ...................... "We still love it here," she said. "I love that we have such fantastic facilities in a beautiful environment. But that, of course, comes with challenges because so many people love it here and that has changed the real estate situation." ...................... And, as Mrs Whelan notes, Hemsworth may just be the successor to Strop. ...................... "In the old days we had John Cornell and Delvene Delaney [the once long-time owners of the Byron Bay Beach Hotel] and they were the previous Hemsworths and they were really gorgeous contributors to the town."

THE EXTRAORDINARY COSTS INVOLVED IN BEING GOVERNED LOCALLY