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.

//////////////////////////////////////

 

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

 

LAUNCESTON TOWN HALL AND THE HOEMELESS INDUSTRY

 

The homeless industry

SADLY, what homeless people are experiencing has turned into an industry. A charitable industry maybe, nonetheless, it thrives on our collective political and social failures.

Governments rely on charities being there to deliver relief to the victims of their investment-driven economic strategies.

Ever-rising property prices depend upon the lack of supply, and people's inability to get into the housing market fuels this. Yes, that is right. Too many find themselves on the streets sleeping rough.

Statistics tell us who is wealthy, by how much, and by what taxes they are avoiding. Moreover, the gap between the haves and have-nots seems to grow exponentially.

Homeless people's dependence on crumbs from the tables of the well-off is troubling.

Start the conversation

Have your say.

Leave a comment below and let us know what you think.

Where the rubber hits the road locally, gap closing is not an idea the self-nominated representatives are inclined to broker. You see, they all have investments to protect, as do those who ask them to 'represent' them.

It is well past time for a reality check

YES MINISTER BARNETT AND!?

 

LAUNCESTON TOWN HALL'S ANT-DEMOCRATIC SHINANIGANS

A councillor breaching a code of conduct protocol would be laughable but for the serious issues that are not being openly discussed. When it comes to political shenanigans, local governance is where you will find a goodly amount of it. 

On this occasion the comedy is not because of some silliness and a broken rule, it is because the shenanigans we get to see tells ratepayers about the democratic dysfunctionalism that costs them so very much. 

Dysfunctional systems tend to create and give dysfunctional people their daily bread and a reason for being. Real celebrities know that if they play the numbers game sooner or later they must face the depressing fact that their number is up and the only place they can go is down. With some councils in Tasmania in recent years that has happened in bulk. 

The greatest fall from grace is not in the failing, it is in the refusal to learn from the failures, the dysfunction, the delusion. Looking at the outcomes, self-nomination is a worry. 

Everyday life and the ordinary has become so complicated that ratepayers are very often overwhelmed by the realities they are forced to deal with. In local governance the ordinary becomes twisted and distorted and our self-nominated self-important and mostly undistinguished representatives seem only capable of representing their need for sustenance and importance. 

To get noticed and maintain a meal ticket all too many representatives will turn up to cut a ribbon while entertaining delusions of adequacy. 

For a very long time there have been many writers who have warned us about the complicated forces that would shape contemporary life and here we have it in the here and now and on show at Launceston's Town Hall. 

All this tells us a lot about those cliches that are there saying … the tail is wagging the dog ... they are trying to walk both sides of the street as do drunken sailors ... they know the cost of everything and the value of nothing ... etc. etc. etc.

In all this there is absolutely no mention whatsoever about the cost of this action to the ratepayers – those supposedly being represented. To be so bold as to suggest that the actual cost along with the hidden costs adds up to much more than say the cost of holding a real life community consultation event looking at how to alleviate homelessness for instance. One might well ask how come and why?. 

However, homelessness is another subject Launceston's self-nominated elected 'representatives' along with the people on council's management team shies well clear of. Why? 

If there is an issue that matters, let us have it out in open council and let us hear to pros and cons out loud and in clear air. Then let the represented make their judgements. At a guess, our self-nominating representatives, with their cunning agendas as likely as not, will be quite circumspect about the prospect of any of that sort of thing. 

Apart from being very expensive these in camera code of conduct hearings tell us nothing worth knowing that shouldn't or couldn't be deliberated upon out in the open. What appears to be mostly at risk here is the truth of the matter. 

Truth is like gold, you can only get it once you have washed away everything that is not gold, the rubbish, the untruthful. More to the point, once you win it, the gold, or the truth, it is not discarded wantonly, and it seems to stick. 

Here we have a situation crying out for representatives with the wherewithal to say what needs to be said and likewise managers with the will, life experience and the expertise to defend the appropriateness of their actions, and advice if they are indeed appropriate and backed up by expertise. 

Thinking long and hard on all this, the prospect of meaningful change would be best considered on some very cold day in Launceston that was the hottest day ever when hell is at risk of freezing over. 

JJ Bower

TINY HOMES AND STUMBLE STONES

"Tiny homes

Just recently, there have been a lot of comments about tiny homes. Some councils say there has been no change in the regulations, but contrary to what they say, there must have been. By the time the councils and possibly the government get through with all the regulations, building, sewage and various other permits, it really isn't worth the hassle. I know one young person who got the OK to put one on a block, but when they did, the council had a different attitude by the time they would have to jump through all the hoops. It just was not worth it, so she sold it. We hear how the councils and the government are sympathetic to the homeless, but when it is all boiled down, they are only interested in the almighty dollar. It's no wonder there are a lot of homeless people living in tents, but it's only a matter of time before the council will give them a permit. That's if they haven't already done so. They say Australia is a free country - I say bulls**t. ... ALLAN SLATER - RAVENSWOOD"

Elsewhere in Australia Local Govt is working to remove the stumble stones that get in the way people finding affordable and more appropriate housing for increasingly diverse communities. It tuns out that, and unsurprisingly in so many ways, in Launceston for instance any challenge to the same old, same old, there'll be resistance to brokering change. Why is this so?

Might it be because 'the people's' representatives are actually self nominated, and that immediately puts their ability to 'represent' in peril. If we think about it, they are actually seeking permission to represent themselves and their world view when putting themselves forward.

More to the point, they go on to appoint a management to do their bidding for them and in turn the fawning managers, who wish to preserve their high salaries and status, are willingly do whatever and then everything in the garden is just rosy.

Well, all is rosy until the represented ask to do something, like live in a tiny house, that is not in the interest of the self nominated and 'elected' cohort of 'deciders' and their enforcers.

In communities where 'the people' are enabled to represent themselves this cannot happen and generally the people live in places that fits, and developed to fit, their collective needs. However, such communities are identified as being "primitive" – primeval even with an emphasis on the 'evil' syllable. So, we are all left to wonder about what/who is in fact "evil" in all this – if we dare to go there.

 

LAUNCESTON'S RESORCE WASTEFULNESS AND LANDFILL

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3u0mvTc3uvU

Natural infection with highly pathogenic avian influenza virus H5N1 in domestic pigeons (Columba livia) in Egypt ... https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24861170/

Seagulls are moving more into urban areas — risking an outbreak of bird flu Seagulls are notoriously pesky about seeking human food — but bird flu exposure poses a public health threat    By MATTHEW ROZSA Staff Writer ... https://www.salon.com/2024/01/26/seagulls-are-moving-more-into-urban-areas--risking-an-of-bird-flu/

AND THEN THERE IS THE RISK OF BIRD FLU 

VIA LANDFILL & SEA GULLS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3u0mvTc3uvU

When getting rid of seagulls, practical traps and repellents are the best options to utilise to ensure the birds are repelled from your property. Falconry, anti-bird spikes, parallel wires, bird netting, bird gels, decoy kites, and lasers are all effective in ridding seagulls from your property. Even the most ardent bird lovers admit that seagulls are, at best, a nuisance, and at worst a threat. There is a multitude of ways that you can repel seagulls away from your property and ensure that the birds will stay away.

LAUNCESTON TOWN HALL'S HOLLOW RHETORIC WELL & TRULY CALLED OUT

HOMELESS AUSTRALIA VIDEO LINKS

In 2017, Strike It Out founder Kirsten Ritchie had the idea to help combat homelessness in Launceston after seeing homeless people "starving" on the streets.

She claims her charity now needs more council support. 

At the Roundhouse at Invermay in Launceston, a trailer with seven sleeping pods for people experiencing homelessness sits empty. Strike It Out's founder says this is due to the lack of proper council permits. 

A group of tents housing about 12 homeless people stand near the sleeping pods and a trailer with portable showers. 

Ms Ritchie says the City of Launceston Council told her she couldn't operate her sleeping pods and portable showers without proper safety permits. 

"I asked if this [drain] was a mixed stormwater and sewerage drain in Invermay. It is grey water and shower water. What is the problem?" Ms Ritchie said. 

In a June 13 meeting, councillors voted to endorse the Homelessness Statement of Commitment, which outlines how the council plans to deal with the ongoing issue of homelessness. 

The council responds City of Launceston Mayor Matthew Garwood said initiatives, including what Strike it Out is proposing, require written proposals, as with any request for ratepayer-funded assets: risk and safety assessments and compliance with relevant legislation and other Tasmanian laws. 

READ COUNCIL'S RHETORIC CLICK HERE

"The council has expended significant time and resources in repeated - and so far unsuccessful - efforts to work collaboratively with Strike It Out and ensure these basic requirements are met to allow the proposal to progress," Cr Garwood said 

"The council will continue to work alongside community organisations and all levels of government to take collective action to support those experiencing homelessness, and our door is always open to Strike It Out to discuss these important issues in a collaborative and considerate spirit." 

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. 

Ms Ritchie said people without homes desperately need a shower and an available bed to sleep in. 

"It's heartbreaking when I have to refuse people on the phone saying, 'Sorry, we've got seven empty beds here, but we can't help you," Ms Ritchie said. 

"Why should we have all this infrastructure built that was kindly donated by people in our community who have helped to make this happen just to be sitting there doing nothing." 

 Launceston Church Grammar School have been fundraising for Strike It Out to raise funds for the sleeping pod program, Ms Ritchie said. 

She said the council has met with her and told her that homeless people can no longer stay in the Invermay area due to flood risks. 

"How many more businesses are being developed here in the Invermay area? We're mobile, and we will come down, and we can take everything out of here if we have to at any time." 

Ms Ritchie claims the council says they are concerned about the homeless people sleeping in the area but "haven't done enough to help them". 

"They haven't come down here and told the people they're worried about them, or they don't wish for people without homes to be down here." 

The charity founder said she asked the council about alternative solutions and said the homeless people she manages "have nowhere else to go". 

Tents of homeless people in the Roundhouse at the Northern Inveresk Carpark, off Forster Street, Invermay, Launceston. Picture by Paul Scambler More security on the ground Additionally, The Strike It Out founder says people experiencing homelessness need secure storage for their belongings and better security on the ground.

"These people are vulnerable enough; they're at the bottom; there's no more bottom than where they are. 

"For their mental health and well-being, if we can help to give them some security, and give them a place where they can get their mental health into a better state. That's a good starting point," Ms Ritchie said. 

Some people experiencing homelessness in Invermay are women and children who have had to escape family violence, according to Ms Ritchie. 

"Why should a mother and children have to flee the home and leave with their belongings and have to start all over again, from scratch, when the perpetrator is allowed to stay in the house? "Put an anklet bracelet on the perpetrator and remove them. 

"[Homeless] shelters are all full; they're turning away eight women and kids a day." 

 Ms Ritchie says she is encouraging people without housing to use their skills and engage in carpentry and other workshops in Invermay "rather than just sitting around with nothing to do and wasting time."

BETTER HOUSING IS ACHIEVABLE

 

FORWARD: This kind of CULTURALlandscaping is unlikely to be achievable in Launceston given that the city's current MANAGER OF DEVELOPMENT holds fast to the belief that, quote, "cultural landscaping is a noun not a doing word". Thus a 'development' such as this would be received with distain and the developer most likely would seek another 'place' to realise their vision.

The status quo is evidence of this bureaucratic imperative at work. Moreover, the city has land under its aegis that could/SHOULD be utilised for such a purpose and thus go some way towards alleviating some of the city's housing pressures.

However, given that by extension Councillors and most likely Executive Management – and other politicians and bureaucrats as well – have skin in the game by way of investment in the 'property market', hell might freeze over before they will countenance the community investing in itself and disrupting their investment strategies.

Then there are those decision makers who advocate that there is a RIGHT time for everything and who go on to say that NOW is neither the RIGHT or a GOOD time for this or that. However, NOW we must do nothing because it is neither the RIGHT or GOOD time, thus NOTHING right now is all good because nothing is required of us right now.

SO, Devonport's Enrich Ventures looks like a DEVELOPMENTabomination that needs to be bureaucratically circumvented in order to protect the status quo. Whatever it is that people suffering HOUSINGstress need to do, this 'development' is a signal that the status quo is as USA's President Ronald Reagan said ... "simply Latin for the mess we are in".

SO, pick up your pitch forks and axes and attack the status quo remembering that its defenders have nothing of substance in their arsenal except bluff!

If as Gandhi said when a law is unjust change it! Here, if an administration is demonstrably unjust change it! That might mean changing personnel or it might equally mean changing the personnel's mindsets. Whatever, be a CHANGEagent NOW!

Some home quotes to be going on with ... “Home is a shelter from storms, all sorts of storms.” ... “No matter who you are or where you are, instinct tells you to go home.” ...“Peace, like charity, begins at home.” ... “Home is any four walls that enclose the right person.”

FROM THE MERCURY: ... More than six years after it was first proposed, and despite projected cost blowouts, construction for the ambitious plan to turn the Devonport Showgrounds into a “village inside a city” is expected to start in 2025.

Developer Simon Want, who is the founder of Enrich Ventures, bought the 10ha piece of land from the Devonport Pastoral and Agricultural Society in 2019 for an undisclosed amount, with the sale finalised in 2022.

The site previously hosted the Devonport Show until it was axed in 2017, as well as greyhound and harness racing meets.

There is currently no racetrack in the region after plans to build a facility at Wesley Vale near the Devonport airport were scrapped due to cost blowouts.

The first development application for the project at the showground is before the Devonport City Council.

The masterplan for the Devonport Showground redevelopment. Picture: Supplied.

If approved, it would allow Mr Want to divide the land into 15 “super lots” and start engaging with potential specialist partners for wraparound services at the location.

The site has been home to the Devonport Farmers Market for around two years, which Mr Want said he had been using as an opportunity for community engagement.

“We’ve been jokingly saying that we’re building the community before we’re building the community,” he said.

“It sounds a bit silly for a developer to run a farmers market, but for us, it’s been wonderful because it’s actually allowed us to meet the real North-West and the real Devonport.

“The families and individuals that come to the market, and those that seem to be expressing interest in the project, want to get involved not just in the homes but in the community activities that are going to be there.”

Mr Want said he believed the project would help alleviate the housing issues in the region.

“Demand for homes in the region is still really high here.

“We haven’t really had abatement in prices, rental costs or demand for specialist housing like aged care, NDIS or anything like that.

“We’re still having very high engagement with the community and specialist groups that want to bring housing to the site.

“We’ve still got a long line of people that are waiting, very patiently, for us to deliver homes on the site.”

While he did not provide an exact amount, Mr Want said he expected the number of homes on site to be in the hundreds.

The development is also expected to include parks, childcare services, a health precinct, offices, retail, community spaces and an “urban farm”.

When first conceived in 2019, the project was projected to cost around $75 million.

Melbourne developer’s $75M housing proposal takes shape
“Prices have obviously escalated a lot on the cost side, and we haven’t done a recalculation of it,” Mr Want said.

“It will be well in excess of $100 to $150 million; it could be even higher than that.”

simon.mcguire@news.com.au

MORE HOLLOW RHETORIC OUT OF LAUNCESTON'S TOWN HALL

LINK TO THE DOCUMENT

A document that will influence how those sleeping rough in Launceston are treated by the council is due to be formally ratified. [ SO, what is this document's utility?]

The Homelessness Statement of Commitment, yet to be formally endorsed, outlines in broad terms how the council plans to deal with the ever-present issue of homelessness. . [ SO AGAIN, what is this document's utility?]

The draft statement - criticised by Homelessness Advisory Committee chairman Tim Walker as lacking teeth - was put out for public consultation in March. . [ SO, who was engaged with in this process]

The final document is back before the City of Launceston council. . [ SO AGAIN, what is this document's utility?]


Barring some minor tweaks, such as substituting acting chief executive officer Shane Eberhardt's name in for Michael Stretton's in the preamble, the document is substantially the same as the draft endorsed in February. [AGAIN, what is this document's utility and what has changed for those dealing with housing stress since Februrary?]

This divides the potential actions that can be taken into seven guiding principles, which are:

Changing the narrative [From what to what?]
Engaging the community [How?]
Facilitating cohesive services [How?]
Striving towards prevention [How?]
Data informed decision making [Who is collecting the data and who are the decision makers?]
Advocating [What as opposed to what?]
Transparency and accountability [How will that be delivered?]
Start the conversation [The conversation with whom and how?]
Have your say. [How can citizens have a say when their comments are mitigated by management and the elected representatives are overruled?]
Leave a comment below and let us know what you think. [????]
Be the first to comment [????]
Many of these are open-ended, like "building trust and rapport" with the community and seeking "to have a seat at the table in best practice of preventive measures for homelessness". [SORRY this is hollow rhetoric?]

However, others are much more clearly delineated. [How?]

These include developing a multi-year budget for homelessness programs and services, publishing periodic reports and action plans, and developing a system to track the progress and effectiveness of council programs. [WOW ... What about a HOUSING POLICY in place of status quo rhetoric?]

In a statement at the start of the document, mayor Matthew Garwood said the guiding principals would allow the council to "act strategically ... with a person-centred, dignity-first focus". [Is this va case of truth by assertion when considered against the contorary evidence?]

"While this is our first step in this area, it is an important one," Cr Garwood said. [WOW ... Look ahead for more status quo rhetoric?]

"As we move forward, it's vital for the council and community to show empathy and understanding as we continue to work collaboratively together." [WOW ... What about a Citizens Jury/Assembly to enable the cooperative and collaborative community effort?]

In agenda papers for the council meeting on June 13, when the statement is set to be endorsed, council officers said the budget for the 2024-25 financial year includes $190,000 for homelessness-related activities. [WOW ... Compare this sum with Executive Salaries. WHAT KPI will be put in place to ensure that these ratepayer funds are being used appropriaitely ?]

This is split between $140,000 in operational costs, like maintenance of portable toilets for homeless residents to use, and $50,000 for the "adoption of action items in the statement of commitment". [WOW ... More status quo rhetoric?]