The following press release was issued today by the Tenants’ Union of Queensland. You can view it directly on their website by clicking here.
In another blow, Queensland tenants may be left without a representative voice in the current review of tenancy law.
The Tenants’ Union of Queensland (TUQ) has been making representations to the Queensland government for specific funding to ensure tenants’ interests are represented as the current review of tenancy law progresses through next year. However, no response has been received, and the TUQ now fears there will be no independent, specialist tenant voice in these debates.
The TUQ’s recurrent funding for policy and law reform work finishes at the end of this month, after the Queensland government’s announcement last October to withdraw funding. Given the review of tenancy laws, the TUQ has pursued specific funding to ensure the interests of tenants are represented.
‘Our organisation has been advising tenants and representing their interests in policy and law reform debates since 1986. With no specialist voice at the table where reforms are being debated, the risk of unbalanced outcomes is heightened, with tenants being the big losers’, TUQ spokesperson, Ms Penny Carr said.
The Property Owners Association, the Real Estate Institute and housing policy advocates will now be left to debate tenancy law review outcomes without adequate specialist representation for tenants.
The cuts to the TUQ will result in the loss of another three positions across the organisation following seven staff being made redundant earlier this year.
These latest cuts will also affect social housing tenants who are facing a raft of changes in government policies in relation to their housing. Like the review of tenancy laws, social housing tenants will be left without adequate representation.
Ms Carr continued, ‘It will be a travesty if there is no funding for tenant views to be represented. Tenant bonds generate millions of dollars in interest annually – just over $36M last financial year and just under$46M the year before. Tenants do not receive any interest back on their bonds and deserve to have some of it spent key issues such as representing their interests in tenancy law debates’.
Whilst the TUQ says it still holds out some hope that funding will come through, redundancies are due to take place in the next couple of weeks. Christmas will be a dismal time for those workers.
In July this year the Queensland government withdrew funding from every tenant advice service in the state. In October the Commonwealth government stepped in with emergency funding to take services through until June. As a consequence tenancy advice will be available for tenants through until then, including over the Christmas period.
Tenants can get advice free from the TUQ’s telephone advice service from:
Mon – Fri 9am-4pm (extended to 7pm on Tues & Wed) by calling 1300 744263
(evening sessions will not be available on Jan 2, 8 & 9)