Category Archives: Commentary

Qld Senator Claire Moore speaks out for tenant advice services

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On September 18, Queensland Senator Claire Moore made a speech to the Australian Senale about the funding cuts to the Tenant Advice and Advocacy Program.  The following is an extract from Hansard.

The Tenant Advice and Advocacy Service offers very important practical services for people involved in rental housing in Queensland. Its services include assisting private rental tenants, public housing tenants, future tenants and members of the general community to understand the rules about being in rented accommodation; to gain confidence to work with the legislation, which is the basis of the process; to help people by assisting them with information and preparation for the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal hearings. It is always a stressful time when you are placed in that kind of situation, but TAAS was there to provide that support and information. Continue reading →

Comments on ‘Life Matters’ piece

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Following on from the piece on ABC Radio National’s Life Matters yesterday with the Queensland Housing Minister and the Tenants’ Union of Queensland’s Coordinator, there have been some interesting comments made on the website.  Like this one from LEO PR :

18 Sep 2012 4:26:52pm
Yes, and as more people rent, and rents go up, the money available for the RTA to invest and spend on the TAAS’s actually went up.

The RTA had a surplus of $10.8 million last financial year. That is, they had $580 million to invest, they achieved a 7.9% ROI (1.9% above what they had budgeted for), for a $45.9m income. They spent $35m, including $4.6m on the TAAS’s (including the TUQ’s 300k). Figures are rounded.

If they had wished, they could have doubled the funding to TAAS’s and still retained an operating surplus

To read more comments, make one or listen to the audio, go to this link.

RTA to withdraw forms from Australia Post outlets

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The Residential Tenancies Authority has started advertising their withdrawal of access to tenancy forms and bond transactions from Australia Post outlets. Access is being withdrawn on the very same day that the entire network of tenant advice services statewide is officially defunded – October 31. From that day, any tenants who don’t have a printer or computer in order to download forms, will have to call the RTA to send them out. Timing is of the essence in most tenancy disputes, some tenants simply won’t have timely access to forms.

Government aims to silence tenants by new axing?

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Queensland will have no funded tenant advocate by the end of the year after government cuts seem aimed at silencing tenants.
Funds for the Tenants’ Union of Queensland (TUQ) to engage in  tenancy law and social housing policy debates were been completely cut in last Tuesday’s state budget.   At the same time, the government is launching a review of both tenancy law and social housing entitlements.

In July, the  government provided three months’ notice of funding cessation to the local/regional tenant advice services across the state, and now funding has been withdrawn for all systemic advocacy and representation of tenants’ interests.

The majority of funds for these services come from the interest generated on tenants’ bonds. Continue reading →

Renters lose as advice services whitewashed from state budget

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500,000 Queensland renting households are the losers in today’s state budget The government failed to reinstated the virtually self funded tenant advice services recently cut, and no replacement program was announced.

At the same time, the government reintroduced stamp duty concessions for repeat home purchasers, acknowledging they will lose $1B over four years in lost revenue.  These concessions are additional to those already in place for first home purchasers.

The first home owner’s grant has been revised and increased, and will provide a $15,000 grant to those who buy off the plan or construct a house or apartment, costing the government $75M by 2013/4 and up to $95M in 2015/16.

The Queensland Treasurer said that Queensland is the best state to buy your own home in.  But it will probably be the worst place to rent in for tenants who will no longer have access to free tenancy advice, which cost a mere $5M per year and are funded mainly from interest generated on tenant’s own bond interest.

The budget papers also announced a review of tenancy laws – no details provided – and social housing entitlements.

Social housing reforms up for review are under occupancy; the introduction of fixed term tenancies for all social housing tenants; stock transfers (and possibly staff) to the community housing sector and a review of rent policy.

Queensland residential renters are clearly the losers in the state budget and it is hard not to be cynical about the motivations of removing tenant advocates across the state at the same time as reviewing these issues.

Will renters get anything in tomorrow’s budget?

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Scales of justiceWhat do you think? Will Queensland renters get anything in tomorrow’s budget?  Repeat home purchasers will have additional stamp duty concessions of around $7,000 on an average priced home reinstated, first home buyers of newly build properties will get a $15,000 grant.

Will tenants get their self funded Tenant Advice and Advocacy Services back?  What are your thoughts?

The wrong solution to the right problem

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This piece is written by Peter Young who is a lecturer in the School of Human Services and Social Work at Griffith University.  He is a former director of policy with the Queensland Department of Housing.

Queensland Housing workers rallied in Brisbane this week to protest against cuts to housing services announced in July by the Housing Minister, Dr Bruce Flegg.

The Newman Government’s decision to de‐fund the Tenancy Advice and Advocacy Services, and to sell off three State owned caravan parks, is akin to dismantling and selling off a fence at the top of a cliff to pay for a portion of a new ambulance at the bottom of the cliff. The shortage of public housing in Queensland matters, but finding relatively small savings through de‐funding preventative housing programs is a self‐defeating approach. Continue reading →

Government’s commitment to funding social housing patchy

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Is it really a government priority to redirect all monies available into the expansion of social housing?

‘Putting a roof over people’s heads’, expanding social housing and reducing the 30,000 household waitlist is the rationale expressed by the Minister for Housing when he cut funding to all 23 Tenant Advice and Advocacy Services across the state and reallocated $5M of tenant bond interest money.

However, has this government applied this priority across portfolios?

Continue reading →

Frontline, and local, and lost?

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We thought it was worth showing this map again. It’s graphic! 

This is where tenants won’t be able to go after October 31 to get advice on things like what the terms of their agreements mean, how to understand their (complex) rent ledgers and receipts, where to get assistance to prepare for a hearing in QCAT or advice on whether demands by their landlord or agent are reasonable or lawful.  These dots also represent places where the Residential Tenancies Authority won’t be able to refer tenants to after Oct 31 (like they do now) unless the government reinstates the program!

Continue reading to see the full size map. Continue reading →