Save Tenant Services – this has nothing to do with the campaign but we thought we’d have a Zen moment to celebrate this week’s big news and prepare for the next stage of the campaign to solve the long term TAAS funding issue with the State government! (p.s. thanks to the Gillard government for the life line)
Commonwealth to bypass State with TAAS funding – Brisbane Times
Read directly from the Brisbane Times here and make comments at the bottom of the article.
Breaking news – Commonwealth to fund tenant services for another 6 months!
Joint Media Release June 10
THE HON MARK DREYFUS QC MP Attorney-General;
THE HON MARK BUTLER MP Minister for Housing and Homelessness
THE HON SHAYNE NEUMANN MP Parliamentary Secretary to the Attorney-General
CAMPBELL NEWMAN FAILS RENTERS IN BUDGET FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO STEP IN AND SAVE TENANT SERVICE
The Gillard Labor Government today announced it would provide $2.5 million to fund the Tenant Advice and Advocacy Service of Queensland (TAAS) for the continued operation of vital homeless prevention services across Queensland.
Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus QC said the six-month funding agreement would enable 23 local advice and advocacy services to continue supporting Queensland renters and protect local jobs, while the TAAS seeks a long-term funding agreement with the Queensland Government.
“Community legal centres play an invaluable role in delivering legal services to vulnerable members of the community,” Mr Dreyfus said.
“Premier Newman cannot cut funding to organisations like TAAS and expect community legal centres to simply add their work load to the already significant work they do.”
Federal Minister for Housing and Homelessness Mark Butler said Continue reading
Hansard shows Parties urge state to accept $2.5M for TAAS
On June 6 in parliament, members of both the Labor Party and Katter’s Australian Party raised the issue of funding for tenant advice services, urging the Newman government to accept the Commonwealth’s $2.5M funding offer. Read the Hansard record here.
Opposition Leader and member for Inala, Ms Annastacia Palaszczuk (p. 2069 last paragraph), said:
We also call on the government to pick up the phone and accept the federal government’s offer to fund the Tenant Advice and Advocacy Service. The cutting of TAAS funds is more politics from a government that is more interested in pushing Tony Abbott’s barrow than securing real outcomes for Queenslanders.
Later, member for Dalrymple, Shane Knuth (p. 2104 third paragraph), said: Continue reading
Just a small percentage of bond interest needed for TAAS
State rejects $2.5 million from the Federal Government to fund support services for tenants
Reprinted from Courier Mail today. You can read article directly their website here and make comments at the bottom.
The Queensland Tenant Advice and Advocacy Services (TAAS) which supports 500,000 renting households, will cease operation on June 30.
TAAS was described as valuable but unaffordable, despite it being funded from tenant bond interest and not taxpayer dollars.
In hindsight, this decision seems a knee-jerk reaction by a new government looking to make easy savings but as well as being self-funded, the program works predominantly with people in private housing to keep them housed independently.
The work is frontline and local. All of these aspects seem to align with the LNP philosophy, the direction identified by Premier Campbell Newman last year and the Queensland Commission of Audit. Continue reading
Government takes $24M in renters bond interest over 2 years
We’ve been looking the budget. Looks like the government will rip out $24M over two years from the interest generated on private renters’ bonds. We don’t see any funding for tenant advisory services.
Renters are still left out in the cold, but worse, they’re being prevailed on to fund the core government responsibility, not just once through taxes, but a second time through the lose of vital services. See ‘Expenses – grants and subsidies’.
What’s changed for the State Government since last October 3?
Why doesn’t the State Government sign off to take $2.5M from the Commonwealth to help out Queensland tenants battling away in the regions?
Last year the State government was so keen to take money and keep the valuable TAAS program going. At the time, the Minister said, “I’d be delighted to see the Federal Government put up the cash to fund this program and the state government would be more than happy to continue to administer it.”. What’s changed?
Read the State government press release of last October 3 here.
Read the State government press release of last October 3 here.
Tenant Story #4
A client had an appointment at our outreach service and presented to the appointment with her Notice of an Unresolved Dispute from the RTA. She had until 5pm that afternoon to get her claim number in (which you get after you lodge an application in QCAT), otherwise her $1200 bond would be paid out to the other party, the agent.
The client was an elderly lady with numerous health problems and was distressed as she had lodged her QCAT application, Request for Attendance for Hearing by Remote Conference and Application for Waiver of Fees at the local court house, four days earlier and not heard a thing.
The property was in another area but this client was advised by the local courthouse that she could lodge the paperwork at this court house and they would forward it on. She did not get a receipt as she had requested a waiver of fees. Continue reading
Gympie concerns raised
Reprinted from the Gympie Times 31-5-13
Redundant Rocky TAAS worker shares some history
On his last day, Rocky TAAS worker Craig sent us this potted history as he shut the doors for the last time. 
In December 1988 the Queensland Housing Commission offered to make available to Community Organisations participating in Mortgage and Rent Relief schemes a one-off grant to employ a Housing Referral Worker.
The expected duties of the Worker were:
- To assist people locate suitable accommodation in the private rental market;
- To assist people obtain Commission bond guarantees, rent relief and long term accommodation;
- To assist with tenancy law advice;
- To assist those in crisis with practical support.
Our first Housing Referral Worker was Ron Leeks with the then auspicing organisation of Rockhampton Family Emergency Accommodation Programme (FEAP).
In July 1991 the Housing Referral Worker Programme became the Housing Resource Worker Programme with the newly formed Department of Housing and Local Government. When Ron moved on to greener pastures he was replaced with Keith Mansfield and around 1996-97 the programme auspice was transferred to CQ Consumers Association at the request of the SAAP service, FEAP.
I joined in 1998 as Keith’s relief worker and did my first block of training in tenancy law at the Tenants Union of Queensland offices in Teneriffe, and what trendy offices they were
Over the years I’ve gone from relief work to part time work to full time, guess I always was a sucker for punishment. It is with great sadness that I have to oversee the closure of a service that has worked tirelessly for almost 25 years, I’ve had to bin and shred documents almost as old as I am.
From all the past workers who have championed the cause of a fair go for tenants in Central Queensland; Ron Leeks, Keith Mansfield, Margaret Whitton, Craig Jackson, Maureen Neal, Leonie Lane, Lyn & Alex Gartlan, Debbie Willebrand and Katelyn Clements; we say…
Fare thee well and good fortune smile upon your future endeavours, the axe is falling and we will cease to be in just over two hours at 12:30 pm local time.
(Editor’s note: the service had to close a month early because Craig found a new job. After 14 years he was made redundant but has no access or right to a redundancy payout. It is a far cry from the Premier’s comments last year the all public service redundancies were voluntary and everyone got big payout. Wrong on both counts in this case)
Rocky TAAS closes while State sits on $2.5M funding offer to continue services
Rocky TAAS says goodbye
Losing their last trained worker and without funding security after June 30, the challenges were just too big for the Rockhampton TAAS. If the State accepted the $2.5M offer of funding from the Commonwealth, maybe tenants there would still have access to specialist tenancy advice. Here’s a final message from Rocky TAAS
Federal funds boost service for vulnerable tenants – QT
Reprinted from the Queensland Times Ipswich May 28 by Joel Gould
THE Ipswich Regional Advocacy Service (IRASI) is set to receive an extra six months of funding from the Federal Government to continue its work providing advice and advocacy services to vulnerable tenants.
Blair MP Shayne Neumann said the government would provide a $2.5 million life-raft to the LNP State Government to keep the Queensland Tenant Advice and Advocacy Services (QTAAS) going so long as it was accepted by the Premier Campbell Newman.
Mr. Neumann said the State Government’s decision to defend QTAAS was “hanging like a black cloud over the head of this vital local service”.
IRASI’s contract ends next month on June 30 and Mr. Neumann said “the decision by the LNP State Government has been short-sighted, legally senseless and economically irrational.
“This service is recognized as a core state and territory responsibility with every other jurisdiction in Australia funding tenant advice and advocacy services,” he said.
“Every day the dedicated workers at IRASI work hard to help tenants keep a roof over their head and avoid becoming homeless.
“They deserve to know what their future holds.
“QTAAS services are critical in preventing homelessness and supporting vulnerable tenants.”
Minister for Housing and Public Works Tim Mender told The QT recently that the government would be “redirecting funds from TAAS in order to provide additional social housing for our neediest Queenslanders”.
“The services provided by QTAAS are available through other government agencies like the Residential Tenancies Authority, through government-funded programs like Rent Connect and other community organisations,” he said.
Worried in Whitsunday
Reprinted from the Whitsunday Coast Guardian 29-5-13
