Wynnum renters, including those in caravan parks, fear for the loss of their local tenant advice service. (Wynnum Herald 5-9-12)
Click here to read the article on page 4.
Tag Archives: qldpol
Concerns issued from Premier’s electorate
Hot of the press, a Tenants’ Union client expresses her alarm a the discontinuation of funding for tenant advice services. Reprinted from the Quest’s Westside News.
Government’s commitment to funding social housing patchy
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?
One response from the Housing Minister’s office
A supporter has asked for her conversation with the Housing Minister’s office about tenant advice funding to be posted here. The emails have been cut and pasted to make them show in conversational rather than emailed order. Continue reading
How do you rate the Premier’s response on talkback?
The Premier did talkback on local ABC station 612 with Steve Austin this morning. He go two questions about the discontinuation of the Tenant Advice and Advocacy Program but we’re not sure he actually answered the questions. See for yourself.
To listen, click on the link below Press play and drag circle inside the player timer to 10.15. This is where the first of the two back to back questions start.
Listen here 
Comments from Central Brisbane MP, Robert Cavallucci, way off the mark
Misinformed and somewhat offensive, Central Brisbane MP Robert Cavallucci talks about how the attitude of ‘unless the government pays for it, a service won’t be provided to the community’ is why the Tenant Advice and Advocacy Service (TAAS) program had to be cut. He must be completely unaware that TAAS is funded mainly from the interest generated on tenants’ bonds. This money in now being appropriated by government for its own purposes. See his comments in this hot off the press article in Village News New Farm Fortitude Valley. To read the article click here, then head to page 3 or the publication.
Tenant advice and tenant participation cuts – Mackay makes the links
The Mackay/Whitsunday region shared concerns over the loss of their tenant advice service as well as the social housing Tenant Participation program. Read the article here
Advice cut okay – Toowoomba real estate agent
A Toowoomba real estate agent didn’t think it was so bad that tenant advice services were being slashed when the decision was made in July (read the article here) .
Unfortunately for tenants, the services of the Residential Tenancies Authority are just not the same, something which was apparent to the local resident who commented on the story. And without advocates the whole industry will become unbalanced.
Interesting to note as well, the local MP quoted, Trevor Watts, was the one who responded to a letter outlining concerns about the loss of the tenant advice program with, ‘I would like to acknowledge and thank you for your correspondence regarding TAASQ, dated August 1’. Nothing more, nothing less. Let’s hope some local residents have been meeting with him to explain the importance of our services.
Toowoomba also terrified
We missed this coverage when it first went out. Toowoomba joins in the universal concerns being expressed at the loss of tenant advice services. This report is from their local newspaper, the Chronicle.
Click here to read the article.
Comments from a Wynnum local
This was such a good comment from Mary S but it was buried down the list of articles on our website so we thought we would put it up as a post. These are Mary’s comments: Continue reading
TUQ coordinator interviewed on the Day of Action
On the Day of Action, the TUQ Coordinator, Ms Penny Carr was interviewed in detail on 4ZZZ’s Brisbane line. She discusses, amongst other things, the differences between tenant advice services and the Residential Tenancies Authority as well as fears that she shares with the industry that the tenancy tribunal will become clogged up when tenants do not have access to advice services.
Frontline, and local, and lost?
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
Send 5 to keep us alive! And win a campaign t-shirt!
We’re launching our new postcard campaign and here’s what we’re hoping you’ll do to help us.
We want you to recruit 5 friends or family members to send off postcards to the Premier and the Housing Minister to seek funding reinstatement. To get the postcards, you only need to email us at [email protected] and tell us how many postcards you want and if you’d like them posted or emailed to you. And of course you’ll have to get your friends to put stamps on them. We’re going to give a free Save Tenant Services t-shirt to the first two supporters who tell us they’ve got 5 people to send the postcards in! You might have noticed the shirts in photos on our site.
We still want you to write letters to your local MP, the Housing Minister and the Premier, these are very effective, but our postcard campaign is about getting more people involved in our campagin to seek funding reinstatement for the Tenant Advice and Advocacy Program. To see the postcards in full size continue reading.
Video from the Premier’s postcard drop!
Finally we’ve got some video from the Day of Action Brisbane event – we met in the park, walked to thePremier’s electorate office, made a bit of noise then delivered our postcards. (Video shot by Tim Seelig)
Minister continues to misunderstand tenant advice program
At the Tenant Advice and Advocacy Services’ day of action protesting funding cuts are (front from left) Brett and Cheryl Kettlewell of Blackstone, and (rear from left) Arlene Lewis, co-ordinator of Tenant Services Ipswich, and Helen Parcell of Eastern Heights.
The Minister’s comments show he misunderstands that more people will end up homeless and in need of social housing if he withdraws the tenant advice and advocacy program which keeps people adequately and safely housed in the private rental market Continue reading