Tag Archives: savetaas

Commonwealth funding update

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You’ll remember we posted before about the Federal FaHCSIA bureaucrats working hard on the funding contracts for tenant advice service and then there was an announcement that the state would administer the funds.  That means the same bureaucrats will be both wrapping up one contract to withdraw state funds, whilst signing a new contract for virtually the same services with the Commonwealth funding.

It was hoped the new contracts would be out by now, given the state funding withdrawal date of October 31 but there seems to have been a delay.  Services do not yet know when agreements will come out or how much their funding will be.  It is a nervous time for tenant advice services and workers.

Next stage of the campaign – we need your ideas

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We know that we’ve been a little quiet lately but the focus has been around the funding

Dear minister letter image
 

arrangements following on from the Commonwealth announcement of emergency funding until June 2013.  Whilst the Commonwealth funding is a welcome relief, there is still a long way to go to regain funding beyond June next year.

Focus on this next step will start soon and we’re asking for your ideas.  What do you think we need to do, what should the next stage of the campaign focus on and how can we work together to regain long term funding for tenant advisory services in Queensland?

Commonwealth emergency funding to be administered by the state

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Tenant advice services across the state just received information that the State government will now administer the emergency funding from the Commonweatlh.  On one hand the state will be wrapping up funding contracts with services whilst on the other signing up new agreements relying on the Commonwealth money.

We’ll keep you updated.

Community radio 3CR covers tenant advice service issues in Qld

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Community radio station 3CR covered the issues surrounding the tenant advice services – the program discontinuation by the state government and the intervention by the Federal government to provide emergency funding – on Stick Together 14-10-12.

Click here to listen to an interview with the Tenants’ Union of Queensland’s Coordinator.  It starts just before the timer gets to half way.

Monte Carlo resident takes court action

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The following was reported in the Quest Brisbane East newspaper on October 17.

Residents of the Monte Carlo Caravan Park in Brisbane’s Cannon Hill are still awaiting their fate. Picture: Liam Kidston Source: The Courier-Mail

Monte Carlo Caravan Park resident Tony Krajniw takes Queensland Government to supreme court over park sale

 

THE controversial proposed sale of the Monte Carlo Caravan Park has hit the Supreme Court of Queensland.

Tony Krajniw, who has lived at the Cannon Hill park for 22 years, has asked for a statement of reason justifying the sale, with the matter due to reappear in front of the courts on November 6.

Mr Krajniw said he would not take the actions lying down after receiving notification from the Government in early August of its intention to sell the site.

“Everyone is sitting back saying that it won’t happen, but I am taking action,” he said.

“I learnt the law six years ago as a greens activist and I am representing myself and doing it on my own without anyone from the caravan park.”

Monte Carlo Residents’ Voice spokesman Michael Edridge, whose group is in discussion with the Government over staying at the site, said Mr Krajniw was not backed by the greater community of the caravan park.

“We spoke to Tony when he said he was going to launch the application and asked him not to but he went forward,” Mr Edridge said. “We have been assured by the Government that any actions by Tony will not impact our discussions.”

Bulimba MP Aaron Dillaway said it was not appropriate to comment on the matter because it was before the court.

Really? On the day he tried to cut TAAS?

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October 31 is the last day the Tenant Advice and Advocacy Service (TAAS) program is funded at a state level following the Queensland Housing Minister Bruce Flegg’s decision to discontinue the program and reallocate the funds.  On that very same day, the National Housing Conference opens at the Brisbane Convention Centre at 8.30am with a speech by Minister Flegg.  A sad irony to say the least.

The Commonwealth government will commence their emergency funding of the TAAS program the next day, preventing Queensland from becoming the only state or territory without any tenant advice services.  On November 2, the Federal Housing Minister, Brendan O’Connor (whose department is providing the emergency funding), addresses the National Housing Conference at 9am.

The defunding of the TAASs by the state government and attempted removal of these important support services for private rental market and social housing tenants casts a shadow over the Conference (particularly as these services were virtually self-funded by tenants through the interest generated on their bonds). Tenants are just not treated equitably.  Three weeks before announcing the defunding of TAAS, the Queensland government reintroduced stamp duty concessions for repeat home purchasers, costing the government $250M annually in lost revenue.  Reducing these concessions by just 2.5% would cover the entire cost of the TAAS program.

The Secretary General of the International Union of Tenants (IUT) is a keynote speaker at the National Housing conference .  The IUT considers Australian tenancy laws weak when compared to other developed countries.  Had it not been for the actions of the Federal government, Queensland tenants’ relatively weak rights would have been further compromised without access to any advice to ensure they are respected.

October 31 – November 2 will be strange days indeed.  If you’re interested in the National Housing Conference program you can see it here.

Minister to face budget questions today

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As we mentioned the other day, October 18 is the state budget estimate hearings for

From Qld parliament website

the Housing portfolio. That means the Minister for Housing will face questions from the opposition parties about the budget allocations in an open hearing process. We’re keen to hear if he gets any questions about the tenant advice service cuts and his decision to re allocate these monies even though they come from tenants own bond interest.

It’s like another tax on tenants!

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In fifteen days, the state government withdraws all funding from tenant advice services in the state even though they’re funded mainly from the interest generated on tenants’ bonds.  Luckily the Federal government has stepped in to provide emergency funding until the end of June next year.  The Federal Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs have been working very hard to get funding sorted out before the state withdraws its money on October 31.  The state government’s withdrawal of funding  like imposing an additional tax on tenants.  We still have an argument to win to get back tenant bond interest for tenant services, but thanks to the Feds at least we’re hear to run it!

West End happy about the reprieve

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The Westender reported on the Federal government emergency funding, which means the local tenant advice service can remain open and available to tenants in the area for the next eight months.  Let’s hope we can turn around the decision by the state government by then and keep all the 23 Tenant Advice and Advocacy Services, including the Tenants’ Union of Queensland, funded passed June 2013.

Read the article from the Westender here.

Progress on emergency Federal funding

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We heard there’s been some very busy bureaucrats in the federal Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA) this week. They’ve been working out how to pay out the Gillard government’s emergency funding to the network of tenant advice services and the Tenants’ Union before the state government funding is cut at the end of October. Apparently very good progress has been made but there’s still a bit of work to do yet.

Relief on the Atherton Tablelands

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Reprinted from The Tablelander, 9 October 2012, by Nikki Taylor

An eleventh hour Federal Government funding announcement has saved the Tableland Tenancy Advice Service, for now at least.

Late last week the Gillard Government said it would provide a $3.3 million emergency funding lifeline for the Queensland Tenant Advice and Advocacy Service, which offers advice and advocacy services to tenants across the state.

On July 24, Premier Campbell Newman announced all 23 services, including the Atherton office, would be scrapped as of October 31. Atherton TTA worker Marita Romano said the team was “thrilled” with the announcement which will see interim funding in place until July 2013. Continue reading →