Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Well, as we've been discussing this morning, Saint Vincent de
(00:02):
Paul's Osnam House. We know that it moved from Stuart
Park to Coconut Grove last year, which was to be
a temporary move until a permanent site was secured. Now,
over the weekend we learned that a development application has
been lodged to extend the current lease to September twenty
twenty nine. The community have gone up until midnight night,
(00:22):
i should say, on Friday, the seventh of November, to
make the public comment on that application. Now joining us
on the line is Saint Vinnie's NT CEO, Rob Latter.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Good morning to you, Rob, Hi Katie. How are you
hoping you had a nice weekend?
Speaker 3 (00:37):
Yeah, really good, hope you did as well. Now, Rob,
thank you.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
First off, how has the service been going in Coconut
Grove From Saint Vincent de Paul's perspective, he has been
going well.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
We're getting up to about one hundred clients third day
coming in. We're obviously providing that wraparound care that we do.
Generally our client's middle A couples and some families. We
have older people there as well, and obviously we look
after their health concerns. We provide food and wrap around
(01:10):
services in partnership with Larache Nation Den, Dilbar Services Australia,
Darwin Legal Services. So the service itself is going well.
We're obviously mindful of our neighbors and we have been
outwardly sending out mail drops and knockdoor knocking to ensure
that what we're providing is an effect our neighbors. And
(01:34):
we're also making sure that the clients are getting back
on the buses and out of Coconut Grow back to
where they're staying.
Speaker 1 (01:42):
Rob How many like in terms of the clients, about
one hundred clients per day. How does that compared to
when the service was in Stuart Park.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
Yes, about the same as the slight drop, but not major.
We generally the clients are using the bus services to
get to us. So yeah, it's it's been good. And
obviously Lark has also been as system with transport as well.
Speaker 1 (02:04):
I know we did just catch up with somebody who
lives in the area who feels quite different, you know,
following on from the news that you are going to
need to stay there until September twenty twenty nine. Well,
first off, maybe give us some detail about how come
Vinie is having to stay there now in Coconut Grove
until twenty twenty nine from your perspective.
Speaker 2 (02:25):
Yeah, So when we first went through this process with
the DCA over a year and a half ago, we
asked for three to five years and the DCA said
they will allow us two years. We always knew that
at some point we're going to have to ask for
(02:47):
extension because negotiations with the Northern Territory government on a
news site is underway. We are expecting announcements by an
Northern Territory government and that should happen early next year.
But at the moment that I mean, we are looking
at a new site. It's a permanent location and we're
have being negotiating for the last year with Northern Territory
(03:10):
to make that happen, and it is progressing. We are
getting there and we expect an announcement early next year.
But not only that, it's not just this simple case
of moving on the house. As you can see when
you drive past, the facilities are temporary. There are dongas
and shelters and things like that. They can be moved,
they're designed to move. But when we get a new site,
(03:33):
we're going to have to happen infrastructure in place before
we move, so that's roading, power, water, sewerage, storm water,
and obviously that needs to be built as well. So
we figured that it's better that we are after this extension. Now.
We don't envisage that we need the full amount of time,
(03:53):
but we just want to make sure there's a bit
of a there's a with construction, there can be delays
and things like that, so we're making sure that that's
factored into it.
Speaker 1 (04:03):
So you're hoping that it won't you won't actually need
the full two years.
Speaker 2 (04:09):
The full three years. We are hoping that is the case,
but we just want to factor in a little bit
of buffer just in case, because I mean, we don't
want to go through this process again.
Speaker 3 (04:19):
Yeah, and I know that people living in there. Yeah,
people living in the area feel a bit the same. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (04:25):
Look, I did speak to a business owner earlier this morning.
She's really quite concerned about the extension. She said that,
you know, the moving of Osnam House from Stuart Park
to Coconut Grove has had an impact. She reckons that
along her street, you know, all the windows of cars
have been broken, that there has been an increase in
anti social behavior. She went so far as to say that,
(04:47):
you know, even when she's called Larakia to try and
get some support that they've said, well, it's not their responsibility.
Speaker 3 (04:53):
She needs to call the police.
Speaker 1 (04:55):
You know. I know there's a few issues there in
what I've just said, but fundament you know, she is
one of the people who've been in contact. We've got
some real concerns. What do you say to those that
are feeling quite worried about this extension?
Speaker 2 (05:11):
So, as I said, we are mindful of our clients.
We our feedback has been you know, and as I said,
we've done mail drops, we have an email and a
call line that people can and give us a call
on and we've we've only had six over the last
year that have responded and we have responded back to
(05:32):
those inquiries. So from our from our feedback, we've had
six thus far and you know, we we will respond
to those when we get them. So we want to
be proactive. Obviously, we've been in the community and taking
out growth now for thirty years with our other facilities there,
(05:53):
and we'll be there long after the Osham House is
moving because we obviously have you know, our other facilities
that work out of there. So we do want to
be good neighbors, and we want to make sure that
our clients are doing the right thing as well.
Speaker 1 (06:07):
And Rob to those that feel as though, you know,
the clients aren't always doing the right thing and that
they are creating further issues. You know, for people in
Coconut Grove and Nightcliff. You know, obviously they need to
call the police if there is a criminal issue, But
are you saying that they can get in contact with
(06:27):
Vinnie's if you know, if you're seeing an onflow of
bad behavior.
Speaker 2 (06:32):
That's that's correct. We and our mail drop it. It
has got the email contact, so we monitor that daily
and as well as I believe there's a phone number
there as well. But we do have the email that
they can email us directly, and we monitor that on
a daily basis to ensure that we are doing the
right thing for our neighbors.
Speaker 1 (06:51):
Rob, is there a bit of a lack of coordinat
coordination across the services, you know, in terms of Larichia
and and Vinnie's, you know, patrolling that area or sort
of keeping an eye on things.
Speaker 2 (07:07):
No, I mean, Lara Kiir are out and about in
that area. Obviously, their head office is just down the road.
They are a proactive on a daily basis throughout Darwin,
so you know they are there, and they do have
their call line that you can ring, and they do
attend from what I see, So yeah, I'm confident that's
(07:30):
still happening.
Speaker 1 (07:31):
Rob, I understand that Vinny's that you guys will you
also have plans I thought for interim accommodation in partnership
with Lara Kiir Nation.
Speaker 3 (07:38):
Where is that up to? Yeah, where's that act?
Speaker 2 (07:41):
So that's the next stage. So we're looking at a site.
We're in negotiations with Northern Churchary Government on that. So
that'll be a facility. There'll be purpose built first stages,
moving on some the house second stages as the start
of the build of accommodation facility that'll have wrap around
services associated with it. But obviously the prime thing is
(08:05):
to find a site and we're very close to being
able to announce a site where an Orlentarify Gump will
be announcing the site. Okay, I suspect that will be
an early next year and then we go from there.
But we know we're mindful of our neighbors. We understand
the impacts that some of our clients may or may
(08:26):
not have. It could be a perception as well, and
that we have our email if people need to contact
us directly and we'll will attend to and talk to
the people about their concerns.
Speaker 1 (08:41):
Now, where is the development at with the old Stuart
Park site.
Speaker 2 (08:46):
Yeah, so at the moment, we're looking at a affordable
housing block there. So we're looking up to about thirty
two one and two bisroom units and we are in
the process of putting an application into Housing Australia for funding.
Speaker 3 (09:04):
For that and it'll be so it'll be more affordable housing.
Is that correct? Or how's that one going to work?
Speaker 1 (09:10):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (09:10):
That's right. So what it is is because of a
charity make sure that we provide affordable housing. We're housing
Tier two housing provider and we would give market rate
minus twenty five percent.
Speaker 1 (09:25):
Yeah right, okay, And so how soon are you expecting
that that one's going to potentially get up and running.
Speaker 3 (09:30):
It sounds like it's still a while away.
Speaker 2 (09:32):
Yeah. Well, again it's the case of once to give
the applications and then then the federal government approving application
and then we go from there. So it can take
a little bit of time, and we definitely want that
up and running because I mean that will help the
housing crisis as well, and it will be you know,
obviously for people that who are doctors, nurses, police and
(09:59):
anyone who looking for housing, even people in hospitality that
sort of thing. We are working but who cannot afford
to get rental property. So we're looking at that market.
Speaker 3 (10:13):
Rob.
Speaker 1 (10:13):
A couple of people just asking if they are able
to get that email that they can get in contact
with you guys about if there is an issue around
the area where vineasy have you got Do you happen
to have that on you?
Speaker 3 (10:27):
That's all right, sorry, follow it up.
Speaker 2 (10:29):
I'm not prepared for I will follow you up. I can.
I can text it through to you.
Speaker 1 (10:33):
Yeah, that'd be wonderful and we'll Yeah, that'd be wonderful
and we will let people know. Rob, Saint Vinnie's nt CEO.
I appreciate your time this morning. Just before I let
you go, though, do we have I know it's the
government's going to be the government's announcement, but have we
got an idea of where the site might be that
OSNOM house is going to move to or is it
(10:54):
really sort.
Speaker 3 (10:55):
Of up in the air at this point.
Speaker 2 (10:58):
It is a negotiation as all. I'll have a bit
of a political bench on this. I'll leave it up
to the NCY government to make that announcement, but it
is close. I suspect you'll hear something early next year.
Speaker 1 (11:13):
All right, Well, Rob, good to speak to you. I
appreciate your time. Thank you very much for joining us.
Speaker 3 (11:18):
On the show.
Speaker 2 (11:19):
Yeah, thank you, Katie, thank you.
Well, as we've been discussing this morning, Saint Vincent de
(00:02):
Paul's Osnam House. We know that it moved from Stuart
Park to Coconut Grove last year, which was to be
a temporary move until a permanent site was secured. Now,
over the weekend we learned that a development application has
been lodged to extend the current lease to September twenty
twenty nine. The community have gone up until midnight night,
(00:22):
i should say, on Friday, the seventh of November, to
make the public comment on that application. Now joining us
on the line is Saint Vinnie's NT CEO, Rob Latter.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Good morning to you, Rob, Hi Katie. How are you
hoping you had a nice weekend?
Speaker 3 (00:37):
Yeah, really good, hope you did as well. Now, Rob,
thank you.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
First off, how has the service been going in Coconut
Grove From Saint Vincent de Paul's perspective, he has been
going well.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
We're getting up to about one hundred clients third day
coming in. We're obviously providing that wraparound care that we do.
Generally our client's middle A couples and some families. We
have older people there as well, and obviously we look
after their health concerns. We provide food and wrap around
(01:10):
services in partnership with Larache Nation Den, Dilbar Services Australia,
Darwin Legal Services. So the service itself is going well.
We're obviously mindful of our neighbors and we have been
outwardly sending out mail drops and knockdoor knocking to ensure
that what we're providing is an effect our neighbors. And
(01:34):
we're also making sure that the clients are getting back
on the buses and out of Coconut Grow back to
where they're staying.
Speaker 1 (01:42):
Rob How many like in terms of the clients, about
one hundred clients per day. How does that compared to
when the service was in Stuart Park.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
Yes, about the same as the slight drop, but not major.
We generally the clients are using the bus services to
get to us. So yeah, it's it's been good. And
obviously Lark has also been as system with transport as well.
Speaker 1 (02:04):
I know we did just catch up with somebody who
lives in the area who feels quite different, you know,
following on from the news that you are going to
need to stay there until September twenty twenty nine. Well,
first off, maybe give us some detail about how come
Vinie is having to stay there now in Coconut Grove
until twenty twenty nine from your perspective.
Speaker 2 (02:25):
Yeah, So when we first went through this process with
the DCA over a year and a half ago, we
asked for three to five years and the DCA said
they will allow us two years. We always knew that
at some point we're going to have to ask for
(02:47):
extension because negotiations with the Northern Territory government on a
news site is underway. We are expecting announcements by an
Northern Territory government and that should happen early next year.
But at the moment that I mean, we are looking
at a new site. It's a permanent location and we're
have being negotiating for the last year with Northern Territory
(03:10):
to make that happen, and it is progressing. We are
getting there and we expect an announcement early next year.
But not only that, it's not just this simple case
of moving on the house. As you can see when
you drive past, the facilities are temporary. There are dongas
and shelters and things like that. They can be moved,
they're designed to move. But when we get a new site,
(03:33):
we're going to have to happen infrastructure in place before
we move, so that's roading, power, water, sewerage, storm water,
and obviously that needs to be built as well. So
we figured that it's better that we are after this extension. Now.
We don't envisage that we need the full amount of time,
(03:53):
but we just want to make sure there's a bit
of a there's a with construction, there can be delays
and things like that, so we're making sure that that's
factored into it.
Speaker 1 (04:03):
So you're hoping that it won't you won't actually need
the full two years.
Speaker 2 (04:09):
The full three years. We are hoping that is the case,
but we just want to factor in a little bit
of buffer just in case, because I mean, we don't
want to go through this process again.
Speaker 3 (04:19):
Yeah, and I know that people living in there. Yeah,
people living in the area feel a bit the same. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (04:25):
Look, I did speak to a business owner earlier this morning.
She's really quite concerned about the extension. She said that,
you know, the moving of Osnam House from Stuart Park
to Coconut Grove has had an impact. She reckons that
along her street, you know, all the windows of cars
have been broken, that there has been an increase in
anti social behavior. She went so far as to say that,
(04:47):
you know, even when she's called Larakia to try and
get some support that they've said, well, it's not their responsibility.
Speaker 3 (04:53):
She needs to call the police.
Speaker 1 (04:55):
You know. I know there's a few issues there in
what I've just said, but fundament you know, she is
one of the people who've been in contact. We've got
some real concerns. What do you say to those that
are feeling quite worried about this extension?
Speaker 2 (05:11):
So, as I said, we are mindful of our clients.
We our feedback has been you know, and as I said,
we've done mail drops, we have an email and a
call line that people can and give us a call
on and we've we've only had six over the last
year that have responded and we have responded back to
(05:32):
those inquiries. So from our from our feedback, we've had
six thus far and you know, we we will respond
to those when we get them. So we want to
be proactive. Obviously, we've been in the community and taking
out growth now for thirty years with our other facilities there,
(05:53):
and we'll be there long after the Osham House is
moving because we obviously have you know, our other facilities
that work out of there. So we do want to
be good neighbors, and we want to make sure that
our clients are doing the right thing as well.
Speaker 1 (06:07):
And Rob to those that feel as though, you know,
the clients aren't always doing the right thing and that
they are creating further issues. You know, for people in
Coconut Grove and Nightcliff. You know, obviously they need to
call the police if there is a criminal issue, But
are you saying that they can get in contact with
(06:27):
Vinnie's if you know, if you're seeing an onflow of
bad behavior.
Speaker 2 (06:32):
That's that's correct. We and our mail drop it. It
has got the email contact, so we monitor that daily
and as well as I believe there's a phone number
there as well. But we do have the email that
they can email us directly, and we monitor that on
a daily basis to ensure that we are doing the
right thing for our neighbors.
Speaker 1 (06:51):
Rob, is there a bit of a lack of coordinat
coordination across the services, you know, in terms of Larichia
and and Vinnie's, you know, patrolling that area or sort
of keeping an eye on things.
Speaker 2 (07:07):
No, I mean, Lara Kiir are out and about in
that area. Obviously, their head office is just down the road.
They are a proactive on a daily basis throughout Darwin,
so you know they are there, and they do have
their call line that you can ring, and they do
attend from what I see, So yeah, I'm confident that's
(07:30):
still happening.
Speaker 1 (07:31):
Rob, I understand that Vinny's that you guys will you
also have plans I thought for interim accommodation in partnership
with Lara Kiir Nation.
Speaker 3 (07:38):
Where is that up to? Yeah, where's that act?
Speaker 2 (07:41):
So that's the next stage. So we're looking at a site.
We're in negotiations with Northern Churchary Government on that. So
that'll be a facility. There'll be purpose built first stages,
moving on some the house second stages as the start
of the build of accommodation facility that'll have wrap around
services associated with it. But obviously the prime thing is
(08:05):
to find a site and we're very close to being
able to announce a site where an Orlentarify Gump will
be announcing the site. Okay, I suspect that will be
an early next year and then we go from there.
But we know we're mindful of our neighbors. We understand
the impacts that some of our clients may or may
(08:26):
not have. It could be a perception as well, and
that we have our email if people need to contact
us directly and we'll will attend to and talk to
the people about their concerns.
Speaker 1 (08:41):
Now, where is the development at with the old Stuart
Park site.
Speaker 2 (08:46):
Yeah, so at the moment, we're looking at a affordable
housing block there. So we're looking up to about thirty
two one and two bisroom units and we are in
the process of putting an application into Housing Australia for funding.
Speaker 3 (09:04):
For that and it'll be so it'll be more affordable housing.
Is that correct? Or how's that one going to work?
Speaker 1 (09:10):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (09:10):
That's right. So what it is is because of a
charity make sure that we provide affordable housing. We're housing
Tier two housing provider and we would give market rate
minus twenty five percent.
Speaker 1 (09:25):
Yeah right, okay, And so how soon are you expecting
that that one's going to potentially get up and running.
Speaker 3 (09:30):
It sounds like it's still a while away.
Speaker 2 (09:32):
Yeah. Well, again it's the case of once to give
the applications and then then the federal government approving application
and then we go from there. So it can take
a little bit of time, and we definitely want that
up and running because I mean that will help the
housing crisis as well, and it will be you know,
obviously for people that who are doctors, nurses, police and
(09:59):
anyone who looking for housing, even people in hospitality that
sort of thing. We are working but who cannot afford
to get rental property. So we're looking at that market.
Speaker 3 (10:13):
Rob.
Speaker 1 (10:13):
A couple of people just asking if they are able
to get that email that they can get in contact
with you guys about if there is an issue around
the area where vineasy have you got Do you happen
to have that on you?
Speaker 3 (10:27):
That's all right, sorry, follow it up.
Speaker 2 (10:29):
I'm not prepared for I will follow you up. I can.
I can text it through to you.
Speaker 1 (10:33):
Yeah, that'd be wonderful and we'll Yeah, that'd be wonderful
and we will let people know. Rob, Saint Vinnie's nt CEO.
I appreciate your time this morning. Just before I let
you go, though, do we have I know it's the
government's going to be the government's announcement, but have we
got an idea of where the site might be that
OSNOM house is going to move to or is it
(10:54):
really sort.
Speaker 3 (10:55):
Of up in the air at this point.
Speaker 2 (10:58):
It is a negotiation as all. I'll have a bit
of a political bench on this. I'll leave it up
to the NCY government to make that announcement, but it
is close. I suspect you'll hear something early next year.
Speaker 1 (11:13):
All right, Well, Rob, good to speak to you. I
appreciate your time. Thank you very much for joining us.
Speaker 3 (11:18):
On the show.
Speaker 2 (11:19):
Yeah, thank you, Katie, thank you.
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