September 26, 2024 • 16 mins
It took two of his mates to be evicted from their rental, for Tilba's Chris Scroggy to decide more needs to be done to reduce homelessness. So where are the speedhumps on finding truly effective solutions?
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
High are Far South Coast. This episode is getting down
to the nitty gritty of the very real crisis of
being homeless on the far South Coast, rising rant's ongoing
cost of living pressures and wages seemingly out of sync
with inflation. Get a I'm James fantasy. A lot of
South Coasters would know a bloke by the name of
(00:22):
Chris Scroggy. He's been working in hospitality for the last
twenty years and while he runs a place in central
Tilburn now, many will know him from his time as
owner of the Quarter Deck in Nroma. Chris is one
of those people who's fed up with the bureaucratic bs
around addressing homelessness, and he's become a man of action.
After trying to find a place for two of his
(00:43):
friends to live their pensioners have been evicted from their property,
Chris realized he could do more, and he's now getting
daily requests from those sleeping rough in the Urubidella, many
of who have been moved on from local caravan parks
and have no clue where to go.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
Myself and a guy called Wi Culpert went out to
the caravan park at Mystery Bay and it's now run
by a private company or the homeless people they've moved
them on. Now, I've reached out to a social worker
who I can't name. We had a meeting with him
and he knew about these people being moved on brick
(01:21):
and I met him and I said, well, where did
they move on to? And he strickt his fingers in
the air and he said, just out there in the bush.
You can't see. And they're all hiding in the bush.
And now we've got women by themselves in the bush.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
And that's the trend across New South Wales and here
on the Far South Coast, women over fifty now make
up the highest proportion of the homeless. There are some
projects in the works to try and help the housing
and homeless issue in our region, like the transition of
the old Bigger Tape into almost one hundred social and
affordable dwellings, but Chris says in general, all levels of
(01:54):
government aren't doing.
Speaker 2 (01:56):
Enough with bucks on the state state pass of the
back onto the federal and so I just said, now
I'm not talking to any of you.
Speaker 3 (02:03):
I've had it.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
And then to have these elderly Australians who paid tax
all their lives and something in their life has sadly happened.
These are not losers, These are not ex drug addicts
or alcoholics. These people have a normal life. One day
and it gets turned upside.
Speaker 1 (02:18):
Down and Chris thinks there's better ways we could be
investing in Australia.
Speaker 2 (02:22):
But Easy has given Above You and New Guinea six
hundred million for a football team. We have all witnessed
since the fire is such a great waste, and yet
I think it was Bateman's day basically to the border
we lost a thousand houses and yeah, we gave one
hundred and fifty million to Vietnam for carbon reduction. I'm
sick of this wasting money.
Speaker 1 (02:42):
Chris and he's mate Rick are now well focused on
an option to address the homeless situation in the Urubadella Shire.
And it all started when Chris's friend sadly passed away
and donated him a caravan.
Speaker 4 (02:55):
Now we've reached out to some local tradees and we've
restored this band and it's going down west of the Rumor.
I believe somewhere to help me, a young person in
trouble living out of a car, what I'm asking for
reaching out to you right at this moment is if
you can find it in your heart, if you're a
trainee or someone who's pretty handy, do a bit of cleaning.
Speaker 3 (03:18):
Because Reck and I we're going to parlay.
Speaker 4 (03:22):
This idea and we're going to get some more caravans
in because sadly there are so many people that are
living in cars. If you can help in any way,
you can find the compassion in your heart to donate,
so you know, to pay for materials. If you've got
a caravan, but you'd like to donate providing we can
restore it.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
You know it's going to go to a good home.
Speaker 4 (03:44):
We want to keep this rolling, guys, and if you
can help in any way, we'd be very very appreciative.
Speaker 1 (03:51):
It's amazing work by Chris and Rick, but providing caravans
and crisis accommodation to those in need is not a
new idea. The Social Justice at the of the Sapphire Coast,
also known as the sja have been doing it since
twenty eleven. Mc brosnan is the convener of the Housing
Homelessness subgroup with the SJAA and he says the homeless
(04:12):
situation is as bad as it's ever been along the coast.
Speaker 3 (04:15):
I've had three phone calls this week for people seeking
access to our units or a caravan. This is a
constant thing that's happening these days, and I would suggest
that two thirds three quarters of these people are single,
older women.
Speaker 1 (04:32):
As he said right then, Mick is seeing the same
trend as Chris more single older women needing support. He
says there are a few reasons for that, but sadly,
a key one is domestic violence.
Speaker 3 (04:44):
Every now and then someone will have lost a job
which has changed their circumstance, and therefore they want help.
The other circumstances, leaving the domestic violence aspect, is that
people's rentals are being taken away from them. A landlord
has for them back and given them a time flame
to lead. But usually these women are single women, single,
(05:08):
middle aged to older women.
Speaker 1 (05:09):
Finding crisis accommodation for locals isn't new territory for Mick
and the SJAA. They were key players in finding accommodation
for those who suddenly found themselves homeless after the Tarthar
and Black Summer bushfires.
Speaker 3 (05:22):
We concentrated on trying to support people to gain some
dignity back on their properties. Now since then, with the
building prices just dramatically increasing and the rental supply of
rentals disappearing and the cost of rentals massively increasing, the
demand is just huge at the moment. I'll give you
(05:43):
an example. Mission Australia last month had to close their
doors to taking new referrals for four weeks because they
were so overworked. Now. Misson Australia is one of the
two significant homeless housing providers in our Shire and that's
a contract they have, so when they have to close
due to pressure due to work pressure, that's an indicator
(06:04):
of how things are going. And we were told that
that was the first time in eight years they've ever
done that well.
Speaker 1 (06:10):
The social justice Advocates of the Safire Coast work with
service providers like Mission Australia, Welways and Anglicare to ensure
those receiving a caravan are getting the follow through support
to get on with their lives, like signing up to
center Link or assisting with the paperwork around applying for
a rental or getting a bond together. The aim of
(06:31):
getting these people into a caravan or a unit isn't
to have them stay there forever, but to provide a
springboard to more stable options.
Speaker 3 (06:39):
People can stay in those units for up to six months,
and in that time they can take a deep breath
and with the support of the service providers, try to
find a rental, a long term rental or a longer
term rental.
Speaker 1 (06:53):
From what I'm hearing, even for a person who's not homeless,
just someone who's looking to move, it's not easy to
find a rental right.
Speaker 3 (07:00):
Now, it's not easy at all. Even I do believe
was to plead the worse in the state in terms
of rental availability, and that was only very recently, in
the last week. But yeah, it's very difficult. But then
you get the price factor on top of that. And
these service providers know the ins and outs of what's
available for people, what financial support is available as well
(07:22):
as legal and other support. They are very o say
with what's available and how to obtain it. And that's
essential for people like all of us. If we're not
in the game, we don't know enough. So these people
help are very very important.
Speaker 1 (07:38):
If you're impacted by domestic or family violence, you can
call one eight hundred respect anytime. That's one eight hundred
seven three seven seven three too up next we hear
more about the great work the Social Justice Advocates of
the Sapphire Coast are doing and some of the challenges
they're facing.
Speaker 4 (07:58):
I are fast out high Ah, Far South Coast.
Speaker 1 (08:05):
Welcome back, James Fantasy here with you. We're chatting about
the homeless situation here on the Far South Coast and
those who are trying to make a difference, like Tilber
local Chris Scroggy, as well as mc brosnan and the
Social Justice Advocates of the Sapphire Coast, also known as
the sja The SJAA has been servicing the Bigger Valley
for more than ten years now and it runs purely
(08:27):
off community donations. They now have a fleet of twenty
five caravans across the shire and eight movable crisis dwellings
in Bigger and Pambula, with a combined capacity of around
sixty From all of those dwellings, only one caravan is
currently available and the inquiries continue to flood in. Mc
brosnan says it's hard to see the wait list getting
(08:50):
any shorter.
Speaker 3 (08:51):
Without any doubt. It's been the trend since the fires
and since we got back out of COVID. It is
the norm. We've spent hours a week. Whatever, it's just
it takes a lot of time, he says.
Speaker 1 (09:04):
The sjaa's two bedroom emergency crisis units with a fully
self contained kitchen and bathroom can be assembled and ready
within a week.
Speaker 3 (09:13):
We buy them through a company same day granny flats
in Wyom, Northern City. They are transported down here. They're
offloaded on a tilt truck and once they are delivered,
we will have them open operational within a week. And
that's with a veranda and roof, which we add on
because it's more protection and the veranda gives just a
little more space and a better entry.
Speaker 1 (09:36):
But the weird thing is the SJAA has capacity to
build more of these granny flats in order to help
more people, but there are a few things standing in
their way.
Speaker 3 (09:46):
What we need to do is encourage our council to
come along, be proactive and join with us and get
more of these units out on private property. That's what
our aim is.
Speaker 1 (09:59):
Mix well, it's helped in some ways, Council ultimately isn't
coming along for the ride.
Speaker 3 (10:05):
We have asked council several times to institute a local
government ordinance or act that would enable these to be
open as second dwellings on a private property. That's what
we're after. On the fifth of April twenty twenty three,
the general Manager declared that the RIGA value is in
the midst of a housing crisis. That's a quote he
(10:28):
made that statement, which was co signed by the Director
of Planning. Now, on the basis of that, I would
like to counsel to respond to a crisis with legislation
which they can introduce themselves. Can be done. I've been
through this with them, so that we can have more
flexibility in housing people, particularly the crisis transitional housing. There
(10:53):
are many supports in terms of social and affordable housing.
There are a number of projects underway, the revamp of
the take College in Viga, the housing from the Eden
golf course, and like a project in raw Ands and
Street Bega. There will be social and affordable housing there.
But I'm talking only social justice advocacy is only considering
(11:15):
and trying to help people who are homeless or at
risk of homelessness. So we would like the council so
look at a local government act that would cater for
our crisis.
Speaker 1 (11:26):
Yeah, and make it sounds like that's one of your
main challenges. How is that hamstringing you at the moment
in terms of not having that legislation through council.
Speaker 3 (11:38):
It's hamstring us by the fact that we can't have
more units out there. We know people are prepared to
share their property and we have capacity to house more
people in this shire, but we just are being steinied
by limitations in the council's flexibility. Council says it's up
(11:58):
to the state government to change their legislation. Sure, the
state government is reviewing the legislation, but regardless of that,
the Council has the ability to themselves make the decision
to be more flexible. We know that because of other
state councils in New South Wales.
Speaker 1 (12:17):
So if council has the ability to make this change,
why aren't they doing it. Mix says Council need to
adopt a new approach.
Speaker 3 (12:24):
Crisis housing needs freed and not planning for five years
and then in five years time the units will be
built by developers. We need things today. I don't want
people living in caravans. I want our councilors to drive
a program that will have us living in at least
moveable dwelling, at least manufactured home rather than caravans and
(12:48):
that's going to take a rethink on how we look
at the current legislation.
Speaker 1 (12:52):
The relationship between Council and the sji has had its moments,
like in the last twelve months when the Social Justice
have It's took Bega Valley Shire Council to court after
a freedom of information request was turned down. Council received
legal advice that the sja emergency crisis units in Bega
did not meet occupancy standards, but when the SJAA requested
(13:15):
to see that legal advice, Council refused.
Speaker 3 (13:17):
It's been a stumbling block because council staff have used
that to block the way forward for our units. They
used that to tell the Council Rulls on thirteenth of
December that they should deny our DA. Fortunately Council Rulls
said no, let's wait, let's not do that now. But
the Council staff recommended refusing our DA for these units,
(13:41):
the units in Biga.
Speaker 1 (13:42):
It was on a third attempt at the New South
Wales Civil and Administrative Tribunal this month that the SJAA
was awarded the right to access that legal advice that
was provided to council to see how it can move
forward and start providing more crisis accommodation across the Beaker Valley.
Speaker 3 (13:58):
Supporting people in our community is all we want to do.
We don't want to take over the world. We just
want to house people. And if it's taken a year
to get access to legal advice, that sort of thing's
going to stop.
Speaker 1 (14:11):
And when will you see the legal advice?
Speaker 3 (14:14):
We hope it might have been sent through automatically, you know,
as a result of this decision, which is not a
decision where it advises as the previous This directs them.
I'm about to send off a formal request for the
legal advice to be sent to me a bigger.
Speaker 1 (14:32):
Valley Shire Council spokesperson says the legal advice that has
been released supports the position that there is no current
legal pathway to approve these particular same day granny flats
in this configuration and installed in such a way under
the Local Government Act nineteen ninety three. Given the previous
resolution of council and the fact the new South Wales
(14:53):
government has not finalized their review, they say staff will
need to prepare a further report to counselors in coming months.
They also say a change in this legislation has potential
for broader implications for other structures across the Beiga Valley.
So watch this space, but we'll leave the final word
on the homeless situation on the far South Coast with
(15:14):
Chris Scroggy from Tilba.
Speaker 2 (15:16):
People going yeah, they roll their right and they shake
their heads. They take another sip of villa ar tame
forget about it. When are we going to stop forgetting
about it and act like Australians like our grandparents did
and look after each other? When aren't we going to
go back to these days again? There was as it
was better, it was better. Let's make it better again.
Speaker 1 (15:34):
Should you or someone you know be facing homelessness, there
is a service you can contact called Link to Home
on one eight hundred one five two one five two.
If you have a caravan, a service or some funds
that can be donated in the urubidella Chris Scroggi can
be found on zero four one nine six nine one
eight five four, or if you're in the Beiger Valley,
(15:54):
reach out to the Social Justice Advocates of the Sapphire
Coast on Facebook, or maybe buy a ticket to their
annual music concert in October a great community event. That's
all for now on Iheartfar South Coast, proudly supported by
the new South Wales Government. I'm James Fantasy. Catch you
next time. iHeart Far South Coast
High are Far South Coast. This episode is getting down
to the nitty gritty of the very real crisis of
being homeless on the far South Coast, rising rant's ongoing
cost of living pressures and wages seemingly out of sync
with inflation. Get a I'm James fantasy. A lot of
South Coasters would know a bloke by the name of
(00:22):
Chris Scroggy. He's been working in hospitality for the last
twenty years and while he runs a place in central
Tilburn now, many will know him from his time as
owner of the Quarter Deck in Nroma. Chris is one
of those people who's fed up with the bureaucratic bs
around addressing homelessness, and he's become a man of action.
After trying to find a place for two of his
(00:43):
friends to live their pensioners have been evicted from their property,
Chris realized he could do more, and he's now getting
daily requests from those sleeping rough in the Urubidella, many
of who have been moved on from local caravan parks
and have no clue where to go.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
Myself and a guy called Wi Culpert went out to
the caravan park at Mystery Bay and it's now run
by a private company or the homeless people they've moved
them on. Now, I've reached out to a social worker
who I can't name. We had a meeting with him
and he knew about these people being moved on brick
(01:21):
and I met him and I said, well, where did
they move on to? And he strickt his fingers in
the air and he said, just out there in the bush.
You can't see. And they're all hiding in the bush.
And now we've got women by themselves in the bush.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
And that's the trend across New South Wales and here
on the Far South Coast, women over fifty now make
up the highest proportion of the homeless. There are some
projects in the works to try and help the housing
and homeless issue in our region, like the transition of
the old Bigger Tape into almost one hundred social and
affordable dwellings, but Chris says in general, all levels of
(01:54):
government aren't doing.
Speaker 2 (01:56):
Enough with bucks on the state state pass of the
back onto the federal and so I just said, now
I'm not talking to any of you.
Speaker 3 (02:03):
I've had it.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
And then to have these elderly Australians who paid tax
all their lives and something in their life has sadly happened.
These are not losers, These are not ex drug addicts
or alcoholics. These people have a normal life. One day
and it gets turned upside.
Speaker 1 (02:18):
Down and Chris thinks there's better ways we could be
investing in Australia.
Speaker 2 (02:22):
But Easy has given Above You and New Guinea six
hundred million for a football team. We have all witnessed
since the fire is such a great waste, and yet
I think it was Bateman's day basically to the border
we lost a thousand houses and yeah, we gave one
hundred and fifty million to Vietnam for carbon reduction. I'm
sick of this wasting money.
Speaker 1 (02:42):
Chris and he's mate Rick are now well focused on
an option to address the homeless situation in the Urubadella Shire.
And it all started when Chris's friend sadly passed away
and donated him a caravan.
Speaker 4 (02:55):
Now we've reached out to some local tradees and we've
restored this band and it's going down west of the Rumor.
I believe somewhere to help me, a young person in
trouble living out of a car, what I'm asking for
reaching out to you right at this moment is if
you can find it in your heart, if you're a
trainee or someone who's pretty handy, do a bit of cleaning.
Speaker 3 (03:18):
Because Reck and I we're going to parlay.
Speaker 4 (03:22):
This idea and we're going to get some more caravans
in because sadly there are so many people that are
living in cars. If you can help in any way,
you can find the compassion in your heart to donate,
so you know, to pay for materials. If you've got
a caravan, but you'd like to donate providing we can
restore it.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
You know it's going to go to a good home.
Speaker 4 (03:44):
We want to keep this rolling, guys, and if you
can help in any way, we'd be very very appreciative.
Speaker 1 (03:51):
It's amazing work by Chris and Rick, but providing caravans
and crisis accommodation to those in need is not a
new idea. The Social Justice at the of the Sapphire Coast,
also known as the sja have been doing it since
twenty eleven. Mc brosnan is the convener of the Housing
Homelessness subgroup with the SJAA and he says the homeless
(04:12):
situation is as bad as it's ever been along the coast.
Speaker 3 (04:15):
I've had three phone calls this week for people seeking
access to our units or a caravan. This is a
constant thing that's happening these days, and I would suggest
that two thirds three quarters of these people are single,
older women.
Speaker 1 (04:32):
As he said right then, Mick is seeing the same
trend as Chris more single older women needing support. He
says there are a few reasons for that, but sadly,
a key one is domestic violence.
Speaker 3 (04:44):
Every now and then someone will have lost a job
which has changed their circumstance, and therefore they want help.
The other circumstances, leaving the domestic violence aspect, is that
people's rentals are being taken away from them. A landlord
has for them back and given them a time flame
to lead. But usually these women are single women, single,
(05:08):
middle aged to older women.
Speaker 1 (05:09):
Finding crisis accommodation for locals isn't new territory for Mick
and the SJAA. They were key players in finding accommodation
for those who suddenly found themselves homeless after the Tarthar
and Black Summer bushfires.
Speaker 3 (05:22):
We concentrated on trying to support people to gain some
dignity back on their properties. Now since then, with the
building prices just dramatically increasing and the rental supply of
rentals disappearing and the cost of rentals massively increasing, the
demand is just huge at the moment. I'll give you
(05:43):
an example. Mission Australia last month had to close their
doors to taking new referrals for four weeks because they
were so overworked. Now. Misson Australia is one of the
two significant homeless housing providers in our Shire and that's
a contract they have, so when they have to close
due to pressure due to work pressure, that's an indicator
(06:04):
of how things are going. And we were told that
that was the first time in eight years they've ever
done that well.
Speaker 1 (06:10):
The social justice Advocates of the Safire Coast work with
service providers like Mission Australia, Welways and Anglicare to ensure
those receiving a caravan are getting the follow through support
to get on with their lives, like signing up to
center Link or assisting with the paperwork around applying for
a rental or getting a bond together. The aim of
(06:31):
getting these people into a caravan or a unit isn't
to have them stay there forever, but to provide a
springboard to more stable options.
Speaker 3 (06:39):
People can stay in those units for up to six months,
and in that time they can take a deep breath
and with the support of the service providers, try to
find a rental, a long term rental or a longer
term rental.
Speaker 1 (06:53):
From what I'm hearing, even for a person who's not homeless,
just someone who's looking to move, it's not easy to
find a rental right.
Speaker 3 (07:00):
Now, it's not easy at all. Even I do believe
was to plead the worse in the state in terms
of rental availability, and that was only very recently, in
the last week. But yeah, it's very difficult. But then
you get the price factor on top of that. And
these service providers know the ins and outs of what's
available for people, what financial support is available as well
(07:22):
as legal and other support. They are very o say
with what's available and how to obtain it. And that's
essential for people like all of us. If we're not
in the game, we don't know enough. So these people
help are very very important.
Speaker 1 (07:38):
If you're impacted by domestic or family violence, you can
call one eight hundred respect anytime. That's one eight hundred
seven three seven seven three too up next we hear
more about the great work the Social Justice Advocates of
the Sapphire Coast are doing and some of the challenges
they're facing.
Speaker 4 (07:58):
I are fast out high Ah, Far South Coast.
Speaker 1 (08:05):
Welcome back, James Fantasy here with you. We're chatting about
the homeless situation here on the Far South Coast and
those who are trying to make a difference, like Tilber
local Chris Scroggy, as well as mc brosnan and the
Social Justice Advocates of the Sapphire Coast, also known as
the sja The SJAA has been servicing the Bigger Valley
for more than ten years now and it runs purely
(08:27):
off community donations. They now have a fleet of twenty
five caravans across the shire and eight movable crisis dwellings
in Bigger and Pambula, with a combined capacity of around
sixty From all of those dwellings, only one caravan is
currently available and the inquiries continue to flood in. Mc
brosnan says it's hard to see the wait list getting
(08:50):
any shorter.
Speaker 3 (08:51):
Without any doubt. It's been the trend since the fires
and since we got back out of COVID. It is
the norm. We've spent hours a week. Whatever, it's just
it takes a lot of time, he says.
Speaker 1 (09:04):
The sjaa's two bedroom emergency crisis units with a fully
self contained kitchen and bathroom can be assembled and ready
within a week.
Speaker 3 (09:13):
We buy them through a company same day granny flats
in Wyom, Northern City. They are transported down here. They're
offloaded on a tilt truck and once they are delivered,
we will have them open operational within a week. And
that's with a veranda and roof, which we add on
because it's more protection and the veranda gives just a
little more space and a better entry.
Speaker 1 (09:36):
But the weird thing is the SJAA has capacity to
build more of these granny flats in order to help
more people, but there are a few things standing in
their way.
Speaker 3 (09:46):
What we need to do is encourage our council to
come along, be proactive and join with us and get
more of these units out on private property. That's what
our aim is.
Speaker 1 (09:59):
Mix well, it's helped in some ways, Council ultimately isn't
coming along for the ride.
Speaker 3 (10:05):
We have asked council several times to institute a local
government ordinance or act that would enable these to be
open as second dwellings on a private property. That's what
we're after. On the fifth of April twenty twenty three,
the general Manager declared that the RIGA value is in
the midst of a housing crisis. That's a quote he
(10:28):
made that statement, which was co signed by the Director
of Planning. Now, on the basis of that, I would
like to counsel to respond to a crisis with legislation
which they can introduce themselves. Can be done. I've been
through this with them, so that we can have more
flexibility in housing people, particularly the crisis transitional housing. There
(10:53):
are many supports in terms of social and affordable housing.
There are a number of projects underway, the revamp of
the take College in Viga, the housing from the Eden
golf course, and like a project in raw Ands and
Street Bega. There will be social and affordable housing there.
But I'm talking only social justice advocacy is only considering
(11:15):
and trying to help people who are homeless or at
risk of homelessness. So we would like the council so
look at a local government act that would cater for
our crisis.
Speaker 1 (11:26):
Yeah, and make it sounds like that's one of your
main challenges. How is that hamstringing you at the moment
in terms of not having that legislation through council.
Speaker 3 (11:38):
It's hamstring us by the fact that we can't have
more units out there. We know people are prepared to
share their property and we have capacity to house more
people in this shire, but we just are being steinied
by limitations in the council's flexibility. Council says it's up
(11:58):
to the state government to change their legislation. Sure, the
state government is reviewing the legislation, but regardless of that,
the Council has the ability to themselves make the decision
to be more flexible. We know that because of other
state councils in New South Wales.
Speaker 1 (12:17):
So if council has the ability to make this change,
why aren't they doing it. Mix says Council need to
adopt a new approach.
Speaker 3 (12:24):
Crisis housing needs freed and not planning for five years
and then in five years time the units will be
built by developers. We need things today. I don't want
people living in caravans. I want our councilors to drive
a program that will have us living in at least
moveable dwelling, at least manufactured home rather than caravans and
(12:48):
that's going to take a rethink on how we look
at the current legislation.
Speaker 1 (12:52):
The relationship between Council and the sji has had its moments,
like in the last twelve months when the Social Justice
have It's took Bega Valley Shire Council to court after
a freedom of information request was turned down. Council received
legal advice that the sja emergency crisis units in Bega
did not meet occupancy standards, but when the SJAA requested
(13:15):
to see that legal advice, Council refused.
Speaker 3 (13:17):
It's been a stumbling block because council staff have used
that to block the way forward for our units. They
used that to tell the Council Rulls on thirteenth of
December that they should deny our DA. Fortunately Council Rulls
said no, let's wait, let's not do that now. But
the Council staff recommended refusing our DA for these units,
(13:41):
the units in Biga.
Speaker 1 (13:42):
It was on a third attempt at the New South
Wales Civil and Administrative Tribunal this month that the SJAA
was awarded the right to access that legal advice that
was provided to council to see how it can move
forward and start providing more crisis accommodation across the Beaker Valley.
Speaker 3 (13:58):
Supporting people in our community is all we want to do.
We don't want to take over the world. We just
want to house people. And if it's taken a year
to get access to legal advice, that sort of thing's
going to stop.
Speaker 1 (14:11):
And when will you see the legal advice?
Speaker 3 (14:14):
We hope it might have been sent through automatically, you know,
as a result of this decision, which is not a
decision where it advises as the previous This directs them.
I'm about to send off a formal request for the
legal advice to be sent to me a bigger.
Speaker 1 (14:32):
Valley Shire Council spokesperson says the legal advice that has
been released supports the position that there is no current
legal pathway to approve these particular same day granny flats
in this configuration and installed in such a way under
the Local Government Act nineteen ninety three. Given the previous
resolution of council and the fact the new South Wales
(14:53):
government has not finalized their review, they say staff will
need to prepare a further report to counselors in coming months.
They also say a change in this legislation has potential
for broader implications for other structures across the Beiga Valley.
So watch this space, but we'll leave the final word
on the homeless situation on the far South Coast with
(15:14):
Chris Scroggy from Tilba.
Speaker 2 (15:16):
People going yeah, they roll their right and they shake
their heads. They take another sip of villa ar tame
forget about it. When are we going to stop forgetting
about it and act like Australians like our grandparents did
and look after each other? When aren't we going to
go back to these days again? There was as it
was better, it was better. Let's make it better again.
Speaker 1 (15:34):
Should you or someone you know be facing homelessness, there
is a service you can contact called Link to Home
on one eight hundred one five two one five two.
If you have a caravan, a service or some funds
that can be donated in the urubidella Chris Scroggi can
be found on zero four one nine six nine one
eight five four, or if you're in the Beiger Valley,
(15:54):
reach out to the Social Justice Advocates of the Sapphire
Coast on Facebook, or maybe buy a ticket to their
annual music concert in October a great community event. That's
all for now on Iheartfar South Coast, proudly supported by
the new South Wales Government. I'm James Fantasy. Catch you
next time. iHeart Far South Coast
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