Flood help off the hook

CALLS to a Governmentfunded helpline set up for vulnerable victims of the devastating May floods have gone unanswered for months.

The Housing Tasmania information hotline was supposed to help low-income individuals and families affected by the severe flooding access assistance grants for temporary living expenses, essential household items and repair, restoration and cleanup works.

One eligible homeowner told the Mercury she had called the phone line twice a week for the past two months without a response.

The Mercury called the Housing Tasmania 1300 number last week and selected option four for “information regarding the recently announced grants relating to the flood event”.

A recorded message said Housing Tasmania was currently unavailable and said to leave a brief voicemail so someone could call back at a later time.

The Mercury left a message asking if the phone line was being manned but is yet to re- ceive any kind of response.

A spokesman for Housing Tasmania said the phone line was not broken but was only staffed when an event occurred and grants became available.

“Outside of these periods, calls go to a message bank, which staff check regularly and follow up when inquires are left,” he said.

“Personal Hardship and Distress Grant applications for the flood event experienced in Tasmania earlier in the year opened on May 15 and closed on August 15.”

He said no new grant ap- plications could be lodged and Housing Tasmania was liaising directly with applicants for grants yet to be finalised.

An eligible flood victim said while grants were still being finalised the line should be open and calls responded to.

“It isn’t good enough. They’re using Government money,” she said.

“Housing Tasmania has been very difficult to deal with and hasn’t returned any calls.”

The victim is yet to receive an assistance grant and still has two rooms without electricity and plaster hanging from the roof, which was becoming affected by mould.

Opposition police, fire and emergency services spokesman Shane Broad said the Government response was unacceptable.

“If the hotline is not being monitored, then what confidence can Tasmanians have that the Government is prepared for another unexpected flooding emergency?” he said.

“Tasmanians want to know that the Government will respond in their time of need, not for it to leave an import- ant assistance line unattended for months.”

Tenants’ Union of Tasmania spokesman Ben Bartl said it was alarming some tenants may still be waiting for assistance more than six months later.

“It’s disappointing to hear that low-income tenants may have had their messages ignored and have not received the urgent assistance they required following the flooding of southern Tasmania,” he said.

“We call on the Government to review its practices to ensure this does not happen again.”