Spotlight on issues of the homeless

The problem of homelessness in Gippsland was highlighted to Shadow Minister for Housing Georgie Crozier when she visited Gippsland last Thursday.

Ms Crozier along with The Nationals member for Eastern Victoria Melina Bath and Nationals candidate for Morwell at this year’s State election Sheridan Bond attended a “think tank” with local service providers.

Gippsland Homeless Network stressed the numbers of people in the region that were homeless, or at risk of homelessness, and reasons for it.

Principal among those, according Ms Bath and a report prepared by the network, was the lack of public social housing, the cost of private rental, rises in the cost of living and higher than average unemployment rates in some areas within Gippsland.

The 2016 Australian Bureau of Statistics population survey ranked Baw Baw shire second behind Latrobe City as the Gippsland municipality with the most people that were homeless of at risk of becoming so.

Ninety people were deemed homeless by either living in supported accommodation, staying temporarily at other households or living in severely overcrowded conditions.

Another 113 regarded as “at risk” of homeless were living in “marginally” overcrowded dwellings, improvised dwelling and caravan parks.

Ms Crozier was told the private rental market was out of reach for many with the GHN finding only one one-bedroom rental in Baw Baw shire that would have been affordable to a person on a low income such as the Newstart allowance.

All levels of government were urged to address the problem that Ms Bath said had worsened in the region over the past four years and with no planning by the State government to address it in future.

At a local level GHN believes municipal councils should identify land to be used for more social and community housing, reduce rates on social housing and cut fees for building applications.

Ms Bath said the “housing crisis” and family violence were responsible for half of the homelessness in Gippsland with other major causes were financial difficulties and transition from custody.

Percentage-wise there were more “rough sleepers” among Gippsland’s homeless, 10.3 per cent, compared to the State average of 7.2 per cent.

The think tank was also used to Homeless Week and its theme “Ending Homelessness Together”.

A man’s vehicle was impounded and his licence immediately suspended when he was detected allegedly travelling at 171 km/hour in Warragul last weekend.

Baw Baw Highway Patrol members allegedly detected the vehicle travelling at 171 km/hour along the Princes Fwy at 3pm on Saturday, July 28.

Police intercepted the 49-year-old male driver who allegedly returned a positive breath test. Police allege a further breath sample recorded a result of 0.106.

The driver’s licence immediately suspended, his vehicle impounded for 30 days and will attend court at a later date.