The Ignorance Of Housing

For the past few years, Housing Department tenants, nearby tenants, guests and visitors have complained to NSW Department of Housing with many issues:

• Drug Dealing

• Drug Use

• Tenancy Issues

• Aggressive/Violent Tenants

• Tenants forcing other tenants to do crime - Some tenants have forced other tenants to conduct illegal activities from within their own premises. To refuse, results in death or being beaten close to death.

• Tenants forcing others to do crime against other people - Some tenants are forcing other tenants to conduct crimes against members of the public and Housing residents.

• Numerous - There's many legal and illegal activities occurring in this area of Housing properties.
There have been numerous complaints from members of the public and Housing tenants. The Housing Department continues to ignore pleas of help from tenants and non-tenants. Only recently, they've begun taking notice.

Within the coming weeks, Dept of Housing has organized a barbecue lunch for tenants who live in the problematic areas. Tenants have named it 'Dog Day'. Meaning: The BBQ is just an excuse for tenants to dob each other in. The same tenants feel: whoever attends the BBQ are the people who have been dobbing them in.

One tenant said "I keep to myself, yet there's always some sort of complaint made about me. I can't understand why they won't keep to themselves and stay out of other people's lives. But, I will be watching from afar, so I can confirm if those are the people who've been causing me problems".

The Department of Housing thinks they're doing the right thing by all tenants, when they're not. They're actually causing more problems for their tenants. Most Housing Dept tenants love their privacy, they do not like outsiders interfering with the way they live their lives.

Unfortunately, Housing's intervention has come too late. Many individuals and families have been affected by their inaction. Members of the public are now taking it to the streets and advertising on location-based applications, such as: Spraffl. Spraffl was created for the community to post various activities, such as:

• Advertising Events

• Advertising Public Announcements

• Advertising Problematic Locations.

• Observations of what goes on in a certain location.

• Numerous - Complaints, Compliments and more...

The Dept of Housing's inaction doesn't stop there, it has expanded to other areas within the Hunter Valley. After Celia helped some of the tenants with their issues, she began creating things that would help all tenants. Then, she was contacted via the Facebook site, about a couple of tenants who had been suffering from similar problems. It is for reasons like these, that Celia began helping tenants and creating such sites like Duty of Care Petition for all Australian residents and tenants. And, the Facebook page where she was contacted by Australian's needing similar help.

Housing didn't set up the properties properly, they've housed the wrong types of people with each other or the wrong age group. Each of these, takes a toll - common sense should have been used when housing people. This is where the assessing part is needed, to assess which tenants need Housing and where. Once they have sorted out this problem and organized where tenants should be placed, only then can society begin to feel safe and for tenants to have the knowledge of knowing that they have been housed with people who may share similarities.

Location:Mayo Street,Jesmond,Australia

Public Announcement: Australian Federal Election

Occasionally, I support certain campaigns - local, national and international.
On Saturday 7th September 2013, Australians will be entering the ballot booths to elect the next Prime Minister and party. Many agencies and organizations are campaigning against or for certain causes. Everyone can make a difference, here's how....




There are three ways you can make a difference in the next 24 hours:

1. Forward the below email to those you know. It includes everything voters need to know about Tony Abbott's plan to reset the clock on our rights at work.

2. Call 5 friends, workmates or family members who haven't made up their minds yet. Many people are still deciding who to vote for, so give some people you know a call and ask them to support a local candidate who will defend our rights at work.

3. Go and Vote. With an unprecedented number of seats coming down to the wire - your own vote has never mattered more.

The Australian Unions Campaign:


Dear friend,

There's a lot at risk for us this election, but with our nation's media and the parties' campaigns focused elsewhere, it's easy to miss.

Tony Abbott has already announced important rights for workers he will eliminate or scale back if elected, such as:

1. Threatening penalty rates and award conditions;

2. Reintroducing individual contracts that cut take-home pay;

3. Swinging more power back in favour of employers;

4. Decreasing the ability of unions to represent workers; and

5. Weakening the independent umpire.

And now with a very real risk that Tony Abbott and the Liberals will have total control in the Senate - he could go even further.

Click here to find out more about each of these five points, and share our handy infographic with your family and friends too so they know Abbott can't be trusted with their rights at work.

http://www.australianunions.org.au/5reasons

This election, we have a choice: a future where we value rights at work and invest in jobs; or a future dictated by the interests of big business.

It’s clear which side of that equation Tony Abbott falls down on. The policy he has committed to this election leave us in no doubt the Coalition is caving to the demands of big business. The five points listed above are just the beginning.

The Australian Unions Team

A Peacock @ Blackbutt

Taken at Blackbutt Reserve NSW, Australia.

Map Coordinates:
Latitude: -32.931800842
Longitude: 151.684600830

**Posted using BlogPress from Miss C.M's iPad Mini**

Petition for Australian's

All countries have had problems with their economy, education, employment, unemployment, crime, health and housing/accommodation. Some have certain services which benefit their residents, while there are many countries who don’t.

Unfortunately, the stigma which is attached to Housing Dept properties and their tenants is not ignored not forgotten by society. Though with the new changes and landscaping, the morale of tenants have increased with the property conditions. The television show ‘Housos’ portrays many of the tenants who reside within Housing’s properties. This use to be the case, until the new changes came into affect. There are still many residences which have been forgotten and are in dire need of repair or problems with need resolving.

On the 12 August 2011, the Australian Centre for Independent Journalism published an article about the NSW Department of Housing, in which it states “Public housing tenants are taking matters into their own hands – and a recent ruling by the Consumer, Trader and Tenancy Tribunal (CTTT) could mean Housing NSW is legally liable if it ignores complaints about abusive, disruptive and dangerous tenants”. Yet there are so many reports which have gone unnoticed or have been ignored.

A Newcastle NSW resident, Celia recently created a petition to the Consumer, Trades & Tenancy Tribunal and the Registrar of Community Housing to make the NSW Department of Housing give ‘Duty of Care’ and to take action on the following problems which affects Housing Tenants and Members of the Public:

- Repairs and maintenance on all housing owned buildings and properties.

- All complaints received by tenants.

- All complaints received by members of the public.

- All complaints received about any and/or all tenants.

- Giving ‘duty of care’ to their tenants.

- Giving ‘duty of care’ to any community which surrounds their properties or buildings.

- Giving ‘duty of care’ to members of the public.

- Conduct a re-evaluation of tenants and their current circumstances.

- Conduct an assessment of tenants and their eligibility to continue to be housed.

- Conduct a psychological evaluation before deciding where to place certain people. Eg. A single, childless man with severe mental problems (who is not hospitalised), should not be housed near families, schools, parks and areas where children occupy.

- Protect and house those who’ve actually asked for it.

- Protect and house those who’ve been accepted for transfer.

Celia Stated

The idea first appeared when I began having problems while visiting a couple of NSW Housing Department tenants, where I was abused by a neighbouring tenant. I know there are many tenants who not only suffer from physical disabilities, but also mental. Some of these people began threatening other tenants, their carers and visitors. These people then complained to Housing, who did nothing. There were many different occurrences and some of them were daily (still current), Housing’s inaction has put many lives in danger.

After trying new location-based applications, I noticed there were other members of the same community who were having their own problems. This is what led me to creating the petition and its connected networks. It may not be anonymous but standing together as a community who is sharing a common goal, should make Housing see that we all need help and that their inaction has not gone unnoticed”.

The petition has been created for everyone and anyone to sign, it will then be given to the Consumer, Trader & Tenancy Tribunal, the Registrar of Community Housing and the NSW Department of Housing. Anyone can add/join/post/share their location of concern and Postcode on the Facebook Page and/or on the Petition.

If the above links/URL’S are not accessible:

Petition: http://www.change.org/en-AU/petitions/consumer-trader-tenancy-tribunal-and-registrar-of-community-housing-make-the-nsw-department-of-housing-give-duty-of-care
Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/DutyOfCare

**Posted using BlogPress from the Desk of The Hunter Citizen**

Application: Community Against Crime

There are many citizens who witness a crime but do not always come forward with their information. Although there's an option to report crime anonymously, some people fear the consequences of their actions. But if a crime were committed against you, you'd want some protection and to know that you'll be safe.

I have recently downloaded and experienced and application called Community Against Crime. It gives all users the opportunity to share and/or report crime in their local area, by submitting it through the application for CAC members to report. They only use the information on which you have provided and they may contact you for further information. Eg. "What colour was the car?" or "Do you know the house number of the street in which you have provided?".

From what I have experienced, this application is Australian-based and it probably won't help if you live outside of the country - unless you have witnessed something which occurred within Australia. It is still possible for overseas users but is not garuanteed, as there is a lot of CCTV footage available on the web and you may witness something.

This is a great application to keep up-to-date with crime in your local area, it is also a great way to help your community.

The Following information has been copied from the application. The developers and staff have provided the information on all of their websites and anything related.

The Program was developed to assist people in reducing crime. Police do a wonderful job but they cant be everywhere. With our program we can pass information on to the community about crime and what to look out for e.g; scams, theft, burglary's, smash and grabs etc. Any information that comes back to us will be handed to police.

We believe if you see a crime in your street but only managed to get the colour of the car for example, someone in another street may have the make & model. When you send an email to us with any suspicious behaviour in your area, we would place it in our newsletter and on our website for other members to see. This increases the chance of getting more information for the police, and increase the chances of solving the crime. Another example would be if your home was broken into you would let us know asap and we would alert those members with CCTV to check their data base for any suspicious vehicles etc, as burglars usually drive around the area and even door knock before doing the crime.

Community Against Crime is a FREE program for the community. We are still in our early days and need as much support as possible. If you would like to have Community Against Crime program in your area or you could volunteer, please feel free to contact us.

Contact and Social Networks:

Community Against Crime iTunes App

Community Against Crime Android App - Google Play

Community Against Crime Website

Community Against Crime Facebook

Community Against Crime Twitter

Community Against Crime YouTube

The Forgotten Complaints

Over the past few years, locals and residents have contacted the NSW Department of Housing on a matter of multiple issues. On contacting them, tenants and members of the public were advised to contact the police.

Seeking advice, some individuals contacted the NSW Police Department, who advised "contact Housing, they are responsible for their tenants and their actions". Contacting Housing, the individuals explained their situation to them and waited for a response - which never came. On final contact of several matters, it was explained "you have to give duty of care to members of the public, as well as your tenants. It is your responsibility".

Non-Housing:

These are some of the complaints that were submitted to the Newcastle office of the NSW Department of Housing and their website, by Members of the Public and Neighbouring Tenants of:
Mayo Street, Jesmond NSW 2299, Australia. These complaints are against Housing Tenants of this address and nearby.

• noise
• against tenants and neighbouring tenants
• hoarding
• vermin due to hoarding etc
• invasion of privacy
• verbal threats
• verbal violence
• threats against homes/estate
• threats of physical violence
• threats against personal property
• threatening lives

Housing Tenants:

These are some of the complaints tenants, submitted to the Newcastle office of the NSW Department of Housing, by the tenants of:
Mayo Street, Jesmond NSW 2299, Australia.

• noise
• against other tenants
• repairs
• extra occupants
• hoarding
• vermin due to hoarding
• lawn maintenance
• garden maintenance
• lack of bins
• lack of fencing
• lack of parking
• lack of pruning. Eg. large branches falling from the trees.
• lack of locks on mailboxes
• missing/stolen mail
• no storage areas
• unknown persons entering the premises
• unknown persons using the residence as a common daily pathway
• neighbouring residents using the property as a common daily pathway
• neighbouring residents causing arguments, verbal threats and physical violence on tenants of the property.

Edited 18/04/2013 17:35PM

When Children's Safety is Ignored

Newcastle NSW, Australia - Questions are now being raised, as to how the John Hunter Hospital is being operated. After recent renovations, the hospital now lacks the funds to employ much needed doctors, specialists and surgeons. As the waiting lists continue to grow, the community suffers in need of medical attention. Even if the patient had the money for a specialist, the hospital cannot accommodate the patient nor the staff member. With these unfortunate events, it puts pressure on current medical staff to sustain patients in need of sustenance. It's times like these, where some people begin to take advantage of the health system or they abuse what support they receive.

In the Pre-natal stages, female nurses examine and perform ultrasound tests. If something were to go wrong, only then would a fully qualified professional take over the duties. Because of this, too few of the tests are being conducted. This also includes the compulsory blood tests, which all pregnant women must undertake. There are a variety of blood tests and for many different reasons. The test results show how far into the pregnancy the woman is and when she may be due. Her blood cell count, iron, iron deficiencies are also tested. One of the main blood tests that are performed, will show if the woman has been taking any drugs. If the woman's tests are positive for drug use, hospital staff must report it to the Department of Community Services (DOCS).

In late 2012, a young aboriginal couple registered and booked appointments in the maternity ward of JHH. Due to the lack of medical professionals, some of the duties were shared amongst staff members with years of experience. The young couple began missing appointments and then the woman began attending the hospital on her own, when she could be bothered. Run down and tired, she always had an excuse of why she wasn't able to attend the appointments of certain tests. These actions and excuses continued on for months. As the woman grew larger, so did her addiction for prescription drugs. Her drug of choice was the substitute drug for heroin, which is more addictive than heroin itself - Subutex (Buprenorphine).

The street name of Buprenorphine is Bupe, but more commonly known as Subutex. Subutex cannot be purchased over the counter, but a prescription is still needed. Chemists do not stock these types of medications, while only certain pharmacies are licensed to do so. The medication can only be prescribed by certain physicians and must be dispensed daily by the local health clinic. Or a qualified pharmacist, who's pharmacy is conducts business with those types of medications only.

With only weeks to go, medical personnel of the John Hunter Hospital have still not discovered the hidden addiction. Local members of their residing community reached out and offered their support. It has become confusing to some and they've began wondering "why would they say she wouldn't need to go on a program? Unless, the couple haven't told them". Friends of the couple were told "the hospital was informed and the drug-use was alright. I don't need to be on a program and my baby won't be sick".

A neighbour stated during an interview "I showed them the facts and what they will be going through. I explained how their baby now has a guaranteed problem, and will have to go on a program for drug addiction. Depending on how responsible the parent is, they must dispense the medication to their baby and hope to have them weened off within 6 months. The look on their faces explained it all, they weren't taking any notice of what research I had found. They were too busy watching their other three children, lazing about".

DOCS was contacted in mid December, 2012. The person who submitted the report, was shocked by the response they had finally received. "Due to insufficient information, we are not able to investigate all reports of child abuse or neglect. If further problems persist, please contact us immediately. If you are able to obtain evidence to help our investigation, please send it along with your report". When Lifeline, Child Services DOCS and other similar agencies aren't able to do anything or refuse to, the community is then instructed to contact their local ombudsman. The ombudsman of Newcastle was contacted with an attached copy of the report, previously sent to DOCS. A reply was received 7 days later, "we are not able to investigate these claims, please contact the Department of Community Services and Lifeline".

Society has always known there are problems with the health and legal system, but have always worked towards changing it. Education, health and the justice system are the three main issues in society. During the election period, Australian's vote for parliament members who vow to make the much needed changes. Once elected though, they have other commitments which they must attend to first. When this happens many Australian's feel let down, as they know nothing will come of pre-election promises.

There are many childless couples and families who are unable to conceive. Some have major complications during pregnancy and do not carry to their full term, while others try desperately to create new lineage. It is very disappointing to know there are people who take advantage of things that others cannot, it doesn't seem fair for those who suffer. When it comes to the well-being of children, they should be a number one priority.

A previous discussion amongst several world communities, opted for a bill to be passed in parliament. The bill would protect children and unborn babies, where they'd be removed from the dangerous family - permanently or temporarily. Although it seems similar to how DOCS conducts their investigations, this idea would give the child a chance a different way of life and what it has to offer.

It also gives their own family a chance to support them in a way where the child's own parents failed. There are many grandparents, aunties, uncles and guardians who watch family members go down hill. They try to help and offer support, but are usually told to "mind your own business". When it comes to family, it is the business of the older generations - they are a part of our past, they are the culture that represented us in a time of misunderstanding. Society today, has been through so much. But, there are still generations who live, that actually suffered in the past. With the experiences they endured, these are the same people who fought to make sure that we as a society, would have a better future.