NCCH News
CEO’s Intro
Tenant Newsletter Issue 50 | Summer 2020 Dear NCCH Tenants, Welcome to another edition of our Tenant Newsletter … the last one for 2020. I’m having trouble believing that Christmas is nearly upon us! I’m sure that a lot of people are looking forward to catching up with loved ones over the festive season, especially if COVID has kept them apart! Here’s what we’ve been up to since our last issue….
INSIDE THIS ISSUE: CEO’s Intro & Christmas closure info .... 1-2 Updates & Info ....................................... 2-5 Community Noticeboard......................... 6-9 Emergency Contractors List ................ 10 SPECIAL POINTS OF INTEREST: Assets Team Update................................. 3
COVID-19 Update I think that everyone is familiar with the various slogans used during the COVID-19 pandemic— there seemed to be a new one every week! We have continued to work to COVID regulations issued by government and our offices were able to re-open to the public in October. We continue to ensure that COVID-safe practices are in place which means that all staff and visitors are social distancing, temperature–taking and hand sanitising. We also have a QR-code that you can scan if you are going to be in our office for a longer period of time.
NCCH 2020 AGM...................................... 4 Discounts & Rebates................................. 4 Operations Team Update.......................... 5 From our Tenant Council .......................... 6 NCCH contact info ................................... 6 Christmas Party Fruit Punch ..................... 6 Counselling Services................................. 7 Rebates ..................................................... 8 Christmas Gingerbread Cookies ............... 9 Opportunity Pathways ............................... 9
If you are visiting any of our offices, we request that you sanitise your hands upon entry into the office. However, if you are unwell, we request that you stay at home. If you are experiencing any symptoms, please go and have a COVID test. Thank you and farewell to Ian Leven, Operations General Manager Our Ops GM, Ian Leven, left the organisation in October to move closer to family. Ian was a valuable member of the Executive Management Team and I would like to thank him for his contributions to NCCH during his time with us and, on behalf of the Directors and staff, we wish him all the very best. Tania Crosbie is currently in the role as Interim Operations GM and recruitment for the position is being undertaken. NCCH Annual General Meeting NCCH celebrated its achievements for the year at our AGM on 27 November. We took the opportunity to recognise our long-serving Directors Anders Halvorsen (15 years) and Carolyn Parker (11 year s) w ith a special pr esentation. We said thank you and farewell to Director Bruce Casselden who retired in May after 14 years on the Board and to Dolores Close, who has also retired after 14 years of dedicated service to NCCH's Tenant Council. Dolores assures us that she will continue to provide newsletter snippets as she has done for the past 14 years! I thank both Bruce & Dolores for their commitment and service to NCCH over their time with NCCH. We have included some photos from the event on page 4.
…. continued on page 2 Page 1
All NCCH offices will close for a holiday break from 12 noon on Thursday, 24 December 2020.
We will re-open for business at 9:00am on Monday, 4 January 2021. NCCH acknowledges the Bundjalung, Arakwal, Gumbaynggir and Yaegl peoples who are the traditional custodians of the land that comprises the Northern Rivers.
Providing homes, Improving lives, Strengthening communities
NCCH News
CEO’s Intro continued
Tenant Newsletter Issue 50 | Summer 2020 Welcome to Simon Richards, our new Asset Manager We welcome Simon Richards who commenced with NCCH as our Asset Manager at the end of October. Simon will lead the Assets Team and be a part of the Executive Management Team. Simon was previously the Manager Maintenance Operations for Housing SA in South Australia and was in that role for six years, managing the maintenance operations on Housing SA’s 36,000 social housing properties. Maintenance over the Christmas/New Year break Speaking of our Assets Team, they have once again put together the list of Emergency Contractors who will be available to assist you with emergency maintenance issues over the Christmas/New Year period. As we do in every issue of the newsletter, the list is provided on the back page so that you can readily access it, should it be needed. NCCH Scholarship presentations Our NCCH Scholarships Program continued throughout 2020 with Round Two scholarships being awarded by our Board of Directors at the end of October. We had five applicants in total with two of our applicants receiving awards in the TAFE/Uni category; two in the Primary Education category, and one in the Secondary Education category. I had the great pleasure of making the Award presentations in person this time due to the relaxation of COVID restrictions. Congratulations and well done to our five successful applicants! We’ll include some photos in our next issue. The next round of scholarship awards opens in April 2021 and if you would like more information, please visit our website https://www.ncch.org.au/ ncch-scholarships-program/ or give my Executive Assistant, Julie, a call on (02) 6627 5315.
Finally, on behalf of the Board of Directors, the Management Team and everyone on Staff at NCCH, I would like to wish you & your families a very safe and happy Christmas. 2020 was an extraordinary year and we thank you for your support and look forward to working with you again in 2021!
John McKenna Page 2 Page 2
Providing homes, Improving lives, Strengthening communities
NCCH News
Updates & Info
Tenant Newsletter Issue 50 | Summer 2020 From our Assets Team Calls to our Maintenance Hotline A reminder to place maintenance calls via our Maintenance Hotline. Call (02) 6627 5300—then press 1. Please don’t be afraid to leave a message on the voicemail when calling our Maintenance Hotline. If we don’t call you back straight away, that means we are busy with other calls, however, we will call you back as soon as possible. Please note that when we call you back, it may appear on your phone’s caller ID as a Silent/Private number. Lights not working?? A light in your home may stop working for a number of reasons. The most common is that the bulb or tube/starter (if a fluorescent fitting) has reached the end of its life and needs to be replaced. All tenants are responsible for replacing light bulbs, tubes and starters within their home. If you have changed the bulb or tube/starter and find this has not resolved the issue for you, please call the Maintenance Hotline, press 1 for maintenance where one of our team will provide further assistance. The Assets Team would like to wish all tenants a very safe & Merry Christmas! We look forward to seeing you in 2021. Simon, Yolanta, Andrea, Khara & Brian
A reminder NOT to flush wipes down the toilet Baby wipes and sanitising wipes should be thrown away in the trash, not in the toilet. They do not br ea k dow n lik e toilet pa per and will cause unwanted back ups and could even cause permanent and expensive damage. Please note that if wipes are found to be the cause of the problem, it will be a Tenant Responsible charge and you will be required to pay for the repair. Save the pipes – don’t flush the wet wipes!
Page 3
Providing homes, Improving lives, Strengthening communities
NCCH News
Updates & Info continued
Tenant Newsletter Issue 50 | Summer 2020
Our AGM—Friday 27 November 2020
Discounts and Rebates on Offer Every little bit helps, especially at this time of the year! There are a number of rebates available to help you save money, including:
car registration costs — see page 8 for more information. the annual NSW Gas Rebate application period runs from 1 July 2020 to 30 June 2021 so there is still time to apply. This is only one of many rebates that are available through the Energy Saver website: https://energysaver.nsw.gov.au/ households/rebates-and-discounts. NSW Seniors Card & NSW Senior Savers Card holders season al deals available (pg 8 fo r details) the Active Kids program provides two $100 vouchers for parents, guardians & carers of school-enrolled children to use towards sport and active recreation costs each year —visit https://www.service.nsw.gov.au/transaction/applyactive-kids-voucher Saver Plus is a matched savings & financial education program. If eligible, participants who complete the program will have their savings matched (up to $500) for education-related expenses … visit https://www.anz.com.au/aboutus/sustainability-framework/financial-wellbeing/saver-plus/ Creative Kids vouchers- up to $100 per calendar year for each student aged 4.5 to 18 yrs enrolled in school. Can be used with registered activity provider for registration, participation & tuition costs for creative arts, speech, drama, dance, music lessons, etc.. visit https://www.service.nsw.gov.au/transaction/apply-creative-kids-voucher
Page 4
Providing homes, Improving lives, Strengthening communities
NCCH News
Updates & Info continued
Tenant Newsletter Issue 50 | Summer 2020 From our Operations Team The lead up to Christmas is busy. We have to prepare for visitors, Christmas lunch and the Boxing Day test – as well as keeping out of the heat. So some of you may have missed our letters reminding you to complete new Centrepay forms. Rent Review and Centrepay Forms The NCCH team has just completed the rent review process and with the new rule change at Centrelink, we now need you to complete a new Centrepay form every time there is a rental adjustment. We realise that this is an inconvenience at this time, but we do not want you to fall into arrears. So speak to your Tenancy Manager as soon as possible if you need any more information. Also if there has been any change to your household income or your family circumstances have changed, now is the time to contact us. Our friendly Tenancy Team is waiting for your call. Have you thought about setting up online automatic payments? You can set up your regular rental payment through Centrepay if you receive a Centrelink payment. Contact us and we’ll explain how to set it up. It means one less thing to worry about! Together Home Program—Homeless Housed The Together Home project is working to deliver stable housing and wrap-around support for hundreds of people experiencing homelessness in NSW. NCCH was allocated 30 clients to house and provide support services. By Christmas we will have housed almost 20 people across the Northern Rivers. This has been an extraordinary effort by our tenancy team and our Together Home Team. However we need many more properties so the NCCH’s Together Home team are constantly looking for properties for local people who need a place to call home. Unfortunately some of our clients will spend Christmas in temporary accommodation, however we aim to have all our clients housed by the end of March 2021. We are also delivering Christmas hampers and presents to all our Together Home clients. We have been supported by local charities/businesses and NCCH staff who have bought presents for clients and their family. NCCH would like to thank local private landlords and real estate agents who have offered properties for the program and the community services for their continued support. Tenant Council Aims High in 2021 Thank you to our amazing Tenant Council and especially Delores who is retiring. She will be missed by all. That means NCCH will be looking for new members. Watch this space as we will put a call out in the New Year. Thank you to Tenancy and Together Home Teams Finally this has been a year of challenges for all our teams. We have continued to deliver services during COVID-19 while also starting new programs. I would personally like to thank the NCCH Board, all staff, Tenant Council and our partner agencies who support you – our fabulous tenants – on a day-to-day basis. On behalf of all the staff in NCCH’s Operations Team, I would like to wish you a very happy festive season and all the best for a wonderful start to the New Year! Tania Crosbie, Interim Operations General Manager
Page55 Page
Providing homes, Improving lives, Strengthening communities
NCCH News
Updates & Info continued
Tenant Newsletter Issue 50 | Summer 2020 From our Tenant Council We recently held our last Tenant Council meeting with Dolores before she retired from “active duty”. On behalf of my fellow Tenant Councillors and NCCH tenants, I would like to publicly thank Dolores for everything she has done while she has been involved with the Tenant Council and as a fellow representative on the NSW Community Housing Tenant Network. Her thirst for knowledge is inspiring and the support she has given me and the other Tenant Councillors has been amazing. We wish Dolores well and know that we’ll keep in touch for years to come.
Contacting Tenant Councillors Just a reminder that Tenant Councillors—who are your tenant reps—are always happy to discuss issues with you, so please give them a call on one of the numbers listed below. Tenant Councillors can raise matters on your behalf at future Tenant Forums (once they recommence after COVID) should you not be able to attend or don’t feel confident to speak up yourself. Please be assured that all calls are treated confidentially.
Peter (02) 6624 2619 | Walter 0411 117 276 | Diane (02) 6674 0540
On behalf of the Tenant Council, I would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and all the best for the New Year! Peter Harris
Your local NCCH office Lismore:
(02) 6627 5300
Tweed:
(07) 5523 5800
Grafton:
(02) 6642 9100
General email:
info@ncchc.org.au
https://www.facebook.com/northcoastcommunityhousing/
Christmas Party Fruit Punch
Method
Ingredients
Chill juice and soft drinks until icy cold. If using tinned fruit salad, freeze for about an hour before serving. When chilled, pour juice and soft drinks into a punch bowl. Add fruit and fresh mint.
3L Golden Circle juice 1.25L lemonade 1.25L ginger ale 410g can fruit salad (optional) 1 handful of mint leaves (optional) Page 6
Providing homes, Improving lives, Strengthening communities
NCCH News
Community Noticeboard
Tenant Newsletter Issue 50 | Summer 2020
Council launches Byron Shire Emergency Dashboard
Food for Thought
The Future For all The future is not some place we are going to, but one we are creating. The paths to it are not found but made and the activity of making them changes both the maker and the destination. By Dolores Close
Don’t be afraid to talk about your mental health
Christmas is a wonderful time of year—for many. For others, it can be lonely and bring up all sorts of issues. Help is at hand if you’re feeling overwhelmed—reach out to any of the organisations listed below. Your mental health IS important! YOU are important!
https://www.blackdoginstitute.org.au/
https://www.beyondblue.org.au/
Connect to Wellbeing North Coast connects community members to the right mental health support & information. They can organise free in-person or over the phone counselling, as well as provide up-to-date info & resources for those requiring support. Connect To Wellbeing is a free counselling service for people experiencing mild to moderate mental health concerns, and who are unable to afford services provided by mental health practitioners in private practice. Phone 1800 198 396 or visit their website https://nc.connecttowellbeing.org.au/
Website: https://www.lifeline.org.au/ Open 24 hrs day | 7 days a week
Phone (24 hours/7 days): 13 11 14 Text (6pm – midnight AEDT, 7 nights): 0477 13 11 14
Chat online (7pm - midnight, 7 nights): https://www.lifeline.org.au/crisis-chat Page 77 Page
Providing homes, Improving lives, Strengthening communities
NCCH News
Community Noticeboard continued
Tenant Newsletter Issue 50 | Summer 2020
Cost of Living Rebates Helping you find NSW Government rebates & savings that are relevant to you Below is a link to the Cost of Living website where you will find a list of over 70 NSW Government rebates and savings, including bushfire assistance programs, electricity rebates, gas rebates, Free Power of Attorney and Will preparation appointments through Trustee & Guardian (located in Zadoc Street, Lismore), health rebates and much more! People who receive assistance from the Department of Human Services (such as concession cards) may be entitled to receive rebates such as the NSW Low-income Household energy rebate; NSW Gas rebate; Medical energy rebate; Active Kids Vouchers; Creative Kids Vouchers; Regional travel; Photo ID & Drivers Licence; Car registration; MPS Permit (Mobility Parking permit); Power of Attorney & Will services for residents 60+ and who receive the full AGE Pension; NSW Specs program; IPTAAS (isolated Patients Travel and Accommodation Scheme). Please note, not all rebates & savings are directly applicable for clients who hold Department of Human Services’ benefit cards. Go to https://www.service.nsw.gov.au/campaign/cost-living#get-started then click the link “Find savings now” and you may find rebates that you may be eligible for. Or you can go directly to the questionnaire: https://questionnaire.costofliving.service.nsw.gov.au/questionnaire
Seasonal deals for NSW Seniors Card and NSW Senior Savers Card holders! Christmas is just around the corner, and to celebrate, the best seasonal deals for NSW Seniors Card and NSW Senior Savers Card holders are listed on the NSW Seniors Card website. Here are a few items on the list: 5% off IGA Gift Cards
5% off Woolworths e-Gift Cards
Save 5% on Mitre 10 Gift Cards
Fire safety tips for summer NSW Fire & Rescue has some great information and safety tips available on its website. Visit: https://www.fire.nsw.gov.au/
Other savings/discounts can be found on the Seniors Card website ….. https://www.seniorscard.nsw.gov.au/discounts
Page 8
Providing homes, Improving lives, Strengthening communities
NCCH News
Community Noticeboard continued
Tenant Newsletter Issue 50 | Summer 2020
Christmas Gingerbread Cookies Makes: 40 | Prep time: 15 mins | Cooking time: 12 mins Ingredients: 125g unsalted butter 1/4 cup golden syrup 2 cups plain flour 1 tbs ground ginger 330g icing mixture, to decorate Food colouring, to decorate
1/3 cup brown sugar 1 egg 1/4 cup self-raising flour 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda Small decorations of choice (e.g. cachous and pearls), to decorate
Method: 1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper. 2. Beat butter, sugar and syrup together in a bowl until creamy. Add egg and beat well. Sift flours, ginger and soda together. Stir into butter mixture. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead lightly until smooth. Roll out to 5mm thick. Use cutters to cut out shape. Transfer to tray. 3. Bake for 10-12 minutes until light brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. 4. To decorate; prepare the icing mix following packet instructions. Colour as desired. Spread on biscuits and decorate. Opportunity Pathways Social Futures are delivering Opportunity Pathways—a voluntary program that supports people who receive social housing assistance to achieve your employment, training, and housing goals. Who can Opportunity Pathways help? Opportunity Pathways is a free program, and if you are aged 17 years and over you may be eligible to participate if you are: - living in public, community or Aboriginal housing - receiving a Rent Choice Subsidy; or - an approved social housing applicant on the NSW Housing Register. How does Opportunity Pathways work? Your Support Worker will meet with you and work with you to create a plan based on your situation, needs and goals. You can be supported for up to 12-months with one on-one support, coaching and mentoring, training, workshops, work experience placements, volunteering opportunities, and work retention support.
Page 9
To help achieve your program goals, you may also receive some practical and financial assistance to overcome barriers. Opportunity Pathways includes a range of options to support you to find and maintain employment by assisting with resume writing, developing interview skills, finding a job, and ongoing support as you begin to work. By joining Opportunity Pathways, you or your household members can gain new skills, get training and work experience and receive help to improve your situation depending on your housing independence goals. How do I join Opportunity Pathways? You can contact one of our Housing and Employment Support Workers or ask your social housing provider or other support service to help you with a referral. Call (02) 6620 1800 or 0428 856 546 or email opp@socialfutures.org.au
Providing homes, Improving lives, Strengthening communities
NCCH News
Emergency Contractors List Summer 2020
Tenant Newsletter Issue 50 | Summer 2020
IMPORTANT NOTE TO TENANTS (FOR OUT OF HOURS EMERGENCIES ONLY)
Advise the contractor you are a tenant with NCCH The contractor may not answer but will have an answering machine – Please leave a message and the contractor will call back shortly (please do not contact another contractor)
If you are in a leasehold property and require emergency repairs, please refer to your lease for emergency after hours contractors. Alstonville/Ballina/Casino/Evans Head/Lennox Head/Lismore Plumber:
A E Campbell........................................... 0428 272 445
Electrician:
Arthur Walker Construction .................... 0410 577 325
Handyman/Glazier: Arthur Walker Construction .................... 0410 577 325 Bangalow/Byron Bay/Brunswick/Mullumbimby Plumber:
Cape Byron Plumbing ............................. 0422 246 409
Electrician:
Arthur Walker Construction .................... 0410 577 325
Handyman/Glazier: Arthur Walker Construction .................... 0410 577 325 Kingscliff/Murwillumbah/Tweed Head Coast/Tweed Heads Plumber:
John Kirk ................................................. 0412 755 535
Electrician:
Glenn Taylor Electricals .......................... 0412 508 406
Handyman/Glazier: Kevin Moroney ......................................... 0418 871 972 Grafton/Wooli Plumber:
John Wright Plumbers ........................... 0417 423 790
Electrician:
Ken McGrath ................ (02) 6642 4170/0404 898 980
Handyman/Glazier: Graeme Mills ............................................ 0419 407 785
Maclean/Yamba Plumber:
Graeme Mills ............................................ 0419 407 785
Electrician:
Graham Watts ......................................... 0418 660 889
Handyman/Glazier: Graeme Mills ............................................ 0419 407 785
Page 10
Providing homes, Improving lives, Strengthening communities