Southern Peninsula News 17 May 2022

Page 10

ELECTIONS 2022

Homeless crisis

Continued from Page 1 “When the government promised rough sleepers a home for life and long-term support to get and stay well, it was one of the too few good things to come from the pandemic,” Smith said. She said the sector had been blindsided by the closure of the successful COVID-instigated emergency housing program, where people were accommodated in hotels and then given short-term housing. Now the government has announced a new measure to tackle the housing crisis, but there was not much on offer for rough sleepers. The announcement of $75 million to tackle homelessness over three years will provide capital investment and over time some additional services, but the peak body for Victorian homelessness services warns there no soft landing for rough sleepers. "Homelessness is more than missing out on a safe bed at night - it creates insecurity which conspires to deprive people of work, education and social opportunities,” Smith said. Mornington Peninsula Shire declared a housing crisis in 2021 and, in 2022, announced the release of public land for “affordable housing” (“Neighbours fear ‘ghetto-like’ housing” The News 4/4/22). Salvation Army head of homelessness, Peter McGrath, says the crisis needs a whole of government approach. He said rough sleeping was taking hold on the peninsula again following the 31 January end of the government’s COVID emergency accommodation plan that saw 1800 homeless people temporarily accommodated in hotels and motels across the state. “That was a short-term fix, but we need a longer-term solution that see all levels of government working together, with housing-focussed programs that provide accommodation and support,” McGrath said. He said the state government’s Big Housing Build was “fantastic”, but not a quick fix. He said the government’s soon-to-be-released 10-year housing strategy would give providers drive and direction. “That’s the framework, that’s the great driver for us,” he said. “There are great resources already out there, there are great people doing great work, but we need a long-term driver and a strategy.”

Shire accused of being off track with pledges Keith Platt keith@mpnews.com.au MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire Council’s online federal election candidates’ “pledge tracker” was made by a “councillor consultative group” consisting of five councillors and several council officers. Two weeks ago, the tracker showed seven promises made by Liberal Party candidate for Flinders Zoe McKenzie and none for Labor, which had made an election promise (“Shire following the money” I 10/5/22). The tracker is supposed to be listing campaign promises and pledges by candidates in Flinders and Dunkley electorates, but only mentions Liberal and Labor candidates. Flinders has 10 candidates and Dunkley nine. Under the heading “Flinders electorate election pledge tracker” and in much smaller type, is the line: “In the lead up to the federal election, we are keeping track of all candidates’ election pledges for the Mornington Peninsula.” The internal council group which decided to track candidates’ election promises comprises the mayor Anthony Marsh, deputy mayor Lisa Dixon, and Crs Antonella Celi, David Gill and Steve Holland. Marg D’Arcy, campaign manager for Labor candidate Surbhi Snowball, said it seemed “blatantly unfair” that the shire was only listing pledges made by the Liberal and Labor candidates. “This exercise is misleading and unfair to other candidates by only focusing on pledges and not talking about policies and the impact they may have on the people on the peninsula,” D’Arcy said.

“It ignores policies of the candidates, many of which will be of considerable benefit to the electorate.” D’Arcy said an email from the shire on 27 April asked for Labor’s pledges “but it didn’t say they would be put on the council website”. The date of the email from the shire coincided with an announcement by McKenzie and fellow Liberal Sharn Coombes, who is standing for Dunkley, of $5 million for a section of the Peninsula Trail. The mayor Cr Anthony Marsh and deputy mayor Lisa Dixon posed for photos with the two candidates next to a trail sign (“Candidates go vote-shopping with Cash” The News 3/5/22). D’Arcy said listing only monetary pledges ignored policies for climate change, housing shortages, aged care and child care. She said retiring Flinders MP Greg Hunt had previously pledged $75 million for an overpass at Jetty Road, Rosebud without first consulting the state government. “I am reminded of the over $1 million which Greg Hunt provided to spend on sand replenishment in Mount Martha without any discussion or thinking about the impact of climate change and how we work to mitigate the effects of climate change,” she said. “I am very disappointed that the shire would indulge in such a deliberately misleading and shallow approach to the policies and programs that are being put before the Australian people at this election.” Christine de Kock, campaign manager for Liberal Democrat candidate Chrysten Abraham, said she had not received any notification from the shire about the pledge tracker. “The democratic process gets a bit

skewed if you’re not one of the major parties with friends or money. I wonder how council’s good governance procedures allows the tracker on their website during an election? If you go to a federal government site they have a disclaimer,” she said. “I’m sure Chrysten would be available for a photo with the mayor.” Cr Marsh told The News that he had attended an announcement by Labor’s Dunkley candidate, sitting MP Peta Murphy, of money to upgrade the Emil Madsen Reserve, Mount Eliza. He said the tracker was created “to track pledges made by candidates funding local community projects and initiatives”. “Additionally, we stated that we would not publish or endorse national party policies as these are covered hourly in the mainstream media,” Marsh said. He said the tracker “clearly shows” Murphy had pledged more than 30 times the amount of money for Mount Eliza than that pledged by Snowball for the rest of the peninsula. “Perhaps Ms D’Arcy’s concern is that we’ve highlighted the difference in party funding priorities across the divisions?” Marsh said the “reality is that only the two major parties are likely to form government. We will publish pledges received by any candidate, but have only received pledges from the Liberal and Labor candidates across the two divisions”. It was “entirely appropriate to attend an announcement of funding for a council-led project [such as the Peninsula Trail]”. “It is highly unlikely that a candidate would be able to deliver funding if their party did not form government, so we appreciate that these pledges have removed the double dependency of party and candidate,” he said.

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MORNINGTON • ROSEBUD PAGE 10

Southern Peninsula News

18 May 2022

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Southern Peninsula News 17 May 2022 by Mornington Peninsula News Group - Issuu