MAKING IT EASIER FOR RENTERS TO CREATE A HOME
About one third of our population are renters – and that number only looks like growing. Which means that helping a renter create their own home, with a sense of permanence and safety is incredibly important work for Governments to be doing.
Over the past 2 years, since being elected, the new NSW Government has held a range of enquiries, forums and round-tables to find a better balance in the tensions that sometimes arise between renters and owners.
Hopefully we can all agree that if a person is going to establish a “home” for themselves and their family then there has to be a strong sense of belonging, long-term, and living one’s own best-life.
That is why the NSW Government have ever so slightly shifted the balance of the renter-owner relationship with a number of important reforms. For example, going forward an owner will need to have a reason to evict a tenant, and, it is going to be more likely that a renter can own a pet, unless the owner has significant and reasonable objections. Also, renters will be provided with ways to pay their weekly rent without incurring other fees or charges and in addition to this these rents will only be allowed to change once per year. And finally, renters will no longer be forced to pay for “background checks” when they are applying to become a tenant.
Some property owners have raised their concerns about these changes. But as a broader society I believe that we all have a role to play in providing safe, affordable and secure housing and I am confident that 99% of property owners would agree.
TALKING POLICE IN THE GRETA-NORTH ROTHBURY – BRANXTON AREAS
I am very happy to be bringing the NSW Police, the NSW Police Minister and local Police to a community meeting on Tuesday 15th April at 6.45pm to be held at Greta Public School (in the hall).
Topics for discussion will include the nature of Police presence in the Greta-North Rothbury-Branxton communities as well as the surrounding villages.
Those intending to come along to the meeting are asked to RSVP directly to my office if you live in the Cessnock Electorate (which you probably do if you live in Greta or North Rothbury (incl Huntlee)), or, RSVP directly to the office of Dave Layzell, MP (Upper Hunter) if you live in the town of Branxton or other villages further west.
Our Police are working incredibly hard across our entire region, but it is always going to be difficult to balance the reports of domestic violence, against burnouts on the street corner, against break and enters at the local shops, against unregistered motorbikes riding the streets, against drug crimes, against violent street crimes, against every other imaginable crime or presence of anti-social behaviour.
I am looking forward to seeing many of you at our community meeting.