❓ A member of parliament questions the Premier about the Rockingham shantytown and the support provided to its residents and local service providers. The Premier responds by outlining the government's actions and criticizes the previous government's approach to homelessness.
AnsweredQoN 449Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
ROCKINGHAM SHANTYTOWN
449. Mr A. KRSTICEVIC to the Premier:
Last
Friday, I visited the homeless residents of the Rockingham shantytown that was
reported in The West Australian of 11 April 2019. A 26-year-old
former resident named Lizzie told me her distressing story and showed me around
the shantytown in the Premier's electorate. I ask on behalf of those
forgotten people: why has the Premier refused repeated requests by the
residents to visit them, and what exact support and assistance is the Premier
providing to local service providers like Saint Benedict's?
449. Mr A. KRSTICEVIC to the Premier:
Last
Friday, I visited the homeless residents of the Rockingham shantytown that was
reported in The West Australian of 11 April 2019. A 26-year-old
former resident named Lizzie told me her distressing story and showed me around
the shantytown in the Premier's electorate. I ask on behalf of those
forgotten people: why has the Premier refused repeated requests by the
residents to visit them, and what exact support and assistance is the Premier
providing to local service providers like Saint Benedict's?
AnswerView source ↗
The government is aware of the
issue. I am advised that the various people have been in that location now for
at least five years.
Mr A. Krsticevic interjected.
Mr M. McGOWAN : No; listen
to me. Over the first three of those five years, the former government was in
office.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members, let us
hear the answer.
Mr M. McGOWAN : Listen to me.
We have ensured over our term of
office that agencies, both government and not-for-profit, have engaged with the
people in that location to provide them with support services and assistance. I
have spoken to homeless advocates. I have met with the Minister for Community
Services, and I have spoken to the Minister for Housing—all sorts of
ministers—and to all sorts of agencies, about the sorts of things that
we can do to assist these people. When it comes to LandCorp, because it is a site
that LandCorp has some responsibility for, obviously I am very keen that
LandCorp does not take steps to move those people on unnecessarily, and that we
continue to work with them on the various opportunities that might be available
to them.
I make the point that homelessness
is a complex issue, and often mental health, and maybe drug and alcohol issues,
are involved. Dealing with people in this situation is not an easy thing to do.
We find that homelessness exists across the city, in every suburb, and across
the regions. Obviously, making sure that the services work for people to try to
find them opportunities, try to provide them with support, and try to provide
them with advice, are the sorts of things that this government is doing.
I will close on one point, so that members are fully aware.
These issues were raised on 8 July 2015, when the issue of sprinklers being
turned on in King Street, in the middle of the city, to disperse homeless
people, was raised in public. At that point in time —
Mrs L.M. Harvey interjected.
Mr M. McGOWAN : Listen to
this.
I preface my remarks by saying this.
I have the utmost support for the not-for-profits—the St Vincent de
Paul Society, the Salvation Army, Ruah Community Services, and organisations
like that, which deal with this very difficult situation.
Going back to 8 July 2015—members
will be interested in this—sprinklers were being turned on in King
Street to disperse homeless people. The then Western Australian Minister for
Police, and now Leader of the Opposition, had this issue raised with her, and
she had this to say. I quote —
''The accommodation is there,
the support services are there, the not-for-profit groups are there, the money's
flowing into the system,'' she said.
''Clearly
if there's homeless people sleeping on King Street, those people aren't
doing their jobs properly.''
The now Leader of the Opposition
attacked Saint Vincent and attacked the Salvos. She attacked all the agencies
that work with homeless people. That is what she did. I have the utmost support
and respect for those organisations.
Mrs L.M. Harvey : So do I.
Mr M. McGOWAN : No, you don't.
Your words are there for everyone to see. On this issue, which was raised while
the now Leader of the Opposition was in government, she attacked those
organisations. Under us, we support those organisations.
issue. I am advised that the various people have been in that location now for
at least five years.
Mr A. Krsticevic interjected.
Mr M. McGOWAN : No; listen
to me. Over the first three of those five years, the former government was in
office.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members, let us
hear the answer.
Mr M. McGOWAN : Listen to me.
We have ensured over our term of
office that agencies, both government and not-for-profit, have engaged with the
people in that location to provide them with support services and assistance. I
have spoken to homeless advocates. I have met with the Minister for Community
Services, and I have spoken to the Minister for Housing—all sorts of
ministers—and to all sorts of agencies, about the sorts of things that
we can do to assist these people. When it comes to LandCorp, because it is a site
that LandCorp has some responsibility for, obviously I am very keen that
LandCorp does not take steps to move those people on unnecessarily, and that we
continue to work with them on the various opportunities that might be available
to them.
I make the point that homelessness
is a complex issue, and often mental health, and maybe drug and alcohol issues,
are involved. Dealing with people in this situation is not an easy thing to do.
We find that homelessness exists across the city, in every suburb, and across
the regions. Obviously, making sure that the services work for people to try to
find them opportunities, try to provide them with support, and try to provide
them with advice, are the sorts of things that this government is doing.
I will close on one point, so that members are fully aware.
These issues were raised on 8 July 2015, when the issue of sprinklers being
turned on in King Street, in the middle of the city, to disperse homeless
people, was raised in public. At that point in time —
Mrs L.M. Harvey interjected.
Mr M. McGOWAN : Listen to
this.
I preface my remarks by saying this.
I have the utmost support for the not-for-profits—the St Vincent de
Paul Society, the Salvation Army, Ruah Community Services, and organisations
like that, which deal with this very difficult situation.
Going back to 8 July 2015—members
will be interested in this—sprinklers were being turned on in King
Street to disperse homeless people. The then Western Australian Minister for
Police, and now Leader of the Opposition, had this issue raised with her, and
she had this to say. I quote —
''The accommodation is there,
the support services are there, the not-for-profit groups are there, the money's
flowing into the system,'' she said.
''Clearly
if there's homeless people sleeping on King Street, those people aren't
doing their jobs properly.''
The now Leader of the Opposition
attacked Saint Vincent and attacked the Salvos. She attacked all the agencies
that work with homeless people. That is what she did. I have the utmost support
and respect for those organisations.
Mrs L.M. Harvey : So do I.
Mr M. McGOWAN : No, you don't.
Your words are there for everyone to see. On this issue, which was raised while
the now Leader of the Opposition was in government, she attacked those
organisations. Under us, we support those organisations.
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