Minister of Housing and Urban Development Phil Twyford has announced the appointment of three new members of the board of Housing New Zealand (HNZ), including the first state house tenant to be on its board since the corporation was created in 2001. “I want Housing New Zealand to be a world class public housing landlord that better meets the needs of families who live in state houses. I believe that the appointments of Leigh Auton, Dr Huhana Hickey and Professor Philippa Howden-Chapman will help provide the direction that we need to make this happen,” says Phil Twyford.
July 10, 2018
Another person has been sentenced in a Bendigo court for begging in public following a police crackdown last year. The man in his 40s, who has been diagnosed with schizophrenia, was sentenced in the Bendigo Magistrates’ Court on Monday on multiple counts of begging alms. He was spotted sitting in front of Coles in the Bendigo CBD at 6.30am on September 18 asking passers-by for money. Coles staff asked the man to move on, but he refused to leave. Police were called to the area and he was offered referrals to public housing organisations, which he refused for various reasons. He told police he asked three people for money before staff came out and asked him to leave. The man was spotted begging again 10 days later at a bus stop on Mitchell Street. When approached by police, he told them to “get —-ed” and boarded a bus, making an obscene gesture to police as it drove away. The man told the court he was begging because he wanted money to help him move out of his unit, which had no heating and no insulation. He was living off the Disability Support Pension due to his schizophrenia. The man was begging on the streets of Bendigo for seven months before police picked him up. Since last year, he has been able to find permanent housing through Haven; Home, Safe. The man told the court things had improved in 2018. “Everything is fine. I don’t beg anymore,” he said. “I’ve thrown all those old friendships out that were causing me to get into trouble.” The man had previously been jailed for begging, but police did not suggest another jail term. Magistrate Sarah Leighfield agreed and said it was good to see the man had found better accommodation. “It’s obvious you’ve made lots of positive changes in your life, and I won’t step in the way,” she said. The man was placed on a six-month good behaviour bond. Police in Bendigo charged 31 people with begging alms in 2017 – an increase from just one charge in 2016. There were no begging charges in 2015, and just over one per year from 2008 to 2016. In 2017, police encouraged the public to report begging so they could refer the homeless to housing organisations.
July 10, 2018
Community Accommodation and Respite Agency Inc has a s.394 (Application for unfair dismissal remedy) with which it must deal before Fair Work Commissioner Hampton in his Adelaide chambers (Kumarapperuma).
July 5, 2018
A s.394 (Application for unfair dismissal remedy) by Ms Jean Madden citing Street Swags Ltd has been stayed by Fair Work Commissioner Hunt sitting in Brisbane on 5 July 2018, pending the outcome of related criminal proceedings taken against Ms Madden.
July 5, 2018
A s.437 (Protected action) application from the Australian Dental Association Victorian Branch naming North Richmond Health has been issued by Fair Work Vice President Catanzariti in Sydney on 4 July 2018.
July 4, 2018
Relationships Australia Western Australia Inc is fighting a s.394 (Application for unfair dismissal remedy) before Fair Work Commissioner Williams in Conference Room 12.34 in Perth (Tiller).
July 2, 2018
A s.739 (Dispute resolution) application from Frant Brewer citing the Australian Capital Territory T/A ACT Government Community Service has been determined by Fair Work Deputy President Kovacic in Canberra on 28 June 2018. The case summary is: Application to deal with a dispute for review of decision in accordance with the ACT Public Service Administrative and Related Classifications Enterprise Agreement 2013-2017 – jurisdictional objection raised – determined that appeal against decision to take disciplinary action was made within time and that an Appeal Panel should therefore be convened in accordance with the Agreement – jurisdictional objection upheld in respect of the other remedies sought by the Applicant.
July 2, 2018
Community Accommodation and Respite Agency is defending a s.394 (Application for unfair dismissal remedy) before Fair Work Commissioner Platt in his Adelaide chambers at 10am (Heffernan).
