Australian Greens Leader Adam Bandt visits to talk housing and buybacks

BY KATE COXALL

Last Thursday night Adam Bandt addressed the Northern Rivers Times in an exclusive interview, detailing his views on the recent Buyback back-peddling saying “We need an end to the buck passing and the failure to follow through on commitments to buybacks, retrofts and house raising. We have a NSW Labor Government and Federal Labor Government that has just posted a giant surplus, so there can be no excuse for leaving people behind”.

“The Northern Rivers is the centrepoint for the housing crisis in Australia and last time I was here before the election, people were suffering from the aftermath of foods and fres and people were struggling to put an affordable roof over their head, and the situation has only got worse.”

“The Federal Government needs to take the housing crisis seriously, especially in the Northern Rivers where rents are skyrocketing, people are fnding it hard to fnd a place to rent, people are struggling with increased Mortgage repayments

BY KATE COXALL

Brunswick Heads residents last Saturday night were alerted to a number of sirens racing towards the Oval, along with the sounds of a helicopter landing nearby.

Across social media residents questioned what had happened, with those witnesses who had been near the Surf Club seeing Police, Fire and multiple Ambulances emerging from the beach track just near the Surf Club, after arriving to search for a missing woman.

Al Mactier, Acting Inspector for Ambulance NSW confrmed just after the event, “a Woman in her 40’s was badly injured on and Labour has no plans for renters and is leaving renters and the Northern Rivers behind”

In response to the social media campaign run by Justine Elliot in recent weeks stating “Greens are voting against Labour to stop more affordable housing”, Adam said “The Greens are pushing Labor to take the housing crisis in the Northern Rivers seriously; at the moment Labors policy is enough to get a headline, but not enough to make a difference.”

At best, the only guarantee that Labor has been prepared to offer is 1200 homes, per state, that will be built after the next election. That works

Brunswick Heads beach, she was attended to by NSW Police, NSW Fire and Rescue and Ambulance NSW, conveyed to Brunswick Oval and loaded onto the Westpac Helicopter in a critical condition and fown to Gold Coast University Hospital.”

A NSW Police spokesperson confrmed with the Northern Rivers Times that these injuries may have been selfinficted.

If you or anyone you know is struggling to cope, you can get support immediately by calling:

• 24hr Mental Health Line — 1800 011 511

• Lifeline — 13 11 14

• Beyond Blue — out on average about 20 homes per electorate in NSW.”

“Richmond deserves better in a housing crisis, than maybe 25 homes being built after the federal election, and their plans have no plans for renters, renters who will continue to suffer continued rent increases under Labor’s plan. We are pushing Labor to do better, we have deferred the bill until after October when the Prime Minister and all of the State Premiers will meet at National Cabinet to discuss rents. That is Labor’s opportunity to tackle the rent crisis to make unlimited rent increases illegal.”

1300 224 636

• For children under 12 years: 24/7 Kids Helpline — 1800 551 800

In an emergency, call 000 or go to your nearest hospital emergency department.

“If Labor gets serious about the rent crisis and building more public housing now and not after the election, then their bill can pass.”

“We want to see money spent on social housing now, not after the next election, but now, Labor’s original plan had no new homes being built until after the Federal election, and then on average 25 per electorate is all they were guaranteeing. After Greens put pressure on Labor, we have seen $2 billion start fowing this year, that was never in Labors original plan, so the Greens have got Labor to start spending $2 billion now, which has got to start helping around the country, but a big part of the reason we are in this crisis is that Governments haven’t built enough public, social and affordable housing, we are pushing the Government to build what is needed, including in the Northern Rivers.”

He also said in his address to the crowd attending the Housing For All- Mandy Nolan Campaign event “In Byron there has been a 46% rental price increase in the past 6 years, and there have been similar, big,doubledigit increases in other parts of the electorate. [However] Labour and income support hasn’t gone up that much, but people are expected to fnd money to put a roof over their head and they just can’t do it.”

“That is coming off the back of these climate induced catastrophes that are pushing people to the brink, and the government is not acting.

When the Government could be acting, but they are not.”

“Why are we in this situation, in a wealthy country like Australia, where people are struggling to put an affordable roof over their heads, that is just wrong, that is criminal!”

“In a country like ours, where Labour is just boasting about posting a $19 billion dollar surplus last year, and can fnd $30 billion a year to give politicians and billionaires and the wealthiest in this country a $9000 a year tax cut, if there is $19 Billion for a surplus and there’s $30 billion a year for Labour to give politicians and billionaires a tax cut, then there is enough money in this country to put a roof over everyone’s heads!”