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Wednesday 17 March 2021
5974 9000 or email: team@mpnews.com.au www.mpnews.com.au
HUNDREDS of people on the Mornington Peninsula were in step with thousands across Australia on Monday at March4Justice rallies. A march in Rosebud coincided with about 20 people showing their suport for an end to gender-based discrimination and violence outside the Somerville office of Flinders MP Greg Hunt. “Sit-in demands an end to cover ups” Page 9
Picture: Gary Sissons
Peninsula towns suffer ‘housing stress’ Stephen Taylor steve@mpnews.com.au SIX areas on the Mornington Peninsula suffer housing stress 33 per cent higher than the national average. They are Bittern/Crib Point, Dromana/Safety Beach, Hastings, Rosebud and surrounding district, Rye/Tootgarook/St Andrews Beach and Portsea/ Sorrento/Blairgowrie.
A household under stress is defined as being one that spends more than 30 per cent of its gross income on rent or housing costs. Data from the latest census (2016) shows the peninsula has the sixth highest number of rough sleepers of Victoria’s 79 municipalities. Their plight is compounded by an under-supply of affordable and social housing, particularly one or two-bedroom dwellings, and that there is no
dedicated, affordable emergency accommodation on the peninsula. In June, the Department of Housing’s Frankston office – which services the peninsula – found that of the 2143 applications for accommodation, 995 were eligible for priority access to accommodation. The mayor Cr Despi O’Connor said it was concerning that Southern Peninsula Community Support, which is on the frontline of providing services to
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the homeless, was bracing for the end of the federal government’s JobKeeper program on 28 March. “The [service has] been overwhelmed,” she said, referring to pleas for help by those who lost jobs and suffered housing stress during the COVID-19 pandemic. “They have never seen anything worse and yet worse is to come.” The shire provides finance and a headquarters for the service founded
in 1980. The money comes from the Department of Social Security, as well as donations from individuals, philanthropic trusts and charitable organisations. Cr O’Connor said the service “uses every cent they get” to provide for their clients. “I want to raise awareness. I’ve seen what they are talking about,” she said. “I want people to be aware of how desperate their need is.” Continued Page 10
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