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🇦🇺 Australia /Economy & Trade

Not-for-profits 'devastated' by council's planned $14m land sell-off

From ABC Australia · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • Not-for-profit organizations on the NSW South Coast are devastated by Shoalhaven City Council's plan to sell land currently housing essential services.
  • The council narrowly voted to rezone and sell over 20 properties, including a children's disability service, a crisis housing shelter, and a youth hub, to raise funds and avoid rate increases.
  • Affected groups, like Noah's Inclusion Services and Safe Shelter Shoalhaven, express shock and concern over the potential loss of community assets and the impact on vulnerable populations.

Not-for-profit groups on the New South Wales South Coast are reeling from a Shoalhaven City Council decision to rezone and sell land occupied by vital community services. The plan, which narrowly passed council, involves selling more than 20 properties to generate funds and prevent a potential rate rise for residents.

To receive this news at 5pm on Thursday was an unexpected and devastating blow.

— Alice LansCEO of Noah's Inclusion Services, expressing her reaction to the council's land sale proposal.

Organizations including Noah's Inclusion Services, which supports children with disabilities, and Safe Shelter Shoalhaven, a crisis accommodation provider, face displacement. Alice Lans, CEO of Noah's Inclusion Services, described the news, received late last week, as an "unexpected and devastating blow." She emphasized the difficulty of replacing such community assets once they are gone.

Once a community asset like this is lost it cannot easily be replaced.

— Alice LansCEO of Noah's Inclusion Services, highlighting the permanent impact of the land sale.

Safe Shelter Shoalhaven, which provides emergency overnight accommodation for up to 12 people and serves around 4,000 individuals annually, is the sole service of its kind in Nowra. The town has over 900 people on social housing waitlists. CEO Peter Dover reported a surge in calls from concerned clients and community members, questioning the council's actions. He noted that planning for a new shelter, crucial for ensuring homeless individuals are not forgotten, has not yet begun, despite assurances of relocation assistance.

The community are saying, 'what's going on?'

— Peter DoverCEO of Safe Shelter Shoalhaven, describing community reaction to the council's plan.

Mayor Patricia White defended the land sale as a necessary measure, stating that homeless services are primarily a state responsibility and that the council receives no state or federal subsidies for maintaining these facilities. She questioned the council's ability to manage facility upkeep if they fall into disrepair. The council's move has sparked significant concern among service providers and the community about the future of essential support for vulnerable residents.

As far as I'm concerned the homeless services are a state issue.

— Patricia WhiteMayor of Shoalhaven City Council, justifying the council's decision to sell land.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Australia. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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