Local Sensation Fizzer
Last week, both our local papers here in the Peopleâs Republic of Moreland, carried a story of local resistance to a typical piece of Labor social engineering. The front page of the Moreland Leader (owned, ultimately, by Rupert Murdoch) carried this report under the headline âResidents reject homelessâ?:
A STAGGERING 160 Coburg residents have objected to a new hostel for homeless youth saying they are sympathetic but don’t want them as neighbours.
Thirty-five people will live in the former Munro Manor Nursing Home on the corner of Loch and Munro streets according to the Department of Human Services. It has been empty for some time.
Housing Minister Candy Broad announced the $2.8 million project in March 2004 but some residents, contacted by the Leader last week, said it was the first they had heard of it.
Ms Broad said the development was part of the State Government’s mission to help single people get a roof over their head.
Resident Sue Moloney is furious, saying it will transform the neighbourhood into a ghetto.
“I’m sympathetic to the homeless but lumping 35 of them together in an unsupported setting near a bottle shop is stupid.” Ms Maloney pointed out that a Dan Murphy liquor outlet is only 500m from the site.
“They deserve to be integrated into the community, not lumped together to form a ghetto.”
The objections will be considered by the Urban Planning Committee on October 26.
Pascoe Vale MP Christine Campbell said affordable housing was vital for the area.
“This site is ideal for affordable apartments because it’s close to transport and the local shops, and close to job opportunities as well,” Ms Campbell said.
Josephine Papaleo, who has lived in Loch St for 57 years, said that in 1975 crime jumped in the area when the building was used as “cheap housing.”
It was converted into a nursing home two years later, she said.
In the print edition of the paper, the report finished with this invitation:
Would you want these youth living next door? Write to Moreland Leader, 2nd floor, 192 High St Northcote 3070, email moreland@leadernewspapers.com.au or fax 9481 2083.
This week, the Moreland Leader reports, on page 7, that the âManor plan splits residentsâ?:
OBJECTORS to a proposed rooming house for struggling Coburg singles have been called exclusionist, ill-informed, judgmental people who scaremonger and lack compassion.
Last week’s article on the 35-apartment proposal for the former Munro Manor Nursing Home in Munro St attracted plenty of reader feedback, from both sides of the fence.
The Leader received 10 letters and phone calls last week on the proposal.
Eight letters appear on the following page of the paper, so it seems safe to infer that out of the total of 10 letters and phone calls, there were two phone calls. Of the letters, six support the proposed homeless youth ghetto, two oppose it. The sample is evidently self-selecting, so it shouldnât be taken as representative. Especially as the page 7 report features a group photograph of 19 local residents who oppose the plan. Only three of these residents are babes in arms and only two others are obviously children.
Right now, the levels of community support and opposition to the proposal are moot, because the proposal to convert the Munro Manor building for use as public housing for single people is on hold:
But a decision on a Department of Human Services planning permit application, which had received 159 objections by late last week and was due to be made this Wednesday, has now been deferred.
The department contacted Moreland Council last week to ask for the deferral so it could hold more community consultation.
Community consultation which will, no doubt, conclude well after the election is over, when thereâs less chance of a local stoush over public housing distracting attention from the bread and circuses campaigns of the major parties.
In the meantime, anyone looking for affordable housing in the Peopleâs Republic of Moreland will have to look to private providers, like the hilariously misnamed Dignity Homes, whose business activities received extensive coverage in The Age recently.
Nothing to see here â just a small victory for mainstream Aussie values and the free market. Time to move on now.
Postscript: if I had a little more enthusiasm for the task of blogging the election, I’d follow this post with a weekly invite to LP readers to let us in on how their local papers are covering the election and local issues.
Is there a location within 20 kilometres of the Melbourne CBD that is a) more than 500 metres from a place that sells alcohol, and b) not part of Port Phillip Bay?
Doing a great job not blogging, Gummo!
It will go ahead – mark my words
if it has anything to do with Christine Campbell rest assure there will be bugger all consultation – she must be the laziest state member in the land – spends most of her time fighting a woman’s right to choose.
“Is there a location within 20 kilometres of the Melbourne CBD that is a) more than 500 metres from a place that sells alcohol, and b) not part of Port Phillip Bay?”
No, Robert, there isn’t. I can’t walk 100m in North Fitzroy without tripping over a pub. Perhaps the concern is that the outlet in question is really cheap.
“…Housing Minister Candy Broad announced the $2.8 million project in March 2004…”
Housing Minister Candy Broad. I swear, Australia gets cooler by the minute!
Except for that tricky climate change thing!
I saw that article in the local paper.
Of course, fifty million people living in Moreland Council didn’t feel compelled to write.
I grew up in public housing, and every time I hear that line about ghettos it makes my blood boil. It’s so cheap and nasty.
Of course, I’m not naive enough to say that there aren’t problems with young people congregating together. This is a difficult problem, but the solution has got to start somewhere.
Fifty million, Darlene?
Moreland may be a People’s Republic but I had no idea it was such a big one! Hell, the Moreland City Council should be recognised as a world power. Or a rogue
statemunicipality at the very least.Does that “dry” area in Camberwell still exist? If so, you could confidently put any number of accomodation homes for homeless youf out there.
gummo I can assure you withsome authority that there is a dry area. Runs from Burke Road to around Union RoaD, south down to around Ashwood burwood, north to the freeway balwyn.
Burke road is a stern but amusing border – seeing the city side was in the old Hawthorn it is “wet” with a pub and a few bars and licenced cafes, step across to the east side of the road and it’s no serving of alcohol. Theres always been bottle shops in the dry part of the area.
Residents, clearly bloody methodists, went dry in 1920. Now it requires a plebiscite of locals within 1k or something to get a licence, and its only for each establishment that runs the vote, not for the area. The vote must be paid for by applicant, so few are taken. Many have been lost.
Similar ancient plebiscites explain the near absence of pubs from Brisbane’s western suburbs – middle class and Protestant in the 10s and 20s while the inner North, East and South were working class and Catholic.
Of course, now, licencing is state government administered (providing much corruption potential in the Joh era) – and hence, licences very expensive – so we don’t get anything like the almost DIY laneway bars in Melbourne – more’s the pity. I very much enjoyed my tour of same kindly hosted by Lefty E on my recent trip.
Yes, laneway bars. How can I stay mad at them? For the record, Mr Bahnisch and I drank our way from Fad Gallery, to The Croft Institute, followed by Manchuria, and then Double Happiness. Possibly even in that order.
And thats right: prohibitive licensing fees keep comfy couches corners out of Brisbane’s bar scene.
Shame… resign…. etc.
You know, much of this “dry” area business is down the spectacular success (and extraordinarily large membership) of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union, from the 1880s to 1920s.
Derided as “moralising wowsers” at the time, they’ve been reclaimed by contemporary feminists a first-wave movement to reduce the impact on women and children of alcohol, domestic violence, piss-related poverty. Make blokes more responsible etc.
Many were Methodists, of course, but I reckon your WCTU was the org behind it all. You’ll still see various WCTU halls around Melbourne. Eg, I spotted one recently up on Emerald Hill, in South Melbourne.
At least I think I did. I was three sheets by that stage of the evening.
Thanks FX.
That’s the solution then – put all the homeless youf bang in the middle of the Camberwell dry area. Maybe Family First will take that idea up.
ha ha good one gummo
these people will live 500 metres from my home. I reckon they should be allowed to live there. The incident has been sprung upon residents unannounced and is indicative of how the alp minister broad has ignored her constituents. Christine Campbell lives under a rock as people are right to be aggrieved.
Women’s Christian Temperance movement still exists. I think it morphed into Drug Arm – in QLD anyways…
And talking of the Western Burbs of Brisbane, Bellbowrie still doesn’t have a pub, and its now producing Satanists.
I wonder what the WCTU/Drug Arm would say about that…
Is that right RR? Very interesting.
Just out of interest, RumRebellious, are you any relation to The Devil Drink?
Just wonderin…
Oh, and it was my pleasure, Mark. Hope to catch the rest of you next grogblog!
Likewise, Lefty E. A very enjoyable night – good company and good bars!
I’m sure we discussed the Victorian election – just to keep things vaguely on topic.
Hey, bars are a big election issue, dont you worry about that. Bailleu is claiming Bracks secretly intends to toll laneways; whereas under his government, schoolkids will get in free.
Could swing it!
Do I have time to move and enrol to count myself with those who stand against temperance?
I grant you, its an idea whose time has come: The Victorian Intemperance League.
Especially with the Upper House Reforms.
They all be fishing for preference deals; dont you worry about that.
Sounds even better than the plan a certain UQU postgraduate vice-president and I had to take over Esk Shire in the mid 90s on an “Esk: the New Las Vegas” ticket – what better way to combat the decline of traditional rural industries than with boutique gambling resorts?
Visionary, Mark.
Semi-seriously, that People First, or whatever the spamming bastards are called (listen, I didnt sign up to your email list, ok!) have some hardcore anti-gambling heads on the ticket. Including the former head of the govt’s own Gambling Research Unit, who got the shaft for not towing Treasury line on how brill its been, fleecing the punteriat.
If I was in the Greens or the ALP campaigns, I’d be pointing out that Steve Fielding just delivered young Jamie a bucketload of money to invest in gaming, and some lucky capitalist the chance to cross-promote gambling in The Age.
Just sayin…
Now if you and Nabs got together to run a political consultancy..
… why am I imagining families in Mormon underwear being thrown out of an Empire Flying Boat into the Brisbane River?
“Housing Minister Candy Broad. I swear, Australia gets cooler by the minute!”
Wait till you discover the former NSW gaming minister, the Right Honourable Dick Face.
No, I’m not joking.
David, that might be a good media stunt for the mooted LP takes over Brisbane City Council campaign in 08!
Richard Face, I believe, was his preferred name…
Didn’t he just win a hundred and something grand off Fairfax in a defo action? Might be an honourable gentleman who’s a bit sensitive to slights…
“…why am I imagining families in Mormon underwear being thrown out of an Empire Flying Boat into the Brisbane River?”
Puh-leeze! A Pan Am Boeing 314 Clipper if you don’t mind. And we’d keep and donate the underwear to Community Aid Abroad at a nice photo-op.
Can I be in the photo-op wearing an eye patch and a leather catsuit? Please…
<img src="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/40105000/jpg/_40105836_skycaptain3.jpg"
NB: Artist’s impression. Not actual photo of Kimberella the Pirate Queen.
“The Victorian Intemperance League.”
Count me in. Cheers! Sorry, what was the name of it again?
Anyway the slogan just writes itself. “It’s Your Shout!”. “And don’t forget to tick both our boxes.”
That’s why Victoria should move to optional preferential voting?
What was the old slogan about Kentucky and Tennessee?
The voters would always support prohibition in a referendum, providing they could stagger to the polls.
Y’know, what with Hollywood scrambling around to revive old TV, radio and comic franchises, why hasn’t anyone there cottoned onto Terry And The Pirates?
Indiana Jones meets the Flying Tigers – with Dragon Ladies and Curtiss P-40 Tomahawks. Sky Captain was sorta getting there but it wasn’t oily, gritty and two-fisted enough.
Lefty E – I do not lie. I occasionally make stuff up though.
Kim – No relation to The Devil Drink. Which I concur with him, is Stones Ginger Ale. That shit almost got me expelled from school.
RR – it’s evil shit, that Stones.
Nabs – but is there a part for a one legged pirate girl in it?
“Stones Ginger Ale”
Umm, you do mean Stones Green Ginger Wine don’t you. That shit got me expelled from seminary school. Twice.
“Nabs – but is there a part for a one legged pirate girl in it?”
Pirate girl no, ruthlessly glamorous Dragon Lady who doesn’t play A-grade club tennis and sits around on thrones a lot knocking back the Singapore Slings, yes.
Dragon Lady drinking Singapore Slings from a throne will do nicely.
Nabakov: “why hasn’t anyone there cottoned onto Terry And The Pirates?”
Exactly! Man, I’ve been saying that for YEARS! Although the content is pretty good, too, the main thing is, how cool is that fucking title?! TERRY AND THE PIRATES! I don’t CARE what it’s about, man, I’m already sold just on the title!
I think more movies should be re-made just because of how cool the title sounds… starting, of course, with Ice Station Zebra and The Guns of Navaronne (Alistair Maclean certainly had a knack, didn’t he?)
Sky Captain of course was a train-wreck w/r/t everything but the visuals… on the other hand, it did feature Angie Darling getting to speak what is probably the best line in the movies since “Have my Star Destroyer prepare for my arrival.”
She looks straight at the camera, wearing that eye-patch, and says something like, “Unleash the Amphibious Brigades!”
Hope she enjoyed it. I know I did.
I suspect the Hollkywoodheads are more likely to turn this into a movie before they get round to Terry And The Pirates (TATP).
And nothing wrong with ‘Crimson Skies’ per se (aside from the fact it’s not available for Mac yet) but TATP just had that legendary gritty funk about it, not least ‘cos it was being inked at the same time as Chennault was sorta doing the real thing with the AVG and a real Dragon Lady.
.
Gummo, I suspect I lot of people think Moreland should be. I saw this old bugger on Sydney Road the other day wearing a pair of stubbies, thongs and a denim jacket on which he had written something to the effect of “No More Johnny: Stop Terrorist Lies”. He was putting about 50 000 000 posters up on a bollard for various causes including a rally at the MCG next month.
It’s indeed wine, not ale, though only nominally. I’ve forgotten what’s actually in it—probably something nasty. Ginger ale, on the other hand, is so safe and delicious you can give to your grandkids to get them in the habit of drinking with lunch.
No way j_p_z. Vader’s lines don’t even cut it. Best cheesy line ever delivered was Peter O’Toole’s cracker in Lawrence:
“So long as the Arabs fight tribe against tribe, so long will they be a little people; a silly people; greedy, barbarous and cruel! As you are!”
This thread has been bushwacked!!
Who ya gunna call, Steve-o, the Leyland Brothers?
I was thinking of channelling the Spirits of Henry Lawson and Norman Lindsay, They knew how to handle wowsers.
I’m one of those 160 local residents who who dont like the thought of 35 drug addicts, alcoholics and child molesters (from an insider in the department of housing) who will be given priority under the project to living within 200m of the park my 2 young children frequent. I also dont like the idea of the increase in crime that the drug addicts will bring to pay the dealers who will frequent area the area knowing that there will be such good trade for them.
Phil,
Would that be Robinson Reserve on McPherson Street, The park directly across the road from Munro Manor, or Proton Oval across the other side of Sydney Road? I’d figure the second, because a quick check of the Melways has neither of the two others within that magic 200 metres of Munro Manor.
Thank you Gummo for your quick fingers grabbing for the old melways. You will find that if you use your legs instead of your fingers that after a short stroll down Loch street turn right into Berry street and hey presto before you know it you are at the Berry St entrance to Robinson Reserve. Go pace it out. If you actually lived in the area you would have a clue. Leave your flaming at the gate, dear child.
Well Phil, I’ve actually been down to the locus in quo.
Besides that park immediately across the road, and the Dan Murphy’s just down the street which had everybody so vexed in the local paper coverage, there’s a block of about 12 flats diagonally across the road. With rent assistance from Centrelink and Ministry of Housing bond loan, one of those child molesters, drug adddicts and alcoholics your insider at the MoH told you about might well rent one of those, should it come on the market. Maybe you should agitate for the block to be cleared out and demolished, just in case.
Enough argument about the local parks – do you know for a fact that there are going to be 35 child molesters, drug addicts and alcoholics (possibly even people who are all three at once) shacked up in Munro Manor? No – all you’ve offered on that score is hearsay. When the Leader first reported the story, it was “we don’t want a halway house for homeless youth in our neighbourhood” from you lot. Get your story straight, mate.
That’s enough from me – time to take me morning shot of vodka, shoot up a speedball then head down to the local park with the bag of boiled lollies.