Friday, February 13, 2009

Weekend

Edition

KEEPING THE SOUTH EAST INFORMED SINCE 1861

Friday, February 13, 2009

$1.00 inc. GST

ON THE LAND

32 PAGES OF

REAL ESTATE

INSIDE

PAGES 17-23

BW491035

INSIDE TODAY: VALENTINE’S DAY MESSAGES > CLASSIFIEDS PAGE 29

Homes trashed BY SANDRA MORELLO Email: [email protected]

NEARLY 400 Housing SA homes in Mount Gambier have been trashed in the past three years, costing taxpayers nearly $330,000 in repairs. It is understood the problem is so bad there are rats infesting some of the properties because of tenants piling “mountains” of filthy rubbish in their government-owned homes. According to Housing SA documents obtained by the State Liberals under Freedom of Information, public tenants in Mount Gambier have smashed doors and windows, destroyed carpets, defaced walls and torn screens. Liberal Party deputy leader Vickie Chapman labelled the situation “absolutely disgusting” and called on the government to intervene and kick out vandals so the properties can be given to one of the hundreds of people on the waiting list in Mount Gambier. “This is a shocking trail of vandalism of public housing at taxpayer expense,” Ms Chapman said. “The government must guarantee that none of these tenants will be rehoused in public housing until they

WEATHER

have paid their damage bill.” Ms Chapman claimed the Labor Cabinet - including Independent MP for Mount Gambier Rory McEwen - had refused to crack down on the issue. “Housing SA needs to intervene early to ensure tenants fix the damage or are removed from the property,” she said. But she said a policy to kick out vandals would exclude people with mental health issues, who should be housed in supported accommodation. “Some tenants are piling up rubbish and rats are moving in and infesting the properties,” Ms Chapman said. She also called on Housing SA to step up its surveillance of government-owned housing. She claimed the government was sitting back and letting people have “second, third or fourth chances” after vandalising properties. “These people need to be jumped on quickly. If they are unable or unwilling to fix it then they should be forced out to allow a decent person to move in,” Ms Chapman said. She claimed some people, such as the needy and those with disabilities, had been waiting years to secure a public home in Mount Gambier.

pABOVE: The Sims family, Trina (left), Courtney, Zac and Brittany, wave goodbye to their husband and father, Chris, as he leaves to battle Victoria’s devastating bushfires (pictured left) on Wednesday. Reports, pages 2-3 Picture: ELLIE TURNER Fire picture: LATROBE VALLEY EXPRESS.

Continued page 4

TV GUIDE

Mount Gambier today - Fine. Mostly sunny. 26o – full report page 43

Pages 26-27

COMICS

Page 28

CLASSIFIEDS

Pages 29-36

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