Evictions Loom for Seniors in Beauty Point
I write as a long-term resident of the village of Beauty Point. This past year I have grown very concerned about the treatment of the residents at the nearby Beauty Point Tourist Park.
The park has been home to many permanent residents over many years. The residents pay a site fee on fortnightly basis. Many of the residents are in their senior years and have enjoyed the support of numerous owner-managers during that time. Some are returned Service people one other a nurse who served in New Guinea helping the poor and suffering. many others have similar stories to tell.
As time has gone on the residents have formed their community of attachment as well as developed their abodes to a high standard, beyond that of ‘shack standard’ (they own their buildings and contents) with the tacit approval of various managers of the business over time. The little community has flourished up until recent times when new management has taken upon itself to undertake certain changes that have caused worry and concern among the residents. My understanding is that the residents appealed to current management for a mediation to have their concerns heard, but to no avail.
There have been ongoing disputes over a number of issues including, building maintenance, visitor attendance and the recent conflicts where residents were not allowed to hold a small ANZAC celebration. In these cases, management has applied (as I understand it) black-letter rules.
Recently the management has introduced a new agreement and associated rules, which has placed the residents in a situation of further worry. A number of residents have been issued with eviction notices, all of whom are aged and one in particular who is quite frail, suffering hospitalisation this past few weeks. The affected residents have been directed to vacate their site by a due date. One resident believed that she has been served with eviction because she has spoken out about the treatment by management.
These evictees (and others who may also be forced out) will have nowhere to go and will be in a far worse situation as they will (as I understand) be forced to foot the bill for site clearance.
Clearly this is a serious situation. We can’t have elderly folks who have contributed to our society and who have lived a peaceful and harmonious existence at the park treated this way.
Soon a number of residents will be homeless. I can put you in touch with 3 residents who have been issued with eviction notices and who would be prepared to talk to a reporter re their story.
The recent moves by the Government to amend the Tenants Act in my view does not go far enough to fully protect residents such as those at the Beauty Point Tourist Park.
I have attached a recent leaflet produced by the Park Residents’ Association.
– Dr Philip J. Tattersall, Beauty Point
Stadium Must be Renegotiated
As Meg Webb has pointed out today, Tasmania has missed deadlines in its agreement with the AFL. Hang on! We’ve been told for over two years that this is holy writ and cannot possibly be renegotiated or varied in any way.
Clearly the AFL has to either walk away from the deal or admit that it can and must be renegotiated. So which is it it going to be? Hello? Helloooo AFL?!
– Eoin McBrearty, Derwent Park
Is bankruptcy the goal?
Eric Abetz has a slogan asking Tasmanians to let the Liberal Party “finish the job”. That would be the job of bankrupting the state, then would it, Eric?
And there are heatwaves in America and Europe. The marine heatwave along Australia’s southern coast is persisting. It’s causing algal blooms and continuing fish deaths. Global heating is increasingly causing ecological destruction events, yet the Liberal and Labor parties have voiced no concern or plan for climate change in their campaign so far. Why not?
Coupe TN050G in the Styx
Dear Sustainable Timber Tasmania
I wish to register as a stakeholder in the above coupe in the Styx and urge you to leave this precious tract of old growth forest alone. I am extremely alarmed at the plans to imminently log this area. I visited that coupe a year ago and treasure the memories and photos – that should not be all we are left with.
I further plead with you to immediately stop all logging activities in Tasmania’s old growth areas and mature native forests. Most people in Tasmania have no idea what is happening – they think old growth logging ended years ago. When I tell them the truth, they think I am lying. Giant trees were recently felled in a RU coupe – the photos of huge stumps were heartbreaking. I fail to understand why giant trees need be felled for ‘safety’ or ‘operational’ reasons when they must be granted 100m buffers in STT’s own guidelines.
What little old growth tall wet eucalypt forest that remains requires immediate protection for the sake of our children and all who come after us. How we could be logging trees and destroying ecosystems that began life long before colonisation – primarily for wood pulp – is quite beyond me in what is meant to be an enlightened age.
I similarly cannot understand why the Franklin Forest and the Grove of Giants in the Huon Valley, have not yet been granted protection from logging. These are treasured areas – obvious from the number of visitors each daily receive – yet they remain at threat from logging. The Grove of Giants can’t be logged under your guidelines given the density of giant trees, so why not simply give that area reserve status – and put up signs to stop people getting lost?
I hope you will give this letter due consideration and consider reforming the industry into one of low volume, high value single stick products, rather than the loss-making sheer destruction of clearfelling and burning for the sake of making a few woodchip exporters very rich.
– Jenny Cambers-Smith, Crabtree
Confused – Liberal/Labor
I am yet to ascertain any discernible difference between Liberal and Labor!
Just like train or aeroplane spotters I am an avid constitution spotter which seemed like sensible place to begin to delve into any perceived variants between our once great and esteemed parties in Tasmania.
Language is everything when it comes to communicating the ideas and values the parties wish to convey and the contrast is stark: Liberals for their exclusivity and Labor for inclusiveness. The Tasmania Liberal Party’s Beliefs made me chuckle and appear to have been written in the 1950s at the Gentleman’s club with cigars and generous amounts of brandy. The first begins with WE BELIEVE IN THE CROWN, in bold letters, which immediately excludes around 50% (ABS) of the population with republic leanings. This is followed by ‘WE BELIEVE IN AUSTRALIA, her courage, her capacity, her future and her national sovereignty,’ implying that Australia’s gender is female devoid of any masculine traits. When it comes to the individual women appear to be left out completely! ‘
WE BELIEVE IN THE INDIVIDUAL. We stand positively for the free man, his initiative, his individuality and acceptance of responsibility’. To cap it off it seems those who hold Liberal values also ‘BELIEVE THAT UNDER THE BLESSING OF DIVINE PROVIDENCE .. there is no task which Australia cannot perform and no difficulty which she cannot overcome.’ Alienating 38.9% (ABS) of Australians who adhere to no religion believes.
The Labor Party is quite the opposite with so many objectives listed encompassing almost every person and their dog into the ALP fold. Although there are fragments from a bygone era, ‘The Australian Labor Party is a democratic socialist party..’ a concept few people below the age of 60 would appreciate.
When the essential beliefs of each party are placed side by side there is not really any marked difference that I could see and by deleting the party name it would be difficult to determine which one they belong to.
All of which leaves me with John Steinbeck thoughts: “I know now why confusion in government is not only tolerated but encouraged. I have learned. A confused people can make no clear demands.”
– Dr Ian Broinowski, Battery Point
Letters are welcome on any Tasmanian subject, up to 300 words (we allow a few longer ones occasionally but you’d be surprised how much people appreciate you getting to the point). Letters should be concise, respectful of others and rely on evidence where necessary. No links please! Letter writers should provide a real name and town / suburb. Letters can be sent on behalf of organisations or groups. Submit letters in the body of an email to [email protected]
Comments are turned off on this post…send us a letter!
Tasmanian Times (TT) is a community-based news and current affairs service covering the island state of Tasmania. It exists to provide a diverse view of Tasmanian issues. TT creates and supports independent media content utilising the best of modern technologies and tried-and-true practices of public-interest journalism.
Support us in expanding our coverage and developing new content by and for Tasmanians.
New initiatives on the way include:
- a weekly podcast covering current affairs
- a revamped website
- a monthly cartoon competition
- a user-friendly app for both Android and Apple devices
- a weekly roundup of key stories
