Submission: Human Rights Act for NSW

The Tenants’ Union welcomes the opportunity to provide a submission to the Community Services Committee inquiry into a Human Rights Act in NSW. Our submission is guided by our work with renters and the casework experience of the local Tenants’ Advice and Advocacy Services across NSW.  We are also a member of the Human Rights Act for NSW - an alliance of more than 130 legal and community, faith bodies and trade unions who work across NSW and who are calling for the enactment of a Human Rights Act for NSW. The ACT, Queensland and Victoria have all implemented a Human Rights Act and NSW is falling behind. The lack of human rights protections in NSW has serious impacts on the everyday lives of many people in our community.  A Human Rights Act for NSW should protect the rights that Australia has already promised to uphold under international law.  We know that NSW renters' human rights are currently overlooked and ignored due to the lack of a right to housing enshrined in legislation. A Human Rights Act for NSW must explicitly protect our right to adequate housing. The right to adequate housing is more than just having a roof over our head, it's also about the affordability, security, location and accessibility of the home. We must also protect rights that help us secure housing or stay in our home. Human rights like the right to privacy and family, the rights of children, the right to property or to equality before the law, have all been used to protect people’s right to housing in other jurisdictions with a Human Rights Act.