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Tenants' Union news

Also check out our blog, Tenant News archive, media appearances, and Housing News Digest.
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Vale Ross Smith - tireless advocate and TU member

Mon, 21/11/2016 - 14:48
Ross Smith
It is with great sadness that we note the passing of Ross Smith – a tireless advocate for fairness in the housing system, and member of the Tenants’ Union of NSW. Ross was always willing to say what many others would not regarding social housing policy - or as he would say 'public and community housing' policy. He strongly disliked the term social housing.
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Land Lease Community residents get their day in the Supreme Court

Mon, 14/11/2016 - 09:54
Hastings Point Residents
Paul Smyth (Tenants' Union Residential Parks Legal Officer) has been working with the residents of Hasting Point for the past five years on their court case for compensation for eviction. On 14th November, they had their day in the Supreme Court.
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Out now! Outasite issue 2

Sat, 12/11/2016 - 15:15
Outasite 2016 cover
Outasite issue 2 is hot off the presses and finding its way into mailboxes in land lease communities all over NSW. This issue contains articles including: The Act: one year on; Community education project report; Mary Preston - this is my community; Christina Steel - a hard working advocate; Introduction to NCAT; Emma McGuire - LLC Tenant Advocate; Electricity charges; Age discrimination; NSW Fair Trading's role in residential communities; Recently at NCAT; and Fair market value.
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A day in the life of Brett Webb: Aboriginal Tenant Advocate

Mon, 07/11/2016 - 14:52
Brett Webb, Aboriginal Tenant Advocate
Brett Webb is an Aboriginal Tenant Advocate at the Northern Aboriginal Tenants Advice and Advocacy Service. In this interview he speaks about his experiences and day-to-day work.
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Report: NORTAAS Info Session for Residential Communities

Fri, 04/11/2016 - 10:55
Sarah from NORTAAS speaking at Gateway Lifestyle Residential Community
On 27th October 2016, Sarah Drury and Mary Flowers from Northern Rivers Tenants Advice and Advocacy Service (NORTAAS) attended Casino Gateway Lifestyles Residential Community to conduct an information session about the Residential (Land Lease) Communities Act 2013. The session was organised in in collaboration with community residents and the community operator, who advertised the event in the community newsletter.
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Fair market value: challenging site fee increases in new agreements

Thu, 03/11/2016 - 12:43
Outasite article
The Tenants’ Union was one of the stakeholders in the consultation with the Government on the review of residential parks legislation during 2011 and 2012. A key area of difference between the industry and those of us representing the rights of residents was site fee increases.
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Recently at NCAT

Thu, 03/11/2016 - 12:33
NCAT
The right of a home owner to be able to assign their site agreement to someone who purchases their home has become a key battle ground under the Residential (Land Lease) Communities Act 2013 (‘the Act’). Early in the year the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (the Tribunal) made a couple of decisions that operators were required to consent to the assignment of site agreements because they could not unreasonably refuse a request. However, in May the Tribunal made a different decision.
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Age discrimination is ok, says NCAT

Thu, 03/11/2016 - 12:23
Over 55s
Age restrictions in land lease communities is an issue that has been a hotly disputed for many years. Home owners sit on both sides of the fence with some deliberately selecting communities with age restrictions and others supporting a completely open market. Surprisingly there are very few reported Tribunal decisions about age restrictions and we are only aware of one case being determined by the Anti Discrimination Board. However, there has been a development with a decision made by NCAT in June 2016.
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Electricity charges

Thu, 03/11/2016 - 12:14
Electricity
In our September 2016 issue of Outasite Lite (an electronic publication sent out by email) we explored electricity charges and the laws and regulations that govern them. Since publishing the article we have been advised that many home owners are being overcharged for electricity because some operators are not aware that the Residential (Land Lease) Communities Act 2013 (the Act) changed the way that utility usage charges must be calculated. In this article we look again at those charges.
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Land lease communities in profile

Thu, 03/11/2016 - 12:06
Outasite article
People may be aware that operators of land lease communities are required to provide certain details about the community to the Commissioner for Fair Trading. This information is kept in a ‘Register of Communities’ and some of it is publicly available through the Fair Trading website. In May 2012 Fair Trading produced a report entitled ‘Residential Parks, Profile of the Industry’ based on information that was in the register at that time.
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