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| Ross Smith, Ron Hoenig MP, Sophie Cotsis MLC at Waterloo |
This week I invited The Hon. Sophie Costis MLC, Shadow Minister for Housing to accompany Ross Smith, a People Precinct Representative, and I to see first hand the disgraceful living conditions that my constituents have to put up with in their Housing NSW tenancies in Waterloo.
I initially organised this tour so I could speak with my constituents' again. I wanted to ask whether there had been any improvements since my last visit and my many complaints to Housing NSW. I wanted to get a first-hand account of any concerns or issues that were impacting on them.
As we walked through Raglan, Cooper, Wellington, Cope, George and McEvoy Streets I continually saw evidence of severe neglect and decay.
My constituents that are Housing NSW tenants are relegated to third world living conditions as evidenced by broken down fences, putrid garbage bays, rubbish strewn yards, syringe littered lawns and broken sewer pipes.
To see broken sewer pipes with toilet paper and faecal matter in a back yard of a block of flats, broken glass and syringes with mothers preventing their children from going outside to play is heart wrenching.
Talking to people, inspecting the inside of their mould infested units was just terrible One family cannot use the second bedroom for their two children because of the mould. Her children have to live in the living room. They had tried to fix it themselves, painted the room themselves and the mould goes through the paint. Housing NSW just refuse to help them.
The most inspiring part of our visit was to see how resilient these tenants are in the face of such terrible conditions.
They continue to strive to make the best of their living situation even in the face of such adversity.
I have vowed to keep fighting until these Housing NSW tenancies are given the attention that my constituents rightly deserve. The O'Farrell Liberals should hang their head in shame.
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