Mildura public housing: Mallee Family Care pushes for cooling amid coronavirus restriction fears
As another sweltering summer approaches, with Victorians under stay-at-home orders, spare a thought for Mildura’s public housing tenants – including 331 children – who don’t have access to cooling thanks to controversial Victorian Government legislation.
Hyperlocal
Don't miss out on the headlines from Hyperlocal. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A campaign to install cooling in public housing in Victoria’s northwest, where summer heatwaves push temperatures beyond 40 degrees, has taken on renewed urgency.
As coronavirus restrictions keep Victorians at home, a Mildura social service provider is worried about how tenants will cope during the region’s searing heat this summer.
Under a statewide policy introduced in 1997, the Victorian Government isn’t obliged to provide cooling to public housing tenants, except for some medical reasons.
A study by Mallee Family Care and the University of Sydney last year recommended an urgent review of the policy.
During Mildura’s hottest month on record, in January last year, the mean daily maximum was 37.8 degrees.
A year earlier, a streak of 14 consecutive days of 35 degrees or warmer was recorded.
Mallee Family Care chief executive Teresa Jayet said these prolonged stretches of heat were a real problem.
“What that means is we don’t have a reprieve of that heat during the night time, which is when people get their rest,” she said.
“So when that significant heat is sustained, it then has that ripple effect on people’s day to day living.”
Ms Jayet said there were 331 children who lived in Mildura public housing and teachers told the study about poor education, health and wellbeing outcomes during hot weather.
Students who had arrived at school from public housing were more likely to fall asleep in class and be admitted to sick bay, the teachers said.
“They had noticed a change in (student) attention, their mood, their behaviour and basically their overall school performance, as they were completely fatigued … as a direct result of a lack of adequate cooling,” Ms Jayet said.
Public housing tenants told the study to seek relief on hot days they would go to cool indoor spaces, such as libraries and pubs.
But these venues were closed by Victoria’s Stage 3 restrictions, and even if rules were to be eased, limits on indoor spaces were likely to be a feature this summer.
Ms Jayet said the government needed to install airconditioning immediately: “If the plan out of COVID is delayed even further, what is going to happen to in the Mallee community living in public housing when they are told to stay home?”
Mallee Family Care last month met with Housing Minister Richard Wynne and Ms Jayet said Mr Wynne pledged to produce a formal response on the issue.
The Mildura News sought comment from Mr Wynne.
In response, a Department of Health and Human Services spokesperson said airconditioning was provided under the medical cooling policy when there is a demonstrated medical need.
The spokesperson said 1500 houses had this year received upgrades under the EnergySmart Public Housing project.
“A total of 180 houses in the Mallee have received air conditioners under the program,” the spokesperson said.
Ms Jayet said there was evidence of residents being knocked back when applying under the medical cooling policy.
Last year’s study found a lack of transparency and difficulty with applications as major barriers to accessing this assistance.
While tenants do have the option of installing their own cooling, the study found this too required approval from housing authorities and that even when cooling units were left for the next tenant, authorities removed them.
Member for Mildura Ali Cupper told Victorian Parliament earlier this year that leaving tenants to fend for themselves was “a dereliction of the state‘s duty and, quite simply, inhumane”.
Check out more stories at The Mildura News here
Want to become a digital subscriber? Join now on our latest offer here
Contact reporter Michael DiFabrizio
Follow us on Facebook here
MORE MILDURA NEWS:
MILDURA’S TOP 10 MOST INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE
BUYERS SWARM OVER BARGAIN HOMES NEAR MILDURA
BEST 10 PLAYERS TO COME FROM THE SUNRAYSIA LEAGUE
ICONIC PADDLE-STEAMERS GROUNDED BY BORDER SHUTDOWN