A Country Liberal Party Government is committed to providing safe and amenable public housing to vulnerable Territorians, which is why it will strictly enforce a four pronged plan to tackle antisocial behaviour and damage to Territory Housing. We are committed to helping public housing occupants with managing their tenancies in order to enhance our communities. As a part of this plan, a Country Liberal Party Government will:
1. Empower Public Housing Safety Officers
- Develop a refined case management system for correct record keeping, to make sure complaints are not slipping through the cracks, and those who do the wrong thing are held to account.
o It is important that an accurate and complete record of a tenants behaviour is kept up to date in line with the ‘red card’ rule
o Housing officers who attend a disturbance at a residence will always record the name and address of those involved, if safe to do so
o Likewise those with a good record and value-add to their rented property will be encouraged to become home owners. - We will expand the public housing safety officer service by expanding the hotline to a 24/7 response to disturbances and reports of antisocial behaviour using an on-call model. Currently the public housing safety hotline is only available Monday to Friday 8am-4pm; after ours calls are handled by police, stretching their resources and meaning public housing safety officers may not be aware of problems which have occurred with a tenant.
- New tenancies will require a six month probationary period.
2. Strictly enforce a six demerit point system on an escalating basis depending on the severity of the breaches of a tenancy agreement the most serious of which may result in eviction
- While everything will be done to ensure a tenant can remain in their home, behaviour that is illegal, causes damage to the property or is a nuisance to the neighbourhood will not be tolerated.
- Public housing is a safeguard, and there remain too many responsible and vulnerable people on the wait list for housing to allow antisocial behaviour or those who continually and seriously breach the tenancy.
- Incidents that occur at a public housing tenancy will carry a number of demerit points, depending on the severity of the incident. Six demerit points and the tenancy may be terminated.
- Tenants will be supported to clearly understand of what constitutes a breach, and that any serious breach will result in the immediate cancellation of their tenancy
- Serious breaches that may result in immediate termination of tenancy will include activities such as allowing drug dealing on the premises, outright vandalism and trashing of the premise, and repeated complaints to the Police or Territory Housing staff about unacceptable antisocial behaviour.
3. Increase tenancy support
- We will implement incentives for NT Housing tenants who value-add to their rented property, including incentives to encourage public housing renters to become home owners. We want those who do the right thing and take care of their properties and communities to be rewarded.
- Everything will be done to ensure a tenant is able to meet the terms of their lease. New tenants to any public housing dwelling will be supported to ensure they comply with the obligations of their tenancy.
- Tenants with a good record and who add value to their rented property will be encouraged to become home owners.
4. Visitors accountable for damage• Visitors who damage a property will be held accountable for that damage.