Thursday, 16 September 2021
Adjournment
Elishacare
Elishacare
I raise a matter for the Minister for Emergency Services and the action I seek is for the minister to intervene in proceedings to evict Elishacare from the former Metropolitan Fire Brigade building in Croydon Road, Croydon, and enter negotiations for Elishacare to remain at this site indefinitely.
Elishacare is a not-for-profit community organisation and social enterprise aimed at rehabilitating drug and alcohol affected persons, often with complex needs including poor mental health. They restore hope and health through employment in their social enterprise, through housing and through support. The strength of their program rests with peer support, provided by participants who have become free from addiction through their involvement with Elishacare.
They have leased these premises for eight years and have now been advised they have a mere five weeks to vacate the property. This is a cruel blow for a great local community organisation that literally takes individuals off the streets of Croydon and provides them with hope, health and support. Our office has corresponded many times over the years with the minister regarding the great work Elishacare do, and we ask that a level of compassion be repaid to this group. Elishacare have paid commercial rent on this site for the life of the tenancy, which has certainly posed a challenge for a not-for-profit. It would be great if consideration was given for a peppercorn lease to allow for some rent relief for this struggling organisation. Disappointingly, my office is still waiting on a response from the acting emergency services minister regarding rent relief correspondence which was sent in July this year.
As part of the work they do, Elishacare offer their rehabilitated people an opportunity for employment with their building and garden maintenance social enterprise business. Due to the devastating impact of ongoing COVID lockdowns, the opportunity to earn regular income and support the ongoing work of Elishacare has been decimated, as have the support donations that once assisted to maintain this group.
I cannot stress enough the importance of the vital work that Elishacare do in our community, a view that would be fully supported by local police members, Maroondah City Council, our Burmese community as well as local traders and residents. Geoff Marsh, the Founder of Elishacare, has been tirelessly looking for an alternative location to house the group for some time, but has been disappointed by knockbacks and restricted by continual lockdowns.
If they were forced to vacate the premises by the deadline of 21 October 2021, you will be forcing many men, who are presently on the path to healing, to be back on the streets, facing their demons of drug and/or alcohol addiction alone. In January 2019, Emergency Management Victoria offered to assist with finding alternative accommodation to ensure continuity of operations, which to date has not happened. If the minister will not advocate for them to remain in their current property indefinitely, I would also ask that Emergency Management Victoria cement their commitment to Elishacare and assist in finding an alternative and suitable location for their relocation.