Griffith's councillors will be pushing hard to make housing and homelessness a major topic on the agenda when some of the country's biggest politicians come to town later this year.
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At last week's general meeting, councillors resolved to invite a selection of federal and state politicians to workshop the important issues surrounding the ongoing housing crisis in Griffith and NSW.
Councillor Anne Napoli put forward the notice of motion and said the upcoming Bush Summit was a "magnificent opportunity" to discuss the topic with some of the country's most senior politicians.
"It is great to have the parliamentarians here in Griffith and I think we should take that opportunity to bring to their attention the very concerning lack of housing and crisis accommodation," Councillor Napoli said.
"It has come to my attention that there are young kids as young as 12 and 13 that are homeless in Griffith."
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A total of 16 politicians will be written to and invited to discuss the issue with Griffith's councillors, including Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce, Housing Minister Michael Sukkar as well as local members Helen Dalton and Sussan Ley.
The seven members of a NSW inquiry looking at improving access to accommodation also make up the 16 politicians named in the notice of motion.
The organisers of the 2021 Bush Summit have already named 'Populating our Regions' as one of the key themes for the summit and it is expected housing availability will be a key aspect in these discussions.
Speaking to The Area News earlier this year, councillor and manager of Youth Links Deb Longhurst said the difficulties finding accommodation in Griffith are leaving many young people with nowhere to go, forcing them into homelessness.
Ms Longhurst said there is current 105 homeless people between the ages of 12 and 25 currently receiving support in the Griffith area.
Along with housing, other topics such as water, investment, argiculture, export and the drought are also being proposed as potential themes for the upcoming Bush Summit.
It was announced last month that the Bush Summit, which was originally set to take place in August, has been postponed to October 15.
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Monty Jacka
Monty is a journalist at The Daily Advertiser in Wagga. He can be reached at m.jacka@austcommunitymedia.com.au
Monty is a journalist at The Daily Advertiser in Wagga. He can be reached at m.jacka@austcommunitymedia.com.au
