Councillor joins down and outs – for a night

By Callan Date
A CHILLY Melbourne spring night did not deter Casey councillor Paul Richardson and his attempt to highlight the plight of the homeless last week.
The independent councillor and staunch advocate for the homeless packed his sleeping bag and headed to an Endeavour Hills tunnel to spend the night of Wednesday 19 September out in the elements.
Fellow councillors Michael Farley and Steve Beardon and Greens candidate for Holt Lynette Keleher, along with several other community members, joined Cr Richardson during his sleep out.
Cr Richardson kept warm throughout the night by burning a drum full of wood under the James Cook Drive tunnel that was scrawled with graffiti.
“I found the homeless sleep out rather depressing and hard to do,” Cr Richardson said.
“However, with my determination to experience what they regularly experience on a day-to-day basis, it has given me some insight into what they see and how they feel on the streets and dark alleys of towns, suburbs and large cities.
“In the City of Greater Dandenong and the City of Casey, our homeless people sleep in bins, drains and unoccupied dwellings.
“What an existence,” he said.
Cr Richardson said he would continue to campaign for the homeless, with his next step the City of Casey run Housing Stress and Homeless Conference on Tuesday 16 October.
“I am prepared to follow this urgent matter of homelessness through to the Commonwealth Government if necessary.”
Homelessness and housing stress will be two key items on the agenda at the upcoming discussion that will take place at the Balla Balla Centre in Cranbourne.
Bookings for the event are required.
Morning tea and lunch is included and the session is free to the public.
To book a place contact the Health Promotion Team on 9705 5200 by 8 October.