Marina Leasing Reforms Introduced Across the Hunter

BY OLIVIA DILLON

Hunter boating facilities are set to receive upgrades, thanks to new marina leasing reforms. 

Marinas on Crown land will be offered extended leases of up to 40 years, in exchange for a commitment to reinvest in and upgrade facilities. 

Soldier's Point Marina in Port Stephens is just one location set to benefit from the reforms, which will also include a new standard lease template and the introduction of more more transparent rent calculations for operators. 

Boating Industry Association President Andrew Fielding said the industry welcomed the changes, which will support local jobs and economies, while providing tourists and communities with world-class facilities. 

"The leasing reforms will create a framework where marina operators and investors can deliver important privately-funded public infrastructure with confidence, while greatly improving their offerings to boaties and the broader community." Mr Fielding said. 

Minister Anderson (centre) with Boating Industry Association director Darren Vaux (left) and Soldiers Point Marina general manager Darrell Barnett (right) at Soldiers Point Marina at Port Stephens. 

Hunter Sexual Abuse Survivor says New Reforms Should Lead to More Convictions

BY ISABEL EVERETT

Hunter survivor of child sexual abuse, Peter Gogarty, has welcomed reforms introduced to State Parliament today which will allow jurors to be told about an accused abusers prior convictions.

The changes in legislation are expected to remove a significant barrier preventing child sex offenders from being held to account and leading to ‘unwarranted acquittals’. 

University of Newcastle Criminologist, Peter Gogarty, suffered sexual abuse as a child from a member of the Catholic Church and says these reforms should dramatically increase convictions in the cases of other survivors. 

"These sorts of crimes happen very much in private so it becomes an I said, he said sort of scenario which has always worked to the benefit of the perpetrator," he said. 

"So now we have the potential for other victims of that same person to have their evidence heard in court. The value of that in terms of proving the behavior of a pedophile will have a dramatic improvement in having convictions of these people."

A Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse heard about many criminal proceedings in which evidence of an accused person previously offending against children was ruled inadmissible due to courts’concerns that it may unfairly prejudice the accused person. 

Mr Gogarty said the removal of these proceedings would have allowed him to provide evidence on his own abuser, which would have assisted in his conviction. 

"In my own case, I was prepared to give evidence against Father James Fletcher in somebody else's matter. The judge at the time thought my tendency evidence didn't have sufficient value under the legislation as it then existed," he said. 

"If that exact same case was to happen today, my evidence would have been admitted, the jury would hear that and I think that would result in more convictions and probably stronger sentences." 

NSW is the first Australian jurisdiction to introduce agreed legislation enabling greater admissibility of tendency and coincidence evidence, such as evidence about an accused person’s tendency to have a sexual interest in children. 

"The NSW Attorney General, Mark Speakmen has been pushing other States to follow suit. I'm confident that they will do that," Mr Gogarty said. 

Mr Gogarty says the reform is an amazing step forward, however there are still significant changes which need to be made. 

 "I think the other big issue that remains is the protection that is still afforded to the seal of the Confessional in the Catholic Church."

 "I know that the Attorney General is looking at that. I think they need to be bold and brave and say that protection no longer exists in the confessional when someone confesses to a child sexual assault."

                                     Survivor Peter Gogarty Image Credit: Maitland Mercury

State Government Announces Retirement Home Reform

BY SAM ISAAC

The NSW Government has proposed a series of reforms to the retirement village industry to provide for and protect senior citizens.

The reforms follow the recent release of the Greiner Report, which analysed the retirement home industry from August to December 2017, pinpointing issues and potential resolutions.

The Greiner Report was conducted after a disturbing Four Corners exposé on predatory financial practices in the retirement home industry was published last year. 

The key factors in improving the sector were identified as:
1. Increasing the transparency of exit fees and contracts;
2. Clarifying the funding arrangements for ongoing maintenance costs which are shared between residents and operators;
3. Providing more support for residents to pursue disputes with operators (in addition to reducing the potential for disputes to arise).

Parliamentary Secretary for the Hunter Scot MacDonald said, "Hunter residents heading into retirement will benefit significantly from these reforms, which put the power back in their hands."

The changes are especially important given Australia's growing elderly population. 

NSW Retirement villages currently house 55,000 people, with that number expected to reach 325,000 by 2025.

"There will be a code of conduct that'll be standard for every retirement village," Mr MacDonald said, "there will be demand and requirement for greater transparency so you will have to disclose to village residents things such as contract terms, exit fees... 

"All those things that you would think would be obvious but sometimes are a bit hard to access," he explained. 

"There will also be a dispute resolution service for residents and this can be quite a difficult thing for residents there to take on a manager, so we're hoping that will be easier for both sides," Mr MacDonald continued. 

"We want disputes resolved quickly, and the other thing we're going to put in is a retirement village ambassador so that'll be a voice for residents."

Both Minister for Ageing Tanya Davies and NSW Minister for Better Regulation Matt Kean believe increasing confidence in the retirement village sector is important for the future.

SOURCE: kensingtonretirementvillage.com