Identified Service Gaps and Handy Links
As noted in Identifying Gaps, a number of gaps have already been identified and although some of these gaps do not currently have a permanent solution, there is potential for innovative service delivery and dedicated individuals within the community to offer hope for progress.
A resource that rates a mention is Ask Izzy which lists most of the services in your area and is very easy to navigate.
We recommend making yourself familiar with this app as you never know when you might need to use it.
Housing
Even with the links from Ask Izzy, and getting connected with a housing service provider, there is still little to no housing available, due to the housing crisis in our region.
The housing situation has become worse since the floods in this region (Northern Rivers) and people are living in temporary accommodation, these people are looking at living in these for at least the next 2 years.
For the people that don’t have the luxury of employment, they have no option but to become homeless which means they live in squats, couch surf with friends, live in tents or their cars.
Some people on low incomes are forced to choose between paying rent or paying for maintaining a registered car and the petrol it consumes.
They can’t do both.
These people choose to live in their cars, so at least they can get to their jobs.
Homelessness – adults (24+) – Social Futures is the link for Bundjalung country(Northern Rivers NSW)
Please note this is not a crisis service.
Emergency Accommodation
The hoop jumping required for people that are enduring the Emergency Accommodation service provision is quite literally soul crushing.
It isn’t something that many people experience unless they are either a support worker working with someone that requires support or as a vulnerable person requiring assistance.
The lack of availability for emergency accommodation is a major issue in rural NSW.
Link2home – My Community Directory can assist the people that have identification and can tolerate invasive questions required for service delivery.
From the perspective of a person with mental health this can be quite overwhelming, and some people prefer to rough it rather than endure the invasive style of service delivery.
Transport
There is little to no public transport in a lot of rural towns in NSW, so people that want to work need a vehicle. The tyranny of distance is a major factor for any sort of service in the rural areas.
The fact that some people are having to travel 2 hours for an appointment is not unusual, and then there are the resources required for that trip.
To go anywhere in rural NSW is a major event and needs to be strategically managed, especially for people on limited incomes.
Some of the transport services that are available are only for specific reasons and limited to who they can deliver services to.
HART Services – Home Assistance and Regional Transport Services
Sustainable Employment
There are manual labour-intensive jobs available in some parts of rural NSW, however they require strong young people due to the intensity of the work.
There are also stringent work and drug checks done and anyone with a police record, recreational drug use or a record of incarceration will be overlooked if there is a more suitable employee available.
The Links below are for job Network providers in NSW.
Enterprise and Training Company (ETC) Not-for-profit Recruitment Agency
Literacy
The Australian Bureau of Statistics states that 44% of adult Australians don’t have the literacy skills needed for everyday life. Source: ABS Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies
This issue has a lot of people flying under the radar as they feel a sense of shame and create ways to avoid having to read.
This is the link for adults to assist them with making a change;