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House of Hope for addicts forced to stop work A Catholic group working with drug addicts and prostitutes in Perth will have to stop its work following a decision of the Town of Vincent Council. The council turned down an application for rezoning last Wednesday week that would have allowed the Holy Spirit of Freedom Community to keep using the building at 258 Stirling Street In Perth as a drop-in and outreach centre for prostitutes and drug addicts. The building - St Joseph's House of Hope - is owned by Paul Conti Nominees Pty Ltd and has been run by the community for the last four years. The HSOF has been using the building without council planning permission as a residence, chapel and occasional drop-in centre, a council source said. The council voted down a motion from Councillors Woodley and Kerr that the matter be deferred to provide more information to all councillors and allowing time to liaise with the applicant, Paul Conti Nominees, to prepare a management plan for the premises. Vincent's Mayor, John Hyde, used his casting vote to defeat the deferral motion. The council then voted seven to one to agree with a motion refusing an application for retrospective approval Liz Hare, leader of St Joseph's House of Hope outside the of the use of the building. Cr Brown building on Stirling Street last week. pnc. • sang was the dissenting vote.
Archbishop Barry Hickey earlier this year recognised the HSOF in Canon Law as a Lay Association of Christ's Faithful that seeks to work with the poorest of the poor. HSOF leader, Deacon Frank Feain, told The Record from Pemberton last week that the house's community volunteers had been providing meals each week for the poor and homeless as well as occasional temporary overnight accommodation. It would stop its work at the house after Wednesday evening, 20 September, while it considered whether to appeal against the council's decision. The mission of the house and its volunteer workers, he said, was to give prostitutes, drug addicts and the homeless a sense of identity and belonging as a first step to helping them escape their lifestyle. But the council's decision disappointed the community and its volunteers. "We feel disappointment and a deep sadness because of the poor," he said. adding "It's always the poor who suffer." "If it wasn't the poor coming [to St Joseph's] it wouldn't be a problem." "Many people say 'yes, let's help the poor' but it's 'keep them away from me'," when it comes to doing anything for them, he said. The way the issue was decided had
been especially disappointing because none of the accusations made against the house's operation were true. He had been told by community members who attended the council meeting that among claims made against the house and its operations included parties of youth drinking beer on its verandah at night, up to 50 people at a time shooting up drugs in the carpark behind the house, and that St Joseph's was being used as a centre for illegal undercover activities. But none of these was true, he said. He was not aware that any of those who complained to the council about St Joseph's had ever approached the HSOF to discuss their concerns or visited the house to see what actually happens there. "Iwould have been delighted for them to come and see," he said. However, in a letter to the council, Regal Settlements, located next door to St Joseph's, alleged that visitors to the building harassed staff, and addicts had been seen shooting up behind the building. Regal also alleged that its offices had also been attacked by visitors to St Joseph's in the course of disputes, its staff had been abused and their building had been used as accommodation for the night. Continued on Page 4
Warning as inquiry into charities set Catholic Health Australia this week was "appropriate to the modern social and warned that the Howard Government's economic environment" as the common law new inquiry into charitable organisations definition of a charity was based on a legal might be a way of removing the tax- concept dating back to 1601. This had led to a number of legal definitions exempt status from charities. developing which often gave rise to legal disPrime Minister John Howard announced putes. last Monday, 18 September, that an inde"The inquiry will provide the government pendent inquiry would be held into "defin- with options for enhancing the clarity and itional issues relating to charitable, consistency of the existing definitions with religious and community service not-for- respect to Commonwealth law and administrative practice," he said. profit organisations." But Mr Sullivan said inquiring into Church 'Given recent history, it is hard not to wonand charitable organisations was "placing the der whether this is just another opportunity cart before the horse." for the Federal Treasury to take away the tax "The Government should firstly reveal its exempt status of Church-run health and aged agenda for these services in Australia's social care services,' CHA executive director Francis and economic environment in the 21st centuSullivan said. ry," he said. The financial viability of charitaCatholic Health Australia is Australia's ble organisations was a "crucial issue" and largest grouping of not-for-profit health and any inquiry which aims to pinpoint the role of aged care services. church-owned health and aged care services Mr Howard said charitable, religious and should be concerned about this matter. community service not-for-profit organisaBut the lack of a specific mention in the tions "played a vital role in the community Inquiry's terms of reference to an indepenand were pivotal members of the social coali- dent examination of the "cost impacts of the tion." introduction of GST and FBT to the church He said the Government had to ensure that and charitable organisations" was a "glaring the legislative and administrative framework omission," particularly as the Howard GovIn which non-profit organisations operated ernment had committed itself to "not leave
these services worse off under tax reform." The inquiry will be led by the HonIF Sheppard a former Judge of the Supreme Court of NSW and Federal Court of Australia. Other inquiry members are: Robert Fitzgerald, Commissioner of Community Services NSW and former President of ACOSS and of the Society of St Vincent de Paul in New South Wales; and David Gonski, principal of Wentworth Associates and member of the Prime Minister's Community-Business Partnership. Mr Howard said his government believed that the inquiry would make wide consultation with the community service sector and other interested groups was a "very important element" in its work. The inquiry is expected to produce an issues paper for public comment before completing its report by 31 March, 2001. The inquiry's terms of reference ask it to report on "existing definitions of charitable, religious, and community service not-for-profit organisations having regard to the following: (a) the attributes, purpose and behaviour of such organisations in light of the current social expectations and experiences; and (b) those organisations that are wholly or partially charitable, religious or community service not-for-profit." Continued on Page 4
Beagle Bay appeal A public appeal has been set up under the patronage of the Governor-General, Sir William Deane, to restore the bell tower at Sacred Heart Church, Beagle Bay. Broome's Bishop Christopher Saunders, together with Kevin Fong, president of the Shire of Broome, announced the appeal last Wednesday week The church is 130 kilometres north-west of Broome. Commenting on the dramatic collapse of the tower, Bishop Saunders said the church at Beagle Bay was the prime piece of heritage property in the Kimberley. "The destruction of the bell tower represents a grave loss to our sense of history and art, and connection with the Past" The Pallottine priests, Brothers and Aboriginal people built the church "as a labour of love" in 191Z he said. Continued on Page 4