By Helen Searle

Over the years many individuals and families stayed in the Wonthaggi Miners Rest Caravan Park because they had nowhere else to go. The local housing agency also relied on it when emergency houses were full.
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For many years there were rumours about the park closing and eventually in 2019 it was really happening.  The Wonthaggi Branch of the Australian Unemployed Workers Union took an active role in the lead up to the closure advocating for the residents who were to be evicted from the caravan park. Some members of the union lived in the caravan park and were faced with the challenge of where to find a home. Although officially everyone was rehoused we understand that not all the options were sustainable.

In February 2020 a public meeting drew 50 community members to hear speakers from Melbourne-based Defend and Extend Public Housing advocacy group and to discuss the housing issues in the Bass Coast Shire brought to a head by the caravan park closure.

By David Arnault
 
AT THE beginning of August, a group of concerned residents of South Gippsland completed a draft roadmap for the transition required for a changing climate.
 
These residents have chosen “to address these problems head-on, bring about change, and champion a different way to participate and engage that ensures all voices in the community – even the softest ones – are heard, respected, and acted upon.”
 
Just Transition is the work of members of South Gippsland’s Prom Area Climate Action group (PACA), a body of citizens not unlike the Bass Coast Climate Action Group. I was part of the Just Transitions group for its first year but I stepped back a year ago, before the preparation of the Roadmap began, due to ill health. ​

​By Harry Freeman
 
IT’S JUST over 10 years now since my wife and I bought a property in the area. At the time one of the main reasons we chose Bass Coast to live was its proximity to Melbourne. We imagined we would spend most of the time we were down here getting our property into shape and then be going back up to the city regularly to spend time with our friends and getting a cultural fix.
 
And then we started meeting and interacting with the locals. It didn’t take long to realise we’d (rather unwittingly) struck gold and we haven’t looked back since. We’ve been blown away by the welcome we’ve received from the amazing and talented local community. So when we decided to downsize recently there was no thought of moving any further than the nearest town to see out the rest of our days here. (I’ve even picked out the spot where I’d like my ashes to be scattered.)

By Christine Grayden
 
I WAS extremely disturbed to read about the gay man at Wimbledon Heights who was verbally attacked and threatened by his neighbour simply for wanting to paint his house in rainbow colours. 
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In this day and age there would not be too many people who do not know of a member of the LGBQTI community and understand or at least are aware of the huge barriers they face.

​My lyric reflects on the amount of wasted time and energy LGBQTI people have to spend in order to become themselves and be accepted for themselves.