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Vermin and Your Plumbing

rat eating

Mice and rats do not chew things out of a malicious spirit. Rodents need to chew all the time to prevent their teeth from getting too long. They will chew wood, electrical cabling and pipes. The damage can be serious – from fires and floods and damaged possessions.

Prevention

  • Don’t provide free bed and breakfast: clean up spilled rubbish, store pet food in sealed containers, put rubbish bags in bins with lids, and sweep up bird seed underneath feeders or around bird tables.
  • Don’t make their nest for them: don’t store unwanted clothes or cuddly toys and cardboard boxes in your ceiling.
  • ‘If you want to look for mice in your home, we recommend you look around the hot water system, under the kitchen sink and stairs.
  • ‘If you can put a pencil in a gap, then a mouse can get through. Seal up holes, particularly those around pipe work: mice travel around your home by following pipes and wiring. Use steel wool, copper mesh or plaster to fill holes and seal up the gaps surrounding hot water pipes to prevent them from entering airing cupboards.
  • Make your home ‘Fort Knox’: fix cracked or broken doors and windows and make sure that drains and drain covers are in a good state of repair.
  • Remove hiding places for mice: De-clutter your garden by getting rid of leaves, wooden planks or boards, pipes, and scraps of wood. Cut back weeds and mow areas of tall grass.
  • Be neat and tidy: clean up spills immediately, never leave out dirty dishes and vacuum regularly.

Suspect that you have rats or mice?

You may not actually see any rats or mice, but you will almost certainly see the traces they leave.

Holes

Rat holes are about 80mm in diameter while mouse holes are usually about 20mm in diameter and usually found outside in compost heaps, under sheds or in hedges. Inside buildings the rat makes nest in wall cavities or under floor boards.

Runs and Smears

Rats and mice use regular routes when they travel to and from their nesting sites, and so create pathways or runs. Indoors on hard surfaces the runs are less clearly defined, but become marked in places by black greasy smears.

Droppings

The number of droppings, their position and age may help to identify where rats and mice are abundant, and where they are moving and feeding. Common rat droppings are between 10 – 20mm long & often found in runs. Mice droppings are like very small rat droppings about the size of a grain of rice.

Signs of Damage

Signs of damage include gnaw marks, half eaten food and damaged packing. The more rodents there are, the more damage you will see.

How to get rid of rats and mice?

Rats and mice are adaptable, highly mobile and breed rapidly which produce large infestations very quickly. We recommend you employ the services of a reputable pest control contractor to rid your home or office of vermin.

If you prefer to try to fix the problem yourself, there are 2 options:

Poisons and Traps

Poisons are available for purchase from your supermarket or hardware. Put the poison in a safe and secure place out of reach of children and pets and wash your hands after use. Rodenticide or poison can take between 4 – 12 days to take effect, and may result in a localized foul smell due to the presence of dead carcasses.

Back up traps are advisable and should be placed next to walls where rats tend to travel. The trap should be baited with chocolate, biscuit or cereal.

Hint:

Most rats are wary of new objects placed in their environment and will avoid them for a period of time. We recommend that you bait the trap first before loading the spring and wait till the bait has been taken, then load the spring the next time.

All baits and traps should be handled with care and always follow the instructions on the manufactures pack.

If after 2 weeks of self-treatment there is still evidence of rodent activity, we recommend that you employ the services of a reputable pest control contractor.

If rats have eaten or chewed on your water pipes, you will need to employ the services of a reputable maintenance plumber to repair the damage. Moyle Plumbing & Gasfitting Services has had many years of experience repairing vermin damaged water pipes. We also recommend that you also have your telephone & electrical cables checked by a licensed electrician for damage caused by vermin.

Insurance and Vermin

It is unlikely that your insurance company will cover vermin damage. Repairs caused by vermin can add up & become very costly. We recommend that you contact your insurance company and inquire if and what they cover.

Source: https://www.moyleplumbing.com.au/handy-hints-blog/vermin-and-your-plumbing

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Queensland New Legislation | What is a Bedroom?

white and grey bedroom

Although the answer to this seems relatively straightforward, it can become quite intricate and complex from a smoke alarm compliance point of view.

With an increase in multi-generational living and more young adults opting to live at home with their parents for longer, traditional bedrooms are not so ‘traditional’ anymore. Garages or media rooms with no windows are now more commonly converted into spaces in which people sleep, in order to accommodate extra occupants in a home.

Why do we need to define the conditions of a bedroom, you ask?

Strict new smoke alarm legislation means Queensland households will become the safest in the country and ensures occupants will be alerted to house fires as early as possible, with the new mandate for additional, interconnected photoelectric style smoke alarms required to be installed in bedrooms and other key areas of properties.

Now that smoke alarms are required in every bedroom in a house, it is now imperative we have a crystal clear description of what constitutes a bedroom, so we install the correct number and type of smoke alarms in a property to meet new compliance standards and ensure the highest level of safety.

In order to ensure consistency across the board, Smoke Alarm Solutions have created a very clear definition of a bedroom, which can be located on our website in our Terms of Service.

Smoke Alarm Solutions defines a bedroom as a habitable room that:

  • is enclosed by a door, and
  • has a window or skylight, and
  • has walls that meet the ceiling, and
  • has a built in wardrobe, where the property has built-in wardrobes

The ceiling height in a room will have no impact on whether it is classified as a bedroom or not because many Queensland properties have rooms with ceilings lower than the standard 2.4 metres and tenant safety is the number one priority.

In order to ensure transparency for landlords, when we discover a space is being used as a room in which people sleep but does not meet our definition of a bedroom, we will notify them via our Compliance Report and recommend the installation of additional smoke alarms to enhance the safety of the property’s occupants.

We believe our definition will reduce any confusion or grey area for our property managers and property owners whilst ensuring compliance to the new Queensland smoke alarm legislation.

Important Stats

  • 31% of all the properties we attended in November that had attempted to upgrade to the 2022 legislation using 3rd party provider failed to comply.

  • 43% of smoke alarms were non-compliant to the Australian Standard 3786:2014.

  • 23% of smoke alarms were non-compliant as they were installed at the wrong distance from lights, fan blades, air conditioning vents, and walls.

Source: https://www.smokealarmsolutions.com.au/what-is-a-standard-bedroom

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National Vacancy Rates Marginally Increase in October

finger pointing at graphs

SQM Research today has revealed the national residential rental vacancy rate marginally increased to 2.1% over the month of October 2020. The total number of vacancies Australia-wide is now 74,221 vacant residential properties. This time last year, the national vacancy rate was also at 2.1%.

In most capital cities the vacancy rate remained stable over the month except for Sydney which saw a minor increase from 3.5% in September to 3.6% in October. Melbourne recorded a larger increase from 3.8% in September to 4.4% in October. Melbourne continues to have the highest vacancy rate in the nation with an additional 3,863 vacant properties in October. The surplus of rental property is most acute in the Melbourne CBD where vacancy rates stand at 10.6%.

Hobart’s vacancy rate is the lowest in the nation at 0.6%.

vacancy rate oct 2020

Asking Rents

Over the month, Capital City average asking rents increased 2.1% for houses but decreased 0.5% for units for the week ending 12 November 2020 to record asking rents of $538 per week for houses and $409 per week for units.

Most capital cities recorded increases in house asking rents, with Sydney recording the highest increase of 3.4% over the month, but a decline of 0.6% in unit asking rents.

In Hobart it was reversed, the city recorded a decline in house rents of 4.7% but an increase in unit rents of 1.5%.

Darwin was the only capital city to record rental increases in both houses and units, with the highest increase in the nation of 4.2% for house rents and 2.7% for unit rents.

Melbourne however recorded declines in both house and unit asking rents over the month of 0.4% and 0.5% respectively.

Adelaide recorded a 0.5% increase in house rents but a 2.0% decline in unit rents. Canberra recorded a 1.6% increase in house rents but unit rents remained stable. Perth unit rents also remained stable and house rents increased 1.2% over the month. Brisbane house and unit rents remained stable.

Year on year, Capital City Average asking rents declined for both houses and units, 2.0% and 6.0% respectively. Sydney in particular recording a high 7.2% decline in houses and 0.6% decline in units in October 2019.

table weekly rentals Oct 2020

Rental vacancy rates continue to remain elevated in our larger capital cities

While regional locations are still recording near zero rental vacancies. I believe the ongoing phenomenon, which started on the outset of Covid-19 lockdowns will in part reverse out once Coronavirus is behind us. But we are not there yet and there is also a large possibility that there will only be a part reversal as I believe many have used Coronavirus as a catalyst for a longer-term lifestyle change.

Meanwhile rents continue to plummet on our inner-city locations. For those who will be coming back to inner city living, there are some bargains to be had.

Source: SQM Research Residential Newsletter – Tuesday 17 November 2020 – https://propertyupdate.com.au/national-rental-vacancy-rate-marginally-increases-in-october/

 

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Tenants and Property Managers: Cleaning Under the New Normal

cleaning with broom and dustpan

With nothing but time, plenty of them, on our hands during this pandemic-imposed lockdown, we’ve got time to contemplate a lot of things – from the most profound to the most mundane.

You probably started thinking about things that you never get to do while busy with your normal life pre-pandemic. While sitting at your kitchen table you suddenly come to the conclusion that the stove, the microwave and the oven won’t clean itself. They will need to be scrubbed for you to be able to cook food without grossing yourself out, or worst giving yourself food poisoning.

The world has come at a standstill, or so we thought. But the reality is life goes on, though under the so-called “new normal.”

There’s nothing like being stuck within the four walls of your home to make you come to the realisation that the cleaning tasks that you have been able to successfully put off before Covid-19 arrived can no longer be ignored – because there’s not a lot of things you can do.

Dust and Dirt Are Magnified During Lockdown

Pre-pandemic, we have various things to distract us from the dust, dirt and clutter that accumulate throughout our home. It’s so easy to delay taking action because we’re never in our home most of the day anyway. But in lockdown, you have nowhere else to go and you will start to notice the mess and grime around your house seem to be getting grosser and grosser.

Cleaning Remains your Maintenance Responsibility

Even amid a pandemic, cleaning continues to serve the purpose of maintaining your home and appliances.

If you live near the beach, wash the outside of your house regularly to lessen the corroding impact of salt air. Your dishwasher is probably seeing so much action than normal, cleaning it gets rid of the disgusting food residues, keep it looking shiny and avoid the potential blockage that can lead to an expensive plumbing job.

Your Property Manager is Watching You

You can’t use the pandemic or the lockdown to procrastinate on your cleaning tasks, thinking you’re the only one who will see or suffer your grubby surroundings.

Property managers continue to do their job of looking after the properties assigned to them.

During this pandemic, you may refuse physical entry for inspections and other non-essential reasons. However, you cannot decline virtual inspections, if physical inspection cannot be conducted.   

This means your property manager will continue to check your property to make sure you are abiding by your responsibilities with regards to the upkeep and maintenance of your rental property – and this includes keeping up with regular cleaning.

Cleaning is never ending

Life has returned to roughly what it was once before pandemic in almost all of Australia, but cleaning is still never-ending. You’ll find out that this health crisis has not stopped cobwebs, dust and mould.

You’re probably back to your hectic life, but take time to look around your house. You will probably discover that dust has again accumulated on your display cabinet, your kitchen counters are a little dimmer, or your oven window is no longer see-thru.

Pandemic or not, cleaning is non-stop. You have to keep up with it not only to keep your landlord and property manager happy come inspection time, but to also keep you and your family protected against any health issues that may arise from dirty living conditions.

The task of cleaning of your home seems different during lockdown with all the new rules and restrictions. But it is basically just the same – it remains a regular thing.

The lockdown may have necessitated an easing up on some tenant and landlord obligations, but landlords/property managers can send a notice to leave for approved reasons, except rent arrears caused by financial distress due to the impact of COVID-19. One of those approved reasons is neglect of the property.

Australia is fortunate that we have somewhat defeated the virus, without any full-blown cases of infection and deaths among the population.

However, COVID-19 remains a threat and will continue to be so until an effective vaccine is developed, which is not expected to happen anytime soon. This means, the public health and safety protocols for the public and businesses will remain in place.

While certain adjustments and limitations have been put in place in response to the pandemic, tenants, landlords and property managers are expected to continue fulfilling their respective responsibilities. These include, among other things, doing your part as a tenant to make sure your home is clean, especially during this time of health crisis. 

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Guide to Spring Cleaning for Rentals Properties in Australia

Though the traditional reasons for spring cleaning do not apply to modern Australian life, spring remains the perfect time to do a thorough cleaning of your home.

Sure, the tasks ahead feel daunting. But think about the exhilarating feeling afterwards from being able to see the the sun shine through sparkling clean windows and lying on clean sheets without seeing dusts or cobweb on your ceiling.

If you own your home, you can clean to your heart’s content. But, if you are renting, the property is still owned by your landlord, who may still retain a few responsibilities for cleaning and upkeep.

Check your lease

As a tenant, you don’t have the right to do whatever you want in the space you’re living in. If you’re in the dark regarding this, your responsibilities in the upkeep and cleaning of the premises are usually stated in the terms of your lease. Your lease will tell you what your limits are in terms of what part, furnishings or appliances in the home you can and cannot touch.

This lease is legally binding, which means you have to follow it to the letter.

You may be in violation of your lease if you fail to abide by these terms, or if you don’t take general care of the property. You may face fines or eviction if you don’t do your part in keeping the home clean and safe.

Spring cleaning in rental properties

What are the responsibilities of the tenant and of the landlord?

Renters often take on the task of cleaning and small maintenance. Major maintenance, such as structural repairs or inspections, is usually undertaken by the landlord. But each task is different for a given situation, so coordination is important between the renter and the landlord.

Just remember that the rule of thumb is: landlord and tenants should never do anything that would damage or put at risk each other’s possessions.

Spring cleaning tasks for landlords

The change of season to spring is the perfect opportunity to clean the outside of your property – and inspect it at the same time to see what damage the past seasons have done to it. Doing this would save you a lot of money down the road.

Check if the gutters have accumulated debris like leaves and other organic materials over the autumn and winter seasons. Also check the roof and ceiling for damage ot break that little critters can use to get inside the property.

Inspect the window screens whether they are damaged or need cleaning. Check for cracks or damage in caulks and sealants. If you see that the interior windows need cleaning, kindly remind the tenant to take care of it.

Spring cleaning for tenants

One of the benefits of renting is that you have fewer responsibilities for the upkeep and maintenance of the property. However, you are still responsible for making sure your space is always clean and properly maintained.

Your responsibilities maybe fewer, but there is still work to be done. Inspect the HVAC system for dust and debris and replace the filters. Clean the bathroom fan. Also, replace the batteries in smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.

Spring is the perfect weather to do all the deep cleaning tasks around the house. Here are a few tasks that should be on a tenant’s spring cleaning to-do list:

  • Dust from to bottom, taking special care in hard-to-reach places that are neglected during the daily cleaning tasks.
  • Clean the walls that may have been scruffed by moving furniture, by children or by general use.
  • Wash window screens and sills.
  • Vacuum low-traffic areas such as under the furniture, the floors of closets, and other hard to reach spots.
  • Clean carpets with a vacuum or carpet cleaner. Talk to your landlord about paying part of the cost for hiring a professional carpet cleaner.

Bottom line, both tenants and landlords have the responsibility of maintaining the property. Tenants should make sure that the home is regularly cleaned and maintained to protect their rental bond and save them a lot of work during the end-of-lease cleaning. And landlords shouldn’t fail to remind tenants on how important it is clean and properly maintain the property.

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Gutter cleaning: Who is responsible, landlords or tenants?

gutter with dry leaves

“I need a gutter clean. But is the landlord or responsible for clearing gutters during a tenancy, and why?”

Kaylee Ferguson, Department Manager for The Property Exchange in Subiaco, WA, explains where responsibility falls for gutter cleaning:

“During a tenancy, the landlord/owner is responsible for cleaning the gutters,” she said.

“This [gutter cleaning] is a maintenance item that the owner is required to undertake as part of their upkeep on a property.”

Kaylee recommended a gutter clean every year to avoid any resultant damage occurring to the property.

Why should I have my gutters cleaned?

The gutters on your rental property collect rainwater from the roof. They carry it away from the foundation of the property through downspouts.

Over time, gutters can become clogged with leaves, insects, nests, sticks and other obstructions – particularly over the winter months when storms can affect nearby trees.

Regular maintenance and gutter clearing are essential for a couple of reasons. When debris builds up, it stops your gutters from functioning the way they should.

If you haven’t given much thought to your gutters, don’t worry. You’re not alone! Gutter cleaning is pretty easy to put off. It’s not an easy chore to do, let alone an enjoyable one – but it is important.

When should I have my gutters cleaned?

It’s relatively easy to know when your gutters need a clean. A well-built gutter will be able to handle most normal periods of rainfall. If you notice that your gutters are beginning to drip or overflow, it’s a sign that they need a clean (or a professional inspection).

You may also notice that birds will hang around your roof if they spot pooling water that’s caused by blocked guttering.

As a general rule, it’s worth having your gutters cleaned once a year. The best time to look at them is in autumn or winter, once the trees surrounding your home have shed their leaves.

However, you may need to clean your gutters more than once a year. Do you have pine or eucalyptus trees near your property? These trees shed throughout the year, and often during the hot summer months. If leaves start blocking your gutters during summer, you could have a fire risk. Clearing debris is essential if you live in a bushfire-prone area.

Property owners: DIY safety tips for gutter cleaning

Gutter cleaning and maintenance can keep your investment property safe from potential storm damage. Regular cleaning will help to extend the life of your gutters and prevent further damage to the building structure.

  • Safety first: Accessing your gutters can be dangerous. Ensure you use proper safety equipment to avoid the risk of falling and sustaining an injury. If you use a ladder to access your gutter, ensure it’s stable. Consider having someone assist you with cleaning and maintaining the gutters. Having someone stand below to help secure the ladder can be a big help.
  • Use the right tools: Your local hardware store should have plenty of options to help you clean your gutters. Invest in a good pair of gardening gloves to protect your hands while you clean. Think about grabbing items like a cylindrical brush to scrub the gutters, or a gutter scoop to remove debris.
  • Assess the condition of your gutters: There are a few red flags to look for once you’ve cleared the debris from your gutters. Can you see any holes, cracks or broken brackets? If so, consider arranging for a roof repair specialist to inspect and repair your roof. Unchecked issues can potentially damage other parts of your home.

Source: https://www.rent.com.au/blog/responsible-gutter-cleaning

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Three Misconceptions About the Queensland Smoke Alarm Legislation

smoke alarm

By now, most people should be aware of the new legislative requirements regarding smoke alarms in Queensland properties. However, three main misconceptions are surrounding these new laws.

The first misconception is the possible extension of the time frame. Now there’s no indication from the government that they are looking to grant a time extension so the deadline of 1 January 2022 is absolutely the date that people are to work towards.

The second misconception is that we have plenty of time. 1 January 2022 sounds far away but it’s not. Especially when you consider that there are around 566,000 rental properties in Queensland and a limited number of skilled electricians to conduct the work, the reality is that the deadline is just around the corner.

The issue of skilled electricians leads to the third misconception, which is that there are plenty of skilled electricians out there to undertake this work. But again, the reality is that we have a shortage of skilled electricians who understand the new legislative requirements.

Our concern is that people are waiting and that we won’t have enough time to meet the pending deadline if people don’t act today.

Not meeting the deadline does present some serious risks to property owners. If you are looking to rent your property, you will not be able to do so if it doesn’t have compliant smoke alarms by 1 January 2022. Similarly, if you are looking to sell your property it will negatively impact the sale process. Therefore, property owners must have compliant smoke alarms by the deadline.

The REIQ is very passionate about this legislation and that is because, at its core, this legislation is about saving lives. There is no Queenslander, there is no Australian who wants to see people losing their lives in house fires. Because of this, it is incredibly important [that] everybody supports these legislative reforms.

Source: https://www.smokealarmsolutions.com.au/three-misconceptions-about-the-queensland-smoke-alarm-legislation

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The Forgotten Soldier – A Property Manager’s Story

woman sitting infront of laptop with head bowed

By Karen Herbert & Eileen Herbert-Goodall

The panic is palpable, the barrage of phone calls exhausting, the need to facilitate negotiations dire – this is the new normal for property managers all around the country.

It’s hard to comprehend the sheer scale of the battle front that is the unfolding COVID-19 crisis; this battle extends beyond the obvious health calamity and has swiftly ballooned into an economic, social, psychological and emotional disaster for those struggling to pay their rent and/or mortgages. Here’s a snapshot of the cries of desperation swamping property managers daily.

‘I’ve lost my job and have no income to live on.’

‘This is not a game for me. If I don’t get support from you and the owner as the government is providing, then I’ll just stop paying rent.’

‘It’s your responsibility to go to the owner on my behalf and have this discussion to provide an outcome.

‘I’d like to know if my landlords would consider a reduction in my rent during this time?’

‘I’ll be on jobseeker for the next 3-6months and I’m so nervous about my financial situation during this time.’

‘We’re working with the application form in claiming through the RTA but, unfortunately, we aren’t included in the residential status section. We feel hopeless now as we still aren’t eligible for assistance.’

‘Unfortunately, my follow-up with the RTA about the rent assistance up to $2000 didn’t get us any help – so no funding for us. The RTA’s advice was to ask the real estate/landlord to drop the rent value by a percentage for say…3 months, then increase the rent again for the following say…6 months.’ ‘At this point, it seems we do not fit into any box for government funding unfortunately. We’re hoping to be able to access our Super to help in the coming weeks.’

These are the pleas heard by Property Managers as the COVID-19 battle rages on, bringing our nation to a standstill.

The media continues to suggest tenants and landlords need to work together and negotiate rent reductions during these uncertain times; yet, the herculean task faced by Property Managers who must navigate (and help solve) such situations remains unacknowledged. It seems we are invisible in this ongoing battle to keep people afloat and sheltered as they struggle to cover their rent and other bills. Evidently, we wear many hats in the day-to-day management of rental properties; but, during these troubling times, we must now go above and beyond the call of duty.

As a business owner of a Property Management specialist firm, my current daily challenge is to prop up members of my brave team who take desperate phone calls from frightened tenants. My staff must talk to everyday Australian citizens who’ve not only lost their jobs, but also face the possibility of losing the roof over their heads. They patiently listen to these sad stories, offering options and sympathy where they can.

They are the forgotten soldiers, who bring stories of desperation to Landlords, many of whom have also lost their jobs and are now struggling to meet financial commitments.

They are the forgotten soldiers who turn up every day, who return to the trenches to fight another type of war, an unseen war, where the victims lay psychologically and emotionally maimed.

They are the forgotten soldiers who work tirelessly, yet only receive an income on rent collected. So, while rental revenue plummets they, too, are in danger of losing their jobs.

Who then shall then defend the meek?

Who then shall hear their cries of pain?

Who then shall negotiate their suffering?

I think it’s time we remembered these forgotten soldiers, who I dub the Knights of Property Management – the servicemen and women of the Real Estate industry.

I say that we give a huge shout out of thanks to all Property Managers who expose themselves daily to a different kind of risk, like our health workers, are also forced to endure long working hours, psychological distress, fatigue, occupational burnout, stigma, and psychological violence.

For without them, our tenants and landlords have no representation.

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Update from Arrive on the impact of COVID-19

Covid-19 Arrive ResponseKaren Herbert has an important message for our residents around the impact of COVID-19

In this turbulent times, we want to reach out to our residents to let you know that we are here. It is currently still business as usual here at Arrive.

We are uncertain about what the future looks like. We put measures in place to be able to manage your property effectively whether it be here or remotely.

To minimise the risks, we have cancelled all routine inspections until further notice. But we urge you to still let us know of any maintenance issues preferably via the tenant app.

We will continue to lease properties until such time when we are told we simply cannot. And of course, we’ve got sanitising methods in place to protect all parties concerned.

We understand that the pandemic brings with it a range of impacts on all of us, and we recognise that some of you may be financially impacted. If you are experiencing any difficulty in paying rent, we ask you to contact us to discuss support options that we have in place.

If you are, however, unfortunately affected and have lost your job, we ask you to go directly to the Australian government website where there are lots of information on how you can get financial assistance.

Of course, we are aware of the toilet paper situation, or the lack of it, and we do ask you to be very mindful and not flush anything down the toilet aside from toilet paper as this will have blockage issues.

And finally during this unprecedented time, we ask you to remember your neighbours, call your family members, and remember to be compassionate, and make sure everybody is okay. This will pass and we will prosper, and in the meantime, stay safe, everyone!

Source: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=200992177828849

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