Billanook Ward councillor Tim Heenan is again going to extraordinary lengths to raise awareness of homelessness in the Yarra Ranges. 71398 Picture: Greg Carrick
By Russell Bennett
YARRA Ranges councillor Tim Heenan is ditching his nice, warm bed for a cardboard box under the stars, all in the name of the homeless.
And he has called on the Yarra Ranges Council to do more to help its most vulnerable residents.
The Billanook Ward councillor is once again walking just a few steps in the shoes of those much less fortunate to raise awareness of the homelessness epidemic.
Cr Heenan started sleeping at Lilydale’s Melba Park on Saturday 1 October as part of his now annual push.
By Sunday 16 October he is due to have slept for 16 days in parkland in exposed, downtown Lilydale.
“It’s about all those people who don’t have a permanent roof over their heads,” Cr Heenan said.
“They’re out in the cold with a lack of self-esteem, a lack of self-worth.
“It’s just terrible.”
Cr Heenan said he did not feel unsafe sleeping in the park – that the only people who approached him were those wanting to help.
“I was approached by these two guys,” he said.
“They asked if I’d been kicked out of home and another young bloke came up and asked if I needed money.
“He was only 15 or 16 but offered me the money in his pockets – about 70 cents.
“He stayed with me for a while and had a good, long chat.”
Cr Heenan said he feared, due to a lack of public and low income housing across the state, the homelessness “epidemic” would never go away.
He urged his residents to contact Anchor, Anglicare and other welfare agencies to offer their help.
Follow Cr Heenan on twitter at www.twitter.com/CouncillorTim.
