The botched Housing NSW refurbishment of kitchens in one of its Sydney retirement villages had a couple of positive outcomes. It resulted in two meetings of public housing tenants - the first held there for seven years, possibly even longer.
Keeping us isolated from each other appears to be part of a 'divide and rule' policy by the management of the retirement village and Housing NSW in the interests of the self-funded residents who live there as well. The underdogs have to be kept under the thumb.
At the second meeting it was revealed that the flat taps would be replaced by high arched ones, and the single sinks would be replaced by double ones. H-e-l-l-o! So why were the high arched taps and double sinks removed in the first place? The return of the double sinks would mean ripping out the new single sinks and reconfiguring the new cupboards underneath. Well, that's what the stimulus package was all about, wasn't it? Keeping tradesmen busy. Making sure they had enough work.
The housos were unimpressed. They just wanted their old kitchens back. But management told them that they thought the refurbishment program had been a success and to rate it 8 out of 10.
Was this to make the Housing NSW team leader and the young man who chose the new kitchens, both of whom were present, feel a bit better?
Housos were being told the emperor was wearing clothes but he was actually naked.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Carry on refurbishing
Every houso has a maintenance story to tell, usually about shoddy workmanship. This one takes out the 'colander' (full of holes) award.
The DOH powers that be decided used some of the Rudd stimulus package to install new kitchens in a retirement village - naturally without any consultation with its clients, the people who had to use them.
So the first recipients of this unexpected largess were shocked to find that their double sinks had been replaced by single ones, and that the high arched water spouts had been replaced with flat ones, making it impossible to fit large pots underneath them.
Then there were the cupboards, the top shelves of which extended right up to the ceiling, requiring elderly people to teeter on tiptoe on chairs in order to access anything from them.
The biggest bungle was the removal of a beam containing a very strong flourescent light that extended above the full length of the kitchen bench. This great aid for ailing elderly eyesight when trying to read recipe books was removed in the name of allowing more light into the area during the day.
Mmmm. Does the young man who came up with this 'colander concept' ever do the washing up, or does he always leave it to his mum?
Sorry. Can't afford prizes for all those correct answers.
The DOH powers that be decided used some of the Rudd stimulus package to install new kitchens in a retirement village - naturally without any consultation with its clients, the people who had to use them.
So the first recipients of this unexpected largess were shocked to find that their double sinks had been replaced by single ones, and that the high arched water spouts had been replaced with flat ones, making it impossible to fit large pots underneath them.
Then there were the cupboards, the top shelves of which extended right up to the ceiling, requiring elderly people to teeter on tiptoe on chairs in order to access anything from them.
The biggest bungle was the removal of a beam containing a very strong flourescent light that extended above the full length of the kitchen bench. This great aid for ailing elderly eyesight when trying to read recipe books was removed in the name of allowing more light into the area during the day.
Mmmm. Does the young man who came up with this 'colander concept' ever do the washing up, or does he always leave it to his mum?
Sorry. Can't afford prizes for all those correct answers.
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