By Brendan Rees
Casey councillor Rex Flannery has hit back at a resident who labelled him a “disgrace” with claims he gave money to a group of youths for “drugs and booze.”
It comes after Cr Flannery recently reached out to a homeless 21-year-old man – who has been forced to sleep in a tent at a reserve in Narre Warren – by giving him $50 cash to buy food.
Star News made headlines about the incident but an angry resident sent Cr Flannery an email on 9 May saying “You are a disgrace to this community.”
The resident, who signed off as ‘B B’, added: “This is you promoting drug use by being on their side,” and “You have turned your back on the taxpayers.”
Cr Flannery told Star News the resident was “ill-informed” and he was simply trying to help the young man find accommodation.
He argued what the resident had done to “rectify the issue?”
“I’m actually on holidays for my full time job and here I am eight days in still trying to work out a solution to get agencies to help the boy out,” he said.
“It’s not my job to go out and clean up this area.
“I can only do so much to get him accommodation and help, so I’ve tick all the boxes.
“I’m not here to be a social worker but I am there to advocate for the community,” he said.
Cr Flannery added: “I don’t have to do any of this but I’m doing it to help the residents because that’s my job as a councillor. All I am doing is advocating for the residents.”
Jayden Catrileo has been homeless for more than a year and set up a tent at Angus Facey Reserve just over a month ago, saying welfare and homeless services had turned their backs on him.
Cr Flannery said he also contacted Eastern Regions Mental Health Association, who has arranged a case manager, adding Centrelink was also willing to help.
“I haven’t judged him and I still won’t judge him. I’m just trying to help the residents to come to a compromise with cleaning up the area.
“I think once we help this young boy out, and find him some crisis accommodation well then I think the area will clean itself up,” Cr Flannery said.
