By Ethan Benedicto
A local charity in Narre Warren wants things to be just like their name, to go back to basics.
Back 2 Basics, a charity that serves well over 7000 people in need a week is in some dire straits after restrictions from the City of Casey have made it difficult to continue operations effectively.
A Change.org petition started by Kelly Warren, co-founder of the charity, has reached over 4000 signatures as of Tuesday 21 January and calls for the local community to show solidarity and “the City of Casey how essential we are to them”.
Kelly, who began the charity with family from their own home some years ago, said that “there are unrealistic demands of what we have to do to obtain the permit”.
“We’re not a supermarket, we’re a charity, we were charging a $25 one-off fee that worked out at six cents per shop.
“As per the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC), we’re allowed to do that as long as we’re not making money, and we’re not.
“We get no funding, our bins have gone up to $1000 a month, the power’s tripled, and sometimes it can get up to $3000 for the food bank,” she said.
Listed on the petition’s description and reiterated by Kelly, the restrictions include that driveways at their two facilities in Narre Warren remain clear and vehicles only to be parked for 15 minutes or the charity will be fined.
There must be no deliveries during business hours, all rubbish bins to be stored inside the facility, no community events to be hosted such as Christmas celebrations, Halloween and so on, and no emergency assistance for fires, floods and other disasters.
“If we can’t get deliveries during the day, how are we going to feed all the people, all 7000 of them who come here a week?”, Kelly said.
“If we put the rubbish bins inside with the food, then we’ll have the health department on us.
“The parking too, we get fined if it’s over 15 minutes, no one can police that, how are we going to police that?”
As part of the application process, a neighbouring local business owner in the industrial park had expressed concerns about the charity’s operations, which played a part, according to the petition, to the “re-evaluation of (their) status”.
There are a total of three objections to the planning permit application; the proposal description is detailed as the ‘use of land for retail premises (charitable distribution) (retrospective)’.
However, this isn’t the first time that the charity and the council have been on turbulent waters when back in 2019, the City of Casey requested the organisation to “seek alternative premises”, according to their statement, following complaints about the establishment’s ongoing operations in residential premises.
Acknowledging Back 2 Basic’s contribution to the local community through their charity work, the council added that conducting warehousing and distribution services from their former residential address did not meet the Casey Planning Scheme requirements.
The City of Casey released an official statement regarding the charity on 16 January, where they detail that after receiving the planning application from Bk 2 Basics in May 2024, and having it advertised to the public in September, they are now “considering the permit documents and material, as well as submissions made by the public, ahead of making a decision”.
“Council acknowledges the important work that Bk 2 Basics provides the community, and we will continue to engage with them in a meaningful way to understand their business model and how this relates to their planning application,” it said.
The council’s Manager of Planning and Building, Tania Asper said that since Planning Permit Application PA24-0217 is still open for feedback from the community, “we are unable to provide any further information on this application until the assessment has been completed”.
“Providing feedback via a formal submission allows our Planning Officers to consider all views, alongside the Planning Scheme, as part of the decision-making process,” she said.
As for Kelly, she said that they aren’t applying for a land permit, just for one that allows them to run the charity.
“I just wish they would leave us alone so we can do what we do, that’s all I want, just leave us alone,” Kelly said.
“We don’t annoy anybody, we turn up six days a week and we work 18-hour days.
“It’s easy for us to walk away, it really is, but there was a little girl today who was really happy because she was munching on a capsicum, and that’s what it’s all about, things like that make it all worthwhile you know?”
Kelly’s family moved from New Zealand roughly 13 years ago, and having lived in the country with a family of seven, it was uncommon for them to see and experience the struggles of homeless people in bigger cities such as Melbourne.
From there, not just Kelly, but the whole family felt inspired to act, from collecting clothes and food for donations to holding these food drives themselves until it became what Back 2 Basics is now.
“I just want the rules to be realistic,” Kelly said.
“I’ve basically agreed to what, 80 per cent of what council asked of me and I just want them to negotiate the other 20.
“There are departments in Casey Council that support us, we get the textile drive that comes to us, there are also Christmas gifts from them and they also refer people to us, but we won’t be shut down because of them.”
Kelly, alongside the charity, has stated in the petition that they have since invested in town planners to help navigate the new requirements.
With the documents submitted, there is little left to do but wait, with Kelly and the charity hoping for an outcome that strikes a balance between adhering to local regulations and allowing the charity to provide for the community.
