If approved, this facility will not necessarily service those living within the Wagga area.

Rather, it will service those who have the means to afford to pay the developers and the Byron Bay operators, The Sanctuary, who are openly known as being “Australia’s most expensive rehabilitation clinic”.

This comes from additional information recently submitted to Wagga council regarding the Riverina Recovery House.

According to Saturday’s The Daily Advertiser, developer Debbie Cox said that she is funding her private fee paying facility “out of her own pocket”.

“Ms Cox said she believed most of the community was behind her in recognising Wagga’s need for a recovery house,” the story read.

However, Ms Cox should stop pulling the wool over Wagga’s eyes by openly and honestly disclosing what she (as a developer) and the operators are actually seeking to charge Riverina Recovery House clients for an eight-week minimum stay.

Council has been advised the facility’s “target demographic” includes doctors’ wives, architects, doctors, nurses, midwives, business operators and owners, consultants and hardworking tradesmen and building professionals.

If the media articles in regards to the Byron Bay facility’s fees are correct, then someone like myself would have to mortgage my house to afford such treatment!

How many of their target demographic willing to pay for this privilege will actually come from Wagga?

It seems more likely that most of Wagga’s wealthiest will prefer to slip-away on a “holiday somewhere” out of sight.

Somewhere outside of their home town/region for eight weeks, rather than be seen coming and going from a local rehab facility in a residential street.

Therefore, it seems very likely that this facility will bring addicts not from our region into Wagga.

I AM led to believe there are 200 or more homeless people in Wagga, some having to sleep in doorways, bus shelters and under bridges.

And I am also led to believe that in NSW there is a 10 to 18 year waiting list for public housing.  

But do our politicians care?

Apparently not.

Our local member Michael McCormack is urging everyone to welcome Syrian refugees with open arms and open hearts despite the fact, according to PM Malcolm Turnbull, there is every chance that there may be terrorists among them.

However, if and when these refugees arrive in Wagga, they will firstly sign on with Centrelink and then go straight into housing provided by the government.

They will also be given at least $10,000 to help them set up house.

This blatant preferential treatment means those Aussies waiting for housing will be pushed back further down the queue.  

And let’s not forget that across Australia, there are at least 100,000 people who are presently homeless.

Wouldn’t it be great if we could get it into the thick skulls of our politicians that we must have a moratorium on all immigration until such time as all genuine Aussies have a roof over their heads.

Our uncaring politicians, particularly those with safe seats, must be made to realise that charity should always begin at home.