REDFERN-WATERLOO AUTHORITY CELEBRATES FIRST BIRTHDAY - 18 January 2006

In its first year of operation the Redfern-Waterloo Authority has put in place the building blocks for change in the area, including employment, urban renewal and service improvements, Minister for Redfern Waterloo, Frank Sartor said today.

“I congratulate the Redfern-Waterloo Authority on an outstanding first year”, Mr Sartor said.

“Over the past 12 months, the RWA has become an important part of the local area and the community’s interaction with government and non-government organisations.

“It has also implemented programs which are creating jobs and improving efficiency of existing services.”

Achievements so far

• The RWA recently negotiated for the Indigenous Land Corporation to invest $25 million to develop the former Redfern Public School into a national centre for Aboriginal sporting, social and cultural excellence.
• The RWA has publicly released two parts of the three part Redfern-Waterloo Plan which will provide an overall strategic vision and a comprehensive strategy to facilitate social and economic revitalisation for the Redfern Waterloo area.
• The Human Services Plan was approved in December and is currently being implemented. The Human Services component of the Plan is designed to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of government and non-government agencies providing human services in Redfern and Waterloo.
• The Employment and Enterprise Plan is currently on public exhibition. It proposes a range of innovative strategies to stimulate jobs growth of up to 18,000 new jobs over next 10 years. This includes a program to bring together leading Sydney restaurateurs together and Aboriginal elders to set up a cross-cultural training and employment program in Indigenous Australian cuisine.
• The final section of the Redfern-Waterloo Plan, the Built Environment Plan has been drafted and will soon be available for public comment.
• A Jobs Compact was signed with the Construction Forestry Mining Energy Union (CFMEU) in May 2005 to enable job creation and enterprise support strategies, particularly for the local Aboriginal community. It has already created 19 jobs for unemployed locals at the $40 million Carriageworks redevelopment at North Eveleigh.
• An Indigenous Enterprise Hub to facilitate Aboriginal enterprise operates out of the RWA's office. The Enterprise Hub is a joint initiative between the RWA, the NSW Department of State and Regional Development and the Department of Education.
• The RWA assumed direct management of the Australian Technology Park in April 2005 and a new Masterplan for the Park was approved in June 2005. The site will focus on industry development, a significant factor in attracting valuable investment opportunities to NSW.
• Also at the ATP, construction of the NICTA / DSTO building will commence early this year, along with $5 million in major infrastructure works. It is the first building to be constructed at the ATP in more than five years, and is expected to bring around 600 jobs to Redfern. Around 2000 new jobs are expected to be created at the ATP over the next three years.

“In the first 12 months of a 10 year commitment, the RWA has done an important job.

“In 2006, the Authority will build on this ground work and introduce a range of new initiatives and programs to improve the local environment and social fabric for residents of Redfern and Waterloo”, Mr Sartor said.