Redfern-Waterloo UPDATE January 2006 (Text Version)

Bold Plan for Jobs, Opportunity and Prosperity

18,000 jobs over next 10 years

The first comprehensive training and employment strategy for the Redfern-Waterloo area has been publicly released by the Redfern-Waterloo Authority. The draft Employment and Enterprise Plan will support the creation of 18,000 jobs over the next decade.

The RWA's employment and enterprise development strategy aims to directly challenge the area's social and economic disadvantage by fostering jobs, educational and life opportunities and a higher standard of living. Wealth creation is seen as an antidote to welfare dependency.

The draft Plan proposes a range of innovative strategies to stimulate much-needed jobs growth. Most of the new jobs will be facilitated by future commercial development on strategic sites identified by the RWA under the first stage of its Built Environment Plan.

This will involve revitalising the Redfern retail precinct by facilitating the redevelopment of Redfern Railway Station and the surrounding area including Gibbons Street, Regent Street, Redfern Street, North Eveleigh and the Australian Technology Park.

"The redevelopment of Redfern Railway Station and the surrounding area will help revitalise its rundown commercial and retail precinct," said Minister for Redfern-Waterloo Frank Sartor.

"These urban renewal strategies are expected to create more than 400,000 square metres of employment space."

"This will help create 18,000 new jobs to tackle the area's high unemployment and welfare dependency" he said.

The draft Plan is on exhibition for public comment until 28 February 2006 on the RWA's website at www.redfernwaterloo.com.au . A copy can also be posted to residents who call the RWA's office on 9202 9100 or who send an email request with postal details to redfernwaterloo@rwa.nsw.gov.au .

Photo: The Redfern retail precinct will be revitalised through the redevelopment of Redfern Station and the surrounding areas including Gibbons, Regent and Redfern Streets, North Eveleigh and the ATP

The Redfern-Waterloo Employment and Enterprise Plan - Delivering Jobs and Training

The draft Employment and Enterprise Plan forms one part of the Redfern-Waterloo Plan, which also includes plans for Human Services and the Built Environment.

There are currently around 20,000 jobs in the Redfern Waterloo area - more than double the resident workforce. Driving down local unemployment therefore requires better training for job seekers.

The draft Employment and Enterprise Plan is the first comprehensive training and employment strategy for the area, and aims to deliver skilled job seekers to meet the specific employment needs of the market and to build on future growth potential.

Young people and the Indigenous community in Redfern-Waterloo face high levels of unemployment and non-involvement in the labour force, and will be a priority.

The RWA's employment and enterprise strategy will initially focus on:

• Increasing the supply of employment opportunities, particularly through commercial and residential development;
• Capitalising on the Research/Biomedical Innovation Zone;
• Improving education and training including a dedicated vocational training centre at North Eveleigh;
• Strengthening partnerships with local employers;
• Industry based employment strategies;
• Employment and enterprise strategies for Aboriginal people and youth; and
• Supporting local business.

The RWA's ongoing employment and enterprise strategy will:

• Build on earlier strategies, such as the implementation of the Aboriginal Participation Guidelines in Construction and the development of a hospitality and training centre at North Eveleigh;
• Target the employment opportunities emerging in the information technology and biotechnology sectors moving to ATP;
• Develop strategies for employment opportunities in the service industries;
• Work with the local community to ensure that the opportunities for Aboriginal people in the area are maximised through university based cadetships;
• Expand cultural enterprises through means such as design production, and realising export potential;
• Strengthen connections to universities to encourage local children to move into tertiary education; and
• Facilitate the running of enterprise summer schools.

Photo: George Duncan and Alana Varga at the North Eveleigh Contemporary Performing Arts project, where they got their opportunity through the RWA's Jobs Compact. Alana is the first female carpentry apprentice with the construction company St Hilliers.

Tell us what you think

Please remember that the deadline for community comment on the draft Employment and Enterprise Plan is 5pm, 28 February 2006. Send your comments to:

Redfern-Waterloo Authority,

Level 11, Tower 2, 1 Lawson Square,

Redfern NSW 2016

Mail: PO Box 3332 Redfern 2016

Email: redfernwaterloo@rwa.nsw.gov.au  Website: www.redfernwaterloo.com.au  Phone: 9202 9100

Fax: 9202 9111

North Eveleigh Training Centre to Double as Leader in Indigenous Australian Cuisine

Under the draft Employment and Enterprise Plan, the RWA has committed $350,000 in 2005-2006 for capital works to establish a new dedicated vocational training centre at North Eveleigh.

The Department of Education and Training will also provide funding of $520,000 in the first year for the provision of training packages.

The Centre will initially provide on-site training in the construction, hospitality, transport and information technology industries.

The hospitality section of the Centre will be a project in culinary and cultural education. Leading Sydney restaurateurs will team up with Aboriginal elders to set up a world-class cross-cultural training and employment program in Indigenous Australian cuisine. Raymond and Jennice Kersh, formerly of Edna's Table, will spearhead this program along with Aboriginal elder and caterer Beryl Van-Oploo.

The hospitality training enterprise will be known as Yaama Dhinawan (Welcome Emu in Aunty Beryl's Yuwaalaraay language).

The principals of Yaama Dhinawan have started meeting with local organisations to make contact with people interested in training for a career in the hospitality industry as well as briefing organisations about the initiative.

Yaama Dhinawan can be contacted through the RWA office on 9202 9100.

Photo: Cooking up a storm: Aboriginal elder and caterer Beryl Van-Oploo, Jennice and Raymond Kersh formerly of Edna's Table, Anita Alphonsus, and Emmanuel Daniels.

Built Environment Plan for February Release

To coincide with the first anniversary of its establishment, the RWA has completed drafting the Built Environment Plan (Stage One), which is the third and final component of the Redfern-Waterloo Plan.

The draft Built Environment Plan is expected to be considered by Cabinet shortly and should be placed on public exhibition in February, for a community consultation period of two months.

It will propose a strategic planning framework to facilitate revitalisation of Redfern-Waterloo and guide future development on a number of strategic sites identified by the RWA under the first stage of urban renewal. The underlying concept revolves around the creation of a Redfern town centre.

The intention is to provide a holistic response to redevelopment opportunities, deliver sustainable outcomes and to support a planning instrument which will provide a consolidated, coherent and consistent planning approach to the strategic sites identified in the Redfern-Waterloo area.

Cabinet Approves Human Services Plan

The RWA's Human Services Plan was given the green light by the NSW State Cabinet on 13 December 2005 following the outcomes of the community consultation process.

This is the first Plan of its type for the Redfern-Waterloo area.

Phase One of the ten-year plan will focus on improving the delivery of human services to children and families, young people and Aboriginal people and includes:

• Providing 100 new childcare places;
• Setting up three youth services hubs;
• Lifting literacy and numeracy levels among local children;
• Lifting school attendance and retention rates;
• Providing job training opportunities for local young people;
• Working towards reducing the incidence of family violence; and
• Bringing back the Redfern Street Festival.

Implementation of the Human Services Plan has started. The RWA is working with federal, state and local government to ensure the priorities outlined in the Plan are implemented as quickly as possible.

A Youth Taskforce has been established to reform and improve the delivery of services to young people. The reform process will be expanded to other services operating in the area.

Examples of the Plan in action include:

• The Midnight Basketball competition, sponsored by the RWA, involving local young people aged 12 to 18 playing matches on Saturday nights between 7.30pm and midnight. The competition will be launched on 8 February. Its aim is to keep young people active in sport and away from crime and anti-social activities.
• A Street Drinking Taskforce set up by the RWA to develop specific initiatives to reduce street drinking in Redfern and Waterloo. The RWA's aim is to reduce anti-social behaviour on local streets, improve public amenity and develop realistic programs to reduce the negative health impacts of alcohol. The Taskforce next meets in early February to identify actions for speedy implementation.

The Plan will also be evaluated over coming years to ensure there are real improvements to services delivered to our community.

Phase TWO of the Human Services Plan will be developed this year and focus on services for older people, people with disabilities, homeless people and migrant communities.

In the months ahead consultation will be undertaken with residents, service providers, government and experts in the field to ensure the Plan's objectives are achieved and that it delivers real improvements to services for our community.

Photo: The Human Services Plan includes the creation of a Youth Taskforce to ensure the delivery of services to young people. Above PCYC in Redfern.

Visit the RWA Website

The RWA's new website is up and running at www.redfernwaterloo.com.au. The site will keep you informed about our activities and provide an opportunity for community feedback.

Need Assistance?

For more information or to send us your feedback please contact the Redfern-Waterloo Authority, Level 11, Tower 2, 1 Lawson Square, Redfern Tel: (02) 9202 9100 Fax: (02) 9202 9111 Mail: PO Box 3332, Redfern NSW 2016 Email: redfernwaterloo@rwa.nsw.gov.au