The PDF Version of this RWA Update can be downloaded from April 2009 RWA Update - PDF Version (1.2MB PDF) The text version is produced to allow stories to be easily searched and linked.

North Eveleigh Concept Plan approved

New CEO Roy Wakelin-King writes

All Blacks basketball teams are winners

Eveleigh Market is open for business

The Coloured Digger Project – ANZAC Day 2009

Housing NSW Redfern Redevelopment Project: 106 houses and 20 jobs

Congratulations Allana! RWA’s frst trade qualifed carpenter

On the tools and in the classroom

Factory Community Centre: 30 years – still going strong

Koori Job Ready Course in warehousing and storage

Rohan Tobler honoured at ACTU Awards

New sport and recreational services in Redfern

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North Eveleigh Concept Plan approved

The NSW Minister for Planning and Redfern Waterloo, Kristina Keneally announced the approval of the North Eveleigh Concept Plan for the redevelopment of the historic former Eveleigh Railway Yards site on the 31 January 2009.

The Concept Plan provides for a mixed use precinct for living, working, recreation and will offer affordable housing for key workers in the area, such as teachers, nurses and police.

The site will be taken to market in 2009 and developed over the next five to seven years and will accommodate residential, commercial, retail cultural and community uses as well as public open space.

The concept plan proposes:

• Around 1,200 new dwellings within close proximity to Redfern Railway Station;
• Retention and adaptive use of heritage buildings;
• A public open space network totalling 9,980m2 including 5 parks;
• New community and childcare facilities
• A 12% target of the total new dwellings to be developed on the site for affordable housing
• Construction of a number of new buildings ranging from 4 to 16 storeys, with the taller buildings at the eastern end of the site and adjacent to the rail corridor;
• Infrastructure and services such as roadways and stormwater management; and
• Intersection upgrades to address any increased traffic generation.
• One of the outstanding features of this site is its historical and heritage significance. Approximately 30% of the site’s foor space is located within existing buildings. The heritage buildings and structures to be retained and adaptively used are;
• Paint Shop Building – retail and residential uses;
• Chief Mechanical Engineers Building – commercial or residential uses;
• Scientific Services Building – community/cultural uses;
• Telecommunications Equipment Centre – community/cultural uses;
• Clothing Store Building – residential uses;
• Blacksmith’s Workshop – cultural/community and commercial purposes; and
• Fan of Tracks – part of the railway tracks will be retained and interpreted within the public domain.

The Carriage Workshop building currently occupied by the Ministry of Arts – Performing Arts Centre and the Anna Schwartz Gallery will continue to be used for cultural/community and commercial purposes.

The concept plan was informed by extensive public and community consultation resulting in increases in the provision of public open space including pocket parks, a large park at the site’s western end and increased provision of child care places.

The $550 million redevelopment will create approximately 6,500 jobs including 3,300 construction jobs with 300 of these positions being for Aboriginal people. Approximately 3,000 permanent jobs will be created from the commercial, retail and cultural development of the site.

The redevelopment will also help fund an upgrade to the Redfern Railway Station, promoting public transport use for existing and future residents and workers.

Follow the links on the RWA website to download the North Eveleigh Concept Plan. www.redfernwaterloo.com.au  

New CEO Roy Wakelin-King writes

I am delighted to have been appointed as the Chief Executive Officer of the Redfern Waterloo Authority and I am committed to build on the work that has already been achieved by this organisation in partnership with the key stakeholders in the community.

In the short time I have been with the RWA, I have witnessed the diversity and strength of the local community and the organisations that serve it.

I have already met with a number of individuals, groups and service providers to find out how the RWA can continue to work together with this community to achieve the best results possible.

This has provided me with constructive and thoughtful feedback that I will consider in the future delivery of the RWA's objectives.

I intend to continue meeting with residents, businesses and stakeholders on an ongoing basis to ensure that this communication remains open and effective. l was pleased to be able to attend the Redwatch meeting on 5 March 2009 with the Minister for Planning and Redfern-Waterloo to hear first hand some of the issues of interest and concern to , the community.

The RWA will continue to be focussed on creating a vibrant and safe community through urban renewal, improved human services, training and job creation for the residents of Redfern and Waterloo.

We will continue to work collaboratively with other State Government agencies, and Federal and Local Government organisations to implement the Redfern Waterloo Built Environment, Human Services and Employment and Enterprise Plans.

Through the dedication of the RWA staff, the ongoing support of our community and the continued partnerships with both Government and Non-government organisations hope to continue to deliver improved outcomes for the Redfern Waterloo area.

I look forward to working with you and for you.

All Blacks basketball teams are winners

The RWA congratulates the All Blacks Sport Club and their Basketball Teams on their success in their first season.

The Under 10’s Mixed team won their Grand Final by 1 point. The Under 12’s Boys had a sensational season being undefeated in all but one game and winning their Grand Final by 10 points! The Under 12’s Girls were runners up and showed true sportsmanship throughout their game.

The All Blacks Sports Club is made up of a number of dedicated people providing coaching and management in a voluntary capacity. It is through their support that these wonderful results are being achieved.

To find out more about the All Blacks Basketball Teams contact Cathie Burgess on burgoclevo@yahoo.com.au

Photo: The All Blacks Under 12’s finished as runners up – a great effort.

Eveleigh Market is open for business

Saturday 28 February marked the 2009 season launch of the weekly Eveleigh Farmers’ Market and the monthly Sunday Eveleigh Artisan’s Market. 

Trading commenced at 8am in the custom-renovated railway workshop at the historic Eveleigh Railyards at 243 Wilson St, Darlington (near Sydney University and adjacent to CarriageWorks performance space).

Shoppers with an appetite for locally grown farm fresh produce sold by the grower filled their baskets with saltbush lamb, organic beef, free range eggs and poultry, honey, new season olive oils, an array of seasonal vegies and stonefruit, goats cheese, artisan bread, shellfish, roasted nuts and baked goods. Keen home gardeners bought vegetable seedlings and potted herbs, and there will be wine for tasting and sale from several small family wineries from the NSW Hunter Valley and Hillstops regions.

Each Saturday one lucky market goer will win a $100 food hamper by registering at the Market Information Stand.

The undercover venue provides an all weather market where the public can enjoy meeting the people who directly make the wide range of produce.

On Sunday 1 March 2009 the first Eveleigh Artisans Market was held. This monthly market will showcase a diverse and exciting collection of high quality art, design, ceramics, glass, home wares, fashion, craft, toys, clothing and indigenous artwork created by local artists and designers.

In addition to the artisan stalls, there will be a café, food stalls, fresh coffee and flowers.

Eveleigh Markets will also be developing new market opportunities with wine and brewery markets, children’s markets and gardening and homewares market.

The markets are proving popular with young families and the Artisan’s Market has creative tables for children to create works that will be displayed on the walls of the market.

Eveleigh Farmers’ Market Every Saturday, 8am-1 pm

Eveleigh Artisans’ Market First Sunday of the month – 10am-4pm.

For further information about the Eveleigh Market, please contact Denny Hall on 9209 4220 or 0413 888 003 d.hall@atp.com.au or visit www.eveleighmarket.com.au  

The Coloured Digger Project – ANZAC Day 2009

On ANZAC day 2009 a street march and commemorative service will be held in Redfern to honour, recognise and show respect for Indigenous servicemen and servicewomen.

The Redfern ANZAC Day event allows the local community to acknowledge the service and sacrifice of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Diggers. The occasion also highlights the need for greater recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander servicemen and servicewomen in official commemorative ceremonies and in public memorials.

The street march will start from The Block at 1.00pm and will proceed to Redfern Park for the commemorative service at 1.45pm. Transport is being provided for those unable to march but wish to travel with the marchers.

Following the commemorative service there will be an informal gathering and refreshments as well as a “Yarn Tent” where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ex-servicemen and servicewomen along with their family members will be telling their stories. There will be a photographic exhibition and other memorabilia of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander military service on display as well.

A range of traditional and contemporary cultural performances will also be part of the day’s activities.

The Coloured digger Project ANZAC day event is proudly supported by many organisations including the City of Sydney, the Damien Minton Gallery in Redfern, Babana Aboriginal Men’s Group and the RWA.

The organisers of the Redfern ANZAC day March and commemorative service are seeking the community’s advice on what they would like to see for future ANZAC day events to make sure that the needs and wishes of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community are met.

To provide comments or to fnd out more about the Coloured digger Project please contact the Coloured digger Project Co-ordinator, Pastor Ray Minniecon on 0412 929 702 or raymin@bigpond.net.au  

Housing NSW Redfern Redevelopment Project: 106 houses and 20 jobs

Housing NSW in partnership with the RWA has created 20 positions for Aboriginal people on the Phillip Street, Redfern redevelopment through the RWA’s Indigenous Employment Model.

The redevelopment will provide 106 new social housing dwellings, designed to set new benchmarks in social housing in terms of functional, social, architectural and environmental perspectives. Building work is anticipated to commence by April 2009 with construction due for completion in early 2011.

The Indigenous Employment Model has now brokered employment opportunities for over 250 Aboriginal people in the construction industry.

Congratulations Allana! RWA’s first trade qualified carpenter

Allana Varga is the first Aboriginal person to become fully trade qualified through the Redfern Waterloo Authority’s (RWA) Indigenous Employment Model.

The Model was developed by the RWA in 2005 as part of their urban renewal and job creation strategies to ensure that the creation of employment opportunities for Aboriginal people in the construction industry would be successful.

The Model makes it easy for organisations to employ Aboriginal trainees and apprentices, through the RWA recruiting, providing pre-apprenticeship training and valuable mentoring support.

Allana completed a construction carpentry apprenticeship through My Gateway and has worked for St Hilliers Construction, Bovis Lend Lease and Hansen Yuncken.

Her achievement was recognised at the graduation ceremony of the RWA’s Koori Job Ready Course in Construction in December 2008.

The RWA congratulates Allana on gaining her qualification and achieving her goals.

Photo: Adam Farmer, Les Tobler, Allana Varga, Denny Hall and Terry Kelly celebrate Allana’s success.

On the tools and in the classroom

RWA Project Managers Rohan Tobler and Terry Kelly have gone back into the classroom as teachers of the Koori Job Ready Course in Construction.

With Head Teacher of the Course Ryan Jackson and other qualified tradesmen they are working together to provide the students with the training needed to get a start in the construction industry.

The Koori Job Ready Course in Construction is run over 8 weeks, Monday to Friday 8am2.30pm. The subjects covered include Occupational, health & Safety (Induction Card), Carpentry, Formwork, Plastering, Concreting, Bricklaying, Scaffolding and Forklift Operations.

Rohan is a qualified carpenter with 11 years experience in the industry. his role with the RWA now sees him teaching, placing the students in jobs and apprenticeships in the construction industry and providing ongoing mentoring support.

The next Information day about the course is being held on Tuesday 14 April, 10am at the Yaama Dhiyaan Training Centre, 255 Wilson Street, Darlington.

For further information about the Information Day contact Rohan on 0414 137 816 or Terry Kelly on 9202 9100.

Photo: Rohan shares his knowledge and experience with a student.

Factory Community Centre: 30 years – still going strong 

The Factory Community Centre is a constituted not for profit organisation, located in a double storied terrace owned by housing NSW in the heart of Waterloo.

Over the last 30 years, it has delivered a range of projects and programmes for the benefit of the Waterloo and Redfern community and surrounds.

The agency is an experienced direct service provider, and is managed by a local resident’s management committee with an experienced professional staff team. It is a central hub for other essential local organisations and grass root community groups operating in the area.

Recently described in the media as a “Community Icon”, The Factory delivers quality, equitable, relevant services, and is service ‘user-driven’.

The Factory’s mission statement is to assist in the relief of poverty, sickness, suffering, distress, misfortune, destitution or helplessness, by fostering the growth of community life.

At The Factory you will find the recently established Barnardos learning Centre, Yurungai, a home work program for Aboriginal children and their families. The Factory also manages the highly regarded Poets Corner Pre-School in Redfern, and is a partner with local organisations in other early childhood activities.

The Factory offer a community support and advocacy service, funded by the NSW department of Community Services, which offers independent and impartial advice on a range of issues from housing, money management, assistance with form filling, and wide range of lifestyle needs & issues.

The Factory auspices the Redfern/ Waterloo housing NSW Communities Program which employs a Community development Worker, resourcing local community groups and residents to assist them have a say in local decision making and community planning issues. The program supports long standing community groups such as the Neighbourhood Advisory Boards, Waterloo Green Safety Action group, Redwaternews, and others.

Other groups based at The Factory include

• REDWATCH – local Residents Advocacy
• LET’S Sydney – local Energy Trading Scheme
• Spanish Community Care Association – CALD service provider
• Columbian Association in Australia – CALD Service provider
• JewishCare – program for elderly Russians
• Alcoholics Anonymous
• Narcotics Anonymous
• Gamblers Anonymous
• South Sydney Blind Community and Friends
• Waterloo Recycling Workshop and Nunnery Bike Project
• Multicultural Cooking Groups

Centre staff facilitates a variety of leisure and health activities and are involved in local projects such as the annual ‘Summer on the Green’ celebration, Volunteer Awards, Public & Performance Art, such as the ‘Older and Wiser’ project. This year they are running program events to mark International Year of Astronomy entitled “You are a Star” with their many critical partner agencies.

The Factory is currently undergoing refurbishment and improving its disability access, which includes a new community kitchen, new toilets, and upgraded computer access for local residents.

For more information check out their website on www.the-factory.org.au, give them a call on 9698 9569, or drop in at 67 Raglan Street, Waterloo.

Photo: The Factory 30 year celebrations. INSET: The Factory in its early years.

Koori Job Ready Course in warehousing and storage

The Sydney Institute of TAFE, the Aboriginal Education Training Unit and the RWA recently offered a Koori Job Ready Course in Transport and logistics (Certificate II Warehousing and Storage). The delivery was provided by St George TAFE College in Redfern.

Subjects studied through the course included handling cargo/ stock, safety management, route planning, security, forklift operations and customer service.

Organisations that supported the course by providing the work experience component for the students include Australia Post, dB Schenker Global logistics, Port Botany container Terminal (POAG and Patricks) QANTAS, Sydney Ports Authority, Sydney Ferries.

Thanks also to the Maritime Union of Australia for facilitating work experience contacts.

Congratulations to the 14 students who graduated the course and thanks also to John Mak, John Glover and Sonny Garewal from St George Campus and Course Coordinator Joe Newman.

For further information regarding future courses contact the Aboriginal Co-ordinator Ann Cribb 9710 5183.

Photo: Forklift training is a major part of the course.

Rohan Tobler honoured at ACTU Awards

Rohan Tobler of the Redfern Waterloo Authority was recognised at the 2009 ACTU’s National Union Awards for the training and supporting of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people into paid employment.

The prestigious Awards were presented on 3 March, 2009 and Rohan was the winner of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Award. This national award is presented for increasing the employment opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Rohan was nominated for the award by the CFMEU for his work with the RWA’s Koori Job Ready Course in Construction.

The RWA and the CFMEU congratulate Rohan on the acknowledgement of his exceptional work for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island community.

New sport and recreational services in Redfern

Over 30 local sporting, educational and youth focused organisations participated in a Youth Sport and Recreation Planning Workshop held in February at Yaama Dhiyaan.

The workshop discussed the provision of sport and recreational services for young people and the role the future National Indigenous Development Centre (NIDC) being developed in George Street, Redfern can play in this area.

The NIDC will include a multi-purpose sports and recreation centre and an outdoor swimming pool – the George Street Sport and Fitness Centre, which will be managed by the YMCA.

The YMCA provided information on their vision for the George Street Sport and Fitness Centre and indicated their enthusiasm to partner with other local organisations that provide sport and recreation for young people in Redfern and Waterloo.

The Workshop program provided the opportunity for participants to look at the existing sport and recreation services currently on offer to the local community as well as identifying and prioritising programs and activities they would like to see offered in the future.

The YMCA will also be offering training and employment to local Aboriginal people through the Centre. Job opportunities will range from fitness instructors through to management positions.

The ILC and the YMCA has also developed a Memorandum of

Understanding with the RWA to work together to deliver the Sport and Recreation Youth Precinct as outlined in the Redfern Waterloo human Services Plan.

A future meeting with local young people to seek advice about what type of things they would like to see running out of the Centre is currently being arranged.

The NIDC is scheduled to open in September 2009.

For further information regarding the Sport and Fitness Centre contact James Ellender from the YMCA on 9687 6233.

Photo: Workshop participants planning the new sporting and recreation facilities in George Street, Redfern.

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 Internet: www.redfernwaterloo.com.au