New plan on the Block unwelcome to owners - 10 February 2006
The new
vision for the Block alters the site's zoning from residential to "mixed
use", increasing the height limits on buildings from two to three storeys
and encouraging business developments.
The draft
plan, released yesterday by the Minister for Redfern Waterloo, Frank Sartor,
also flags a revamp of Redfern train station to make it safer and more
attractive, with shops at ground level and disabled access.
An
"urban boulevard" will be created to link the station and the Redfern
town centre at nearby Redfern and Regent streets, where shops, other businesses
and accommodation will be encouraged. Developers will be able to build office
towers up to 18 storeys along Gibbons
Street near the station.
Mr Sartor
said the plan was a "measured and sustainable approach" that would
provide the Redfern-Waterloo region with 18,000 new jobs, 440,000 extra square
metres of employment space and 2000 new dwellings in the next 10 years.
"Unless we do this we will not break the cycle of poverty and lack of
opportunity in this area," he said.
But the
Block's owner, the Aboriginal Housing Company, has accused the minister of
trying to bribe the company into building shops and offices on the site of the
first urban land rights claim in Australia.
It has
previously put forward a plan to build 62 new homes on the Block, but only 30
houses would be allowed under yesterday's plan developed by the
Redfern-Waterloo Authority.
"He's
saying if we build commercial we'll make much more out of it," said Mick
Mundine, the head of the Aboriginal Housing Company.
"That's
his carrot. His stick is if we choose to remain with residential he reduces the
floor space ratios and the height."
The zoning
changes killed any hope for affordable home ownership for Aboriginal families
on the Block, he said.
"They
want to stop us from living on our own land; however, we are determined to
fight to the end to deliver our commitment to provide 62 homes on the
Block," Mr Mundine said.
He has the
support of a local community group, REDwatch, whose spokesman, Trevor Davies, said 30 homes was too few to
encourage a good community at the Block.
Mr Sartor
defended the efforts to lure commercial developers to the Block, saying the
main aim of the plan was to provide employment for locals.
He said the
Aboriginal Housing Company, as the land owners, had the right to decide the
site's fate."Whether the Block is ultimately demolished or redeveloped is
still up to them."
Yesterday's
standoff over the Block is the latest chapter in the souring of relations
between the Aboriginal Housing Company and Mr Sartor, after the minister
demanded on Koori Radio in September that Mr Mundine "bring his black arse
in" to discuss a dispute over redevelopment.
Also under
the new plan:
■ Business
and residential buildings would be allowed on the site of the former court
house and police station on Redfern
Street, although the heritage court house would be
retained;
■ Houses
would be built on the old Rachel
Forster Hospital
site;
■ Serviced
apartments, hotel and other accommodation would be encouraged on the former Redfern Public School site.
The public
is invited to comment on the plan over the next two months.
Diagram:
Future shock … an artist's impression of how the area near Redfern station will
look.