State Cabinet invited to Redfern-Waterloo

Last month State Cabinet met at Ashfield Town Hall and, before the meeting, local Councillors and residents addressed Cabinet on some of the issues of importance to people in the Inner West. A delegation of Redfern-Waterloo residents was at the Town Hall to deliver an invitation to the Premier to bring Cabinet into their area so that they can see and hear for themselves what’s happening.

Local activists, Ben Spiers, Joe Correy and Lyn Turnbull handed the Premier an invitation from Vladimir Korotkov, the Managing Editor of the South Sydney Herald and the Minister of the local Uniting church, who was writing on behalf of a coalition of community groups. The letter read: “We are very grateful that you have initiated a process of consultation between your cabinet and the citizens of New South Wales. We believe that this is a commendable expression of your leadership at this time and that it will enhance the work and decisions of your government. We respectfully request that, as part of this process of consultation, you include a meeting with the residents of Redfern and Waterloo.

Even though some of the areas of conflict between your government and the citizens of Redfern are related to the development of The Block in Redfern, we suggest that this meeting be in the Redfern Town Hall as the issues which people wish to raise are wider than those surrounding The Block.”

Geoff Turnbull, spokesperson for REDWatch, supported the invitation. He said that Redfern-Waterloo is the only area in the state to have its own authority, its own Act and Minister. Cabinet has signed-off on draft plans for the area, but many Cabinet members have never spoken to the people of Redfern Waterloo.