Anthony Mundine joins protesters to fight for The Block - AHC Media Statement 09-08-2006

The rally will begin outside the state Government’s Redfern Waterloo Authority (RWA) offices (1 Lawson Square, Redfern) at 6:30pm. Protesters will then march to The Block, where Isabel Coe of the Aboriginal Tent Embassy will conduct a ceremony around a “sacred fire” that symbolises unity amongst those in attendance.

The protest will end with a series of speeches from community leaders including Aboriginal Housing Company CEO Mick Mundine, Aboriginal Tent Embassy founder Michael Anderson, and Anthony Mundine.

The highlight of the night is expected to be when Mr Anderson passes the microphone to Anthony Mundine for the final speech of the night. The exchange represents a generational change within the Aboriginal leadership of Australia. Anthony Mundine, when asked about his political future, said, “I will do whatever it takes to help my people.”

The protest, planned by the Aboriginal Housing Company (AHC), Aboriginal Tent Embassy and reconciliation groups, is being held as part of the fight to get new Aboriginal housing on The Block. 

Mick Mundine and Isabel Coe organised the protest because the RWA and Minister for Redfern-Waterloo Frank Sartor proposed changes to planning controls that would halve the amount of housing allowed on the Block. The RWA also plan to increase the amount of housing the Government can build on nearby government owned land.

The AHC fears that this is a precursor to the NSW Government’s aim to take control of The Block away from Aboriginal people and limit the number of Aboriginal homes that can be built on the land.

Aboriginal Housing Company CEO Michael Mundine said, “The community, both black and white, should demand equal rights for the Aboriginal community of Redfern and that control of The Block remains in Aboriginal hands. The Block is where the civil rights movement in Australia began, and today it is a modern sacred site.”

“We deserve the same rights as any other Australians and we should be able to use our land as we see fit. We will not be dictated to, or stood over by, government ministers like Frank Sartor,” Mr Mundine said.

Ms Coe said the protest was part of the fight for Aboriginal sovereignty. “We’re going to remind Frank Sartor that The Block was created to provide proper homes for Aboriginal people.”

“The new paternalism being spread by the Government is what we have to attack. It’s racism in a new dress. The NSW Labor Government is adopting the same paternalism that the Liberals use at a Federal level. Enough is enough,” Ms Coe said.

High profiles members of the Aboriginal community, Australian Labor Party and Churches are supporting the protest. Organisers will also draw on the resources of local reconciliation groups, including Reconciliaction and Redfern Residents for Reconciliation.

Aside from Anthony Mundine and Michael Anderson, speakers will include Isabel Coe, Mick Mundine, and Geoff Turnbull from REDWatch. The Bishop of Gippsland John McIntyre, a former Anglican minister in Redfern, is travelling to Sydney from Melbourne and will also address the ceremony.

Bishop McIntyre said, “We cannot stand by and be silent on this threatened injustice being perpetrated by the State Government and their developer mates. If Frank Sartor has legitimate concerns about how the redevelopment of Redfern will occur he needs to enter into dialogue with the Aboriginal community.”

Trevor Davies from the Darlington Branch of the ALP said the RWA is facing significant opposition from local members over their plans for The Block. He expects that a number of Labor politicians will join branch members at the protest.

Davies said, “The NSW Government is doing some good things in Redfern and Waterloo; suburbs which have been neglected for far too long. But their reluctance to support the AHC on the Pemulwuy Project is a black mark that will go down in history as a lost opportunity to help build a prosperous Aboriginal community in the heart of Redfern.”

For further information or media inquiries, contact:

Peter Valilis, Aboriginal Housing Company, 0400 804 022
Isabel Coe, Aboriginal Tent Embassy, 0423 647 695
Trevor Davies, ALP Darlington branch secretary, 0400 008 338
Lyn Turnbull, Redfern Residents for Reconciliation, 0418 655 246