Truth on The Block. Beyond compliance journalism!

At an Independent Scholars Association of Australia Conference in March 2005, Farrelly attacked the RWA’s redevelopment plans for Redfern infamously stating, “You don’t solve social problems with bulldozers.”

Farrelly likened the RWA with its powers as landowner, developer and consent authority to an apartheid organisation bent on removing the urban Indigenous people that reside in and around the area known as The Block.

“As a landowner in the area I should just lie back, enjoy it, and wait for my property value to rise,” Farrelly had said. “But it seems important to me that The Block, as not just a centre but our centre of urban aboriginal culture, is not white-washed over.”

Nearly a year and a half later and after the release of the RWA’s final development plans in August, Farrelly’s philosophy remains rock-solid. Time however, has left its mark on the situation.

“With more information comes more complexity and some problems remain unsolved,” remarked Elizabeth in her conversation with the South Sydney Herald. “The Block should be a productive and healthy cultural home for Aboriginals, but I’m not so sure it’s possible. How do you separate drugs from Aboriginal culture?”

Challenging questions come with consistency for Farrelly, which can be partly explained by her background. An architect by profession and Kiwi by birth, Elizabeth spent years in London and also moonlighted as a Sydney City Councillor from 1991 to 1995 with the likes of Clover Moore and Frank Sartor. Her decision not to continue in politics premised on morals.

“I just want people to tell the truth”, explained Farrelly. “It’s rare in a country like this”.

Farrelly believes the final plans issued by the RWA prescribe too much development too quickly.

“In principle it is an obvious place for height and density, but it should be introduced incrementally from the city to Redfern over time, rather than creating a mini CBD,” she said.

“The RWA plans also do not address social mix. This should be grown organically as much as possible over time,” instructed Farrelly who resides, with her children, next to a half-way house for ex-criminals.

Elizabeth believes the media has failed the Redfern community in its role as investigator and interpreter. “The media doesn’t understand Redfern. Journalists have not been taught properly and are engaged in compliance journalism - too timid to question what politicians are telling them”.

Having known Frank Sartor, current NSW Minister for Planning and controversially the RWA, since he stood as an Independent, Farrelly is shrewd about his current duplication of roles.

“There should be a separation of powers for the benefit of the wider public”, said Farrelly. “Frank thinks he’s the exception to the rule. He appears to be giving public favour to private people and the ALP has bought into it. They’ve sold out their constituencies”.

Elizabeth Farrelly’s opinion column on planning and architectural matters appears in the Sydney Morning Herald each Wednesday.