‘Nothing will stop us’

Mr Mundine said the housing company would submit final documents to the department today, together with a letter to explain the self-funded group's inability to raise $60,000 assessment fee.

"Whether they approve it or not, we are here to stay, we're not budging," he said.

"Nothing is going to stop this project, I believe it will happen. We have worked so hard for it and we're still here."

The Planning Department waived an initial fee for the housing company but will not waive future fees during the course of the DA's assessment, which could total $180,000.

A department spokesman said the exact fee for the project had not been determined. "The Department of Planning requires payment of fees before exhibiting a proposal," he said.

"Such fees cover the department's independent and thorough work assessing proposals, which includes ensuring the proposal is adequate for exhibition, consulting with other agencies, assessing the project and then producing an assessment report for decision."

The Pemulwuy Project is nine years in the making thanks to thousands of pro-bono hours from industry leaders who believe in the project, including architect Martin Butterworth from Space Syntax, who worked on London's Trafalgar Square.

The DA proposes 62 brand new houses for Aboriginal families on Redfern's run-down Eveleigh St, also known as The Block.

Current drug, alcohol and antisocial behaviour issues will be combated by measures which include locals patrols observing and keeping tabs on strangers to the area.

One third of the houses will be low income rental and the rest will be under ownership programs. The housing company's project director Peter Valilis said the initiative was a "great" project. "We will have a whole lot of Aboriginal people with a deep sense of ownership," Mr Valilis said. "It fits in all the guidelines, it ticks all the boxes, it deserves to go ahead.

"We told the Planning Department we're not going to give them 60 cents and if they don't assess the project that's their choice.

"But we are very patient and we'll wait."

Mr Mundine said developers had recently approached the housing company to buy the land in question. "We've got nothing, but we've got the most important thing, and that's the land," he said. "To us it's like the Opera House, like the Sydney Harbour Bridge. This is a modern sacred site for us, we would never sell it."

He described Redfern as an Aboriginal "water hole" and said the housing company was trying to "clean out the well" through the Pemulwuy Project.

He said the State Government should involve the housing company in its vision for Redfern and support the, concept plan.

Picture: Phil Rogers - Aboriginal Housing Company chief executive Michael Mundine is determined to see Redfern's notorious area The Block cleaned up and redeveloped despite the company being $60,000 short on assessment fees.