REDWatch Co-ordination Group Report for 2009-2010

The 2009-10 year started with the NSW Government approval of the Pemulwuy Project Concept Plan. This was a great start to the year given REDWatch’s role over the years of campaigning for Pemulwuy Project to be allowed to proceed. As the AHC worked to bring the project to reality there has been less of a need for REDWatch involvement and I have maintained a watching brief.

In the follow on from Wendie & Guido’s struggle to keep the Heritage Blacksmith operating at the ATP, REDWatch was involved with rail heritage groups in calling on the Minister for Redfern Waterloo to set up a Heritage Taskforce. A Heritage Tour and Forum in September 2009 laid a good basis for the announcement by the RWA of the establishment of the Redfern Waterloo Heritage Taskforce (RWHT) and subsequently the Eveleigh Steering Committee, Heritage Projects and the Eveleigh Heritage Interpretation Strategy. REDWatch has been represented on the RWHT and a lot of time has gone into working with the RWA and heritage people to try to achieve some outcomes. The year has seen REDWatch push for the RWA/ATP to make public key heritage documents including the ATP Conservation Management Plan (CMP under revision), the ATP Section 170 register, the ATP Heritage Asset Management Strategy (HAMS) and, most recently, the announcement that the RWA will include an exhibition requirement in the CMP for heritage work at the ATP. With the future of the RWHT uncertain after the end of this year and with the RWA morphing into the new Sydney Metropolitan Development Authority (SMDA) the challenge is to keep Heritage on the agenda and see the recognised potential delivered. REDWatch will have a role to play in this, but increasingly the fight needs to be driven by the heritage community.

The year has seen RWA CEO Roy Wakelin King regularly attend REDWatch meetings. Bernie Coates from HNSW has also attended some meetings. Together with the RWA and HNSW, REDWatch was able to arrange for Jim Diers to provide input into the discussion about the benefits of government and community working together more co-operatively. Co-operation will need to be an ongoing focus through the BEP2 and HNSW Master Planning processes. REDWatch can play an important role in making processes transparent and in working to ensure the broad range of public housing residents concerns are properly taken into account in the BEP2 and Master Plan processes. Towards this end REDWatch has set up a public housing section on its web site raising some of the issues, held a discussion with HNSW about social mix and has also participated in HNSW forums.

2009-10 also finally saw the release of the RWA Human Service Plan 18 month Evaluation and the restarting of some of the RWA Taskforces. REDWatch was involved in helping set up a Human Services Forum with the RWA and the Inner Sydney Regional Council for Social Development, and also in follow up discussions on RWA interactions with human services. We have continued to express concerns about the lack of progress in addressing the area’s human services challenges and pursued issues relating to Community Safety planning. These will become more important during the discussions about the future shape of HNSW properties in Redfern & Waterloo.

Two members of REDWatch sit on the RWA Human Services Ministerial Advisory Committee (HSMAC) as individuals and I sit on the Built Environment Ministerial Advisory Committee (BEMAC). While the last year has seen much greater dialogue between REDWatch and the RWA this has not flowed through to any real consultation on the MACs about issues of concern. On important issues like BEP2 or Redfern Station the BEMAC has not been allowed information about what is being formulated let alone being given the opportunity to provide any “advice”.

Ironically while the RWA does not consult the community about its plans prior to exhibition the Department of Planning encourages developers in the area to discuss their project proposals with local community groups before they go to the DoP. As a result REDWatch has had the opportunity to be briefed on Part 3A projects and to make comments early in these developments.

REDWatch held a Transport Forum during April which included local community transport (South Sydney Community Transport) and Railcorp giving a presentation about the challenges in upgrading Redfern Station. Sydney Buses did not turn up and questions submitted to them from the meeting met with less than satisfactory responses. The Forum was well received and we appreciated the assistance of the RWA in trying to get the major transport operators to attend it.

In 2009-10 REDWatch also organised a successful community meeting in Darlington with University of Sydney Vice Chancellor Michael Spence and also participated in another meeting organised by the University with the support of Council about the University’s interest in purchasing North Eveleigh. The University has subsequently set up a separate mechanism for residents to raise concerns and contact the University although more remains to be done. Encouraging Sydney University to develop a close relationship with residents to its south and east will remain a focus especially as the University’s Concept Plan for the Abercrombie Street Precinct is about to be exhibited and with its ongoing interest in purchasing North Eveleigh. REDWatch went on record writing to State Members and Ministers during the year in support of the sale of North Eveleigh to Sydney University.

In June 2010 residents in Leamington Avenue found their homes under threat from the proposed City Relief Line. REDWatch supported their campaign by providing analysis, advice, contacts and by making documents available on our website. This campaign was successful and a new residents group has come into existence with aims now wider than the initial campaign. REDWatch has also provided support to Alexandria residents in their interactions with the ATP regarding Channel 7 and the impact of ATP parking on their area.

Many people know of REDWatch and so approach us if they are looking for information or advice. REDWatch is able to play a key role in assisting such local campaigns and providing support to people initiating such action.

The REDWatch website continues to be an important part of REDWatch’s activities. It fills the role of a virtual resource centre where people can access information about the area and this certainly helps handle some of the enquiries received over the phone. As an indication of the importance of the website in September 2010 the REDWatch website averaged 383 visits / 1487 pages and 5062 hits per day. I must thank Nicholas Lam for his hosting of the REDWatch site and for acting as our systems administrator. Nic has been doing this since the site was set up in early 2005. Nic has recently moved to China and REDWatch now needs to pay for its own hosting although Nic will still assist us with technical support. One implication of this is that we will need to do some fundraising to pay the $38.50 a month that the hosting will cost. I must also thank Lyn Turnbull who adds the bulk of the coming events which I am sure keep people coming back to the website.

The website plays a crucial role not only in making news available but also in REDWatch’s lobbying and campaigns. The heritage section set up to campaign over the Blacksmith Shop, the Large Erecting Shop, and Eveleigh heritage more broadly, has been important to those campaigns and now provides a significant public repository of Eveleigh heritage information. The new section on Public Housing similarly aims to provide a resource for the community in its discussion with HNSW as we have previously for people in Darlington during the North Eveleigh Concept Plan.

The website has not been maintained as well as in previous years. This is partly because more is happening and it requires more time and partly because I have had less time to do the work. I am hopeful we can divide tasks up so more people can be involved.

While the Redfern Waterloo Issue Updates were not put out by REDWatch their existence did drive traffic to the website and spread the word widely about what was happening. This was in part because the information referred to was put on the REDWatch website and because people received a monthly or more frequent update. Lyn and my inability to find the time to keep this going this year has had an impact on new people becoming involved with REDWatch and in people not having a convenient overview of what has been happening across a breath of issues. The lack of RWIUs has probably avoided some tension with the RWA as there has not been regular competing analysis in the public arena about what is happening. Discussions have tended to be held more directly with the RWA on issues of concern rather than needing to resort to public statements.

As spokesperson I continue to be the public contact point for REDWatch. My office phone and mailbox have been given as the contact points for REDWatch, and I deal with a range of inquiries from the media, students, agencies, residents and the general public looking for information about REDWatch or issues connected to the area. Where possible I refer these inquires to others to provide the assistance sort.

One of the important areas for the spokesperson is dealing with many media inquiries, providing background briefings on issues, doing interviews and making referrals to people that should be spoken to for a story. This helps to raise the issues of concern to REDWatch but not necessarily with it always being associated with REDWatch’s name. I have also spoken on behalf of REDWatch at a range of public and consultation meetings, and liaised with local agencies.

In the last year I have represented REDWatch on the Roll Up Redfern Committee with Sydney Council, RWA, Chamber of Commerce and South’s Football Club. This committee works to address perceptions of the area including with appropriate branding. Some REDWatch members have also participated in the focus group for the branding project. I also attend Police Community Safety Precinct Committee Meetings in addition to meetings of the Redfern Waterloo Heritage Taskforce, Eveleigh Steering Committee (alternate with Bruce Lay) and RWA BEMAC meetings.

REDWatch still continues to be like a second full time job even though I have had to cut back on some REDWatch activities over the last year. My ability to attend daytime meetings and respond to the demands of the spokesperson’s role continues to be dependent on the flexibility offered by my business. This business continues to contract and at some point I will be unable to continue with the flexibility of the last 6-7 years. This change has implications for REDWatch and we need to look at how REDWatch will continue its work into the future without a defacto staff person.

There have been some changes to the Co-ordinating Group during the year. The Co-ord Group co-opted Michael Chapman to fill the vacancy left at the last AGM. Lyn Turnbull stepped down to make room for Jose Perez. Bryan Keough stepped down as Secretary as he was spending a lot of time in Hong Kong and Wendie McCaffley replaced him as Secretary. The Co-ord Group has met monthly to discuss issues, arrange events and help guide REDWatch and me as spokesperson. I wish to express my gratitude to the Co-ord Group and members for their assistance over the year.

It continues to delight me that REDWatch represents such a wide range of people with an interest in Redfern Waterloo, Eveleigh and Darlington. The mixtures of housing tenures, political affiliations, people who work in the area and the diverse networks that people belong to enable REDWatch to hold together a broad range of perspectives, to tap into the knowledge of a diverse community and hence provide a credible community voice in our dealings with government.

The REDWatch Christmas party when Ian Thompson (our founding Liberal Party Member) was back in Sydney saw people from all political persuasions talking about the areas issues and captured the diversity REDWatch has strived to maintain.

I look forward to working with everyone in the year ahead.

Geoffrey Turnbull REDWatch Spokesperson 2009-10