REDWatch Co-ordination Group Report for 2019-2020

REDWatch normally meets at 6 pm on the first Thursday of the month at the Factory. These monthly meetings focus on a key challenge or issue facing the local community. REDWatch meetings are open to everyone, as is membership of the incorporated association that organises its activities.

REDWatch had another year of strong action and advocacy. We have successfully be able to take our monthly meetings online with COVID-19 and have also held some hybrid meetings for those that have difficulty getting on line.

REDWatch is represented on a number regular meetings in our community including, The Redfern Waterloo Agency Coalition, Waterloo Redevelopment Group, The South Eveleigh Community Liaison Group, the South Eveleigh Advisory Panel and in South Eveleigh heritage stakeholder meetings. REDWatch has also participated in a number of Transport for NSW consultations around Redfern Station and North Eveleigh in the last year.

REDWatch worked with residents in Little Eveleigh Street and an architect to formulate a community proposal for the Redfern Station Southern Concourse that addressed connectivity and amenity concerns not addressed by TfNSW.

REDWatch continues to work closely with Counterpoint Community Services and Inner Sydney Voice, as part of Groundswell, on issues related to the redevelopment of LAHC properties in the area. A Waterloo Human Service Plan has been a major focus of this work involving meetings with Land and Housing Corporation (LAHC), Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ) and Sydney Local Health District (SLHD).

This year has also seen more work with the City of Sydney Council to ensure maximum opportunities for public housing tenants to participate in decisions about their community. As we head into our AGM we also supporting an Aboriginal Affordable Housing Campaign being led by local Aboriginal Controlled organisations – something we have been pushing for a long time.

As a group, we continually look at how to listen to and engage with our diverse community as well as with government.

REDWatch emails, and the use of the REDWatch website to make material publically available, have continued to be important activity this year as we try and make decisions about our area more transparent.

List of meetings this year:

• July 2019 - Update on Redfern Station and other issues
• August 2019 - “Build to Rent” and Redfern Station
• September 2019 – Shane Brown Healthy Living Link Worker role
• October 2019 - Council Planning for Growth: what does it mean for Redfern and Waterloo? and AGM
• November 2019 - Resident and Community Groups Networking
• December 2019 - REDWatch End of Year Social at Tutor
• February 2020 – a roundtable on the inequality of climate change
• March 2020 - Waterloo & Redfern Redevelopments – What is going on?
• April 2020 – online meeting COVID-19 local responses in our community
• May 2020 - online meeting - The Financial Impact on People REDWatch Online Meeting on the Financial Impact of Covid-19
• June 2020 – A Tale of Two Stations (Redfern and Waterloo)
• 18 June Snap Waterloo Metro Integrated Station Development Consultation – REDWatch
• July 2020- Council and LAHC present on Waterloo and Redfern
• August 2020 – Where is the Waterloo Human Services Plan?
• September 2020 – The Future of Eveleigh (ATP, Carriageworks and Transport for NSW)
• October 2020 – AGM & What is Community Development.

REDWatch coordination group also meet monthly to resource and coordinate our activities. Our office bearers meet other community groups, local decision-makers, elected officials and make written submissions and media statements on a diverse range of issues.

REDWatch has a strong history of providing a place for people from across the community to come together to discuss the issues, receive information and creating space for collective actions.  We will build on this and we thank everyone for his or her continued support. 

Alice Anderson (Co-spokesperson) on behalf of the Co-ord Group