Current Work by the REDWatch Plan Working Group

REDWatch Plan Working Group to prepare submission on housing

The REDWatch RW Plan Working Group is looking to prepare a submission to the RWA on Housing in the RW Plan. Having already prepared a statement about how REDWatch would like to see the Plan developed the REDWatch Plan group would like to outline what they would like to see the Plan outline in one important area.

Housing has been chosen as it is very much at the centre of the services and infrastructure web, both of which are the responsibility of the RWA. There is concern that the RWA’s pull back from considering the future of public housing redevelopment in the early stages of the RWA’s activities may mean that DoH redevelopments in the meantime, such as that planned for Elizabeth Street, will not meet the guarantees made by the RWA to public tenants. There is also concern that unless any redevelopment of public housing is planned well in advance it may not be possible to keep public tenants in the area during and after the eventual redevelopment. In the discussion with Kristina Keneally at the last REDWatch meeting the increasing need for aged / hospital and supported accommodation in the area was also discussed. A further housing element which the NSW Government clearly put on the RWA agenda was affordable housing (see also Mark Skelsey’s recent article on Judith Yate’s research at http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,15986836-1242,00.html). This is also an issue for many students who are being forced out of close proximity to the area’s education establishments. All this points to housing being an important local issue needing a integrated response from the RWA in the RW Plan.

If you have any suggestions for what REDWatch should include in the submission being considered please email your comments to Geoff Turnbull at mail@redwatch.org.au