REDFERN - WATERLOO PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT - Text Version

REDFERN - WATERLOO PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT

BETWEEN

The COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA

and

The STATE OF NEW SOUTH WALES

1 June 2006

REDFERN-WATERLOO PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT

An Initiative of the Commonwealth and New South Wales Governments to cooperate on enhancing the economic and social revitalisation of Redfern-Waterloo in relation to the Indigenous community.

1. PARTIES

The parties to this Agreement are the Commonwealth of Australia, represented by the Minister for Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs and the State of New South Wales, represented by the Minister for Redfern-Waterloo (the Parties).

RECITALS

• The Redfern-Waterloo area, including Eveleigh and Darlington, contains sectors of significance social and economic disadvantage, particularly amongst the Aboriginal community
• Unemployment, inadequate job skills, training and education and consequential reliance on welfare are major factors in this disadvantage
• The New South Wales Government established the Redfern-Waterloo Authority on 17 January 2006 to facilitate the economic and social revitalisation of the area, building upon Its existing initiatives
• The Parties have a long-standing history of Programs and service delivery to the Indigenous community in Redfern-Waterloo
• The Parties have agreed to work closely together on employment and enterprise, education and training, health, housing and delivery of other human services as a means to address social and economic disadvantage, to reduce welfare dependency through wealth creation and to improve delivery of services
• The Redfern-Waterloo Partnership Agreement is made pursuant to the National Framework of Principles for Delivering Services to Indigenous Australians, endorsed by the Council of Australian Governments in 2004, and the Overarching Agreement on Indigenous Affairs between the Commonwealth of Australia and the State of New South Wales
• In addition, services will be delivered in accordance with the priorities of the Redfern Waterloo Plan and in consultation with the local Aboriginal community and the Sydney City Council
  

2. PERIOD OF OPERATION

This Agreement shall come into force on 1 June 2006 and operate for a period of ten years.

This Agreement expresses a cooperative relationship between the Parties on matters of mutual interest relevant to the Aboriginal community in the Redfern-Waterloo area. Accordingly, it does not purport to create binding legal relations between the parties and may be terminated in accordance with clause 6.

3. MAJOR AREAS OF COMMONWEALH / STATE COOPERATION

The Parties, in accordance with COAG's National Framework of Principles and the Overarching Agreement on Indigenous Affairs, support building partnerships with Aboriginal communities and organisations based on shared responsibilities and mutual obligations.

The areas of Commonwealth/State cooperation will include the following.

a) Employment and Enterprise

• New South Wales, through the Redfern-Waterloo Authority [RWA] and under the proposed Redfern-Waterloo Plan, will use its influence as a major landowner to actively facilitate Aboriginal employment and training both in the construction phase of the urban renewal process and in any subsequent employer activity arising from the construction phase. The RWA will also explore all avenues during the urban renewal process to provide and promote commercial opportunities for local Aboriginal businesses.
• The Commonwealth, through its relevant agencies coordinated by the Indigenous Coordination Centre (IC ) Sydney, will apply federal programs and services as appropriate and with flexibility as needed, to meet the Redfern-Waterloo Plan's employment and enterprise objectives.
  

b) Education

• The ICC with relevant Commonwealth agencies will work with the RWA to link existing State, and Commonwealth Indigenous education programs and investigate expanding such programs in Redfern-Waterloo.
• The ICC with relevant Commonwealth agencies will work with the RWA to explore ventures involving accredited private education providers that may wish to run programs for Aboriginal students in Redfern-Waterloo.
  

c) Indigenous Housing and The Block

• The Parties will work together to support the provision of`affordable Indigenous housing in Redfern-Waterloo.
• The Parties in consultation with the local Indigenous community will seek to conclude an agreement with the Aboriginal Housing Company [AHC], the owner of the area of land known as the Block, for the sustainable development of the Block and its environs.
• The Parties agree that any government funding for development of the Block and its environs will be contingent upon the production of a sustainable vision for the site supported by both Governments, the AHC and the local Aboriginal community
• The Parties will agree on any appropriate involvement of the City of Sydney in any redevelopment of the Block and its environs.
  

d) Human Services

• The Parties will work together on priorities identified through the Human Services Review, as an integral element of the Redfern-Waterloo Plan, to improve service delivery and to help Aboriginal families become self-sufficient.
  

e) The Redfern-Waterloo Plan

• New South Wales will ensure appropriate commonwealth representation in the development of the Redfern-Waterloo Plan. This will include participation In the Human Services Review, relevant Ministerial Advisory Committees and on any committee established to develop a sustainable solution for the Block.
  

4. CONSULTATIVE MECHANISMS

The Redfern-Waterloo Authority and the Sydney ICC of the Office of Indigenous Policy Coordination will consult and meet regularly to ensure the objectives of the Partnership Agreement are realised.

Where. any significant issues relating to the implementation of this Agreement cannot be resolved by the consultative mechanisms, either party may refer the issues to the office of their respective Minister for discussion and agreement between' the two Ministers.

5. VARIATION OF AGREEMENT

This Agreement maybe varied by agreement of the Parties.

6. TERMINATION

This Agreement may be terminated at any time by either Party by giving written notice to the other Party

SIGNATORIES

Signed for and on behalf of the Commonwealth of Australia:

Mal Brough

Date: 28/6/06

Witness:

Date:

28/06/06

Signed for and on behalf of the State of New South Wales:

Frank Sartor

Date: 17^th May 2006

Witness: Robert Domm 

[Text of Agreement taken from fax copy of agreement from Mal Brough MP 29-Jun-2006 supplied by the Redfern Waterloo Authority 6 November 2006]