REDWatch - Redfern Eveleigh Darlington Waterloo Watch Group

The Aboriginal Medical Service responds to RSL trouble-makers

REDWatch — 2007-05-03T02:51:05Z

"He calls us"they", he thinks he can tell us where we can march and where we can't and whether or not we can have our own memorial service"

I ask him point blank "What does he think our people fought for?""Was it not to defend this country's liberty, the rights of its citizens and to protect people in other countries from the despicable racist crimes of monsters like Adolf Hitler?"

If the RSL is logically consistent, it should support our right to honour our Aboriginal service men and women in the ways that we consider to be appropriate. It should certainly not place itself on dangerous ground and seek to order us around!

"My own uncle fought for this country but was refused entry to RSL clubs as were most Aboriginal people in the Defence forces." "That is a shameful fact of RSL history and it should be exposed."

"We shall have our own march, we shall not be stuck at the end of the Anzac Day parade as second class citizens." If the RSL wants to take us on over this, then hear me clearly,we are ready."

Dr Mayers was so incensed by Bill Crews' offensive statements that she has heralded a boycott of the Redfern RSL by the Redfern Aboriginal community.

"Once we get going we mean business and I can tell you the Redfern RSL would go bankrupt without us"

Combined Chippendale Community Groups Submission on the CUB Site Concept Plan

REDWatch — 2006-12-05T00:43:41Z

This is a copy of the CCCG submission on the CUB Site Concept Plan. MS Word 344Kb. Attachments referred to are available as separate files.

Actual Current Heighs and the proposed Height Controls from the Urban Design Study

REDWatch — 2006-10-08T22:54:30Z

The Urban Design Study showed the current Height controls for the area, as well as the actual Heights and made proposals about the Heights that should be in new City of Sydney controls. We have shown here the maps that show the actual Heights that currently exisit as well as what has been proposed by the City of Sydney. As some DoH land exceeds current council heigh controls there seeemed little point in including the current height zoning. In broad terms the City of Sydney proposed controls are to decrease height but increase land coverage. Map is PDF 863 KB.

Actual Current Floor Space Ratio's and those proposed by the Urban Design Study

REDWatch — 2006-10-08T22:48:48Z

The Urban Design Study showed the current Floor Space Ratio (FSR) controls for the area, as well as the actual FSR's and made proposals about the FSR's that should be in new City of Sydney controls. We have shown here the maps that show the actual FSR's that exisit as well as what has been proposed by the City of Sydney. As some DoH land exceeds current council controls there seeemed little point in including the current zoning. In broad outline FSR controls are proposed to go from 1.5:1 to a range of 1.75:1 to 3.5:1. Map is PDF 879 KB.

Building Type in Waterloo & Redfern Urban Design Study Area

REDWatch — 2006-10-08T22:40:23Z

This map shows building type in the Waterloo & Redfern Urban Design Study Area and hence helps to identify the range of buildings held by the Department of Housing in the Waterloo & Redfern area. PDF 379 Kb.

Heritage Map from Waterloo & Redfern Urban Design Study

REDWatch — 2006-10-08T22:37:19Z

This is the Heritage map from the Waterloo & Redfern Urban Design Study. It show some of the issues facing DoH if it wished to consolidation its land holdings in the "Elizabeth Street" Urban Design Study area. PDF 360 Kb.

DoH Properties in Waterloo & Redfern Urban Design Area

REDWatch — 2006-10-08T22:08:41Z

This map was produced at the end of the consultation process as a result of requests from the community. The map shows the location of Department of Housing properties in Waterloo & Redfern Urban Design Area. PDF 278Kb.

Coalition Chippendale Community Groups BEP Submission

REDWatch — 2006-04-17T15:59:44Z

This is the Coalition Chippendale Community Groups Submission on the RWA BEP. This File is 744 KB.

Human Services Identified by Morgan Disney Review

REDWatch — 2005-09-06T09:23:14Z

This is the list of Human Services identified by the Morgan Disney Review of Human Services servicing the Redfern Waterloo Area. Please note that this list was put together in the second half of 2004 and has not been updated so changes in personel, service funding and contact details will not be reflected in the list. The list does however put names to the services identified by Morgan Disney which were not released with their Report. File is 311 Kb MS Word document.

Parents worry children's future sold up the river

REDWatch — 2010-01-23T07:29:51Z

''We'd run and dive and if you couldn't make it past the first boat out on the water you weren't allowed to play,'' the 78-year-old said.

Children growing up in Tempe today would not dream of swimming in the water, but their parents are worried they will not be able to breathe the air either if the Government goes ahead with a four-lane motorway.

A Roads and Traffic Authority feasibility study, which is on exhibition, proposes an extension of the M5 East that will run through the Tempe wetlands, Sydenham and St Peters, areas that bear the brunt of inner Sydney's air, rail and road traffic. It is but one route in a possible carve-up of the suburbs, which will include roads, tunnels and exhaust stacks dotting the horizon.

''The RTA may as well come around and feed my kids a lead sandwich,'' said a local father, Patrick McInerney.

He and Mr Lee live in what locals jokingly refer to as ''East Tempe'', a vibrant community of Macedonian migrants, young families and inner-west veterans who live between the Princes Highway and the Cooks River. The residents have a little spot of greenery where they gather four times a year for community parties - a reserve, driving range and flourishing wetlands on the site of the old swamp, regenerated with a $17.5 million investment from Marrickville Council in 2003.

The residents have begun a campaign to protect it, backed by local Greens councillors.

An RTA spokesman defended the proposal, saying it was only the beginning of ''an 18-month process which will include significant community engagement before the environmental assessment is completed''.

The authority's feasibility study also includes a duplicate four-lane westbound tunnel, from Earlwood to Arncliffe.

A plan by consultants Evans and Peck, under consideration by the Government, would lead to the M4 East tunnel snaking its way from Strathfield to the Anzac Bridge, and another joining that tunnel to the M5 East under Enmore, Stanmore and Annandale.

''This just the starting point. You're actually looking at a much bigger problem,'' said Leah Mason, of the Marrickville Transport Action Group. ''You're actually looking at a much bigger problem.''

For Pdf of proposed motorways - www.smh.com.au/pdf/roadsweb.pdf

Source: www.smh.com.au/national/parents-worry-childrens-future-sold-up-the-river-20100115-mcgm.html

The Fast News - Compiled by Trevor Davies

REDWatch — 2009-08-09T08:26:25Z

Darlington School

There has been lots of concern about the state of the playground at Darlington Public School. One of the play areas was even closed off because it was seen as unsafe. Now here is the good news (not often Fast News gives good State Government news!). The Minister for Education, Verity Firth, announced that Darlington Public School has received $2 million under the Primary Schools for the 21st Century project and $125,000 under the National School Pride Program. That is a huge amount of money! Let’s hope the playground is fixed soon.

Roy making an impression

Roy Wakelin-King is the new CEO of the Redfern Waterloo Authority and seems to have already made quite an impression. The Redfern-Waterloo Updates e-newsletter runs a bit of a bio on Roy. “Roy has worked in a range of different agencies, including the Office of Public Works & Services, World Youth Day Co-ordination Authority, Transport Operations Division of NSW Ministry of Transport, State Rail Authority, Olympic Roads and Transport Authority, and the Army Movements and Transport Agency. From July to December 1993 Roy was part of a small Australian Army contingent in Somalia that was part of the United Nations multi-national force called UNOSOM II. His contingent was responsible for transport coordination of military and humanitarian people and goods in, around and out of Somalia. Roy wore his UN Service ribbons to the Coloured Diggers March in Redfern on ANZAC Day.”

The real problem on Glebe Point Road?

In the Sydney Morning Herald last month Kirsty Needham reported that Glebe Point Road had become littered with empty shop fronts. Since the global financial crisis hit, George Linardos from a deli on Glebe Point Road which is closing down, told the SMH that his customers have been holding back on luxuries. He said people would have more courage to buy $34 hampers of Swiss chocolates if they had more faith in the future. Then the article went on to say that a hardware store owner, Ben Nurse, whose store closed down in March, is blaming the upgrade.

An upgrade will always cause some disruption. It happened in Redfern Street, Oxford Street and Darlinghurst Street. The trouble is that short-term pain for long-term gain during a global economic crisis can be a disaster. The business community on Abercrombie Street is calling for an upgrade. Perhaps it should be careful?

Second anniversary of Howard Government’s Intervention

June 20 will mark two years since the Howard Government announced its Intervention into Northern Territory Indigenous communities. The Stop the Intervention Collective reports that the intervention promised health, housing and education – but it has delivered only racism, the destruction of Aboriginal control and worsening social problems. It claims that, after the allocation of more than $1 billion, the only houses that have been built with intervention funds have been for government managers imposed on communities. The compulsory quarantine of welfare payments is causing greater poverty,
real hunger and segregation in Centrelink and in shops. June 20 will be a national day of action, including a march in Darwin led by Aboriginal people living under Intervention policies.

Join in the rally, march and concert in Sydney. Saturday June 20: Rally, march and concert, 10.30am Belmore Park, Eddy Avenue, Haymarket (opposite Central Station). Then march to the Block in Redfern for a family and culture day concert.

Station staffing at Redfern and Erko

Reem Al-Gharabally elsewhere in this issue discusses the possibility of staffing cuts at Erko and Redfern stations. It’s still not clear, according to Reem. She quotes the Member for Marrickville, Carmel Tebbutt. Fast News has a response from the Member for Heffron. Kristina Keneally told the SSH: “Rail Corp is continuing its review of station staffing levels. This review is being conducted with the unions and station staff in line with the current enterprise bargaining agreement. I understand no jobs will be lost as part of the review and no arrangements or decisions about individual stations has yet been made.”

Fast News urges caution. It may just be a review as Rail Corp says. If it is short of money, and times are tough, staffing cuts may be an easy way out.

Source: South Sydney Herald June 2009 www.southsydneyherald.com.au

Indigenous soldiers remembered at Sydney march

REDWatch — 2009-04-28T01:01:06Z

Several dozen people turned out in the Redfern district in the inner city, including veterans, their descendants and members of the community, grateful to Australia's servicemen and women.

Vic Sims came to the march to represent his uncle who served in the Middle East in World War II.

He says when his uncle returned home from service, he was turned away from a pub in Circular Quay while his white comrades went in for a beer.

"That attitude continued for a long long time. I've known veterans who were part of the First World War, who came back and never even got a pension, a war pension," he said.

"They died without receiving any kind of compensation at all."

Rob Bryant is a Vietnam War veteran who served in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) in the early 1970s.

Mr Bryant says the march is an important tradition.

"I come down from the north coast of New South Wales every year to support this march," he said.

"Because I find all these people here... for them to be marching here... they celebrate in their way on Anzac Day."

Source: www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/04/25/2552593.htm

Aboriginal diggers commemorate Anzac Day

REDWatch — 2009-04-28T01:02:12Z

An estimated 500 to 800 Aboriginal diggers served in World War I, NSW Community Services Minister Linda Burney says.

On Saturday, Aboriginal war veterans will gather at The Block, Redfern, at 1pm (AEST).

They will then march to Redfern Park via Lawson and Redfern Streets.

At Redfern Park a commemoration service will be held and an elders "yarn tent" will house a cultural performance.

Although Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander diggers have fought for Australia in overseas conflicts, they have not always been included in the Anzac Day legend, Ms Burney says.

"For a time Aboriginal diggers were not permitted to march with their comrades on Anzac Day, or to join with them in after-march events.

"They were not even allowed to enter RSL clubs."

"Aboriginal servicemen and women are now rightfully part of this tradition and it will be a great honour for me to be present at this important ceremony."

Source: www.livenews.com.au/livewire/aboriginal-diggers-commemorate-anzac-day/2009/4/25/204047

Indigenous veterans to commemorate Anzac legacy

REDWatch — 2009-04-28T00:55:46Z

Indigenous Australians have served in every Australian theatre of war, despite being denied citizenship until 1967.

The New South Wales Government says it is important to recognise their contribution.

At 1:00pm today Indigenous veterans will march from The Block in Redfern to Redfern Park where a service will be held.

NSW Minister for Community Services Linda Burney says the service is open to everyone.

"Anyone that would like to come and share in this recognition and be part of the Anzac story, as far as Aboriginal people are concerned, come to the ceremony because you will be welcomed with open arms," Ms Burney said.

She says the discrimination faced by Indigenous soldiers makes it even more important to recognise their sacrifice.

"Aboriginal men and women have served in every theatre of war that Australia's been involved with, as face back as the Boer War," she said.

"But in most cases they didn't enjoy citizenship, they came home from those wars and weren't even allowed to join or enter RSL Clubs."

Queensland's Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships, Desley Boyle, also called on Australians to remember the contribution of Indigenous servicemen and women.

Ms Boyle says many served their country when they could not even vote.

"We celebrate our Indigenous Australians and their contribution alongside other Australians on Anzac Day," she said.

She says there are not many records of how many Indigenous people fought for Australia, but thousands went to war and should be honoured.

"I think it is amazing that at a time, particularly during World War I, World War II, when we didn't even recognise their existence, when we didn't allow them to vote, that they still loved their country, our country, so much that they put their lives on the line," she said.

Indigenous veteran George Anderson says he experienced more racism in Queensland than he did while serving in Vietnam.

"I had been into pubs and asked to leave because of my colour, and it used to nark me because of the fact that I'd just fought for this bloody country," he said.

He says he is glad Indigenous servicemen and women are being recognised.

"When I went to register the recruitment man said to me Mr Anderson, he said, 'you don't have to register'," he said.

"And I said 'why is that?' And he said, 'because you're Aboriginal', which meant that we weren't full class citizens so we didn't have to go."

More than 1,200 Indigenous personnel are currently enlisted in Australian forces.

Source: www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/04/25/2552401.htm

Aboriginal Diggers Fought but Couldn't Vote

REDWatch — 2009-04-28T00:53:43Z

Ms Burney said it is estimated that 500 to 800 Aboriginal Diggers served in the First World War. “Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Diggers, both men and women, fought courageously for Australia in overseas conflicts, at a time when they were not even considered citizens of their own country,” Ms Burney said. “As members of the Australian Infantry Forces, they were treated as equals and paid the same as other soldiers and generally accepted without prejudice.

“They were among our true heroes who showed true grit and tenacity to defy all boundaries and to serve their country as proud Aboriginal men and women. “But many Diggers returned home from these conflicts to find that their bravery, service and sacrifice were barely recognised and to face a continuation of the White Australia Policy. “For a time, Aboriginal Diggers were not permitted to march with their comrades on ANZAC Day or to join with them in after-march events. They were not even allowed to enter RSL clubs. “Despite their service and their competence as soldiers, Aborigines were excluded from the ANZAC legend. “Aboriginal servicemen and women are now rightfully part of this tradition.”

The 2009 Redfern Anzac Day Commemoration is organised by the Coloured Diggers Project and Babana Aboriginal Men’s Group.

Source: www.streetcorner.com.au/news/showPost.cfm?bid=10183