REDWatch held two public forums in April. The first was on Public Transport at which RailCorp talked about Redfern Station and South Sydney Community Transport addressed a range of community transport issues. The other meeting was with the VC of Sydney University and the Darlington Community about improving the neighbour relationship. I also participated in a meeting organised by Sydney Uni with the Lord Mayor about North Eveleigh. The University has now set up a local community page on its website at www.usyd.edu.au/visitors_community/local/index.shtml and has gone away to work on some of the issues raised. The latest South Sydney Herald has an article about the meeting, an add from the University and some comments from the RWA about North Eveleigh. You can download the latest SSH (4MB PDF) from www.southsydneyherald.com.au/pdf/SSH_MAY10.pdf . We need to evaluate these events and decide on any follow up events.
One of REDWatch’s ongoing concerns has been what is happening regarding Human Services. While the RWA denies there have been any shortcomings, it is encouraging that they have re-appointed a Director for Human Services. Melissa Gibson has been moving around talking to services and now the Inner Sydney Regional Council and the RWA are holding a forum for NGO’s and residents with the RWA on Thursday, 20th May at 3.30pm at the National Centre for Indigenous Excellence. Please spread the word about this meeting (flyer attached) and try and get along for a discussion about Human Services. Please note that the timing is designed to encourage involvement by services and we realise that this time will not suit many residents. Residents can however come along to the report back by the RWA CEO at the REDWatch Meeting on 3 June and ask their questions.
]]>The Forum is aimed at bringing all NGOs and interested residents located in the Redfern/Waterloo area together to hear what is happening in our area, what is planned for the area and, most importantly, to provide input and ideas for future planning and to discuss and try to resolve any problems or concerns that may be raised.
This is an opportunity to meet with the Chief Executive Officer and the staff of the RWA and to share your knowledge and ideas for our area.
Refreshments will be served.
For catering purposes please let us know if you are able to attend
Contact: Mahlia Phone: 9698 7690 Email: admin@innersydneyrcsd.org.au
3:30 Welcome – MC – Pam Marsh Executive officer Inner Sydney Regional Council
3:40 Welcome to Country/Acknowledgements
3.45 Roy Wakelin- King CEO RWA
4:10 Questions from forum members
5:00 Break – tea coffee muffins
5:15 Agency Presentations:
5: 35 Questions
6 :00 Close
]]>A meeting of people interested in participating in the Sub-Committee will be held on May 12 at 2pm at the Australian Technology Park. Should you wish to attend or send a representative please RSVP by April 28, 2010 (by telephone on 9202 9100 or by email juliet.suich@rwa.nsw.gov.au).
]]>Our reference: S065942 File Number: 2010/070265
Dear Resident,
Your new local food garden
When we talked to local residents about upgrading Charles Kernan Reserve, you suggested we might put in a food garden.
In response to your request an area has now been set aside for food growing, and will be developed as part of the renewal of the reserve.
A meeting has been organised to bring people together who are interested in developing and caring for this communal garden. If you want to be involved in this exciting project please come along on:
Saturday 15 May 2010, 2pm - 5pm
Redfern Community Centre
29-53 Hugo Street Redfern
For a complete plan of the improvements to the park please see over the page (see Plan of Charles Kernan Reserve Showing Food Garden ).
The City's Sustainable Sydney 2030 plan for a green, global and connected city can be achieved only through partnerships with you — our residents. Our community gardens program is an innovative way communities and the City can work together to enjoy and improve local green spaces, and share ideas about sustainable food.
Once a community group has been set up for this project, follow-up meetings will be organised to help plan and build the garden. These meetings will take place after work on the reserve is complete.
Please RSVP to the meeting by Monday 9 May 2010 by contacting Council's Community Gardrden Coordinator, Annie Walker on 9265 9786 or by email - anwalker@cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au
Yours sincerely
GARRY HARDING
Director - City; Community and Cultural Services; Community and Cultural Services
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Waterloo: George Street, between Raglan and McEvoy Street, odd numbers.
Waterloo: George Street, between Raglan and McEvoy Street, even numbers.
Waterloo: Waterloo Green (including façades of high rise buildings).
Redfern: 41 Morehead Street.
Graffiti Action Day Sunday 2 May 2010
How to become involved:
1. Register. Send an email to graffitiactionday@kabnsw.org.au and advise of your location. You will be assigned a group to join as a volunteer.
2. Confirm the site co-ordinator. The site co-ordinator will usually be from your Local Council. However, if there is not a group in your area Keep Australia Beautiful may ask you to be a site co-ordinator and will send you a site co-ordinator form which needs to be completed before any work can begin. It involves your product requirements, risk assessment of the site and type of surface material you will be cleaning.
3. Get your graffiti kit. Once the site co-ordinator form is processed you will be directed how to pick up your free graffiti clean up kit.
4. Rally volunteers. If you are a site co-ordinator you will need to rally volunteers. This could be done through community groups, sporting clubs or schools. You will be supplied a poster in a pdf format which you can print locally and place in popular venues where appropriate. You will be emailed a media release that you can use to contact your local press and radio. Please encourage them to visit your group on Sunday 2 May.
5. Report. Once the day is over, email a brief summary of how the day went, what interest it attracted and any improvements you might suggest.
A poster will be displayed in our common areas in the Redfern Waterloo areas from this week. We are keen to promote civic and community ownership within public housing areas through this initiative.
We are hoping that with your support and involvement, more sites across the Inner City Area can be nominated. There are many ways that you can support us and our residents, including but not limited to:
Please talk to Tuyen Duong, Project Officer, Strategic Projects Division, Housing NSW
(ph: 9268 3492 or mob: 0434 148 921) or email us on tuyen.duong@housing.nsw.gov.au to let us know of your idea and support for this initiative or other sites that should be nominated. Your support would be acknowledged as part of the promotion and any feedback and media about the event.
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The next round of meetings for the above group is open to all agencies and residents working on Community Safety projects and issues within the Waterloo area.
For more details contact: Dominic Grenot on 9265 9954
WHEN: - Thursday 24th June 2010, 2.00pm, Where: the Factory Community Centre
]]>STOP BLACK DEATHS IN CUSTODY NOW - FIGHT RACISM IN THE JUSTICE SYSTEM
PUBLIC MEETING: REDFERN COMMUNITY CENTRE (THE BLOCK) SATURDAY, APRIL 10th 2010 at 1.00pm
SPEAKERS: VICTIM’S FAMILIES; ABORIGINAL ACTIVISTS; HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGNERS
Organized by Indigenous Social Justice Association (ISJA)
Supported by: STICS, Socialist Alliance, Socialist Alternative
For more information Ray Jackson 0415858264 or Raul Bassi 0403037376
PRESS RELEASE
April 7, 2010
From February 20-April 4, the custodial systems of Queensland, Western Australia and New South Wales became the Killing Fields. There have been six Deaths in Custody in gaols and police watchouses, as well as the triple shooting of an 18-year-old escapee on transit from Bathurst Gaol to the Mental Health Unit at the Metropolitan Remand and Reception Gaol at the Silverwater Complex.
Two outstanding cases have yet to reach a satisfactory judicial solution: the February 2004 death of TJ Hickey, whose family has sent a submission to the United Nations in an attempt to bring the Redfern Police to justice; and the death of Mulrunji Doomadgee on Palm Island in November 2004 at the hands of then-Sgt Chris Hurley – which led to a community riot, three Coronial Inquests and a Supreme Court trial. Still justice has yet to be found..
Both families live in an everyday hell of despair while searching for justice.
The horror death of Mr Ward in 2008 in WA at the hands of the two transport officers was by far the most callous death in custody for many years: Mr Ward was literally cooked to death in a transit van in temperatures of 56 degrees Celsius. Some 27 months later, charges against the officers are still pending but the WA government has been shamed into paying some interim compensation.
Three deaths in 2009 in the NSW gaol system highlight the lack of any duty of care that was also missing from all the deaths as outlined above.
After the 2009 Mardi gras, Redfern Police arrested 34-year-old Veronica Baxter, a transwoman, and placed her at the MRRC, a male gaol. Within days she was found hung in her one-out cell. Gaol staff stated that she was able to mix with the male inmates and even to visit another pod within the gaol. Little beyond that is known as Commissioner Woodham has declared that no information is to be made public, not even to the family.
The second death took place in the back of a NSW transit van. Mark Holcroft, a non-Aboriginal inmate died of a heart attack during transit from Bathurst Gaol to Mannus Gaol in August 2009. Similar to the Mr Ward case, the transit van drivers considered their comfort to be more important than that of Mark. He has been dead for two hours when the van reached Mannus Gaol. The family was informed five days later.
The third death, in early December 2009, was that of 21-year-old Terry Griffith Jnr, who was found hung in his one-out cell at the John Moroney's Young Offenders Program at Windsor. Again, nothing is known as the cold hand of Commissioner Woodham has kept everything secret. The family was only informed of their son's death two days later.
The six deaths in custody in WA and Qld in 2010 continue the travesty of justice and the complete lack of any duty of care. What makes the custodial organisations – the police, the gaols and the health systems – believe that inmates and detainees have no human rights? If we strip these from them, then what hope for rehabilitation?
Our police and our gaolers do not, and must never have, the power of an executioner. That is not their role. Why then do they hold sway over the “Killing Fields”? Why does society believe that the lives taken are not worthy? It is because they are Aboriginal persons?
They must become more responsible and accept their duty of care: we must stop the Killing Fields.
To that purpose, the INDIGENOUS SOCIAL JUSTICE ASSOCIATION is holding a public meeting outside the Redfern Community Centre at 2pm on Saturday April 10, 2010. Come hear the families, activists and communities call for justice and end the Killing Fields.
Ray Jackson at 9318 0947 or Raul Bassi at 0403 037 376
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