Block-aid

Your say: What can authorities do to help Redfern residents tackle the community's drug problems?

Once a month, locals door-knock the neighbourhood, calling on all drug users and sellers to take a "day off" for what the community calls a Redfern family day. "This is us saying we've had enough," says organiser Shane Phillips.

James, not his real name, is one user. "I hate my life" he says. "I don't want my daughter growing up without a father." James says if Redfern doesn't change, its unlikely he will either.

Living Black video journalist Yaara Bou Melhem went along on the door-knock and found addicts and dealers who are desperately trying to find a different life.

TRANSCRIPT

Redfern has had its fair share of negative attention, not least of all for riots, drugs and violence. But the community here is fed-up and is taking matters into its own hands, by hosting drug-free family days each month. Video journalist Yaara Bou Melhem brings this report on a grassroots community campaign to clean up the streets of Redfern.

VOICEOVER: Redfern's family day event is kicking off in a just few hours time, and organisers are taking on the uncomfortable task of asking drug users and dealers to take the day off.

SHANE PHILIPS, BABANA MEN'S GROUP: So, basically, what we're doing, we hand these out, we go around, people take these. They don't always receive them nicely, but most people do, because they know they're not part of it.

VOICEOVER: Shane Phillips coordinates the event. He's going door-to-door, telling his neighbours there'll be no drinking or drug use, at least for today.

SHANE PHILLIPS: Family and culture day's on again today

MAN: Yeah, bro, yeah.

SHANE PHILLIPS: and as you know, it's alcohol-free and drug-free. Family Day is about reclaiming our community from substance abuse - the sale of substances, drug dealing, people drinking in the street.

VOICEOVER: Family days have been running for the past six months.

Well, it's great. It's a pity it's not every day. It's for these little ones.

VOICEOVER: But it hasn't always gone down well.

SHANE PHILLIPS: Most times what I do is go around, knock on a door, get abused - no, not all the time.

VOICEOVER: Shane says the community is reclaiming the streets of Redfern, to give children the healthy environment they deserve.

SHANE PHILIPS: The signal is we've had enough. We don't want it here. It's not part of our culture.

VOICEOVER: The Block is one of Australia's best-known urban Aboriginal communities, for all the wrong reasons. It's long been associated with crime and drug abuse.

BRAD FREEBURN, ABORIGINAL MEDICAL SERVICE: I really don't know where the turning point was. I really don't. All of a sudden it was like we had this major epidemic.

Brad Freeburn has been working with Redfern's addicts for more than 15 years.

BRAD FREEBURN: Redfern, you got Redfern station - that's pretty central, isn't it? You think about it, 'cause they could get their drugs, they'd get their needles, and they had somewhere to shoot up. And it was this trifecta effect.

VOICEOVER: Needles litter The Block in Redfern.

JOHN: This is the local shooting gallery, yeah. This is where they all shoot up. They shoot up in the corner, over the back, up the lane - you've got another two places round the back here where they do it.

John has been a heroin addict for almost 30 years and offers to show me around The Block.

JOHN: Got a couple of people having a nudge now - I call it a nudge, like a shot - won't be too specific. I'll take you over here, and I'll show you this other place where they do their business. We got kids here - kids play in this little part here, and we got 'em using behind this old van. Just watch yourself as you walk past it. As you can see, there's all paraphernalia here - fit packets and needles and spoons.

REPORTER: So kids play here?

JOHN: Kids play in that little street just behind us here.

VOICEOVER: John has overdosed twice on heroin. He's seeking help for his addiction and is currently on a methadone program. Like most of the people living in Redfern, John knows exactly where he can score.

JOHN: It's a couple of houses over the back - I won't mention any numbers or anything - couple of these houses over here, you can buy it over there.

This 23-year-old says he's speaking with Living Black because he's looking for help. James - not his real name - says there aren't many drugs he doesn't use.

'JAMES': Heroin, coke, speed, LSD, trips - anything to get high - a bit of dope, smoke a bit of weed. I can be more than what I am and I know I can be more than what I am. And I hate what I'm doing to myself.

VOICEOVER: James says he's been in and out of jail and hardly sees his 5-year-old daughter.

'JAMES': I don't want my daughter growing up without a father, if you know what I mean. I could have a shot tomorrow and OD and not come out of it, and I wouldn't want my daughter to say, "Oh, where's my daddy? Where's my dad?" And every night I cry over her.

VOICEOVER: Although James says he wants help, living in Redfern isn't making it very easy.

'JAMES': I dunno - just living in this environment brings a bad vibe to other people and me, myself and young boys and girls my age - it's not a good place to be at the time of growing up. I don't like what I'm doing, but that's the way of life.

BRAD FREEBURN: I feel sorry for families ringing up, going, "I want this bloke in a rehab," or "this girl in a rehab". I say, "Do they know you're ringing?" and they say "No." I say, "We can start it all happening, "but until they walk in the door, nothing's going to happen." That's what you got to tell 'em.

VOICEOVER: Community leader Mick Mundine wants to change Redfern's future.

MICK MUNDINE: That's the needle bus there, right? That's the children's playground, back over there, and this is Redfern Community Centre.

VOICEOVER: He says the needle exchange van is a honey-pot for drug users.

MICK MUNDINE, ABORIGINAL HOUSING COMPANY: Now I believe that needle bus is just destroying our children's mind. I mean, when they grow up they think, "Geez, it's normal to have a needle bus there, "it's normal to get a needle, "it's normal to go shoot up and buy drugs." We got to break that vicious cycle.

VOICEOVER: He's given the needle bus service an ultimatum - move it, or else.

MICK MUNDINE: I gave 'em 10 months. I said, "If the bus isn't out of the community in 10 months, "you'll be locking me up in jail"

VOICEOVER: The health service has justified its visible presence here in Redfern, saying it's one of Sydney's drug hot spots. It says tens of thousands of clean needles are handed out here every month.

PAUL HABER, SYDNEY SW HEALTH SERVICE: Unfortunately, although it's unpleasant at times, our obligation is to prevent outbreaks of HIV, hepatitis B, hepatitis C.

VOICEOVER: Drug use may be an ongoing problem in Redfern, but police say drug-related crime has dropped dramatically in the area over the past seven months.

SUPERINTENDENT LUKE FREUDENSTEIN, REDFERN POLICE: The figures are basically a third down on what we've had before, and I do believe days like the family day certainly contribute.

SHANE PHILLIPS: Seeing kids play around the place and enjoy being kids is enough for me. And for those fellas who are in the system, this is what it's about, this place now, The Block is about strength and unity and what we can do as a people.

Source: Living Black, SBS - http://news.sbs.com.au/livingblack/blockaid_563617