The Fast News - Compiled by Trevor Davies

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