18 February 2005

Follow the links below to go direct to the story of interest:

RWPP to be incorporated into the RWA

AHC Board Continues Support for Pemulwuy Project  

REDWatch Meeting Sunday 27^th February 2pm Redfern Community Centre

Social Impact of Public Housing Re-Development at Minto – Research, Visit to Redfern-Waterloo & Public Forum

RWPP Web Site Posts Searchable Versions of Government Submission to Redfern Waterloo Inquiry

RWA & RWPP Committees

Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority Inquiry

Some Coming Events

RWPP to be incorporated into the RWA

A decision has been made that as of 1^st July 2005 the Redfern Waterloo Partnership Project become part of the Redfern-Waterloo Authority. The RWPP will move into Level 9 of the Tower currently used by the RWA as soon as practical and the RWA and RWPP will start to work as one entity with a single identity, website, letterhead etc in the interim.

The Redfern-Waterloo Plan #1 Fact Sheet in November announced that the “Government is committed to continuing the work of the Redfern-Waterloo Partnership Project to 2008”. Earlier on this year a meeting of public tenants was told of a joint committee containing a couple of Directors General, RWA & RWPP staff which would ensure co-ordination between the RWA and RWPP. Clearly there has been a major rethink in the last few weeks since the RWA has started operating and any long term ideas of bringing the RWA and RWPP together have certainly been accelerated.

The separation between the RWPP and the RWA was one of the areas of concern to some of the parties when the RWA was announced. Groups such as REDWatch and NCOSS urged the Minister tightly integrate the human services and infrastructure components into the RWA. Bringing together both organisations should be a good step provided the human services components and the infrastructure development component get equal status and the resources they require to function within the RWA. The human services aspects need to also inform the shape of the infrastructure developments which it can best do from within the RWA.

The potential problem is that the legislation and the Board were put together when the RWPP was expected to operate as part of the Premier’s Department separately from the RWA. Now these functions will come under a RWA Board, which was not selected to oversee both elements, and the Redfern-Waterloo Authority Act which was not framed with this amalgamation in mind. The RWA Act is certainly general enough to include the RWPP functions. It would have been preferable to have the Act incorporate overt provisions to ensure that there was a legislated place for the human services in the RWA rather than leave everything up to the exercising of the broad powers of Minister Sartor and his successors. There are sure to be some questions and representations concerning the amalgamation over the next few weeks.

AHC Board Continues Support for Pemulwuy Project  

Minister Sartor is quoted in the 16^th February edition of the Sydney Central Courier as saying “We need a new vision for the block and I don’t think the plan [for new housing developed by the Aboriginal Housing Company] is sufficiently different enough”. The Minister has met with the AHC Board to press his views; however the AHC’s Board has subsequently reaffirmed their continued support for The Pemulwuy Project as being the best long term solution for The Block. Details of the Pemulwuy project are on the AHC’s website at www.ahc.org.au .

REDWatch Meeting Sunday 27^th February 2pm Redfern Community Centre

Come along to the REDWatch meeting and get an update on what is happening in the Redfern-Waterloo Area. Robert Domm, the RWA CEO, will attend the first part of the meeting and give an overview of what is happening in the RWA. Robert met with a few REDWatch people after the last REDWatch meeting and has agreed give up some of his Sunday to come along to the REDWatch February meeting which is greatly appreciated.  

The second part of the REDWatch meeting will discuss more organizational questions including how residents and friends of the area can work together to monitor the RWA and ensure community input. If you are interested in working with others on a REDWatch working group but can not come to the Sunday meeting then please let us know and we will pass on your interest. Working groups (to break up the issues into bite size chunks) so far suggested include public housing, infrastructure, human services, employment and the Redfern-Waterloo Plan. Other options could include areas like conservation and heritage, bike ways etc if people come forward with an interest in these, or other areas. The idea is to start pulling together peoples ideas on what they want from the Redfern Waterloo Plan and the RWA.

Social Impact of Public Housing Re-Development at Minto – Research, Visit to Redfern-Waterloo & Public Forum

A social impact study of the Minto public housing estate re-development has been completed and we hope to give you a summary in the next email. The study deals with: What impact has the re-development had on the community? What do residents think and feel about the re-development?  How have the consultative processes worked, or not worked? What can we learn from these experiences? The research is the result of collaboration between the Minto Residents Action Group and Dr Judy Stubbs, Research Fellow at the Social Justice Research Centre, University of Western Sydney. Residents of Minto are keen for this research to be widely disseminated including in Redfern and Waterloo. It has already been presented to key government and non-government decision-makers.

Minto Residents are keen to meet Redfern Waterloo residents & public housing tenants to compare notes, share experiences and work together for the benefit of all. March 3^rd from 10-2pm has been mentioned as a possible date by the Minto people. If you are interested in being involved please contact Geoff Turnbull on turnbullfamily@stassen.com.au and he will pass your details on to those involved in organising the meeting.

There will also be a public forum "More than Bricks and Mortar - the social cost of Redeveloping Public Housing Estates" on March 15 2005, Campbelltown Catholic Club.  Cost will be free to public housing tenants and all others $40.00. Hosted by UnitingCare Burnside, Shelter, SWRTA, Minto Resident Action Group and St Vincent de Paul Society. The Forum will hear alternative views of the re-development of the Minto public housing estate through the stories of residents and research findings.  Key note speaker Dr Judy Stubbs, Social Justice Research Centre, UWS. To register or for more information call Joselyn Bluncoski 4627 9233 or joselyn@svdpwgong.org.au.

There are plans to try and arrange transport for interested public tenants from Redfern Waterloo - for more information contact Chris Bath on hcap@ihug.com.au or phone 9690-1781.

RWPP Web Site Posts Searchable Versions of Government Submission to Redfern Waterloo Inquiry

The RWPP site http://www.redfernwaterloo.nsw.gov.au/ now has Text PDF versions of the Government’s submission to the Social Issues Inquiry. This means that you can easily search these files for information of interest. It also means that colour coded maps like that showing government lands are much easier to read. One word of warning however if you are using the document for academic work Part 4 does not have the same section & page numbering as the submission on the Parliamentary website. Remember of course that this is the Government’s submission and that there were many differing views about what the Premier’s Department was doing and these can still be accessed via the following link Issues relating to Redfern/Waterloo (Inquiry)

In the absence of the RWPP / RED “working papers” this submission is still the best source information of what the RWA has inherited from the RWPP’s last three years.

RWA & RWPP Committees

The Minister has received over 50 responses to his request for input about consultations and advisory groups. Minister Sartor has told Sydney Central Courier (February 16^th) that he is planning a community consultation process to rival any local council. Advertisements will soon be placed inviting members of the local community to nominate for positions on the advisory committees. We await the details.

There is still no news about who is on the Human Services Implementation Working Group which is to be jointly chaired by Michael Ramsey from the RWPP and Garry Moore from NCOSS. Some people have received letters to say they had not been appointed to the HSIWG so a decision has probably been made and we will let you know as soon as we hear.

Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority Inquiry

The Legislative Council Inquiry Hearings into the Management of the Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority (SHFA) starts today. As the RWA is modeled on the SHFA any findings about the way SHFA’s Act was used by its management may have implications for what residents should monitor in the RWA. The SHFA Inquiry is being run by General Purpose Standing Committee Number 4 and submissions, hearing times and transcripts will be available on the NSW Parliament web site at the following link Management of the Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority

The Australian Technology Park was transferred from SHFA when the RWA was established, but the ATP was part of SHFA when the inquiry was called and when submissions were called. Any comments on the ATP from the Inquiry may also be of interest. On the ATP side we note when Premier Carr in announced the $70 million Sir Joseph Banks Corporate Park at Botany he said it would not pose a threat to the financially troubled Australian Technology Park at Redfern. The ABC account New corporate park 'no threat' to Redfern facility noted that the ATP was reported late last year to be carrying $38 million in debt and losing $4 million annually. Premier Carr was quoted as saying "The Redfern land is there for incubation of innovative industry". Minister Sartor will need to find a way for the “incubation of innovative industry” to pay if the ATP is not to drain resources away from the RWA’s other priorities.

Some Coming Events

The RWPP web site http://www.redfernwaterloo.nsw.gov.au/  “Community Notice Board” Section now has PDF files for a number of coming events. These include Resolve a Conflict (pdf ~54kb), Working with Families in the Perinatal Period (pdf ~88kb), Invitation to a Mum’s with Babies Gathering (pdf ~244kb), South Sydney Community Aid (pdf ~66kb), Playgroups in the Park (pdf ~241kb). So keep an eye on this site for other coming events.

The Freedom Ride 2005 bus returns to The Block on Saturday 26th February and there will be a function at Redfern Community Centre 2.00-5.30pm. More information is available at http://www.reconciliaction.org.au/ . We understand Dr Andrew Refshauge, who farewelled the Freedom Ride 2005 bus from Sydney University will make an appearance in this “soon to be back as” part of his electorate. Maybe he should take the opportunity to also have a first hand look at the AHC’s Pemulwuy project plans while he is visiting The Block and hear from the AHC why they are pushing the plan so strongly!