Draft Waterloo South People and Place Plan | For feedback until 31 May 2024
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03 May 2005
Lawson Street Health Centre – DA Submitted but Where is the Promised Consultation?
Have your Say on Local Services
Remembering Minto - More than bricks and mortar 12.30pm – 2pm Tuesday 24 May 2005
Minto Visit to Redfern Waterloo Public Housing – Thursday 19th May 2005
Ephemera, Reconciliation Monologues returns for Reconciliation Week 2005 - 24th May to 4th June
Australian Technology Park Developments
Tom Zubrycki’s “Waterloo” - an important documentary revived!
Upgrade Works for Hugo Street Reserve, Yellowmundee Park and Pemulwuy Park Redfern
Connect Redfern – Term Two Contact List Update available
Inner City Domestic Violence Action Group
Lawson Street Health Centre – DA Submitted but Where is the Promised Consultation?
The State Government in its response to the Legislative Council Inquiry into Redfern Waterloo 22/02/2005, Government Response said they would facilitate public consultation on the services to be provided by the proposed Lawson Street Health Centre in April 2005 (page 12). April has come and gone without any sign of the promised consultation. On 29th April City of Sydney Council received the Development Proposal for the Lawson Street Health Centre. The development proposal D05/00520 120-122 Lawson Street is to carry out alterations including removal of awning and changes to street facade so as to convert building into community health service operating 9 am to 6 pm Monday to Friday and 10 am to 4 pm Saturdays and Sundays. Stated use includes needle and syringe distribution. Submissions on the DA must be in by May 16th.
Hopefully someone from the SWSAHS or the RWA at the consultation on Health Services at 1 pm today (Tuesday 3rd May) at Level 11, Tower 2, TNT Towers, 1 Lawson Street, Redfern will let people know when the consultation and the promised harm minimization education campaign might be conducted. Hopefully there have been some discussions between the RWA and the AHC and AMS who were major opponents when the announcement was made by the Premier last year. The RWPP website contains a copy of the fact sheet produced by the RWPP to explain the decision to create the Lawson Street Community Health Facility.
The Lawson Street Health Service decision so far, with its lack of consultation with both the community and the agencies, vividly illustrates the gap that has grown up under the RWPP between the Government’s rhetoric on consultation and the actual practice on the ground. Like the Block, how this difficult issue is handled by the RWA will be a litmus test for the future of Redfern Waterloo under the RWA.
Have your Say on Local Services
The RWA invites you to have your say on how social services can be better delivered in the Redfern-Waterloo area:
3 May - Health services: 1pm, Level 11, Tower 2, TNT Towers, 1 Lawson Street, Redfern
5 May -Youth services: 4pm, PCYC, 638 Elizabeth Street, Redfern # Youth Only Requested
6 May - Services for families and children: 1pm, Level 11, Tower 2, TNT Towers, 1 Lawson Street, Redfern
12 May - Services for Aboriginal people: 1pm, Redfern Community Centre, 29-53 Hugo Street, Redfern.
These meetings provide an opportunity to meet government and non-government service providers and discuss how services in the area can be improved. It is the only opportunity for the community to input into the human services plan until a draft Human Services Plan comes back for final consultations before it goes to government for their consideration.
# Please note that the Youth Services meeting was not advertised with the other meetings but is still going ahead on the date above. We are advised this meeting is targeted at youth so if you know young people that might be interested then please encourage them to go and have their say as there will be a tendency for those who do not normally go to the PCYC to stay away or if they are not associated with a centre they will probably not even know about it.
Ross Bennett, the staff person servicing this cluster has advised as follows: “We are requesting that only young people attend. Past experience is that young people tend to more freely participate in a forum targeted and structured for young people. The children and families sessions at 1 pm on 6 May 2005 will include the opportunity for "older" community members to discuss services for young people. The community outcomes workshop also produced some clear priorities for youth services which we would like to check with young people. The invitations to the meeting are being distributed through local youth services. We may have a second discussion about youth service if participation in the first group does not reflect the diversity of local young people.” If you would like any further information please contact Ross.Bennett@rwa.nsw.gov.au .
As mentioned in the last email the Inner Sydney Regional Council for Social Development is holding the Inaugural Margaret Barry Memorial Lecture and celebrating 100 editions of Inner Voice on Wednesday 4th May 2005 3pm - 5pm Redfern Town Hall 73 Pitt St Redfern with guest speaker: Dr Andrew Jakubowicz Building e-communities: community development and the changing nature of neighbourhood.
REDWatch are also running their “See Redfern before Frank Sells It” Parliamentarian’s Tour where a bus has been hired to take parliamentarians on a tour in their lunch break on 4th May. Tony Pooley, former Mayor of South Sydney, has agreed to be the tour guide. For further information contact Trevor on 04 0000 8338.
Remembering Minto - More than bricks and mortar 12.30pm – 2pm Tuesday 24 May 2005
Film, voice and video: a chance to hear directly from residents of the Minto public housing estate about their experiences of urban renewal in Sydney’s West. Much is in the news about public housing and social impacts. Here is an opportunity to hear directly, from those most affected, about the social impacts of re-developing public housing estates. Hear experiences of community renewal in Minto, South Western Sydney. Local residents will give voice to their own stories and research. Speakers first presented at the 'More than Bricks and Mortar' Conference in March 2004 and were featured in the 'Australian', commercial and ABC TV and radio. The conference was attended by 300 community members, NGOs and decision makers.
The Forum is at Parliament House Theatrette Macquarie St, Sydney 12.30pm - 2pm Tuesday 24 May 2005 RSVP 9230 3030. The forum is hosted by Sylvia Hale, Greens MLC, John Ryan, Liberal MLC and Graham West, Labor MP.
Also available is the research report "Leaving Minto: A Study of the Social and Economic Impacts of Public Housing Estate Redevelopment." Commissioned by the Resident Action Group Minto, and undertaken by Dr Judy Stubbs, Social Justice Research Centre, UWS - the report looks at the social and economic impacts on residents in estates being redeveloped. It is essential reading for policy makers, academics and community workers alike the report reminds us that redevelopment of estates must start with placing resident’s views at the Centre of policy considerations.
Minto Visit to Redfern Waterloo Public Housing – Thursday 19th May 2005
A Number of Minto public tenants and people associated with the 'More than Bricks and Mortar' Conference report on Minto will also visit Redfern to meet with REDWatch and Redfern-Waterloo public Housing tenants on Thursday 19th May 2005. After a tour around the area the Minto people will meet with people from Redfern and Waterloo from 11.00-1.30 and exchange information about their experience with the redevelopment of public housing in the hope this might be of use to Redfern Waterloo tenants and help to build links between the two communities. More information will be available soon. If you would like to register your interest please contact Geoff Turnbull turnbullfamily@stassen.com.au
Ephemera, Reconciliation Monologues returns for Reconciliation Week 2005 - 24th May to 4th June
Ephemera, Reconciliation Monologues is a multimedia performance event exploring Aboriginality and reconciliation created by Eora Centre for Visual and Performing Arts theatre students. It will be performed at the NIDA Studio, Anzac Parade, Kensington between 24th May and 4th June at 8pm Tuesday to Saturday and 2pm extra performance on Saturday. $25/$15 conc. Further Information and Bookings from Eora phone 9217 4882. Details of other Reconciliation Events can be found at http://www.nswrecon.com/news/events/Calendar_of_Reconciliation_Week_Events_2005.htm . Ephemera Reconciliation Monologues is being co-sponsored by Redfern Residents for Reconciliation and more information on the activities of this local Reconciliation group can be obtained by contacting Lyn Turnbull on turnbullfamily@stassen.com.au or Debbie Wall dwall18@optusnet.com.au .
REDWatch and others have been asking for the release of material produced initially as part of the Draft RED Strategy consultations. During the initial RED Strategy Consultations the Government said it would bring back a draft strategy to the community for consultation before it went to Local Government for further consultation and adoption. The undertaking was never upheld and the draft RED Strategy never came back to the community. Instead of a draft RED Strategy the Government established the RWA with the promise that it would develop a Plan. During the process much work was undertaken by Cox Richardson and other consultants on the issues facing Redfern Waterloo which have not been released to the community. These materials were not released to the community when the Greens and Liberals called for papers on the RWA even thought they were specifically mentioned. According to the SMH, the Cox Richardson report was part of the cabinet in confidence documents they saw last year. According to the Minister and the RWA the documents seen by the SMH are currently only working documents for the RWA and they are not bound by them.
It is hence with great interest that we read of a Victorian judge ruling against the Victorian Government on an FOI case for wrongly claiming Cabinet-in-Confidence protection of documents associated with Federation Square. Given that the documents that have not been released on Redfern Waterloo were produced by consultants as part of the RED Strategy and hence would “not disclose any deliberation or decision of the cabinet” to use the judges yardstick, there may be a good case for an appeal on the Legislative Council “call for documents” or for a successful FOI request for the RED Strategy documents. The bottom line would seem to be that not everything marked “Cabinet-in-confidence” really is. Some details of the Victorian case can be found at http://www.theage.com.au/news/National/Government-faces-probe-over-secret-documents/2005/05/01/1114886251275.html
Australian Technology Park Developments
Since the beginning of April, Robert Domm has also been CEO of the ATP as well as the RWA. Getting the ATP functioning properly and returning a profit is high on the RWA agenda. The current Master plan for the ATP has been in place since December 2003 and is available on the ATP website at http://www.atp.com.au/dyncontent.cfm?MenuID=110 . Under the existing plan the ATP would employ about one third of the 20,000 new people expected to work in the proximity to Redfern station. A good impression of the land yet to be built on the site under the current Master Plan can be gained from the photo at the above link. These figures were before the Government’s announcement of the RWA and the plan to link the ATP to North Eveleigh / Sydney University and to extend company entry requirements to “encourage further commercial activity”. The RWA is not yet mentioned on the ATP site but currently the ATP is the only land administered by the RWA.
The ATP Website http://www.atp.com.au/dyncontent.cfm?MenuID=123 gives an indication of what was envisaged: “Approximately 10,000 m2 to 20,000 m2 of incubator, laboratory and commercial floor space will be developed at ATP each twelve to eighteen months for the next five to ten years, with a total of 100,000 m2 of space to be developed in up to 14 multi-storey buildings. This development includes provision for specialist precincts based around co-operative research centres, a venture capital business centre and more recreational facilities, and should see the Park’s working population grow from 1,200 to an estimated 8,000 by 2010.”
Tom Zubrycki’s “Waterloo” - an important documentary revived!
“Waterloo” is an historical account of the 1970s battle by residents of this inner Sydney suburb to save the area from slum clearance and redevelopment by public housing authorities. The film was recently shown to much reminiscing and praise from those involved in the 1970s Green Ban battles at the REDWatch fundraiser. Given the renewed interest in the film, filmmaker Tom Zubrycki, has made copies available either on DVD or video for $25 (postage included). To order contact Tom on tzub@ozemail.com.au or call 0414 683231. A brief description of “Waterloo” which runs for 50 minutes is provided below:
In the early 70s the state government initiated a massive scheme to pull down inner city terraces (slums) to build the new public housing estates that the government now wants to redevelop. “Waterloo” sets out to understand the residents fight-back in terms of the history of the suburb itself: The poverty and overcrowding at the turn of the century, and the impractical, idealistic solutions proposed by the planners. It also looks at Waterloo in the context of urban housing struggles in Sydney: the anti-eviction campaigns of the 30s, the rise of the Resident Action movement in the late 60s and the alliance it formed with building unions resulting in the now world famous Green Bans. In the process the film reveals the history of the Housing Commission and the inner city Labor machine, prompting questions about the planning process, community involvement and bureaucratic accountability. How did the Housing Commission, a public housing authority set up by the State Labor Government in the forties, get to the stage of evicting workers to build more public housing?
Upgrade Works for Hugo Street Reserve, Yellowmundee Park and Pemulwuy Park Redfern
City of Sydney is currently consulting about the following upgrade works. Questionnaires are available from the Redfern Community Centre or by contacting Jeff Kerr 9246 7550 jkerr@cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au or Damon La’Rance 9246 7767 dlarance@cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au .
Connect Redfern – Term Two Contact List Update available
Every term Connect Redfern updates information on Parent & Children’s Services in South Sydney. The latest update of Community Contacts and Making Connections are available by email from Jo Fletcher connectredfern@yahoo.com.au and the updated version should also appear soon on the RWPP website http://www.redfernwaterloo.nsw.gov.au/ .
Inner City Domestic Violence Action Group
We have been asked to circulate the attached minutes from the Inner City Domestic Violence Action through our email list. If you are interested in further information on this group please contact one of the people listed in the minutes.
TfNSW proposal to reverse Little Eveleigh Street - until Sept 10th 2023
