6 April 2006

In this update:

Community Information Day / Picnic / BBQ on the Redfern Development Saturday 8th April 11am onwards Marian Park Redfern

Redfern Waterloo City Council Community Forum 6-9pm Tuesday 11 April Redfern Town Hall

RWA Built Environment Plan (BEP) Submissions due by 14 April 2006

Redfern Alcohol Free Zone Consultation Submissions due by 14 April 2006

Provide the Premier with Feedback and Invite him to Redfern Waterloo

Residents Issue Warning to Developers

Is it time for a New RWA Logo?

RWA Development Application Determinations

Redfern Waterloo Act Amendments Passed

Tender for Redfern Oval Design Let

Green Square Draft DCP and LEP

South Sydney Herald April Edition Available on REDWatch Website

Personal Note

Coming Events (entered on the REDWatch website)

Community Information Day / Picnic / BBQ on the Redfern Development Saturday 8th April 11am onwards Marian Park Redfern

A Community Information Day is being arranged at Marian Park, on Gibbons Street south of Redfern Railway Station on Saturday 8^th April from 11 am. It will be an opportunity for people to come and talk to other locals about what the RWA is proposing in the Built Environment Plan (BEP) and to encourage people to put down their concerns in writing to go to the RWA. You can either drop in for a few minutes to ask some questions or you can bring a blanket, a picnic and grab a sausage or its vegetarian equivalent and sit round and meet some of the people who live in your area and talk through the issues. Marian Park has been chosen as this park is proposed to be replaced by a building of up to 18 storeys under the RWA zoning plan. You can download 103 KB PDF version of the flyer for from flyer download so please print off a few and let your neighbours or others who might be interested know about it. The picnic is being sponsored by REDWatch, Marian Park Residents and Redfern Residents for Reconciliation. If you would like more information or are able to help contact Ben Spies-Butcher 0414 744 758.

Redfern Waterloo City Council Community Forum 6-9pm Tuesday 11 April Redfern Town Hall

City of Sydney is having a community forum on 11 April to update people regarding Redfern Park, Redfern and Regent St Upgrades as well as working further on the local Action Plan and the Urban Design Study for Redfern Waterloo. An open forum from 6.00pm – 6.45 pm will be followed by presentations and then an Urban Design Study Workshop from 7.30 – 9.00 pm.

The Urban Design Study is one of many being undertaken across the Local Government Area. It will flow into a new consolidated City Plan. Some of the design elements of this study include height, floor space ratio, character and heritage. City officers will introduce the study program, present initial findings and identify the issues relating to urban character. This will be followed by a workshop where you can provide input and feedback on the study. You will be encouraged to participate in group workshops and provide information on valued elements and desired future character of Redfern and Waterloo. An information brochure for the Community Forum which includes information on the Redfern and Waterloo Urban Design Study meeting can be found at Redfern Meeting April06 (563KB PDF).

Given that the RWA’s BEP is out for consultation, some of the input from the City of Sydney Community Forum may be useful in helping residents prepare their BEP submissions.

RWA Built Environment Plan (BEP) Submissions due by 14 April 2006

As the deadline for submissions draws near we are starting to see some submissions from different organisations which may also be helpful to people getting their thoughts together for a submission. The City of Sydney has prepared a draft of their submission. It has gone before committee but still has to be considered by council so there might still be some changes. The CoS Draft Submission is Attachment B | PDF 1Mb. The Minute by Lord Mayor is Attachment A | PDF 1.3Mb and the Council Officers Report - Redfern Waterloo Authority Draft Built Environment Plan - Draft Submission of the City Of Sydney | PDF 80Kb. The Council submission recommends the plans be deferred for further work, including:

• The proposed affordable housing and development contribution plans.
• A transport strategy with funded plans for the Redfern Railway Station redevelopment.
• A public domain and open space strategy to ensure adequate, high quality public space.
• A detailed heritage review to ensure protection of heritage at each of the strategic sites.
• A review of height limits proposed to better protect sun access, views and heritage.
• A consultation plan, including public tenants affected by "stage 2" redevelopment plans.
• An implementation plan that ensures the Built Environment Plan is coordinated with the RWA Employment and Enterprise Plan, and Human Services Plan to revitalise the area.
  

One interesting aspect of the CoS submission is a sight diagram indicating how the city skyline will be obscured from Sydney Park and surrounding areas in Alexandria.

With Marian Park in danger of being lost as scarce inner city green space there have been a number of letters to the RWA and other comments posted on their website which can be read at http://marianpark.net/2006/03/01/step-2-respond/#comments. It should be remembered that the loss of green space is not just an issue for those that live next to it, but for the entire community. With the extra new residents and workers the RWA are planning to add to the area, the RWA should add more green and open space not plan to remove existing scarce community resources.

The REDWatch website carries a number of submissions from people and organisations including NCOSS  PDF 27 KB, Gai Smith (Redfern) PDF 56KB, Bruce Lays (Darlington) PDF 31KB and Cliff Bott and Vimala Sarma Submission (Darlington) PDF 14KB. You may also be interested in Ben Spies Butcher’s article Residents sceptical of redevelopment in the South Sydney Herald about the issues raised at public meetings on the development. New submissions received by REDWatch will be added to http://www.redwatch.org.au/RWA/statesignificant/ssbackground/submissions/.

You do not have to put in a detailed submission. A simple letter setting out what you are concerned about / or filling out the response form on the picnic brochure are sufficient to register your concerns with the RWA. For more information on the consultation visit http://www.redfernwaterloo.nsw.gov.au/community_consultation/draft_built_environment_plan.htm. State Environmental Planning Policy changes that accompany the BEP can be found at www.planning.nsw.gov.au/asp/drafts.asp. If you want to discuss the issues or need help with your submission come to Marian Park on Saturday 8^th April after 11am.  

Redfern Alcohol Free Zone Consultation Submissions due by 14 April 2006

In response to requests from residents, shop owners and local police the City of Sydney proposes to establish Alcohol-Free Zones (AFZ) in a number of parts of the Council area including in the Redfern Police Command Areas. According to the CoS notice the proposed AFZ aim to reduce alcohol related crime, violence and anti-social behaviour in identified locations to create a safer and more pleasant environment for residents, businesses and visitors. Once an AFZ is established it will be an offence to drink alcohol on any street or footpath where a zone exists 24 hours a day, seven days a week for a period of up to three years. Any existing or future licensed premise with an outdoor dining footway license issued by the City of Sydney is exempt from these restrictions.

A map of the proposed streets in Redfern can be downloaded from Map | PDF 512Kb . The area proposed for AFZs include Redfern St (between Gibbons St and Elizabeth St and including Lawson Square - Gibbons St to Lawson St, Lawson St to Regent St, Regent St to Redfern St); George St (between Redfern St and Turner St); Phillip St (between Elizabeth St and Walker St); Elizabeth St (between Redfern St and McEvoy St); Wellington St (between Pitt St and Walker St); Walker St (between Wellington St and Phillip St); Regent/Botany St to Regent St (Regent/Botany St from Redfern St to Raglan St, Raglan St from Botany St to Cope St, Cope St from Raglan St to Regent St); George St (between Raglan and John Sts); and James St (between Young and Marriott Sts).

Submissions relating to the establishment of the proposed Alcohol Free Zones listed below are invited from interested parties.  Comments for or against are welcome but must be in writing and addressed to the Office of the Chief Executive Officer, City of Sydney, GPO Box 1591, Sydney 2001 or email council@cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au  or fax: 02 9265 9222 no later than Friday 14 April 2006.

An earlier attempt to introduce an Alcohol Free Zone in Redfern ran into trouble on anti-discrimination grounds. The proposals do not address the need to provide other options, such as wet centres, for street drinkers. Without addressing causes, such as homelessness and the needs of people with dual diagnosis of substance abuse and mental illness, the people who these regulations are aimed at will just increase their non-productive interaction with police or be pushed into another area. Under the current proposal it would appear that successful enforcement would simply concentrate the problem on the Block and parts of Darlington which are outside the proposed AFZ. We encourage people concerned with this issue to make a submissions and suggestions to the City of Sydney Council.

Provide the Premier with Feedback and Invite him to Redfern Waterloo

In a recent article in the Sydney Central Courier Premier lays out his plans Kim Shaw reports “In regards to development plans for the Block and the Redfern-Waterloo development project, the premier says he hopes to get feedback from the community. He says Mr Sartor is still in discussions with the Aboriginal Housing Company over redevelopment plans for the Block and the Government is still hoping for the input of the Aboriginal Housing Company. “We recognise that Redfern is a significant centre for Aboriginal housing and the Aboriginal community,” he said. “We want to make it stronger and provide services and jobs.”

We would certainly encourage the community to take up the Premier’s request for feedback on the “development plans for the Block and the Redfern-Waterloo development project”.

In the last RWIU we made mention of a NSW cabinet meeting in Ashfield. Some Redfern Waterloo residents made the trek out to Ashfield and presented the Premier with an invitation from a number of groups for him and his cabinet to visit Redfern Waterloo to find out first hand what is happening. The REDWatch media statement can be seen at The Invisible Minister for Redfern Waterloo. An article about the invitation in the South Sydney Herald can be seen at State Cabinet invited to Redfern-Waterloo.

Residents Issue Warning to Developers

Those who have checked the REDWatch Events listing since the last RWIU may have noticed details of Plannex – the Planning, Development & Investment Expo which was held at the ATP and was addressed by Minister Sartor (further details http://www.redwatch.org.au/links/plannex/download - PDF 150KB). Some residents concerned about the loss of open space at Marian Park turned up to welcome developers participating in Plannex and handed them a letter outlining community concerns about the Built Environment Plan. Residents felt it is important for developers to be aware of some issues arising out of the proposed plan, which might make them reconsider investing in the plan in its current format. The letter encourages developers to demand from the RWA a revised, well considered plan, backed by necessary studies to create a better Redfern Waterloo for residents and a healthy developmental framework. View residents’ letter of appeal to Plannex Developers

Is it time for a New RWA Logo?

With the RWA Built Environment Plan's proposal for six 18 storey buildings for the area around Redfern Station one community member thought that in line with truth in advertising (and logos) that the RWA now should now revise its logo. The attached word file includes two suggestions which the designer is happy to have in the public domain and to be used as people see fit. If you have any suggestions for alternate RWA logos you might like to send them to mail@redwatch.org.au The logos can be downloaded as a 99Kb Word file from http://www.redwatch.org.au/links/revisedrwalogo/download .

RWA Development Application Determinations

The RWA has started posting DA determinations on their website at http://www.redfernwaterloo.nsw.gov.au/development_applications/notices_of_determination.htm. Currently determinations cover two fit outs at the ATP and the mobile phone transmitter.

Redfern Waterloo Act Amendments Passed

The Amendments to the RWA’s Act mentioned in the last update went through NSW parliament last week as part of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Amendment Bill 2006. While there was a lot of comment about the EPA amendments nothing further was said about the RWA amendments. The final bill as accepted by both houses can be found at http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/parlment/NSWBills.nsf/0/7364953D12EAE4A2CA257123002A407F  and as the bill has been assented we would expect the amendments to be incorporated soon into the consolidated version of the Act at http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/nsw/consol_act/raa2004313/ .

For those interested in the debate around the broader EPA amendments covered in the last RWIU the final parliamentary debates and amendments can be found at:

28/03/2006Second Reading, Third Reading, In Committee, Motion, Legislative Council

29/03/2006Motion, Legislative Council

29/03/2006In Committee, Message, Motion, Report Adopted, Legislative Assembly

Tender for Redfern Oval Design Let

The City of Sydney Finance, Properties and Tenders Committee Meeting 3 April 2006 recommended the letting of the tender for the Redfern Oval design as well Redfern East Parks, Redfern Occasional Childcare Centre and the Victoria Park Pool Program Space. The documents relating to this council discussion can be downloaded from Finance Committee. The Council Committee recommended the appointment of  Allen Jack & Cottier as Architects & Environmental Partnership to undertake the design stage for the new Redfern Oval. Demolition is expected to be completed by December 2006.

Green Square Draft DCP and LEP

The City of Sydney Planning Subcommittee considered the Draft Development Control Plan and the Draft Local Environment Plan for Green Square at their last meeting. Those looking for more information on what is proposed can download the council documents from agenda items 7 and 8 from the Planning Development & Transport Committee of Monday 3 April.

South Sydney Herald April Edition Available on REDWatch Website

The latest edition of the South Sydney Herald is out and again we have added the large (just under 5 MB) PDF file to the REDWatch website for those with Broadband who don’t see a copy of the paper. The file can be downloaded from http://www.redwatch.org.au/redw/localmedia/ssh/0604/download . Some articles of particular interest to REDWatch have also been added to the REDWatch ‘In the Media’ section of the website as news items. These include State Cabinet invited to Redfern-Waterloo, Residents sceptical of redevelopment, Hopes for Redfern Police Command of long-term Chippendale resident, Redfern-Waterloo tour, a thing of beauty and What do Crookwell and Redfern have in common? If you live outside Redfern Waterloo you can subscribe or make a donation to the paper by contacting editor@ssh.com.au..

Personal Note

Our apologies that we have not been able to get an update out earlier and that some things have slipped through the net over the last couple of weeks. Geoff went home to Narrandera in the Riverina for a weekend to visit his parents and ended up needing to bring them to a funeral in Sydney and spending a week with them. He was back in Sydney a day when we got the news that his father had died so we had to rush off to the Riverina to make arrangements. So, understandably keeping up to date with Redfern Waterloo activities has been low on our priorities. Thanks to those who heard about this and passed on their condolences.