21 April 2006

In This Update

REDWatch Calls for RWA BEP to be reworked and SEPP to be withdrawn

RWA Built Environment Plan Submissions

REDWatch April Meeting 2pm Sunday 23 April 2006 Factory Community Centre

RWA notifies DA from itself for Former Canteen & Carpenters Building 255 Wilson St Darlington (North Eveleigh)

Some Answers to parliamentary Questions on the RWA

Macdonaldtown Stabling Project Community Liaison Group Nominations

Alcohol Free Zones (AFZs)

Metropolitan Aboriginal Land Council Signs Agreement with City of Sydney

City of Sydney Redfern Waterloo Community Forum Update

Community Grants and Sponsorship

The Face of Sydney – Get your photo taken

Coming Events (entered on the REDWatch website)

REDWatch Calls for RWA BEP to be reworked and SEPP to be withdrawn

REDWatch has argued in their submission to the RWA and the Department of Planning that there are so many differences between the RWA’s Draft BEP, on which most people based their submissions and the SEPP which is what would become the planning regulations, that the SEPP needs to be withdrawn. 

REDWatch has argued that without information on what the RWA proposes on heritage, open space, transport and traffic and other requirements it was impossible to properly understand the RWA proposal and make a considered submission on it. REDWatch has called for the BEP to be reworked in light of the submissions received from this consultation and for it to come back for community consultation later in 2006. So that people are able to constructively comment, the revised BEP should include details for Redfern Station, Traffic and Transport Impacts, a Heritage and Conservation Plan, an Open Space Plan and such other additional plans necessary for the community to properly understand what the RWA is proposing.

REDWatch has further recommended that prior to the BEP coming back for public consultation, the RWA should discuss the revised BEP and associated control plans with City of Sydney planning staff with a view to presenting a BEP to the community which meshes, as much as is possible, with the Council’s planning framework for the area surrounding the RWA’s state significant sites.

Only after the BEP has come back to the community with additional information and these changes suggested by the community have been integrated into the BEP should a SEPP, to create planning regulations for the BEP, be developed and exhibited.

The REDWatch submission looks at a number of these issues in detail, as well as makes comments on issues relating to the individual sites. You can download the submission in from REDWatch (130 KB PDF) or you can read it on the REDWatch Website at http://www.redwatch.org.au/RWA/statesignificant/ssbackground/redwatch/redwatchbep/ 

RWA Built Environment Plan Submissions

You may have noticed the SMH article Sherrill Nixon on Easter Saturday Redfern plan threatens cultural identity, critics say which gave some indication of the responses from various groups to the RWA BEP. REDWatch has now put PDF copies of other submissions sent to it on its website. These submissions allow community members to see what other concerns have been raised with the RWA. If you have put in a submission and would like it to be put up on the REDWatch website for others to read please email it to mail@redwatch.org.au . New submissions will be added to http://www.redwatch.org.au/RWA/statesignificant/ssbackground/submissions/ . The links below will allow you to download or view submissions directly – They are in the order received by REDWatch and broken up into organisations, politicians and individuals:

REDWatch 130 KB PDF

NCOSS - PDF 27 KB
Redfern Legal Centre. PDF 77 KB.
Aboriginal Housing Company - Michael Mundine – PDF 45 KB
Aboriginal Housing Company - Smyth Mant  - PDF 1.1 MB
NSW ANTaR - PDF 21 KB
Chippendale Residents Interest Group (CRIG)  744 KB.
City of Sydney  - PDF 584 KB
STUCCO Student Housing Cooperative  - PDF 110 KB
South Sydney Consortium  - PDF 83 KB
Redfern Residents for Reconciliation  - PDF 13 KB
St Vincent’s Catholic Church Community  - PDF 10 KB
South Sydney Greens Submission to RWA BEP  - PDF 72 KB
Planning Institute of Australia NSW – PDF 53 KB 

Clover Moore  - PDF 255 KB
Labor Councillors of City of Sydney  - PDF 34 KB 

Gai Smith - PDF 56KB
Bruce Lay - PDF 31KB
Cliff Bott and Vimala Sarma PDF 14KB
Madeline Streicek - PDF 28 KB
Ben Spies-Butcher  - PDF 17 KB
Mischa Barr - PDF 5 KB

There are also many responses on marianpark.net click here to read them

REDWatch also has copies of some of the 29 submissions handed to REDWatch at the Information Day BBQ. If you gave us a submission on this day and would like a copy of your submission, or if you would like your submission also posted on the REDWatch website please email mail@redwatch.org.au .

REDWatch Meeting 2pm Sunday 23 April 2006 Factory Community Centre

Where to now that the BEP Consultation is closed? As people are becoming aware of the extent of the changes proposed by the RWA community concern has grown during the last couple of months. This REDWatch meeting will be an opportunity to discuss the REDWatch submission and the other submissions made public and to look at how these concerns can be followed through. REDWatch is open to interested residents and friends of Redfern Eveleigh Darlington and Waterloo to become involved. Everyone is welcome to come along and join in the discussion. REDWatch meets at The Factory, 67 Raglan Street Waterloo.

RWA notifies DA from itself for Former Canteen & Carpenters Building 255 Wilson St Darlington (North Eveleigh)

The RWA have posted a Development Application to undertake alterations to the former Canteen & Carpenters Building and to change it into a Community Facility comprising a Catering & Cooking Training Centre on the first level with ancillary café. The ground floor will have a Training Facility for the construction industry with ancillary office space. The proposal includes car parking for twenty-two (22) vehicles which includes a loading bay and one (1) disabled parking. Consultation closes 10 May 2006 and documents can be inspected at the Neighbourhood Service Centre Redfern Ground Level, Tower 2 1 Lawson Square, REDFERN (8:00 am to 5:30 pm, Mon – Fri and 9:00 am to 12:00 noon, Sat) or the documents can be downloaded from the RWA Development Application Page at the following link DA 006-04-06 . We welcome the RWA making the documents available electronically so residents can access them outside the CoS Neighbourhood Centre Hours.

As the Traffic Report for this DA points out “The Minister for Planning has delegated the consent authority functions to a different arm of the RWA. Therefore, RWA would also be administrating, processing and assessing the DA for this proposed development”. We could not have put it better ourselves.

The RWA’s determination on the construction of a pedestrian platform, access structure and substation enclosure to service the new Contemporary Performing Arts Centre within the North Eveleigh at Wilson Street, Darlington (North Eveleigh) can be downloaded from the following link: DA 001-12-05 (PDF 1.65MB).

Some Answers to parliamentary Questions on the RWA

Some answers to parliamentary questions asked by The Greens about the RWA and its activities can be see at http://www.redwatch.org.au/RWA/statements/2006/nswla0604/ .

MacDonaldtown Stabling Project Community Liaison Group Nominations

Approximately 130 submissions were made to TIDC and as a consequence a number of mitigation measures have been agreed to. The consultation reports and conditions of approval have been posted on the TIDC site at http://www.tidc.nsw.gov.au/ArticlePage.aspx?PageID=210 .

Nominations have been called for a Community Liaison Group with nominations closing 21^st April 2006 – for information contact Georgina Dorsett via 1800 684 490 or email georgina.dorsett@tidc.nsw.gov.au. The Formal Community Liaison Group will consisting of 10 members from the local community chosen by TIDC & Railcorp to form the main contact point between the project and the community.

Alcohol Free Zones (AFZs)

Our comments last RWIU regarding the proposed Alcohol Free Zones have bought a couple of responses and copies of people’s submissions. This is an important issue for people in Redfern Waterloo which needs to be addressed to both improve amenity, but also to address the underlying issues of street drinkers. Redfern Local Area Commander Catherine Burn sent us an email with the Redfern Police perspective regarding Alcohol Free Zones in the area. We have also received copies of the AHC submission which argues for the setting up of a working group to look at long term a solution, including the possibility of a wet centre, but in the meantime it wants The Block area also declared an AFZ to stop street drinking moving from new AFZ areas to Eveleigh Street. Kristina Keneally has also made a submission reminding Lord Mayor Clover Moore of their joint support for wet centres at the state alcohol summit and pointing out that as the Lord Mayor her council is in the position to provide such facilities as well as introduce AFZs.

All these comments can be read at http://www.redwatch.org.au/govt/cos/afz/ and if we receive copies of submissions or comments from others we will also post these on this section of the site.

While on the activities of Redfern Police you may have noticed a couple of mentions of Clover Moore’s comments on the good job being done by Superintendent Catherine Burn at Redfern. The most recent was Plaudits for police - 19 April 2006 in the Sydney Central Courier. The article is based on Clover Moore’s comments in the NSW Legislative Assembly <a title="http://www.redwatch.org.au/govt/nsw/police/aboriginalissues/060329clover The following Comments taken from Hansard were made as a Private members Statement in the NSW Legislative Assemby by Member for Bligh Clover Moore to "congratulate Superintendent Catherine Burn and police officers at Redfern Local Area Command on their wo" href="../../govt/nsw/police/aboriginalissues/060329clover">REDFERN POLICING - Comments by Clover Moore 29 March 2006</a>.</p> <h3 class="Subheading"><a name="_Toc133389480"></a><a name="_Toc133318910"></a>Metropolitan Aboriginal Land Council Signs Agreement with City of Sydney <br /></h3> <p>At the Redfern Community Centre on 11 April 2006 an agreement of co-operation was signed between the City of Sydney and the Metropolitan Aboriginal Land Council in front of the Governor Marie Bashir, local residents and members of the reconciliation network. The agreement puts in place arrangements for consultation between the CoS and Metro Land Council. In his address Metro Aboriginal Land Council Chairman Rob Welsh spoke of the hopes of Aboriginal people to have a say in the future of Redfern and the need for the NSW Government to support the provision of Aboriginal Housing on The Block. We have put <a title="http://www.redwatch.org.au/media/060411welsh" href="../../media/060411welsh">Rob Welsh’s address</a> up on the REDWatch website along with the media statement from the Metro land Council - <a title="http://www.redwatch.org.au/media/060411metro/" href="../../media/060411metro/">Historic agreement boosts reconciliation in Sydney</a>. The CoS website contains the <a title="http://www.sydneymedia.com.au/html/2902-lord-mayor-signs-agreement-with-custodians-of-the-land.asp?orig=Home" href="http://www.sydneymedia.com.au/html/2902-lord-mayor-signs-agreement-with-custodians-of-the-land.asp?orig=Home">CoS Media Statements, the Mayor's Speech and a copy of the agreement</a> which includes the Lord Mayor’s announcement to donate $10,000 from the Lord Mayor Clover Moore MP Salary Trust to assist two Indigenous students from Sydney to undertake tertiary studies in 2006-07. REDWatch will put the text of the agreement on its site when it is available. <br /></p> <p>The Metropolitan Aboriginal Land Council now has a number similar agreements with local councils around Sydney and those attending wondered when the RWA might join the list of local bodies entering into such an agreement. While the RWA has made much of what it is doing to address issues within the Aboriginal community, over lunch after the ceremony one person pointed out that the RWA has not yet adopted basic protocol issues such as acknowledging country at the beginning of its meetings and still has a bit of a way to go to work in co-operation with Aboriginal organisations.</p> <h3 class="Subheading"><a name="_Toc133389481"></a><a name="_Toc133318911">City of </a>Sydney Redfern Waterloo Community Forum Update <br /></h3> <p>The community form held on 11 April provided an update on Redfern Oval and on the plans for the Redfern Street Upgrade. The latest plans for the Redfern Street Upgrade handed out at the meeting can be downloaded from  <a title="http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/Development/documents/CityImprovements/RedfernAndRegentStreetsUpgrade/RedfernAndRegentStreetPanel1.pdf" href="http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/Development/documents/CityImprovements/RedfernAndRegentStreetsUpgrade/RedfernAndRegentStreetPanel1.pdf">Redfern and Regent Streets Upgrade</a> | PDF 1.5Mb and <a title="http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/Development/documents/CityImprovements/RedfernAndRegentStreetsUpgrade/RedfernAndRegentStreetPanel2.pdf" href="http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/Development/documents/CityImprovements/RedfernAndRegentStreetsUpgrade/RedfernAndRegentStreetPanel2.pdf">Redfern and Regent Streets Upgrade - Details and Materials</a> | PDF 4.4Mb. There was some concern from the floor of the meeting that comments from earlier meetings had not been incorporated and the Lord Mayor undertook to take the comments on board. The latter part of the meeting was devoted to discussing the Urban Design Study for Redfern Waterloo and to allow residents to participate in workshops about their area. The process is to lead to revising the LEP. Redfern residents west of the railway line were not covered in the workshops and this part of Redfern will be dealt with at a later stage with Darlington. <br /></p> <p>An update from CoS on Council issues connected to Redfern Waterloo and Eveleigh can be downloaded from <a title="http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/Council/documents/meetings/2006/PublicMeetings/Update11April06.pdf" href="http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/Council/documents/meetings/2006/PublicMeetings/Update11April06.pdf" target="_blank">Post Forum Update on your Local Area</a> | PDF 100Kb.</p> <h3 class="Subheading"><a name="_Toc133389482"></a><a name="_Toc133318915">Community Grants and Sponsorship</a> <br /></h3> <p>The City’s 2006/07 Grants Programs are now open and accepting applications. The annual program provides grants of up to $5,000 to local non-profit organisations based in or providing projects, events, activities, services and resources to the City Local Government Area (LGA). Applications close on Monday 1 May 2006. For further information see <a title="http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/grants" href="http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/grants">www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/grants</a> </p> <h3 class="Subheading"><a name="_Toc133389483"></a><a name="_Toc133318917">The Face of </a>Sydney – Get your photo taken <br /></h3> <p>The Face of Sydney is an innovative photography project funded by the City of Sydney. The photographers Karen Donnelly, Raimond Dewerrdt and Tony Nott take demographic data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics and take photographs of 100 individuals from a select area to match the data. For example, if 4% of people in an area are girls aged between 5-12 then they will take four photos of 5-12 year aged girls. All the 100 images are then merged together to create the "face" of a particular area. The final images will be projected on Customs House as part of “Art and About” later in the year. The photographers will be working in Waterloo/Redfern on Monday 1 May at the Redfern Customer Service Centre (Basement Area) Lawson Square, Redfern. The photographers will be available between 8am -8pm on each day. Participants can turn up at anytime that suits them, there is no need to book. Anyone living in these areas can come and have their photograph taken to make up the "Face." All participants will get a free copy of their portrait as well as the chance to take part in making a piece of history! For more information contact Kiersten Fishburn, Cultural Development Manager, City Of Sydney, Tel:  9265 9114.</p>