In this Update:

RWA Posts Draft Affordable Housing Contributions Plan – Submission Deadline 12th February 2007

Locomotive 3801 Moves to Rail Transport Museum Thirlmere

Map your view of Redfern Waterloo

Correction - Inner Sydney Homelessness Action Plan Phase Two

Would you like to Join or Donate to the Elouera – Tony Mundine Gym

Crown Reservoir Action Group in Surry Hills Formed

Have your say – Summary of Current Consultations

Coming Events (look at the new local events entered on the REDWatch website that are not covered here)

We hoped it had finished for the year but …

RWA Posts Draft Affordable Housing Contributions Plan – Submission Deadline 12th February 2007

The Draft RWA Affordable Housing Contributions Plan 2006 has been posted on the RWA website on 20^th December 2006 and can be downloaded from the RWA website Draft RWA Affordable Housing Contributions Plan 2006 (pdf ~360kb). The Draft is on exhibition until 12^th February 2007. More details can be found on the RWA website at http://www.redfernwaterloo.nsw.gov.au/development_applications/draft_rwa_housing_plan.htm .

The draft RWA Affordable Housing Contributions Plan proposes a contribution rate of $59 per sqm of the gross floor area. This is estimated to be 1.25% of the total gross floor area delivering 75 Deliverable Units (assuming the cost of the deliverable unit is $470,000) in the operational Area at locations to be determined. The total estimated cost is expected to be $35.25 million with 50% delivered in the first 5 years and the balance 50% in the second 5 years. A Redfern-Waterloo Authority Affordable Housing programme will be developed which will outline their strategy for delivering affordable housing in the Authority’s Operational Area. The Draft Plan is on exhibition until 12^th February 2007 and those with an interest in Affordable housing should consider preparing a submission.

Locomotive 3801 Moves to Rail Transport Museum Thirlmere

The overcast low fire risk day on 20^th December 2006 provided the opportunity for the Rail Transport Museum (RTM) to move locomotive 3801 to the RTM at Thirlmere. The RTM have also posted the Vince O'Rourke Advisory Group Report (PDF 97 Kb) on their website. The O’Rourke Committee concludes that “the current operations of RTM and 3801 Ltd are not sustainable in the short to medium term (without Government funding in any event) the Advisory Group has considered two scenarios for improved collaboration between 3801 Ltd and RTM with the objective of achieving long term sustainability”. The RTM has also posted their response to the O’Rourke Committee at http://www.nswrtm.org/3801/releases06-12-14.htm and more generally at http://www.nswrtm.org/3801/ .

Regarding the Large the O’Rourke Committee states: “The future of the Large Erecting Shop, is dependent upon the outcome of the strategic study underway to identify the RailCorp operating railway requirements for the whole of the South Eveleigh site. Any surplus lands will subsequently be vested to the Redfern Waterloo Authority, consistent with Government’s policy. The Large Erecting Shop has not figured in the Advisory Group’s recommendations.”

Map your view of Redfern Waterloo

Independent artists group SquatSpace have printed 200 glossy A3 maps of Redfern-Waterloo on an offset printer, and we are looking for a variety people who would be interested in taking part in a project that will be exhibited at Mori Gallery from 7th Feb 2007 to 27th Feb 2007. They will provide you with a standard map of Redfern Waterloo, with just the layout of the streets. It’s harmless enough, but clearly does not show the special places, the contested places, the threatened places, the unofficial routes from here to there, the spots of great (or minor) historical value, your private places, the places that make you happy, those that make your stomach turn, what you dream might happen, what you dream could be built……

So SquatSpace invites you to take this map and work over the top of it, to make it say what you want it to say. Use pen, marker, post-it notes, photo-collage or whatever you need. If you use symbols, there is a section to provide a key or ‘Local Legend’. Apart from exhibiting the maps at Mori Gallery (http://www.morigallery.com.au ) we will scan and post them on the Internet. That way the suburb will be seen to be more closely for what it is: an infinitely overlapping set of agendas, itineraries and sites. Maybe by putting them side-to-side we’ll find something out!

The project is an extension of the REDFERN-WATERLOO TOUR OF BEAUTY, presented by SquatSpace (http://www.squatspace.com/redfern ). The bus tours of the area have been running since October 2005, giving locals and visitors the opportunity to meet with local community representatives in an attempt to understand just what the Redfern-Waterloo Authority’s actions might mean for life in the area. If you are interested in being part of the project, please email info@squatspace.com

Correction - Inner Sydney Homelessness Action Plan Phase Two

Unfortunately the information included in the last update about the development of the Inner City Homelessness Action Plan is incorrect. This is a mistake that the TSN Notify list made having received incorrect advice from PIAC. The error has been brought to our attention by Homelessness Unit at the NSW Department of Housing. According to TSN Notify who have also put out a correction, “there has been recent and quite extensive community consultation on ICHAP Phase 2, and the consultants are in the process of writing up the results of the consultation process … I'm reliably advised that the report will then go to the Inner Sydney Homelessness Action Committee for comment before its available for broader consultation”.  We apologise for the error and when the Inner Sydney Homeless Action plan Phase Two is in place we will let you know.

Would you like to Join or Donate to the Elouera – Tony Mundine Gym

The Elouera -Tony Mundine Gym (Redfern Gym) was established in 1985 in the heart of Redfern. It opened originally with a vision of providing Youth in the area an alternative life-style. A sense of community is an important part of the culture of the Redfern Gym. Alex Tui, has been the manager of the gym for 15 years and provides strong consistency and mentoring. Alex is a World Title kick-boxing champion and a highly respected coach, mentor and member of the community. Sadly, in 2004 Redfern Gym stopped receiving federal government funding. The long term future of the gym is dependant on continual funding and support from the local community.

Memberships of the Gym are $230 for 12 months or $120 for 3 months. So you can join up yourself and get fit or you can help pay the membership of a young Aboriginal person and Build the Future on the Next Generation. For further information contact General Manager Lani Tuitavala 9698 9249 / 0413289464.

Crown Reservoir Action Group in Surry Hills Formed

A new Resident Action group has formed around the Crown Street Reservoir site in Surry Hills. We thought we would provide you with their details in case you have an interest in this area or know someone who does. The following is an outline of the issue from the groups leaflet:

“STOP THE SALE OF CROWN ST RESERVOIR LAND

Sydney Water with the support of David Campbell, the Minister for Water Utilities, and the Premier, Morris Iemma, are determined to sell this valuable community asset to developers. The State government has pushed a development application through Sydney City Council to subdivide the site in preparation for selling it, despite the opposition of the community and the Council. The only remaining step is for the government to sell the site! The size and location of this site bounded by Crown, Campbell, Riley and Reservoir Streets is too valuable to the community to see it chopped up and flogged off to developers.

We demand that this valuable asset stay in the hands of the community.

•           Do you care about the future of an historical local landmark?

•           Do you care what inappropriate development will do to this site?

•           Do you care about the loss of public land?

If you answer yes to any of these questions get involved with the community campaign to save this historic site.

Crown Reservoir Action Group is a community action group devoted to stopping the dismemberment of the Crown Street Reservoir site. We demand that this land be returned to the control of the community. Act Now – Once this landmark is gone it is gone forever! Get active and contact Crown Reservoir Action Group (CRAG) crag@unwired.com.au   Tel: 0434 672 929”

Have your say – Summary of Current Consultations

Below we have listed consultations currently open for community input and provided a link for further information: 

• CoS Proposed Alcohol Free Zones - Until Friday 22 December 2006.
• CoS DA - St Andrews Redfern Campus - Until Thursday 12th January 2007
• CoS Street Drinking Strategy - Until Friday 12 January 2007.
• CoS City South Local Action Plan – Until Monday 15 January 2007. (Alexandria and Rosebery)
• CoS Development Contributions Plan 2006 – Until Sunday 21 January 2007.
• CoS Councillors’ Expenses Policy - Until Monday 29 January 2007.
• CoS Draft Open Space & Recreation Needs Study – Until Friday 2 February 2007.
• RWA Draft Affordable Housing Contributions Plan 2006 - Until Monday 12 February 2007