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RWIU 12 Nov 2008

In this Update: New Minister rules on future of the RWA / ATP to be privatised - Mini Budget / RWA response to submissions & Preferred Project Report on North Eveleigh / Concern over RWA Heritage Interpretation Strategy / Previously Unknown Redfern Major Projects found on New DoP website! / ILC modifications on former school site approved / Frasers respond to submissions and lodge Preferred Project Report for CUB Broadway site / CoS Darlington Charles Kernan Park consultation – 15 November 2008 / ATP Subdivision – until 19 November 2008 / Eveleigh Blacksmith Shop Markets Information Breakfast – Tuesday 25th November 2008 / Britannia Hotel Darlington DA to become boarding house – until 28th November 2008 / ATP Henderson Road Tree Removal – until 3 December 2008 / RailCorp decides to keep Large Erecting Shop for rail heritage purposes / Answers to Estimates Questions on Redfern Waterloo / Redfern Waterloo issues raised with Minister Keneally / Heritage meeting asks Minister for a Heritage and Tourism Committee for the Eveleigh Railyard Precinct / Minister Encouraged to Re-grant Heritage funds to ATP / Do you have any Eveleigh railyard stories? / RWA Human Services Evaluation still to be released / Research into Volunteer Opportunities in Redfern Waterloo / Free RWA/ATP Seniors and Elders Christmas lunch – Tuesday 18th November 2008 / Community Safety at Waterloo Shops Questionnaire - by 21 November 2008 / Summer on the Green – 5th December 2008 2pm – 6pm / Family Days on the Block – Saturday 6th December 2008 / NSW Aboriginal Stolen Wages Registration cut off - 31 December 2008 / Connect Redfern – Children and Family Services Lists Updated for Term 4 2008 / New Artist Space in the Inner City / In the Media / South Sydney Herald November 2008 / South Sydney Herald October 2008 / Have your say – Summary of Current Consultations

[We are sorry about the lengthe of time between updates - a lot has happened. Please use the list of articles below to find what is of interest to you and jump directly to the story of interest.. We do not expect you to be interested in everything.]

In this Update:

New Minister rules on future of the RWA

ATP to be privatised - Mini Budget

RWA response to submissions & Preferred Project Report on North Eveleigh

Concern over RWA Heritage Interpretation Strategy

Previously Unknown Redfern Major Projects found on New DoP website!

ILC modifications on former school site approved

Frasers respond to submissions and lodge Preferred Project Report for CUB Broadway site

CoS Darlington Charles Kernan Park consultation – 15 November 2008

ATP Subdivision – until 19 November 2008

Eveleigh Blacksmith Shop Markets Information Breakfast – Tuesday 25th November 2008

Britannia Hotel Darlington DA to become boarding house – until 28th November 2008

ATP Henderson Road Tree Removal – until 3 December 2008

RailCorp decides to keep Large Erecting Shop for rail heritage purposes

Answers to Estimates Questions on Redfern Waterloo

Redfern Waterloo issues raised with Minister Keneally

Heritage meeting asks Minister for a Heritage and Tourism Committee for the Eveleigh Railyard Precinct

Minister Encouraged to Re-grant Heritage funds to ATP

Do you have any Eveleigh railyard stories?

RWA Human Services Evaluation still to be released

Research into Volunteer Opportunities in Redfern Waterloo

Free RWA/ATP Seniors and Elders Christmas lunch – Tuesday 18th November 2008

Community Safety at Waterloo Shops Questionnaire - by 21 November 2008

Summer on the Green – 5th December 2008 2pm – 6pm

Family Days on the Block – Saturday 6th December 2008

NSW Aboriginal Stolen Wages Registration cut off - 31 December 2008

Connect Redfern – Children and Family Services Lists Updated for Term 4 2008

New Artist Space in the Inner City

In the Media

South Sydney Herald November 2008

South Sydney Herald October 2008

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)

New Minister rules on future of the RWA

The RWA continues to 2011-12 - Minister Keneally has announced in a one line statement in the summary of planning portfolio reforms in her media release of Wednesday 29 October 2008 on "Planning Reform to Keep Development and New South Wales Moving". The one line statement said:

"The Redfern-Waterloo Authority continues operation until 2011-12 at which point it will reviewed, either for termination or to be incorporated into other agencies".

With the change of Minister there had been some calls for the RWA to be abolished and REDWatch at its last meeting said it was Time to Rethink Redfern Waterloo Authority. The statement was picked up by both the South Sydney Herald in North Eveleigh – questions persist and Central in Authority scrapped. REDWatch in the lead up to the last election had detailed the changes that it would like to see with a change of Minister. Recently a copy of the REDWatch paper An Agenda for Redfern Waterloo Changes in 2007 - State Election Issues (PDF 75kb) has again been given to the Minister.

ATP to be privatised - Mini Budget

The NSW Government has announced that as part of the Mini-Budget of 11 November 2008 the ATP will pass to private hands. The most likely outcome would seem to be the sale of a 99 year lease across the entire site although as subdivision of the ATP is still currently proceeding so other options are possible. The full text of the media release is at Infrastructure levies reviewed, and leases for ATP and Darling Harbour and a brief article about the budget and the ATP can be found NSW razor broadly misses IT spending. The key sections of the Budget documents relating to the ATP are:

"The Australian Technology Park at Redfern is a commercially operated business park that is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Redfern-Waterloo Authority, Owning and operating a business park is not a core responsibility of government and there is no evidence of market failure. The property will be offered to the market by way of a 99-year lease. The site has development potential that can be better realised by the private sector."[Budget Papers reported on Zdnet NSW razor broadly misses IT spending]

“Commercial assets and leases belonging to the Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority (SHFA) and the Australian Technology Park (ATP) at Redfern will be placed on the market as part of the NSW Government’s Mini-Budget…  “The long term lease of these assets will provide a shot in the arm for the State’s economy,” Ms Keneally said. “It will also free-up the government agencies responsible for these assets, the SHFA and the Redfern-Waterloo Authority (RWA), to strengthen their focus on what they do best.”….“The Government purchased the ATP because it was in financial stress and did not have the financial capacity to restructure its business,” Ms Keneally said. “The Park has turned this around. It is more appropriate for the private sector to take over its ownership and operation.” Ms Keneally said the leasing of each asset will be staged and will only proceed if there is appropriate interest from the private sector…[Extracts from Minister’s media release].

REDWatch has consistently spoken out against government selling off its scarce inner city land and so the sale of a 99 year lease rather than sale of the land is welcomed. It should however not proceed until there are arrangements in place to ensure that the heritage of the site will be protected in private ownership and that heritage tourism access to the privatised site will be guaranteed. The decision to divest the ATP raises the question of if certain parts of the site may be better managed for heritage purposes if they are transferred to a dedicated heritage trust prior to the ATP head lease being sold. This proposal was recently floated at the recent Eveleigh heritage meeting in relation to ongoing ATP management.

No one would want to see heritage equipment in Bays 1 & 2 and other locations around the ATP cleared out further down the track to provide better income generating office accommodation. Similarly no one would want to see the Blacksmiths thrown out by a new owner because they could either not generate a commercial rate of return for their floor space or because of the impact of their activities on others in the park. This announcement makes the establishment of a committee to ensure heritage across the entire site is preserved with a view to this being supported by a Heritage Tourism Strategy even more urgent (details later in this update).

Concern about the announcement has come from some of those committed to the initial idea of the ATP. It has been pointed out to us that the ATP was originally conceived by the universities to foster excellence in innovation and technology. In the 1880s, Eveleigh was an incredibly important centre for "technology transfer in the steam era." Skilled tradesmen and engineers were brought from UK and elsewhere to establish the Eveleigh Locomotive Works as a world class steam era technology centre. Its success in doing so can still be measured today by the large number of people who still say that they did their apprenticeship at Eveleigh. The Eveleigh skills base provided the critical training ground for the later establishment of the NSW (& Australian) heavy engineering manufacturing industry. The universities vision in establishing ATP was to do in today's electronic era what Eveleigh did in the steam era 100 years ago. Under the RWA the ATP has moved away from being a Technology Park and become more of a business park where potentially the original vision was in danger of being lost. These people want to know if part of it will continue as a world class new technology training centre and how if the site is sold this will be guaranteed?

RWA response to submissions & Preferred Project Report on North Eveleigh

The Department of Planning has posted the RWA’s Preferred Project Plan on its website at www.planning.nsw.gov.au/asp/08_0015.asp. The original documents for the exhibition were posted on the RWA website with a DoP link back to the RWA’s own site. Those trying to follow what happens at North Eveleigh would have expected that the RWA’s responses to submissions and the Preferred Project Plan would have also appeared where the original documents were posted – to date, despite bringing it to the RWA’s attention, the RWA still have not posted the documents on their own website. The RWA’s Preferred Plans can be downloaded from these links:

These plans do not go on exhibition again. They are now assessed by the DoP, which can request further changes or attach conditions to the approval. If you are not happy with any aspect of the RWA’s revised proposal make your comments quickly to the DoP referencing MP 08_0015. We are aware that some residents and people concerned about the RWA’s two page Heritage Interpretation Strategy have already done this.

In the Executive Summary of the Preferred Project report the RWA says that the key aspects of the amended Concept Plan and Statement of Commitments include:

‘Improved Site Layout: The site layout and design framework has been improved by creating more contiguous open space throughout the site and on Wilson Street. The removal of buildings at the western precinct enables the creation of a significant park providing a generous setback to Ivery’s lane and adjacent properties while the provision of pocket parks along Wilson Street provide an improved aesthetic quality to the development, integrates the site with the surrounding neighbourhood and increases its permeability. The removal of the proposed 5 storey commercial building at the eastern end of the site and east-west orientation of a new residential building along the railway lines allows a greater appreciation of the Fan of Tracks and delivers a clearly delineated park with maximum capacity for heritage interpretation. The overall floor space has been reduced by 2,400m2.

New Parks: The Statement of Commitments has been amended to require the proponent to provide the following five parks, totalling approximately 9,400m2 including:

  • A park at the western end of the site, adjacent to Iverys Lane, with an approximate area of 3,350m2.
  • A park in the location of the Fan of Tracks with an approximate area of 2,635m2.
  • A park at the eastern end of the site, adjacent to Little Eveleigh St, with an approximate area of 2,690m2.
  • A park on Wilson St at the western end of the Blacksmiths’ Shop with an approximate area of 445m2
  • A park on Wilson St opposite Forbes St with an approximate area of 280m2.

In addition the Statement of Commitments has been strengthened in relation to the provision for deep soil planting, play equipment, water sensitive urban design and crime prevention strategies as recommended by the NSW Police, as well as other landscaping treatment which recognises the sites heritage values and responds to community submissions.

Strengthening Heritage: The Concept Plan has been amended to provide for the mixed use of the Chief Mechanical Engineers Building, thus allowing for commercial development consistent with its historical use. In addition to the existing requirements for heritage protection, the Statement of Commitments has been amended to require proponents to develop Interpretation Strategies in accordance with the Interpretation Strategy Guidelines specifically developed for the site. This will ensure an integrated heritage interpretation which best reflects the site’s history.

Increased Provision for Childcare: The amended Statement of Commitments increases the provision for childcare facilities from one 45 place centre to the equivalent number necessary for the proposed residential and working population to meet the requirements of the City of Sydney Child Care DCP 2005.

Reduced Car Parking: The maximum number of car parking spaces on site has been reduced in the Amended Concept Plan from 1943 spaces to 1800 spaces. Proponents will now be required to provide for car share schemes as well meet the standards for bicycle parking outlined in the South Sydney Development Control Plan.

Safer Access: The configuration of the western vehicular access to the site has been changed and directional signage introduced to reduce potential conflicts from vehicles exiting the site at the intersection of Queen and Wilson Street. The Report provides a review of options for the western access developed in response to submissions.

Sustainability Targets: Sustainability Targets for commercial development have been introduced. Proponents will be required to achieve best practice equivalent to 4 Star Green Star for Commercial Buildings and 4.5 Star NABERS Office Energy.

Traffic and Transport: A Transport Management and Accessibility Plan (TMAP) will be required to be undertaken for the development with emphasis on increasing public transport patronage. The Proposal also reiterates the RWA’s commitment to providing the cycle/pedestrian bridge linking North Eveleigh to the ATP. RWA’s traffic consultants have responded in detail to the independent traffic assessment commissioned by the Department of Planning.

Redistribution of Heights: It has been necessary to redistribute heights to achieve the overall design improvements and in particular, better integrated open space. Where heights have been increased it is demonstrated that there will be no amenity impacts. All variations to heights are addressed in the Report.

Affordable Housing: The amended Concept Plan proposes a target of 12% of the new dwellings in North Eveleigh for affordable housing. This will be managed by a registered community housing organisation or government agency and will be funded by the RWA’s affordable housing developer levies.’

There have been some height changes which from pages 22-23 of Preferred Project Report include:

  • ‘Building D4: The Concept Plan proposed a split height of 5 and 6 storeys for this building. It is now proposed that the 5 storey element be increased to 6 storeys making the whole building a 6 storey building. The variation is sought as the amended Concept Plan eliminates Building B1 and A1 creating public open space in their place.
  • Buildings G1 and G2: As outlined in Section 5 of the previously submitted Concept Plan the maximum permitted height for these buildings is 4 storeys. The amended Concept Plan increases the height of these buildings from 5 storeys to 6 storeys.
  • Building J1: In the previously submitted Concept Plan a small portion of Building J1 which was 5 storeys in height protruded into the 4 storey maximum height zone. The amended Concept Plan proposes that this building be reoriented east-west along the railway line, framing the park proposed on the Fan of Tracks. The proposed height of 8 storeys complies with the permissible height limit of 10 storeys applying to this part of the site. (change in its use from commercial to residential – p 3)
  • Chief Mechanical Engineer’s Office Building – Mixed uses, including either commercial or residential uses.’

Local Wilson Street resident Bruce Lay and some other residents involved in the walk around with the previous Minister have raised a number of concerns about the Preferred Project Report and have written to the Minister requesting that she appoint an Independent Hearing and Assessment Panel under Part 3A of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 to review these important issues of public concern that remain unresolved in the North Eveleigh Revised Concept Plan. Here you can see the text of Bruce Lay’s request for Independent Hearing and Assessment Panel. More information about the panels can be found in Fact sheet 5: Independent hearing and assessment panels (91Kb PDF) on the DoP website.

REDWatch at its meeting resolved to request the Minister to place the assessment of the RWA’s North Eveleigh Concept Plan on hold until discussions are held with the University of Sydney to see if an agreement can be reached for USyd to acquire the site. If such an agreement could be reached then a new Concept Plan would be required that would incorporate USyd’s proposal. If the Minister decided not to pursue the University option then REDWatch requested that the Minister establish an Independent Hearing and Assessment panel to address unresolved issues in the RWA’s current proposal. Having originally been invited by the NSW government to make proposals for its use of Callan Park, USyd’s chance of securing the North Eveleigh site is likely to be improved by the rejection of its plans for Callan Park. While the Harold Park site, which is also of interest to USyd, will come on the market within the next two years (see And they're leaving: Harold Park for sale) it is not expected to detract from USyd’s interest in North Eveleigh. According to Estimates Hearing evidence Minister Keneally has met with USyd over the Callan Park decision and presumably USyd’s interest in North Eveleigh was part of the discussions.

Concern over RWA Heritage Interpretation Strategy

When the North Eveleigh Concept Plan went on exhibition many people concerned about heritage on the site were concerned that there was no Heritage Interpretation Strategy (HIS). The RWA subsequently produced a brief two page HIS that given the site’s heritage significance has been strongly criticised by those working in heritage. While the HIS makes reference to a Worker’s Wall, it has not picked up other key elements of the proposal by labour historian Associate Professor Lucy Taksa that include the Worker’s Register launched by then Premier Bob Carr or a keeping place for the labour and social history of this important site.

While the HIS foreshadows heritage walking tours with guides and recorded commentary it does not go into any detail about what needs to happen across the site to ensure it will be a heritage attraction that people will want to see. While there is a proposal for three carriages to be part of the North Eveleigh development pubic domain, carriages that were originally made at Eveleigh won’t be used because the HIS proposes they be sited outdoors, which makes the Eveleigh carriages unsuitable! There is concern that the existing HIS is not sufficient to ensure there is an integrated heritage interpretation across the site. You can read the RWA Heritage Interpretation Strategy and if you have concerns about it, the only avenue currently available is to write to the DoP requesting them to reject the RWA’s HIS as inadequate.

Previously Unknown Redfern Major Projects found on New DoP website!

Long time RWIU readers will know that we have been very critical of the Major Projects Registry on the DoP website, so we were very pleased to find that they have now introduced a database style listing which enables you to easily bring up details of projects by Local Government Area eg Major Project in City of Sydney or say for Redfern Eveleigh University of Sydney or Chippendale. The database entries are coloured so you can see at what stage they are and you can set up a link to the associated documents, which was impossible with the earlier Register. You will notice however that the system is only as good as the person providing / entering the data so for example the development proposed in Redfern surrounded by Hart, Hudson, Abercrombie and Cleveland Streets shows up in Chippendale and not Redfern.

The new system has revealed three Major Project Applications in Redfern Waterloo for which DGRs have been issued in the last year without the projects being listed in the earlier Major Project Register. The three projects are:

  • 7-9 Gibbons Street, Redfern: Mixed Use Residential/Commercial/Retail Development Kimberley Securities Ltd to construct a 14 storey development above the existing 4 storey car park to include retail commercial and residential spaces – Application 5-6-2008 DGRs issued 7 August 2008.
  • Australian Technology Park: MP 08_0001 Red Cross Blood Service Centre and Commercial Tower Grocon Property Services (NSW) Pty Ltd for Australian Red Cross Blood Service Facility and ancillary operations with an adjacent 10 storey commercial office tower on Lease Lot C1 within Lot 500. Application 19-12-2007 DGRs issued 7 February 2008.
  • 157-163 Cleveland Street Chippendale (correct suburb Redfern): MP 07_0180 - Mixed Use Development for Retail, Commercial and Residential Use, Chippendale Hudson Square Pty Ltd propose a five storey retail and commercial building on the western portion of the site (referred to as Building A), and a five storey mixed use - retail and residential - building on the eastern portion of the site (referred to as Building B). The new project proposes to include a supermarket and 202 car parking spaces. This is a new application and reissued DGRs for area bounded by Hart, Hudson, Abercrombie and Cleveland which was covered by the earlier MP 06_0218 - Mixed use commercial residential development - Chippendale of which we were aware. New Application December 2007 - DGRS Issued: 13 February 2008!

ILC modifications on former school site approved

Since our last update DoP has posted the approval for the ILC’s second set of modifications (06_0267 MOD 2) for the NIDC on the former school site. The modifications are to the George Street facade of Building F, and minor amendments to internal configuration of building F, including the addition of amenity and first aid facilities to the pool terrace (Level 2). The changes primarily come from a review of the layout of the building following the decision that YMCA will be the proposed operator rather than PCYC. The details of the changes approved can be downloaded from the DoP - Former Redfern Public School: MOD 2 - NIDC Building F Modifications.

Frasers respond to submissions and lodge Preferred Project Report for CUB Broadway site

Frasers Property has lodged a Preferred Project Report for the Frasers Broadway site with the DoP. This report relates to the recently lodged Modified Concept Plan and has been prepared in response to submissions received during the public exhibition period. It addresses a number of key issues raised in public submissions and from the DoP’s assessment. You can view the report on the DoP website at Carlton United Breweries Site: Modification application 2 or on www.frasersbroadway.com.au/broadway/doc.htm. The Fraser’s report says this Preferred Project Report includes the following changes:

  • Minor reconfiguration of building envelopes and floor space (particularly along Abercrombie Street);
  • Reduction in floor space by 1,500m2;
  • Adjustment of connecting bridges on Blocks 1, 2 and 4; and
  • Reconfiguration of some vehicular entrances (Blocks 1 and 5) and introduction of a two-way street around the Main Park and Brewery Yard.
  • Provides a better built form transition along Abercrombie Street;
  • Improves solar access to residential dwellings located on the opposite sides of Abercrombie Street and Wellington Street;
  • Improves solar access to the main park;
  • Improves traffic circulation in and around the site; and
  • Improves visual site lines to and from the site.
  • Future project applications will provide more detailed information on:
    • car park management schemes and measures to be applied such that the site does not incorporate any commuter parking; and
    • incorporation of CPTED principles and key public safety aspects – in particular the detailed design of the proposed green plates.

Fraser’s Preferred Project Report proposal is now with DoP for determination so any ongoing concerns about the Preferred Project proposal should be directed to the DoP.

CoS Darlington Charles Kernan Park consultation – 15 November 2008

Council is holding a consultation on the renewal of Charles Kernan Park. The project is in the early design phase and Council wants community input. You can discuss with City staff the initial design ideas, which will be on display at the community meeting. Your suggestions and feedback will help finalise the design. The consultation is at the corner of Abercrombie and Shepherd Streets Darlington on 15 November 2008 from 10:30am to 12:30 pm. For more information visit the CoS website at Park Upgrade Community Consultation.

ATP Subdivision – until 19 November 2008

Australian Technology Park Precinct Management has applied (DA 037-10-08) to its owner the RWA for the subdivision of land within the Australian Technology Park to create seven (7) lots including the registration of infrastructure easements. The plans are on public exhibition until 19 November 2008. The documents can be inspected at the Neighbourhood Centre 158 Redfern St, Redfern. The documents can also be downloaded from the RWA’s website as follows: Statement of Environmental Effects  (2,231 KB PDF); Existing Title Plan  (122 KB PDF); Land Contamination Summaries  (945 KB PDF); Correspondence with Utility Authorities  (380 KB PDF); Subdivision Plan 1  (345 KB PDF); Subdivision Plan 2  (209 KB PDF); Subdivision Plan 3  (111 KB PDF); Subdivision Plan 4  (190 KB PDF); Subdivision Plan 5  (134 KB PDF); Subdivision Plan 6  (192 KB PDF); Application form (1,032 KB PDF). Any enquires should be referred to Joanne McGuinness at the RWA on 9202 9128 9:00am to 5:00pm Mon-Fri or email redfernwaterloo@rwa.nsw.gov.au and include the DA reference number listed above. The ATP subdivision being prepared by the RWA is for the purpose of ground lease sales probably within the overall 99 year lease to be offered rather than for the direct leasing of individual blocks.

Eveleigh Blacksmith Shop Markets Information Breakfast – Tuesday 25th November 2008

The RWA is inviting interested people to a free information breakfast to find out about business and fundraising opportunities available at the new Eveleigh Market, Wilson St, Darlington. The breakfast event will include professional advice for people thinking about starting a small business and becoming a market stall holder. Local schools and community organisations can find out how the Eveleigh Market can help them raise funds through the community stalls. It will be held on Tuesday 25 November 8.00am til 9.00am at Yaama Dhiyaan, Hospitality Training and Function Centre 255 Wilson St, Darlington To register please contact the RWA on 9202 9100 or email Natalie.culverhouse@rwa.nsw.gov.au

The RWA has advertised a DA for signage at the North Eveleigh Blacksmith Shop “Installation of ‘Eveleigh Markets’ business identification signage on the eastern gable of the building (4m wide x 1.3m high) and on the Wilson Street elevation (35m x 2.525m high)” aIt is on exhibition until 3 December 2008 see - Development Proposals On Exhibition.

The RWA is advertising that the first market day will be Saturday 13th December 2008. Further information should become available on its website www.eveleighmarkets.com.au.

Britannia Hotel Darlington DA to become boarding house – until 28th November 2008

Some concerns have been raised with us about a DA for 103 – 107 Cleveland Street Darlington for “Alterations and additions to existing buildings, also known as The Britannia Hotel and adjoining 2 storey dwelling, to construct a 3 storey boarding house consisting 27 rooms and 54 beds (10 x 1 bedrooms, 9 x 2 bedrooms, 5 x 3 bedrooms and 3 x 4 bedrooms, communal amenities and 1 car space accessed via Vine Street. The site also has frontages to Beaumont Street and Vine Street.” View the full details and accompanying documentation here or inspect the plans at the CoS Redfern Neighbourhood Service Centre at 158 Redfern Street, Redfern.

ATP Henderson Road Tree Removal – until 3 December 2008

The ATP has also made a DA for “Removal of existing trees along the ATP southern boundary facing Henderson Road footpath and provision of replacement trees”. The DA is one exhibition until 3 December 2008 see - Development Proposals On Exhibition.

The RWA also have received an application for modification from Kimberley Securities Ltd for 1 Lawson Sq to “Include cooking facilities in the previously approved café fitout located on the ground floor between Tower 1 and Tower 2” – Exhibition until 21 November 2008. More information about these RWA DAs can be found on the RWA website at Development Proposals On Exhibition.

RailCorp decides to keep Large Erecting Shop for rail heritage purposes

Heritage operator 3801 Ltd advised a recent meeting of those interested in heritage at Eveleigh that Office of Rail Heritage (ORH) had advised them that the RailCorp board has approved the retention of the Large for rail heritage purposes subject to subject to final funding approval. The next issue however is the resolution of how the building is to be used. It is clear that ORH wants to move some carriages from the Paint Shop to the Large, so an issue is whether there will be sufficient space for the new carriages the ORH wants to put into the Large and still have room and equipment for 3801 Ltd to operate in a viable manner. Over the next few weeks there will be some interesting discussions between 3801 Ltd and ORH with the future of active heritage uses at the Large likely to be at stake. After a long break 3801 Ltd has put out a newsletter www.3801limited.com.au/news.htm. 3801 Ltd has also announced that with Lachlan Valley Railway Society Co-operative Ltd assistance LVR Steam Locomotive 5917 will be located in Sydney for approximately six weeks during November and December 2008. Steam will operate on selected Cockatoo Runs on yet to be determined dates during that period. Hopefully this is the start of a new future for rail heritage at the LES.

The Large is again nominated for the National Heritage Federal Register under The Large Erecting Shop - Eveleigh. Also for the second year in a row the Large has made the National Trust’s 10 Most at Risk list and you can see the nomination details at www.heritageatrisk.org.au/Large_Erecting_Shop,_Eveleigh.html. The Friends of Eveleigh have produced this map of the Eveleigh Rail Yards to show what remains of the former Eveleigh complex Eveleigh 2008 - Railway Heritage Map (415 KB PDF). The Large is the only continuously working part of the rail yard site.

Answers to Estimates Questions on Redfern Waterloo

On Wednesday 15 October 2008 Minister Keneally and RWA CEO Robert Domm appeared before General Purpose Standing Committee No. 4 for examination of proposed expenditure for the portfolio areas of Planning and Redfern Waterloo. Questions and Answers cover the Built Environment Plan 2; Rachel Forster hospital; RWA funding; interest in the purchase of North Eveleigh; the Aboriginal Housing Company; heritage buildings on North Eveleigh and the unspent funding for heritage conservation work at the ATP. A number of questions were also placed on notice. You can read the draft transcript and the answers to the questions on notice on the REDWatch website - RWA Questions at Estimates Hearing - 15th October 2008

In September, South Sydney Herald put a series of questions, prepared by REDWatch, to Minister Keneally. You can read the Minister’s answers at New Minister for Redfern-Waterloo. REDWatch was not impressed that the new Minister’s responses were very little different from those of her predecessor. It is to be hoped that as the Minister settles in to the new job she will look for ways to improve the RWA’s community engagement processes.

Redfern Waterloo issues raised with Minister Keneally

In mid October Geoff, in his individual capacity as an active community member on Redfern Waterloo issues and as a member of one of the RWA’s Ministerial Advisory Committees, met with Minister Keneally. A wide range of issues were raised with the new Minister and you can see the note covering them in - Redfern Waterloo Issues Discussed with Minister Keneally. Among the issues raised was the need for an exit strategy for the RWA so that there will be a smooth transaction from the RWA to post RWA mechanisms. The strategy needs to start being built now. One example is in the area of human services, where the RWA has wound back its own involvement in human services with its role being cut back just to chairing the Implementation Senior Officers Group (ISOG) which has responsibility for implementation of the RWA Human Services Plans. Geoff put to the Minister that there needs to be thought given to how the post RWA ISOG and Human Services Plan mechanism is going to relate to local service providers, service users and residents. These mechanisms should be being built now.

Heritage meeting asks Minister for a Heritage and Tourism Committee for the Eveleigh Railyard Precinct

On 28th October 2008 a wide range of heritage groups, practitioners, ex-workers and volunteers met at the ATP to discuss heritage issues across the former railway site, including the twelve heritage sites identified in the RWA Heritage Schedule. This meeting followed the public meeting resolution from the Wrought Artworks open day that requested heritage groups to meet with the NSW Government about the “best way to preserve and manage all railway heritage locations, equipment and rolling stock within the former Eveleigh Railway Workshops in perpetuity”. The October meeting resolved to ask Minister Keneally to establish a committee of government representatives from various departments and authorities dealing with heritage and tourism, to meet with heritage groups active on the Eveleigh site to explore the role heritage preservation and heritage tourism can play in the future of the area. In her capacity as Minister for Redfern Waterloo she has Ministerial Advisory Committees and taskforces that bring together relevant government departments to address key issues. Heritage groups are asking for a similar mechanism to address the heritage future of the site. More about the issues they would like to see addressed, including some of the presentations from the meeting, are available in a new Eveleigh Rail Heritage & Tourism Strategy section of the REDWatch website.

Minister Encouraged to Re-grant Heritage funds to ATP

In 1997 then Planning Minister Knowles announced a $300,000 heritage grant “towards the conservation of world-class railway machinery at Eveleigh Workshops” – Minister’s Media Release 1997 (164Kb PDF). The funds were supposed to be matched by the ATP but the funds were never expended for the purposes given. The Eveleigh heritage meeting was told that the funds were returned to the Heritage Office prior to the ATP going into receivership and that the bulk of funds were never expended. As a result heritage groups say crucial heritage conservation work required at the ATP has never been undertaken. In response the RWA has advised at RWA Questions at Estimates Hearing - 15th October 2008 that:

‘The Australian Technology Park's Annual Reports for the years 2000-01, 2002-03 and 2003-04 outline works undertaken to restore heritage machinery from the Eveleigh workshops. These works are consistent with conditions attached to the Heritage Assessment Grant by the NSW Heritage Office. In 2003, the Minister Assisting the Minister for Infrastructure and Planning opened the Eveleigh Heritage Walk through the former locomotive workshops, including Bays 1 and 2. The walk showcases restored machinery and provides interpretive signage describing the workshops' history. The Australian Technology Park has an ongoing heritage asset management strategy.’

The 28 October 2008 heritage meeting heard of a number of areas where the conservation and interpretative work required at the ATP has not been undertaken. The meeting decided to request the Minister to seek a re-granting of the earlier funds so long overdue heritage conservation tasks at the ATP could be undertaken. Failing reissuing of the funds, the ATP should be encouraged to apply for funds in the Heritage Branch’s current funding round which closes on 28th November 2008 - see www.heritage.nsw.gov.au/funding. The request for the Minister to make the funding available was included in the letter the meeting sent to Minister Keneally about Eveleigh heritage and its tourism potential.

Do you have any Eveleigh railyard stories?

Nigel Helyer is the current ABC Radiophonic Fellow, working on the GhosTrain project. This new project aims to create a series of audio-portraits of the Redfern Locomotive & Eveleigh Carriage Works encompassing the oral histories and acoustic ecologies of industrial culture. The works will be broadcast on ABC Radio National and be available as Podcasts. Future phases of the project will see the audio material transformed into a Sound-Sculpture installed throughout the CarriageWorks and also developed as a GPS guided Heritage Audio Tour of the site. For more information The GhosTrain Project – audio-portraits of the Redfern Locomotive & Eveleigh Carriage Works

RWA Human Services Evaluation still to be released

We have been waiting patiently since the RWA Human Services Plan briefing on 1st August 2008 for the promised release of the HSP1 Evaluation Report and the Case Co-ordination Evaluation Report, but neither has yet been released to non-government service providers and local residents. The RWA’s Update Newsletter article in July 2008 trumpeted some of the early outcomes of the evaluation of Phase One of the Human Services Plan, but non-government attendees at the RWA report back afternoon expressed concerns about aspects of what was reported. It is important for the credibility of the RWA that when they run a story about the success of their plans they are able to back up their claims with material that can be independently evaluated. If the report was not finalised, as people have subsequently been advised, why was it featured in an RWA newsletter and a briefing for non-government service providers held on it? Hopefully the reports will be released soon so independent assessments can be made of the HSP and its evaluation claims.

Research into Volunteer Opportunities in Redfern Waterloo

Housing Communities Assistance Program (HCAP) at The Factory has been funded by Housing NSW to carry out some initial research to identify what local volunteer opportunities exist within Redfern and Waterloo area and how they can be best promoted. They are looking for Redfern Waterloo organisations to complete a questionnaire regarding their current and planned volunteering opportunities. Following collation it is proposed to develop a volunteer promotion plan, which may result in volunteer recruitment market days and the development of a brochure for local residents who are seeking volunteer opportunities. If your organisation uses volunteers and you want a copy of the questionnaire contact Michael M Shreenan at The Factory on Ph: 8399 1011. 

Free RWA/ATP Seniors and Elders Christmas lunch – Tuesday 18th November 2008

The RWA is inviting local seniors and elders to their annual free Christmas party lunch on Tuesday 18 November, 12pm at the ATP. To reserve your seat contact the RWA on 9202 9100. Free transport will be available from central collection points in Redfern and Waterloo. Please advise the RWA if you require transport. It will be held in the Dining Room, ATP Conference Centre, Bay 4 Locomotive St, Eveleigh. For those considering driving, please note that there is a fee for parking.

Community Safety at Waterloo Shops Questionnaire - by 21 November 2008

A meeting was recently held with some local Waterloo businesses, local residents, and community service providers to discuss a number of issues around the Waterloo Shops. The HCAP worker at The Factory Community Centre at the request of City of Sydney and the Redfern Waterloo Chamber of Commerce, who also attended, convened the meeting. Following the meeting the council has done some tree trimming and is looking at greater enforcement of council regulations in the area. There has also been increased police activity around the shops. A questionnaire has been circulated to businesses in the Waterloo shopping strip to help further identify issues. It will be followed by a Community Safety Audit is proposed with the police to identify issues and longer-term solutions to improve safety around the shopping strip. The Waterloo Shops Community Safety Survey (50KB PDF) can be downloaded and needs to be returned by 21 November 2008.

Summer on the Green – 5th December 2008 2pm – 6pm

Summer on the Green is scheduled for on 5th December between 2 and 6pm any agency looking to host a stall or activity at the event should get in touch with the Factory by Friday 21st November 2008. This years Summer on the Green is celebrating the International year of the potato. There will be bouncing castles, BBQ, live entertainment, dance demonstrations, Spanish tortilla, raffles, face painting, show bags, potato salsa, sack races, dog training lesson, wildlife exhibition, Kid Speak and cultural food. For more details call the Factory on 96989569.

Family Days on the Block – Saturday 6th December 2008

Another successful Family Day was held on the Block on Saturday the 1st November 2008. On this occasion 17 men turned up to enforce the No Drug dealing & Substance abuse in the community on Family Day. It is now proposed to hold the event monthly with the next Family Day on Saturday 6th December. A planning meeting will be held on Tuesday 18th at Redfern Community Centre at 11am.The event is aimed to encourage Aboriginal people to stand together as one to reclaim the people & community on the Block without drug dealing & drug use. So come along and enjoy some family time with ya kids and family, hear some history, share some history and make a statement that black fullas are strong & proud! For more information contact Shane Phillips at Tribal Warrior on 9699 3491.

NSW Aboriginal Stolen Wages Registration cut off - 31 December 2008

The closing date for registering a stolen wages claim for Aboriginal people in NSW is 31 December 2008. The claims are made to the NSW Aboriginal Trust Fund Repayment Scheme (AFTRS). Stolen wages are the monies that were withheld from Indigenous peoples' wages, pensions, child endowments payments, inheritances and lump sum compensation payments. The monies were either not paid or kept in trust. The trust operated until 1969. Descendants of people who have died but who would have been eligible can make a claim. For more information see www.piac.asn.au/system/indig.html or www.atfrs.nsw.gov.au/home. If you know someone, are related to someone, or be someone, who has not been properly paid all the wages or other money they are entitled to you need to register before the end of December 2008.

Connect Redfern – Children and Family Services Lists Updated for Term 4 2008

Connect Redfern has produced its Term 4 2008 directories. These can be downloaded from the REDWatch site on the following links Events Courses and Workshops (1.8 MB PDF) Making Connections ( 380 KB PDF) Information for Parents (46 Kb PDF) and Community Service Contacts ( 109 Kb PDF).

New Artist Space in the Inner City

On 19th October 2008 as part of the Chippendale Peep Show the Lord Mayor Clover Moore opened new free or subsidised temporary studio space for visual and performance artists in Kensington Street Chippendale. FraserStudios brings together some currently vacant property owned by the CUB site developer at 10-14 Kensington St with Queen Street Studio, a Chippendale-based, not-for-profit arts organisation who was running the Peep Show with CoS funding. Queen Street Studio will make the space available for residencies and performances. The two main programme areas are:

  • Visual Arts Residency Program in Studio 10 which offers 3 month artist residencies of free studio space for between 8 to 10 professional and emerging visual artists. Residencies will be available to NSW artists from September 2008 to October 2009.  
  • Multi-purpose Performing Arts Studio in Studio 12+14 which will provide heavily subsidised rehearsal, exhibition and performance space from November 2008. Queen Street Studio will curate several performing art programs within Studio 12+14.

More information on the application process is available on the Queen Street Studio website: www.queenstreetstudio.com/fraserstudios.html. Council is looking to see if it can establish similar arrangements with other developers so there can be an ongoing supply of suitable artist spaces in the city in the long term.

“Active and creative communities are vital to the energy and cohesion of our inner city neighbourhoods,” says Sam Chester, Co-Manager/Founder of Queen Street Studio. “Affordable studio space is near impossible to find in the inner city, so the FraserStudios project is a great initiative that we’re happy to be part of. We hope other developers will follow Frasers’ lead,” added Ms Chester.

In the Media

We apologise that it has been a long time since the last RWIU. During that time there has been a lot in the media about the area other than the coverage of the tragic Waterloo home invasion incident that lead to the death of a Chinese student and a badly injured Korean student see Waterloo Safe, say Police. We have seen some preliminary public transport information in Light rail transit loop to link Green Square to city in the SMH and Green Square planning rules on the table in Central. Central has covered the problems at Redfern Station with Public transport excludes disabled and also the new Redfern Waterloo Chamber of Commerce president Mary Lynne Pidcock in Positive Energy. City News reported Redfern's green housing project unveiled but no one locally can find out what Housing NSW has proposed! They also reported Construction imminent: Redfern's new community health centre and Redfern residents kept in the dark over asbestos removal about the ILC’s former Redfern School site problems. The SMH reported in Putting the heat on Souths about alleged breaches at South Sydney Leagues Club that might mean that the last round of board elections, including that of RWA / SHFA CEO Robert Domm, are invalid. Souths were also in the news with Snoop Dogg in Redfern in Souths gear which coincided with the Indigenous jobs plan launched and Rudd gives $20m to black scholarship fund all of which were reported by the SMH.

The Sydney University Settlement programme was covered in Central’s Kids settle into play while it also reported about inner-city public schools enrolment being on the rise in Extra classes for inner city. Chippendale stories included City News’s City artists score prime studio space and Chippo locals become sustainable heroes. In Sydney Uni turns hit on investments into cuts the SMH reported on Sydney Uni taking a loss on their investments and on CarriageWorks winning the Lachlan Macquarie Award for Heritage in Australia's best house. The Herald Sun’s Black and white world of the Dreamtime talks with Rod Jensen about growing up an Aboriginal with a white father and City News reports that Koori Radio is thriving in its new home in Redfern in Making airwaves. In Planning angst strikes a chord with community groups City news reported on the Hyde Park Rally attended by Friends of Eveleigh and other groups protesting NSW planning laws.

In local politics City News reported on the post election committee carve up and that Marcelle Hoff has become Deputy Lord Mayor in Bloc tactics at council meeting; they profiled Councillor Irene Doutney in City councillor who turned her life around and also profiled CoS CEO Monica Barone in Clover's right-hand woman. City News has also started a ‘talking heads’ section and we were particularly interested in Michael Gormly’s comments on the comparison between Sydney and Seattle’s approach to community participation in determining the nature of their villages in What can council do to make the City of Sydney a more open and transparent government?

South Sydney Herald November 2008

You can download the entire copy of the South Sydney Herald for November (2.6 MB PDF). Articles from the November 2008 issue of the South Sydney Herald that relate to Redfern Waterloo placed on the REDWatch website include: Elderly residents at risk in public housing complex about the Housing NSW residents in Darlington not being able to grant easy access to emergency services due to ongoing maintainence problems and the editorial that Public housing tenants deserve better. The South Sydney Herald put some questions from REDWatch to New Minister for Redfern-Waterloo Kristina Keneally, the REDWatch Co-ordination Group were not at all impressed with the answers – what do you think? The SSH covered the latest on the RWA’s plans with North Eveleigh – questions persist, the AHC’s Pride in Pemulwuy Project and Redfern Waterloo Chamber of Commerce got a run in Rolling up the shutters, getting down to business. One reader of the previous article about Redfern police offered the SSH Suggestions for police commander, Danks Street Festival was covered in Congregation of fine food and culture as is the Block screening of A dog called Wanja and From little cuttings, big plants grow – streetscape community garden in Waterloo. Chippendale’s food for the future day was reported and CUB development to cast shadow over Chippendale updated the history and progress on the CUB site plans while Trevor Davies picked up on Notre Dame expanding and that Chippendale residents are not very happy about it. Supermarket a threat to “village life” in Erskineville? reported on preparations for the Land and Environment Court case while Tell your kids about Peter Norman picked up the story of the view of the Macdonaldtown mural that has been blocked by TIDC’s sound barrier. Love times two – local author’s enchanting memoir reports on Kathy Golski’s ‘My Two Husbands’ and a A spiked love story looks at Redfern locals, Luke Cowling and Melinda Dransfield of Unit 107 Chris Chibnall Kiss Me Like You Mean It. Finally Meredith Burgmann, Irene Doutney and Di Tornai’s First impressions of life on Council are reported.

South Sydney Herald October 2008

As usual we placed some of the articles from the October 2008 issue of the South Sydney Herald that relate to Redfern Waterloo on the REDWatch website or you can download the entire issue for October (2.5 MB PDF). We know it was a little while ago but we thought it still worthwhile providing the summary. One of the main local stories in the South Sydney Herald in October was Policing in Redfern - Knowing our rights, creating trust which has a background piece on Redfern LAC Police Commander Luke Freudenstein; another was Feeling proud of who you are about Shane Phillips and Tribal Warrior. Local celebration of the Chinese Moon Festival was covered in By the light of the Chinese moon as was South Sydney’s Leagues Club launches loyalty program, Spanish Community Care Association in Spanish community care and Shopfront Studio in Redfern Street in For artists and passers-by. Spinifex – a Darlington business at the cutting edge of large scale video presentations was profiled as was Food for the Future in Food sustainability in Chippendale and the future of the old Royal South Sydney Hospital in Hospital site “for the benefit of local residents”. Other articles of local interest included criticism of $12,060 to the Redfern Legal Centre to educate female victims of domestic violence as a Piecemeal approach to issues of domestic violence, accounts that the number of people who are sleeping rough in Sydney is rising in Homelessness in Sydney an “epidemic”, opportunities for fun exercise with a local running group Step it up and go and Trevor Davies looks back at The rise and demise of Frank Sartor. The October edition also had a reproduction of the Newtown Chronicle of Friday October 6 1899 which you can download from Newtown Chronicle (insert) (2MB PDF).

Have your say – Summary of Current Consultations

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