[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:

Season’s Greetings

Robert Domm Resigns from ATP / RWA

RWA Annual Report

December 2008 RWA Update

RWA Keeping Quite on North Eveleigh Modifications

University to consult on Abercrombie Street Plan in New Year

Good turnout for RWA Christmas markets

Frasers Agree to CUB Site payment Schedule with RWA

RailCorp CEO on record over Future of Large Erecting Shop

ATP 99 year lease and Heritage

Council Moving towards a Redfern Street Centre

Souths Leagues’ Club to Include a new IGA Supermarket

City of Sydney Council Appoints Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Panel

Overcoming Indigenous Disadvantage in NSW Final Report

Debate about the Aboriginal Children’s Service

The Factory Secures Housing Communities Program (HCP) Funding

Improving Action on Issues facing Public Housing Tenants

Green Public Housing for Redfern

Green Square Developers Appointed

RLC launch Activists Rights Manual

Redfern In the Police Media rightly or wrongly?

South Sydney Herald December 2008

UTS Shopfront – Deadline for New Projects 30 January 2009

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)

Season’s Greetings

We would like to take this opportunity to wish all our readers and colleagues our best wishes for Christmas and New Year. We hope that you have a safe and relaxing holiday season and that you will have a fine 2009. Thank you for your support, ideas, information and suggestions over the year and we hope that you have found some of the information we have supplied of use in keeping up to date with Redfern Waterloo Issues.

Robert Domm Resigns from ATP / RWA

Robert Domm resigned as Chief Executive Officer of the RWA and General Manager of the Australian Technology Park on 28^th November 2008. Mr Domm has been the CEO of the RWA since its establishment in early 2005, having previously been the General Manager of the City of Sydney. On July 21 2008 Mr Domm also became the CEO of the Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority. At the time of his appointment to SHFA Minister Frank Sartor said “In the short to medium-term he will retain his job at the RWA to see through a number of major projects, including the renewal of North Eveleigh.” Day to day responsibility for the running of the RWA was delegated to a new General Manager position to which Petar Vladeta was appointed. A similar new position was created at the ATP which was filled by Chris Saunders. According to evidence given to NSW estimates hearings Mr Domm was not being paid by the RWA during that time.

The announcement was unexpected and the Minister’s office has told Central in Early resignation from RWA CEO that a “decision on the management of the RWA will be made in due course.” The Minister has earlier announced that the RWA will continue until 2011-12. Given the creation of General Manager’s positions any external appointment will need to be funded and will leave the RWA administratively top heavy. Another option may be a part time appointment or an Executive Chair. A decision by the Minister is awaited. In Domm quits but questions remain a spokesperson for the Minister was reported as saying "an acting arrangement for the RWA will be arranged following discussions between the minister and the chair of the RWA."

REDWatch were scheduled to have Mr Domm speak at their December 2008 meeting and appreciated Petar Vladeta attending at short notice following Mr Domm’s resignation.

RWA Annual Report

The RWA has released its 07-08 Annual Report (pdf ~3.5mb). This is the annual opportunity to find out a little more about what the RWA has been doing than gets reported in its newsletters and on its website. We are pleased that after last year’s unsearchable report, the RWA report is again available as a searchable PDF although the text versions of the first couple of years have not been produced. REDWatch has again produced a Text Version of Redfern-Waterloo Authority Annual Report 07-08  without the financial sections of the report. The links below feed to that text report.

The annual report includes background to the RWA and Redfern Waterloo. The Statement from the Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer provides and overview of the RWA’s activities and under the Redfern-Waterloo Plan there are reports on the component Built Environment Plan (BEP) , the Human Services Plan, and the Employment & Enterprise Plan. Each overview reports details of main focus of the plans, the significant achievements of the RWA, future key tasks and the composition of the relevant Ministerial Advisory Committee.  

The Annual Report also looks at various sites of “Redfern-Waterloo Renewal” including: Australian Technology Park (ATP), National Indigenous Development Centre, Residential Development, Community Health Centre, North Eveleigh Training Centre, North Eveleigh Concept Plan, Blacksmiths’ Workshop, Redfern/ Regent Streets Upgrade, and the Black Theatre Site. 

The RWA illustrated the Annual Report with photos and comments from a range of local people including: Sol Bellear: , Aunty Beryl Van-Oploo, Eric and Maria Papadopoulos, Pastor Ray Minniecon, Dixie Link Gordon, Harry Karabotsos, Maury Finkelstein, Mabel Chang, Rob Roberts and Tribal Warrior. We can also confirm that keeping his head down in Harry Karabotsos’ barber chair smiling to himself about what is going on around him is Aboriginal Artist Gordon Syron whose relationship with the RWA has been strained over the last few months.

One of the revelations of the RWA Annual Report is that in January 2008 Mr John Mulally was appointed to the RWA Board to replace Ms Jennifer Westacott. The RWA website removed Ms Westacott from the RWA Board listing on its website in early March 2008 but has still not added Mr Mulally to the website! If it were not for the Annual Report we would still not know of the appointment. You can read the profile of Mr Mulally and other RWA Board members under Board Member Profiles.

There has been a major change in Sponsorships and Grants reported in the Annual Report. In 2006-7 the RWA reported $827,166.25 in sponsorships and grants. Whereas in 2007-8 Sponsorships/Grants provided by the Redfern-Waterloo Authority only totalled $46,828.60. The largest grants in 2006-7 went to organisations delivering human services. In 2007-8 the largest grants were $10,472.00 to Ryans Cakes for funding for non woven recycle bags, $8000 for SDN Children’s Services for four Easy Cooking on Budget courses and $6010.55 for various Waterloo Storm sporting team sponsorships. Missing from the list this year is the funding the RWA allocates for its own Seniors Christmas Luncheon which presumably is covered in the RWA’s general accounts. Again the sponsorships and grants do not show up as a separate line item in the RWA Financial accounts and the structure of the accounts makes it impossible to see where funds have come from, or on what activities they have been expended. Of the Significant Achievements listed under the Human Services Plan only funding for “Easy Cooking on a Budget” is revealed in the Annual Report. The Appendices reveal that the Annual Report cost $49,478 for external production and printing up from $41,750 in the previous year. At least this year the binding has improved!

The Australian Technology Park Annual Report has also been produced but an electronic copy has not yet been posted on the ATP website at www.atp.com.au/dyncontent.cfm?MenuID=113.

December 2008 RWA Update

In the lead up to the opening of the markets at the Blacksmith Shop the RWA put out a Redfern Waterloo Update December 2008 (1.5MB PDF). In addition to details on the Traditional Christmas Farmers’ Market the newsletter covered Aunty Beryl and Mathew Cribb’s trip to Terra Madre (Mother Earth) in Turin Italy under Protecting traditional farming and cooking, as well as the Les Tobler Construction Centre refurbished – Koori Job Ready Course all on site, and Yaama Dhiyaan delivers unique learning experience. The Community Drug Action Team’s BBQs at Waterloo Green was covered, as was Redfern Karate Kids about support for a programme run at The Settlement. Other items included the Koori League Knockout, headspace Central Sydney – new care services for local youth, and Work underway on new National Indigenous Development Centre.

RWA Keeping Quite on North Eveleigh Modifications

When you question the RWA about its community consultation the response is that they do much more than the statutory requirements. As we have previously pointed out the RWA works on an “Exhibition is Consultation” model and they are perfectly correct when they say they do not have to put out Newsletters or hold sessions to explain their proposals during an exhibition. The RWA Preferred Project Report contains four pages detailing its activities around the exhibition of North Eveleigh Concept Plan. The problem is that the RWA does not encourage community involvement outside the exhibition period, neither before with the Ministerial Advisory Committee or afterwards in making available information about the modifications to the proposal.

Back in September the Built Environment Ministerial Advisory Committee was told that the summary of the main changes to the North Eveleigh Concept Plan would be advised through an RWA Update but this never happened. The December RWA Update makes no reference to the North Eveleigh Concept Plan or the changes that the RWA has made in its Preferred Project Report. The RWA’s changes were dated September 2008 and were posted on the Department of Planning’s Major Project register in October but a link from the RWA’s website to the report only went up on 5^th December 2008 following the issue being raised at the BEMAC meeting.

The problem for the RWA is that if it makes people aware of the Modified Plan before the Minister approves it any residents that are not happy with the revised plan might write to the Department of Planning, local member Carmel Tebbitt and RWA Minister Keneally and lobby for further changes. It is far better for the RWA to stay quiet until there has been a determination by the Minister on its modified proposal. After the determination they will still be able to say they have done much more to encourage community consultation than they were required to do!

If you have not yet seen the details of the modified proposal you can get details from our 11 November item RWA response to submissions & Preferred Project Report on North Eveleigh.

University to consult on Abercrombie Street Plan in New Year

Sydney University is aiming for a consultation with Darlington Residents in February 2009 about its proposed Abercrombie Street Precinct Concept Plan. The University plans to talk to residents prior to lodging its concept plan for the site bounded by Darlington School, Abercrombie, Coddrington and Darlington. We welcome the University’s decision to involve resident feedback early in the process. The University also hopes to have its 2020 MasterPlan up on its website in the new year and will be looking for community feedback. The community has earlier asked for dialogue with the University about how a better relationship can be buiolt between the university and the community but it is not yet clear who will have responsibility for such discussions under the new structure. We will explore this in the new year. Like the community, Sydney University is waiting for the Planning Minister’s decision on North Eveleigh. The University is keen to purchase the site and hopefully the NSW Government will be prepared to consider the University’s use rather than insist on standard commercial and residential uses.

Good turnout for RWA Christmas markets

The RWA Christmas markets were well supported with many people turning out to take a look and buy in the lead up to the Christmas. The RWA reported receiving lots of good feedback. Most people seemed to be walking to the site from around the area or from the station although local residents say that the area was parked out and that many were walking from cars parked around the area. Locals also say there were problems at the entrance to North Eveleigh as people tried to enter to park (see Bruce Lay’s letter below). The markets seemed to have had a big impact on the Darlington shops with café use and paper sales well down and little new passing trade.

The RWA propose to start weekly Farmer’s Markets between 8am and 1pm on the site from 28^th February 2009. It will be interesting to see the take up for the weekly farmers markets. There were certainly people who were delighted to be able to get salt bush lamb at Eveleigh but there were also people who turned up expecting to buy vegetables who did not because of the restricted range and high prices. Public housing tenants certainly won’t be coming down to buy their vegies if the prices do not improve in February. If this is not a target market then there will need to be a good supply of people with high disposable incomes looking for specialty items to make the market viable week after week.

This was the first market at the site so we should expect some teething problems and hopefully the RWA will have learned a lot from the initial experience. This was also a Christmas Market so you can not expect weekly farmers’ markets to look like the Christmas Market. The RWA is also planning Sunday markets from 9am – 2pm. Currently on the drawing board is a monthly artisan’s market with options for other Sunday markets being considered. In the week before the RWA markets CarriageWorks hosted the Finders Keepers craft market (see the SMH’s The needle and the homage done - welcome to the cool new world of craft) which reportedly was also well attended demonstrating good potential for an artisan’s market. Details of the RWA Eveleigh Farmers' and Artisans' Market can be found in this RWA media release or in this media report. Two reports on the markets can be found in Food Weeks Sydney’s newest farmers market kicks off and local resident Bruce Lay Letter on Eveleigh markets to Clover Moore. More information about the markets will be available in the lead up to 28^th February on www.eveleighmarkets.com.au

Community organisations interested in making use of the free community fund raising stall to be available at each market should contact Denny Hall at the RWA on 9202 9100.

Frasers Agree to CUB Site payment Schedule with RWA

One of the last things Robert Domm did as RWA CEO was to sign an agreement with Frasers for the payment of the Affordable Housing Contribution from the CUB site to the RWA. The agreement delivers $6 million a year for 5 years with a residue payment. While the RWA Legislation covered the requirement for the funds to come to the Redfern Waterloo Authority, the Voluntary Planning Agreement between Frasers and the RWA means the RWA will receive funds in a predicable manner irrespective of the pace of the Frasers development.

RailCorp CEO on record over Future of Large Erecting Shop

A former Eveleigh worker who has been lobbing about active rail heritage and tourism issues at Eveleigh received a letter dated 1^st December 2008 from Rob Mason CEO of RailCorp about the future of Eveleigh which is worth passing on. The full text can be seen at RailCorp: Large Erecting Shop retained for continuing rail heritage purposes. The key parts of the letter said:

“In progressing implementation of the Government's Sustainable Rail Heritage Asset Management Strategy, RailCorp has been reviewing options for a metropolitan heritage facility and has, with the concurrence of Redfern Waterloo Authority, factored in the Large Erecting Shop. This review has led to the RailCorp Board's recent endorsement of a plan for RailCorp to retain the building for rail heritage related uses.”

“RailCorp intends to use the Large Erecting Shop primarily to accommodate its heritage electric fleet, under the custodianship of the volunteer group Historic Electric Traction. RailCorp is also in discussion with 3801 Ltd about providing accommodation for that organisation's heritage train operations, which involve some items in the State's core heritage fleet, at the site.”

“As well, RailCorp is looking to provide some limited capability to undertake rolling stock restoration and skills training, in addition to a layover facility for heritage groups operating core fleet rolling stock.”

“RailCorp's plan for the Large Erecting Shop is consistent with the Friends of Eveleigh proposal that the workshop be retained for continuing rail heritage purposes. It is also part of a broader investment by the Government in both fixed and moveable State rail heritage assets across NSW.”

It is not often you see a Government Department claim their plans are consistent with those put up by one of the key bodies who have been lobbing for a policy change. We understand Friends of Eveleigh have written to Rob Mason to ensure he is fully across the FOE proposals that RailCorp are now supporting.

We understand that at the time of writing of the RailCorp letter that 3801 Ltd were still waiting on Office of Rail Heritage to initiate discussions regarding 3801 Ltd’s space requirements. This will be a key determining factor in how viable 3801 Ltd will be and if the Large will really stay a viable active rail heritage site rather than be a heritage storage facility. The Powerhouse has started moving their equipment out of the Large with steam crane 1082 being removed by road on 11^th December 2008. 3801 Ltd have offered space for the Powerhouse to store two of their engines at the Large as part of 3801 Ltd’s space allocation. Such an arrangement could help facilitate heritage trips from Sydney without the requirement for the engines to travel out of Sydney after each trip.

ATP 99 year lease and Heritage

It is still not clear what role the RWA will play in preparing the sale of a 99 year lease over the ATP, it is expected that there will also be involvement by Treasury and the State Property Authority in the planning for the sale. We are told that heritage concerns, such as those covered in the South Sydney Herald article Privatisation plans raise heritage fears, can be covered in the lease agreement. The question is will they be adequately covered and how do we know they will be. According to Carolyn Cummins, the Commercial Property Editor of the Sydney Morning Herald in New property star on horizon there should be good demand for the site, but with $60 billion of property developments put on hold this is may not be the best time to sell the ATP lease. The need for treasury to bring in funds ASAP will need to be weighted against the fact that a delayed sale will almost certainly achieve a higher price especially if it is delayed until the Channel 7 building is completed and populated.

In the lead up to the ATP lease discussions we have assembled a list of some of the key documents relating to the earlier development approvals for the Eveleigh Railyards. This includes the heritage provisions applied in the establishment of the ATP that would need to be covered adequately in the lease. You can see these on the REDWatch website at Historical Material on the Eveleigh Railyard Re-development. Some of these documents are already held by REDWatch and if you have copies of any others that may be of interest please contact mail@redwatch.org.au .

Finally a video from the Blacksmith Open day has been put up on Youtube you can see it at Blacksmith Open Day at Eveleigh 2008 Video

Council Moving towards a Redfern Street Centre

The City of Sydney has purchased the former Disability Services building at 107 Redfern Street from businessman Peter Holmes a Court for approximately $3 million. The building is between the old Redfern Court House building which will become the Redfern Community Health Centre and the Aboriginal Medical Service. The story initially broke in the SMH’s Moore's donor vote broke council code but Council has subsequently confirmed the purchase and indicated that it proposes to develop the site as a centre for Council activities in Redfern. It could for example house a multi-purpose facility including a library, part of the Eora Journey, a council one stop shop or other community facilities outlined in the CoS 2030 proposal for a community hub. Council staff say there will be extensive consultations with the community about the future use of the building.

The purchase is consistent with the council’s 2030 strategy for a series of local centres or hubs throughout the city. The Redfern Street “hub” would cover an area roughly defined by a 800m radius from the corner of Redfern and Regent Streets. It would take in Redfern down to Elizabeth Street and Redfern Oval, North Western Waterloo and Alexandria down to Alexandria Park, Eveleigh, Darlington and Chippendale. We understand that Council is moving towards Community Forums based on these new areas. Surrounding centres would be King Street Newtown, Green Square and Crown Street. For Redfern Waterloo the new “hub” will bring West Redfern and Darlington into the same area as the western part of Redfern, Waterloo and Eveleigh. Previously the area to the west of the railway line was part of a CoS region that went from Broadway to Erskineville.

In other Council news covering the area CoS has been taking feedback on its plans for Charles Kernan Reserve Darlington Design Plans. The upgrade of the South Sydney Youth Service premises has been given the green light (see Clovers eNews of 14^th Nov Waterloo Youth Facility Refurbishment and Central’s Demand for Drug Support). Finally it was with some concern that we read the City News article titled Council reluctant to expand free shuttle service. This service has been very successful and there is a demand for the service to be expanded. Council needs to work with Housing NSW and the state government to come up with a way in which the demonstrated need for the service can be met. It is only when public transport that links communities to the services that they need is available that will it become feasible for those with cars to get rid of them and for those without their own vehicle to be able to readily access all the services in their community that they need.

Souths Leagues’ Club to Include a new IGA Supermarket

South’s Leagues Club has revealed the supermarket to be included in the club’s refurbishment will be an IGA Supermarket. Souths say it has tenants lined up for the building when it opens. In addition to running the café on Redfern Park, Souths is also looking for a ‘Signature Chef’ as part of their plan to attract people to the area for functions and good dining at the renovated Club.

In the meantime Souths Football Club has returned to Redfern Oval to train and this was reported in Tears as Mario Fenech, Craig Coleman return to Redfern. In other club news South’s co-owner called for greater support for the football club in Rabbitohs can't always rely on me: Crowe and the community response was reported in Souths' fans stick with Crowe.

City of Sydney Council Appoints Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Panel

On 2 June 2008, Council resolved to establish an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Panel and to ratify the community membership following the nomination process. The Panel arose as a suggestion from the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community during Sustainable Sydney 2030 consultations, as a more formal process to improve the dialogue between Coucil and the Aboriginal community.

At the council meeting on 15^th December 2008 CoS formalised the appointment, for a period of one year, of its first Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Panel. The appointment came following expressions of interest and selection process. Millie Ingram and Don Clarke were appointed to the two elder positions with Adam Ridgeway and Adina Silva Duncan appointed as the youth (under 25s) representatives. The remaining seven community representatives were filled by Bronwyn Bancroft, Larissa Behrendt, Fay Carroll, Kay Dundas, Sara Hamilton, Dillon Kombumerri and Shireen Malamoo.

The remainder of the committee will be made up of one Councillor (Marcelle Hoff with Irene Dountney as alternate) and three City of Sydney officers (the Aboriginal Community Development Officer, Community Living Director, and Manager Social Policy and Community Support). The Panel will be co-chaired by the CoS Councillor, with an Aboriginal co-chair to be elected by the Panel members at the inaugural meeting.

Twenty nine eligible nominations were received for the panel and the selection process sought a balance of skills in governance, arts and culture, research, business and enterprise, community, government experience, etc. While only eleven nominations were accepted for the panel the remainder form an eligibility list for the Panel in case any of the original eleven are unable to take up the offer, or to continue the full term; and the remainder will also be asked if they would be available to take part in working groups.

Overcoming Indigenous Disadvantage in NSW Final Report

The NSW Legislative Council Standing Committee on Social Issues has handed down its Final Report on Overcoming Indigenous Disadvantage in New South Wales. You can download the Overcoming Indigenous disadvantage in New South Wales Final Report (989Kb PDF) and Overcoming Indigenous disadvantage in New South Wales Recommendations (110Kb PDF) from the Inquiry Website. Of interest to people in Redfern Waterloo will be a Redfern/Waterloo Case Study on the Needle Exchange in Redfern. The report says:

”The need to improve communication between government and Aboriginal communities has been starkly apparent throughout the whole of this Inquiry, and is evident in the example of previous recommendations relating to the Needle Exchange in Redfern. This need is addressed in this report through recommendations strengthening partnership and consultation between government and Aboriginal communities”

“Strengthening partnership and consultation between government and Aboriginal communities” was expected to be one of the outcomes of the recommendations of the 2004 Inquiry into Redfern/Waterloo of which the recommendations on the Needle Bus were just one of the many recommendations that many argue were not implemented. Hopefully the NSW Government will take the latest recommendations more seriously.

One of the recommendations from the Inquiry is “That the NSW Government require government departments and agencies involved in the delivery of services to Aboriginal communities to use the representative structures established by the Department of Aboriginal Affairs’ Two Ways Together Partnership Community Engagement strategy to conduct their business”. According to the last page of the Two Ways Together brochure in Redfern the partnership community operates “through the Redfern-Waterloo Authority”. We understand that this mechanism was the focus of some questions at the last DAA consultation in Redfern.

Debate about the Aboriginal Children’s Service

The Aboriginal Children’s Service has no been funded this financial year. The Australian has run a large story about the ACS providing perspectives from DOCS and the ACS about the service. You can see the Australian’s story in Disservice to children.

The Factory Secures Housing Communities Program (HCP) Funding

The Factory Community Centre has been successful in re-securing the tender to continue auspicing the new HCP Programme (formerly HCAP) for Waterloo and Redfern Area funded by Housing NSW. The project has been  funded for the next two and a half years. This means that Michael Shreenan will continue as the Redfern Waterloo Community Development Worker.

Improving Action on Issues facing Public Housing Tenants

City of Sydney Council has started community forums for public housing tenants Redfern and Waterloo. Forums in other parts of CoS have been operated by Clover Moore as the local MP and Mayor whereas Redfern and Waterloo are in Kristina Keneally’s seat of Heffron so this model was not workable. As a result there have not been forums where feedback has fed into council until the recent forums. The council interest was welcomed but there is a need for serious thought to be given to how consultations with public housing residents can be organised so that residents can get their issues addressed irrespective of which part of government is responsible for addressing their particular issue. The Redfern meeting went off well even if City News wrote it up as Residents says public housing is bedlam.

The Waterloo meeting was very disappointing with the Lord Mayor being absent, the police not sending a senior officer and the new Housing NSW representative not having the back up information available to her to be able to answer the questions. Ongoing issues about Waterloo Green were high on the agenda of those attending and we are told there was a strong feeling the problems were not being addressed. The RWA Annual Report lists the development of the Waterloo Green Action Plan as one of the RWA’s human services achievements for the year. There is a need for all parties to get around the table, stop blame shifting and start to address the complex issues surrounding Waterloo Green. This should involve CoS, the local member, police, Housing NSW, the RWA and other relevant government departments. All need to work with Waterloo tenants to address residents’ issues. A new model for working with the community has being put forward by public tenants in Waterloo to the various parties, hopefully it will be supported and see the issues addressed.

Some people thought the CoS / RWA proposal for a dry centre might help address some of the street drinker issues in the area including those in Waterloo Green. We understand however that the Human Services MAC was advised that the Federal Government would not be funding the dry centre proposal arguing that they already provide funding for services for this target group in the area.

Green Public Housing for Redfern

The Sydney Morning Herald in Redfern pilot tailored to cut energy needs has provided some additional information about the "Green Star" national standard for energy-efficient residential buildings being planned for re-developed public housing in Redfern. According to the article the new housing at Redfern will have gas-boosted solar hot water, water-saving shower heads, rainwater tanks to supply water for washing clothes and flushing toilets, native landscaping and water recycling for gardens. There will also be cross-ventilation within residences, insulation and thermal materials that act to reduce energy costs year-round. Redfern is one of six residential pilots under way nationally according to the article.

Green Square Developers Appointed

Mirvac/Leighton Properties has been selected to partner with Landcom to deliver the first phase of the $1.7 billion Green Square Town Centre reports the media release Next Step taken on $1.7 Billion Green Square Town Centre from Minister for Planning Kristina Keneally. The story was picked up by the SMH property editor in Engines started on Green Square.

RLC launch Activists Rights Manual

To help activists in NSW to exercise their rights and avoid unnecessary problems with police, Redfern Legal Centre has produced the Activist Rights Manual, an online guide to the art of peaceful protest, written by Dale Mills and funded by the Law and Justice Foundation. The online guide can be found at www.activistrightsmanual.com. It is intended for a non-legal audience, yet it should also be of assistance to lawyers who have an interest in this area of law. One strength of the Manual is that it will be continually updated for at least the next three years as legal changes occur. It will also collect information from activists about what happens in reality. This will include sentences received as they are handed down by the courts. The manual was launched on 10^th December by 1970s activist, Meredith Burgmann. In other Activating Human Rights activities Redfern Legal Centre also celebrated the 60^th Anniversary of International Human Rights Day by distributing fortune cookies containing information from the International Charter on Human Rights within the cookies.

Redfern In the Police Media rightly or wrongly?

It is difficult to shed the bad image Redfern has in the media. Through the media monitoring we do for the REDWatch website it is clear that there are many more positive stories about the area than negative stories. One of the media perceptions of Redfern is of the high level of crime in the area. The police tell us that the level of crime continues to drop but the perception of crime in the area persists. We suggested a couple of years ago that one thing that could be done to overcome this perception was to change the name of the Police Local Area Command. This week there was a police story that highlights the problem.

The story was put out by Police media with the headline Man charged over serious drug matters - Redfern and was initially run unedited with a note that “Inquiries into the matter continue” by the Courier’s Central with the headline ‘Redfern drug arrest’. The story covers an arrest, made by the Surry Hills Proactive Team, of a man in Eve Street Erskineville who was then taken Redfern Police Station. There was a subsequent search of a property which we are advised was also in Erskineville. We have taken the issue up with the Central and we are pleased to see that in an update of the story on their website they have now changed the headline to Erskineville drug arrests but you can still see the original name in the story URL.

The only Redfern connection to the story was the name of the Local Area Command. The LAC covers Chippendale, Darlington, Eveleigh, Erskineville, Alexandria, Beaconsfield, Rosebery, Zetland and Waterloo as well as Redfern - the entire area from Broadway and Cleveland St in the north, west down along the railway line to Sydney Park and Gardeners Road in the south and to South Dowling St in the east. If the LAC was called say “Inner Southern” then the word Redfern would never have appeared in the story at all.

In our earlier discussions on this topic with then LAC Comander Catherine Burn we found there was a reluctance to consider changing the name of the LAC and a certain pride among police about serving in Redfern. Stories like the one we have just discussed often arise and Redfern’s media association with crime would be lessened if such a LAC name change took place. In the meantime we suggest that police media should assign stories to the suburb in which they occur rather than to the broader LAC. Journalists and editors should consider if the headline matches the fact contained in the story.

As a counter point on Redfern’s law and order image, we should acknowledge the appointment to the High Court bench of Justice Virginia Bell who’s career began 30 years ago at the Redfern Legal Service - Justice Kirby to be replaced by NSW judge reported the ABC.

In other Redfern stories the media release Coloured Digger Project Thanks Damien Minton Gallery covers a cheque presentation for $4,000.00 to the Coloured Digger Project Steering Committee and the WordUP! Book Launch media release covered the wordUP! literacy program recently run at The Yurungai Learning Centre in Waterloo. In addition to the SSH articles below other Redfern Waterloo media stories included the Telegraph’s Torn between two States covering actor Luke Ford at the Actor's Pulse studio in Redfern, where he studied and still teaches when the opportunity arises. December 1 saw Waterloo’s Cauliflower Hotel celebrate its 170th birthday which was reported in Pub with Dark Past Celebrates 170th Birthday. The recent protests about the Northern Territory was covered in Redfern protest attacks intervention.

South Sydney Herald December 2008

You can download the entire copy of the South Sydney Herald for December 2008 (3.2 MB PDF). Articles from the December 2008 issue of the South Sydney Herald that relate to Redfern Waterloo have been placed on the REDWatch website and include Leasing ATP – Heritage Lost? about the NSW mini-budget decision to sell a 99 year lease over the ATP and Brendan Nelson on Bill Crews Redfern tutorial centre in Setting kids up for success. The South Sydney Uniting Church community garden is covered in “It is a radical act to garden …” , the Waterloo Recycling Workshop (WRW) gets a run in Cycling, recycling as does South Sydney Community Aid in Community aid, thanks to volunteers. The SSH also reports on an inspection of Waterloo’s Solander building in Tenants left in the dark as well they report on responses from the NSW Housing Minister in Questions to the Housing NSW Minister. 

In other stories the SSH covered Notre Dame’s expansion plans in Chippendale, Café owners stung by new Council fees, the problems facing Darlington-based Interprojects in Bust or boom, businesses adapt and the opening of sustainability practice Resource 88 in Sustaining business in Redfern. They also reported in The future and the past at Souths Leagues that South Sydney Junior Rugby League Club are looking to locate ‘N Grade’ Grand Final, Redfern Oval, 1976 players Jimmy Monta (La Perouse) and Brad Downes (Mascot Juniors). Other stories included Coloured Digger Project thanks Damien Minton Gallery, Studio for artists and passers-by about Shopfront Studio in Redfern Street, Works on film, online - Artist Profile: Curious Works, and Redfern artist Adam Hills exhibition in “One placard in a picket line of urban Indigenous activism” . In the fast news Trevor Davies reflects on Something about homeless people that makes some people feel uncomfortable and asks Do we need an International Year of the Disabled 2010? On the broader city canvas the SSH reports on the changes to poster laws in the City of Sydney in Ban on bill posters an “attack on free speech” .

UTS Shopfront – Deadline for New Projects 30 January 2009

The deadline for UTS Shopfront projects for Semester One is 30 January 2009. You can see past projects at http://datasearch2.uts.edu.au/shopfront/projects/completed/index.cfm.

UTS Shopfront are also associated with a new refereed Journal, Gateways: International Journal of Community Research and Engagement which covers Interactions between universities, the community sector and public policy. You can see the first issue here.

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 - Charles Kernan Reserve Renewal - Community feedback, until Friday 12 December.
• CoS - Missenden Road Cycleway - Community feedback, until 6 February.
• Sydney University expect to Consult on Abercrombie Street Major Project Application in February 2009.
• CoS - DA Notifications by Suburb View as Map
• CoS - Free Home Composting & Worm Farming Workshops - Book online.