The Greens NSW will
tomorrow launch a petition calling on the Redfern Waterloo Authority (RWA) and
Minister Frank Sartor to make public its plans for public housing in
Redfern-Waterloo.
Greens Upper House
Member Sylvia Hale said “Public housing residents in Redfern and Waterloo need to be told
the truth.
“Despite
announcing its intention to redevelop public housing in the area two years ago
we are yet to see the plans. It is intolerable that residents are not being
told what will happen to their homes.
“Residents are
already aware of the mess made by the Government in redevelopments at Minto and
Dubbo. Residents need to be assured they will have the right to stay in their
community, both in the long term and the during redevelopment” said Greens
candidate for Heffron, Ben Spies-Butcher.
Local public
housing tenant, Irene Doutney, supports the call for certainty.
“To live in public housing is to live in fear and insecurity with
constant rumours of building sales and relocation. Since the establishment of
the RWA, with their much publicised redevelopment plans these fears have greatly increased,” said Ms Doutney.
“The Government’s plans for the area will greatly add to the pressure
of gentrification, which will disadvantage the poorest members of our
community.”
Activist Jack Mundey, who worked with residents as a Builders Labourer
to protect public housing in the inner city will help launch the petition.
“It is sad to see that 30 years after the Green Bans we are still
fighting to protect public housing from Governments committed to privatization
and gentrification” said Mr Mundey
For more information: Ben Spies-Butcher 0414 744 758
Uncertainty
for Public Housing Tenants
Redfern Waterloo Authority
The Redfern Waterloo Authority (RWA) was
established in 2005, under an act passed in 2004. The Authority is overseen by
the Minister for Redfern Waterloo, Frank Sator, who is also the Minister for
Planning. The RWA is responsible for the redevelopment of the suburbs of
Redfern, Eveleigh, Darlington and Waterloo.
The area has a high concentration of public land and public housing. Under the
Redfern Waterloo Act, the RWA has the power to take planning controls off the
City of Sydney Council
and to effectively propose, approve and oversee its own development plans for
public housing.
The RWA is self-financing, effectively using
revenue from rent and sale of public land to fund operational costs as well as
redevelopment. Much of the redevelopment undertaken by the RWA will be directed
towards general state infrastructure projects, such as the redevelopment of
Redfern Station to allow for disability access. No other community is force to
fund station upgrades through the sale of public land.
Redevelopment already on the
cards
Privatisation and redevelopment of public housing
has already begun. In 2002 plans to redevelop public housing in Elizabeth and
Walker Streets along with redevelopments in other suburbs including the
Erskineville Estate were announced in the local paper, much to the surprise of
residents. Erskineville Estate was eventually saved after a concerted community
campaign. Some individual houses have already been sold in Redfern, the larger
redevelopment has stalled due to a lack of developer interest. More recently
plans to include the PCYC into the redevelopment of public housing promised to
kick-start the process, although this is now also in doubt. When the
redevelopment does occur it is essential that residents have the right to
remain in the community, something that is far from clear at this stage.
Built Environment Plan
The RWA has divided its plans for redevelopment
into three areas – a Built Environment Plan (BEP), a Human Services Plan (HSP)
and an Employment and Enterprise Plan (EEP). A draft of Stage One of the BEP
was released in February 2006, and the Final BEP (Stage One) was released in
August 2006. The Final Plan sort the privatisation of Redfern
Public School and Rachel Foster
Hospital, lowered the
residential floor space ration on the Block, effectively preventing plans by
the Aboriginal Housing Company to build an Indigenous housing community and
provided for buildings up to 18 storeys between Regent and Gibbons Sts.
The RWA has signalled that it will announce plans
for public housing in Stage Two of the BEP, which is yet to be released. It
needs provide residents with assurances over maintaining stock, ensuring the
right to remain in the community and ensuring adequate services.
Affordable
Housing
The
RWA has announced some plans for affordable housing in the area covered by
Stage One of the BEP. However, at 1.25%, the amount of affordable housing is
well short of what is expected in the surrounding area. The RWA claims this
will be supplemented by contributions from the CUB site, but this effectively
reduces the total amount of affordable housing produced from the two
developments.