I would
firstly like to thank everyone who has supported me and given me the
opportunity to be the co-spokesperson for REDWatch. I am very passionate about
the local community, with being involved and learning more about it.
This year has
been the year of released plans and options with a lot of information for
everyone in the community to get their heads around. We have seen changes to
the Redfern Train Station with the upgrades to the concourse but still no clear
plans to make it accessible for the platforms or to handle the growing number
of people using the station each day. The Australian Technology Park (ATP) has
seen the building starting here for the new Commonwealth Bank offices and the
plans for the redevelopment of The Locomotive Workshop, which raises heritage issues.
The plans for
the Waterloo Metro quarter have been released by Sydney Metro with little
detail and no shadow diagrams. Some shadow diagrams created by the Future
Method Studio created a stir giving us some understanding of the impact of the
proposed heights on the surrounding buildings. The options for Waterloo Estate
re-development have been released in outline with very little detail, which has
caused confusion and frustration through our communities. You can see a full
list of the sessions REDWatch has run this year at the foot of this report.
REDWatch has
continued to work with other agencies especially through Groundswell to
encourage transparency in the Waterloo Master Planning process and to try to
ensure the best engagement processes and outcome for the community. REDWatch forums
have tried to compliment the Waterloo Capacity Building sessions rather than
repeat what others have been doing. We have participated in the Waterloo
Redevelopment Group meetings with Waterloo tenants raising issues as necessary.
As REDWatch is not funded, we have the ability to talk more frankly sometimes
than others are able to in discussions with Government.
Human Services
continue to be a major focus for REDWatch working with Counterpoint and Inner
Sydney Voice. Last year we received agreement that there would be a human
services plan to sit alongside the built environment plan for Waterloo. The
struggle in the coming year is to get a plan that will make a difference. Early
this year REDWatch produced a summary of the human services interventions that
have taken place in Redfern and Waterloo since 2003 – you can see it on the
REDWatch website. It shows all the human service plans and interventions undertaken
that have gone nowhere and to pose the question: “what will this plan do
differently so that it actually delivers?”
REDWatch is resisting
the push to create an exhaustive plan that goes into every conceivable issue
that needs to be responded to. Instead, we are pushing for a mechanism that
will start to tackle a few systemic issues which, if they are addressed, will
make a significant difference to public tenants. We have been working with LAHC
and FACS Region on this. Time will tell if we succeed in getting the outcome we
are seeking.
REDWatch has
also continued to work with Sydney Local Health District (SLHD) in a second
string to the human services bow. This has seen REDWatch co-sponsoring two
health forums and participating in planning for a Waterloo Health Impact
Assessment with SLHD.
REDWatch has
continued to update the website, although as time goes on social media on
Facebook plays a more important role complimenting the emails that we put out
to keep the community updated on the latest news around sites like the ATP and
the Redfern and Waterloo redevelopments. We also continue to assist
journalists, students and researchers, as we are able to help people get a
better understanding of the issues of concern to residents.
REDWatch
members have been very active throughout the community attending other
community meetings such as the recent Jenny Leong MP meeting on Darlington/Redfern/Eveleigh/Waterloo
and Clover Moore’s meeting on Waterloo. We have also spoken during the year to
planning and student groups.
I would like
to thank those who have served on the Co-ord group over the past with me and
Geoff Turnbull, my other Co-Spokesperson. Jenny Sams has served as Secretary,
Zoe Dunford as Treasurer, Michael Shreenan as Convenor, Jose Perez as public
officer along with Damien Minton as a Co-ord member. We have run with a couple
of vacancies on the Co-ord this year and I would encourage our members to
consider stepping forward to help organise the program and activities that
REDWatch undertakes.
It is
pleasing to see REDWatch still in existence 15 years down the track, still
implementing the charter that was put together in 2004 when it was founded.
With much remaining to be done we hope that REDWatch will continue to bring in
new people to stand up for the community into the future.
This year we
have had the passing of a long term REDWatch member; Irene Doutney. She was an
amazing part of the community and gave so much to REDWatch, other organisations
and the community. Irene was a very active tenant voice in 2011-12 when the RWA
and HNSW put up their previous plans to redevelop the Redfern and Waterloo
public housing estates. She is sadly missed. Vale Irene Doutney.
REDWatch Meeting
Activities since July 2018:
- July 5 2018 – Open Mic night
- August 2 2018 – Build to Rent vs Build to Sell
- September 6 2018 – LAHC – Waterloo Estate Options
Explained - October 4 2018 – REDWatch 15 year celebration and
AGM - November 1 2018 – Workshop on Waterloo Estate
Options - December 6 2018 – UrbanGrowth and Sydney Metro on Metro
Quarter SSP and SSDA exhibitions. Followed by the REDWatch end of year get
together - February 7 2019 – LAHC explains Waterloo Estate
Preferred Option - March 7 2019 – Meet the State Candidates Election
Forums – Newtown - March 13 2019 Meet the State Candidates Election
Forums – Heffron - April 10 2019 – Federal Candidates Forum for Seat of Sydney –
7pm Wed 10th April - May 2 2019 – BEYOND BRICKS & MORTAR POSTER – A
meal and talk with Professor Jim Ife - June 6 2019 –TfNSW – Redfern Station is
accessibility finally here? - July 4 2019 – Redfern Station update and discussion
of response - August 1 2019 – LAHC “Build to Rent” and Redfern
Station update - September 5 2019 – Improve how Health works for you
and the broader services system - October 3 2019 – AGM –City of Sydney’s strategic
planning
Alice
Anderson Co-Spokesperson