REDWatch
normally meets at 6 pm on the first Thursday of the month at the Factory. These
monthly meetings focus on a key challenge or issue facing the local community.
REDWatch meetings are open to everyone, as is membership of the incorporated
association that organises its activities.
REDWatch
had another year of strong action and advocacy. We have successfully be able to
take our monthly meetings online with COVID-19 and have also held some hybrid
meetings for those that have difficulty getting on line.
REDWatch
is represented on a number regular meetings in our community including, The
Redfern Waterloo Agency Coalition, Waterloo Redevelopment Group, The South
Eveleigh Community Liaison Group, the South Eveleigh Advisory Panel and in
South Eveleigh heritage stakeholder meetings. REDWatch has also participated in
a number of Transport for NSW consultations around Redfern Station and North
Eveleigh in the last year.
REDWatch
worked with residents in Little Eveleigh Street and an architect to formulate a
community proposal for the Redfern Station Southern Concourse that addressed
connectivity and amenity concerns not addressed by TfNSW.
REDWatch
continues to work closely with Counterpoint Community Services and Inner Sydney
Voice, as part of Groundswell, on issues related to the redevelopment of LAHC
properties in the area. A Waterloo Human Service Plan has been a major focus of
this work involving meetings with Land and Housing Corporation (LAHC),
Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ) and Sydney Local Health District
(SLHD).
This
year has also seen more work with the City of Sydney Council to ensure maximum
opportunities for public housing tenants to participate in decisions about
their community. As we head into our AGM we also supporting an Aboriginal
Affordable Housing Campaign being led by local Aboriginal Controlled
organisations – something we have been pushing for a long time.
As
a group, we continually look at how to listen to and engage with our diverse
community as well as with government.
REDWatch
emails, and the use of the REDWatch website to make material publically
available, have continued to be important activity this year as we try and make
decisions about our area more transparent.
List of meetings this year:
- July
2019 – Update on Redfern Station and other issues - August 2019 – “Build
to Rent” and Redfern Station - September
2019 – Shane Brown Healthy Living Link Worker role - October 2019 – Council Planning for
Growth: what does it mean for Redfern and Waterloo? and AGM - November
2019 – Resident and Community Groups Networking - December
2019 – REDWatch End of Year Social at Tutor - February
2020 – a roundtable on the inequality of climate change - March
2020 – Waterloo & Redfern Redevelopments – What is going on? - April
2020 – online meeting COVID-19 local responses in our community - May
2020 – online meeting – The Financial Impact on People REDWatch Online Meeting on the Financial
Impact of Covid-19 - June
2020 – A Tale of Two Stations (Redfern and Waterloo) - 18
June Snap Waterloo Metro Integrated Station Development Consultation – REDWatch - July
2020- Council and LAHC present on Waterloo and Redfern - August
2020 – Where is the Waterloo Human Services Plan? - September
2020 – The Future of Eveleigh (ATP, Carriageworks and Transport for NSW) - October
2020 – AGM & What is Community Development.
REDWatch
coordination group also meet monthly to resource and coordinate our activities. Our office bearers meet other community
groups, local decision-makers, elected officials and make written submissions
and media statements on a diverse range of issues.
REDWatch
has a strong history of providing a place for people from across the community
to come together to discuss the issues, receive information and creating space
for collective actions. We will build on
this and we thank everyone for his or her continued support.
Alice Anderson (Co-spokesperson) on
behalf of the Co-ord Group