NSW
government Minister Frank Sartor today announced that he intends to rezone
Aboriginal owned land in Redfern to mixed-use to stop the AHC’s long standing
plans to build 62 Aboriginal homes on the Block.
“This
is a disgraceful betrayal of Aboriginal people by the NS W Government”
said Michael Mundine CEO of the Aboriginal Housing Company (AHC), “what do
you expect from a Minister like Frank Sartor?”
The NSW
government has taken an aggressive approach, pressuring the AHC to dominate the
land, intended for affordable housing, with commercial buildings.
“This
makes a mockery of land ownership in NSW. What’s the value of owning land if
the NSW government can change the planning rules anytime to suit their own
agenda?” said Mr Mundine.
The zoning
changes dash any hopes for affordable homeownership for Aboriginal families on
the Block.
“The
Block is the first urban land handed back by the Commonwealth government. The
NSW government doesn’t understand that the Block represents a beacon of hope
for the next generation. Sartor’s plan will destroy five years of hard work by
the Aboriginal community” said Mr Mundine.
“They want
to stop us from living on our own land, however, we are determined to fight to
the end to deliver our commitment to provide 62 homes on the Block”
These
zoning changes represent a big win to the developers and the NS W government
that will cash in on the sale of Redfern’s assets.