The NSW Government
has announced a major new public housing redevelopment at Elizabeth Street,
Redfern. The $27 million, 106 dwelling project will include 40 terraced houses
with backyards for families, medium density units and custom-made apartments
for the elderly. There will also be common recreation and green areas and
environmentally sustainable initiatives such as water tanks and energy saving
measures.

The new public housing will replace the older style
apartments which were built in 1953. “The new designs are modern, eco-friendly,
sustainable and attractive. We’re honouring our commitment to improving social
housing,” said Matt Brown MP, Minister for Housing.

All existing residents will be offered alternative housing
in the area and will have the option of returning to housing appropriate to
their needs in the new accommodation.

The Redfern-Waterloo Authority has welcomed the
Department’s significant investment in revitalising public housing. The area’s
social mix will also be enhanced by the sale of adjoining Department land for
the development of 158 new private dwellings. The proceeds of the sale will
contribute towards the cost of the new public housing.

A development application is to be lodged with the City of
Sydney and the
18-month construction period is expected to commence in early 2008.

Diagram: Artist’s impression of the new public housing in Elizabeth
Street, Redfern.

NORTH EVELEIGH RENEWAL

Community markets to open by April 2008

The
Redfern-Waterloo Authority has lodged a development application for the $2.9
million refurbishment and adaptive reuse of North Eveleigh’s
heritage Blacksmiths Workshop to create a new multi-purpose community market,
arts space and small car park. The proposed 109-stall undercover community
market is scheduled to commence operation by Easter 2008, with additional open
air market capacity at the nearby former rail traverser. Significant local
employment is expected to be created by the exciting development of a
flourishing food, produce and arts and craft market, commencing initially on a
Saturday and Sunday basis.

The new weekend markets will operate alongside the
recently-developed $40 million CarriageWorks
contemporary performing arts space and the RWA’s Yaama Dhinawan Indigenous
college/cafe, which is likely to transform the formerly dilapidated industrial
site into an iconic community, cultural and culinary destination for
surrounding residents.

The Blacksmiths Workshop: the current site where the new
community markets are proposed.

Eveleigh Heritage Walk

The precinct will
also get a major boost when the RWA’s Eveleigh Heritage Walk is completed in
about 2 years’ time. The $6 million Heritage Walk will be a pedestrian/cycle
bridge linking Wilson Street,
Darlington and North Eveleigh with the Australian Technology
Park and suburbs beyond,
and will provide a magnificent aerial perspective of the rail history of the
Eveleigh site as pedestrians walk between the northern and southern sides of
the rail corridor. The bridge will also play a significant role in facilitating
the research and innovation zone connecting the University
of Sydney with the Australian Technology
Park.

The RWA has lodged a preliminary environmental assessment
with the Minister for Planning for the pedestrian/cycle bridge and has just
completed a tender process for the design consortia.

Construction training commences at Yaama

The RWA’s Yaama Dhinawan
Training College
is a hive of activity as the first 8 week Koori Job
Ready course commenced on 30 April 2007. 15 Indigenous students are engaged in
construction industry training in the first of what will be three courses for
this year. Upon successfully completing the course, the graduates are expected
to be offered employment under the RWA’s Indigenous Employment Model on various
Redfern-Waterloo building projects.

Meanwhile, the hospitality industry training is now into
its third course, with 15 Indigenous students expected to graduate on 8 June. A
further 3 courses in hospitality industry training will be run out of Yaama
Dhinawan this year. Significant on-the-job training and employment
opportunities are also expected when the RWA commences operation this year of a
commercial café from the building, subject to development approval.

Photo: Participants and staff on the Koori Job Ready course at North
Eveleigh.

Future development of surplus lands

The RWA is working closely with State Rail and RailCorp on
the preparation of surplus North Eveleigh
lands for sale. The first stage is expected to be the marketing of the western
end of the 10.5 hectare site in early 2008 for future residential development.
Proceeds from this sale will be committed towards preparing the remainder of
the site

for disposal and development in accordance with the
planning vision developed by the RWA under the Built Environment Plan. Residual
proceeds from the completed sale process are expected to be committed towards
the future provision of essential public infrastructure in Redfern-Waterloo.

BUSINESS AND DEVELOPMENT GROWTH

Sponsorship for Tribal Warrior Association

The RWA has stepped
up its business support for the Tribal Warrior Association’s Indigenous harbour
cruise enterprise with a $40,000 sponsorship deal over two years. The
sponsorship will assist Tribal Warrior in establishing and growing its business
in the highly competitive Sydney
Harbour cruise market.
Tribal Warrior operates two vessels and is based at Lawson Street Redfern. The not-for-profit
organisation provides training, employment and life opportunities for
unemployed Aboriginal people as well as assistance to needy Aboriginal
families.

Tribal Warrior has stated it “is appreciative of the
support RWA has provided to the Association and its efforts in promoting the
overall advancement of Aboriginal people under the RWA’s urban renewal
charter.”

Photo: Tribal Warrior vessels sailing on Sydney Harbour.

Australian Technology
Park keeps growing

The RWA’s $47
million development of an 11,000 m2 research building at the ATP remains on
track for completion at the end of this year. The building will house about 600
employees from National Information Communication Technology Australia
(NICTA) and the Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO). Upon
completion, it will be the first building to have been developed at the ATP in
more than six years.

In other ATP development news, the RWA’s $6.5 million
roads and infrastructure project, including a new road entrance from Henderson Road, is
scheduled for completion in August this year. Preliminary archaeological works
have also been conducted for the $123 million private sector development to
house Channel 7, Pacific Magazines and other media players – which on
completion will create about 2000 new jobs in Redfern.

Illustration: An artist’s impression of the Seven Network
building on the western side of the Australian
Technology Park.

TRAINING AND EMPLOYMENT SUCCESS

Indigenous jobs initiative goes from strength to
strength

The success of the
RWA’s groundbreaking Indigenous Employment Model continues as other sectors of
Government are now using it to employ Aboriginal people on their construction
projects.

The City of Sydney is to be
congratulated for working with the RWA to employ Aboriginal apprentices and
trainees on its Redfern and Regent
Street upgrade and the Redfern Park
redevelopment. The contractor, Ford Civil, has created seven apprenticeships,
traineeships and labouring positions specifically for Aboriginal people. The
RWA has worked closely with Ford Civil and My Gateway to find suitable people
to fill these positions. Once in the job, the RWA mentors the employees,
visiting them and their bosses at the workplace on a weekly basis. The City
recently pronounced the RWA’s initiative to be a success.

The Commonwealth Government, through the Indigenous Land
Corporation, is working with the RWA to employ 7 Aboriginal people for the
construction work on the Black Theatre site on Cope Street. The Indigenous Employment
Model will also be used to employ 20 Aboriginal people for the construction of
the National Indigenous Development Centre on the site of the former Redfern Public School.

Other State Government agencies are expected to use the
RWA’s assistance, including the Departments of Commerce and Housing, and the
Transport, Infrastructure and Development Corporation (TIDC).

The RWA’s Indigenous Employment Model makes it easy for
employers to employ Aboriginal trainees and apprentices, by recruiting,
providing pre-apprenticeship training and valuable mentoring support. The RWA
will use the model to fill over 80 new positions over the next 18 months.

The RWA does this with the help of its partners: TAFE for
the pre-apprenticeship training; My Gateway Group Employment, which takes care
of the payroll, insurance and paperwork for the apprentices/trainees; community
organisations, Job Network
employment agencies and the Aboriginal Employment Strategy to recruit suitable
people.

The RWA employs Terry Kelly and Rohan Tobler to mentor the
apprentices and trainees as they embark on their careers. They visit them
on-site regularly to check that things are going well for both the employee and
the employer. This intensive mentoring support has resulted in an impressive
retention rate of over 70%.

Raymond Russell from Waterloo
was profiled in the December 2006 issue of the Redfern-Waterloo Update when he
had just completed the Koori Job
Ready course in construction. He now works as an apprentice shopfitting
carpenter on site at the RWA-owned
Australian Technology
Park. Rohan Tobler is his
mentor and visits him on site each week. He says that Ray is going really well
in his new career – he’s happy and enjoying his job.

Ray Russell says that having the job has changed him for
the better, he is learning new things every day and is extremely proud of
himself and his work. The company he works for, Commercial Aluminium, is also
pleased with Ray. They say that he is attentive, willing to learn, reliable and
has settled in well to be an important part of the team.

Photo: Raymond Russell (left) with mentor Rohan Tobler.

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PLANS

ILC Invests More in Redfern

The Indigenous Land
Corporation (ILC) is about to step into the local limelight yet again, with the
proposed $8 million redevelopment of the historic Black Theatre Site at
Redfern. This follows on from the ILC’s $35 million investment in redeveloping
the former Redfern
Public School site.The
ILC hopes to start construction at the old Black Theatre site by mid 2007 with
completion by March 2008.

Vacant for some 20 years, the site in Cope Street was home to the first
Aboriginal theatre in Sydney.
The ILC plans to construct a three-storey mixed commercial development that
will provide benefits to the local Aboriginal community. The development will
incorporate a purpose-built radio station and recording studios for Gadigal Information Services, local broadcaster of
Koori Radio.

Illustration: Artist’s impression of the $8 million
development at the old Black Theatre Site.

Contributions Plans to fund public infrastructure

The Minister for
Redfern-Waterloo, Frank Sartor, has
approved the RWA’s two plans which will raise monetary contributions from
future development on strategic sites in the area.

The RWA Contributions Plan 2006 came into effect on 16 May
2007 and will enable developers to be required to pay a levy for the provision
of public facilities and amenities within the RWA’s operational area. The Plan
is expected to raise about $36 million from future development in accordance
with the RWA’s Built Environment Plan.

The RWA Affordable Housing Contributions Plan 2006 came
into effect at the same time and will enable developers to be required to pay a
contribution for the provision or refurbishment of affordable housing. The Plan
is expected to raise about $35 million over the next 10-12 years.

COMMUNITY INITIATIVES

Quick cooking on a budget

The
Redfern-Waterloo Authority, in partnership with Sydney Day Nursery (SDN)
Redfern, recently ran an ‘Easy Cooking on a Budget’ course for six young
mothers on low income within the area.

The course operated in four weekly sessions, where
participants learnt how to prepare and cook low cost, quick and nutritional
meals for their families. In addition participants also learnt about basic
health and nutrition, food handling, reading food labels and meal planning.

The course also included a field trip to Flemington
Markets, where participants spent a morning buying bulk fruit and vegetables
with volunteers from the ‘Connect Redfern Food Co-op for Families’.

The success of the course so far can be seen in the
friendships that have begun to cement and the mothers fielding the idea of a
small group food co-operative to enhance the fruit and vegetable program.

Three further courses will be run in 2007. The courses are
held at ‘Our Place’ community centre at Poet’s Corner, Redfern. The next course
will run from 1 to 22 August 2007.

Top: Participants in the ‘Easy Cooking on a Budget’ course
preparing a healthy and affordable meal. Above and Left: Participants and SDN
staff shopping for fresh ingredients at Flemington Markets.

$1 million for new PCYC

The
Redfern-Waterloo Authority and the Department of Housing have jointly offered a
$1 million contribution towards the construction of a new Redfern Police and
Citizens Youth Club (PCYC) as part of the Indigenous Land Corporation’s
proposed redevelopment of the former Redfern
Public School.

The RWA’s $500,000 share of the contribution is
contingent, in part, on the new PCYC also serving as a one-stop-shop for youth
services in accordance with the Cabinet-endorsed Human Services Plan (Phase 1).

Discussions are continuing between the RWA, the ILC and
the PCYC on this exciting proposal that should deliver a wonderful new
community facility to the people of Redfern-Waterloo.

Illustration: The new PCYC will be a wonderful community
facility.

UPGRADING REDFERN –WATERLOO

Human Services Plan update

The RWA’s Human
Services Plan (Phase 2) is expected to be considered by State Cabinet shortly,
following a process of community consultation late last year, and the recent
election. The draft Plan that went on exhibition identified eight priority
areas for reform of the human services system, including in key aspects such as
dementia support, aged and health care for older Aboriginal people,
homelessness, migrant services and disability services.

The establishment of an RWA Trust Fund, an important
component of the earlier Phase 1 of the Human Services Plan, is set to be
implemented in July this year following the finalisation of all legal
issues.The RWA Board has approved seed funding totalling $250,000 over the next
five years to enable the Fund to be established under the umbrella of the
Sydney Community Foundation (SCF).

The SCF is a private not-for-profit organisation
established to support social development projects in Sydney. The RWA’s sub-fund will have the
specific purpose of funding projects designed to meet the needs of children and
families, young people, Aboriginal people, the aged, people with disabilities,
homeless people and migrant communities in the Redfern-Waterloo area. The Trust
Fund, with its tax deductible status, is intended to provide a vehicle for
private sector involvement in supporting local initiatives that will deliver
benefits to these groups, consistent with the objectives of the Human Services
Plan.

COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTRE

Illustration: The new health centre will open in early
2009.

Progress towards the construction of NSW Health’s new $10
million community health centre at the former Courthouse/Police Station site in
Redfern Street
remains on track. Development approval is anticipated for August this year with
construction slated to commence in November.

The community health centre is therefore expected to
become operational in the first half of 2009.

The new health centre is to be funded by the RWA’s concept
planning and sale of the former Rachel
Forster Hospital
site. The concept plan is being finalised and will be lodged with the Minister
for Planning in June 2007, with the sale of the site expected to be completed
in early 2008.

Need Assistance?

For more information or to send us your feedback please
contact the Redfern-Waterloo Authority, Level 11, Tower 2, 1 Lawson Square,
Redfern Tel: (02) 9202 9100 Fax: (02) 9202 9111 Mail: PO Box 3332, Redfern NSW
2016 Email: redfernwaterloo@rwa.nsw.gov.au
Internet: www.redfernwaterloo.com.au

NORTH EVELEIGH RENEWAL

Australian Technology Park keeps growing

UPGRADING REDFERN –WATERLOO

Australian Technology
Park keeps growing