Green
light for new community health facility
New
Human Services Plan released
Outcomes
from first phase of Human Services Plan
Winners
at the NSW Group Training Awards 2008
Work
underway on Eveleigh Markets
Eveleigh
Heritage Walk: Project application
Green light for new community health facility
Plans for a $10 million community health facility on the former Redfern
Courthouse and Police Station site have been given the green light for
construction to commence, Planning Minister Frank Sartor has announced.
Frank Sartor said the
new facility proposed by NSW Health would provide both on-site and out-reach
services.
“This project is part of the ongoing renewal of
Redfern-Waterloo and will deliver significant benefits to the local community,”
Frank Sartor said.
“It will create up to 94 full-time jobs in the area and lead
to the adaptive re-use of the Redfern Courthouse heritage building, as well as
delivering important health services.”
Minister for Health Reba Meagher said construction would
soon commence on the new community health building.
“This facility will deliver high-quality community health
services, including community nursing, allied health, mental health and drug
health services for the residents of the Redfern community in an
easily-accessible building,” Reba Meagher said.
Frank Sartor said the facility had been funded through the
sale of the former Rachel
Forster Hospital
site, which was negotiated by the Redfern-Waterloo Authority earlier this year.
“Through projects such as this we are beginning to see the
benefits of the Human Services Plan, currently being developed by the Redfern
Waterloo Authority,” he said.
The Minister said the next phase of the Human Services Plan,
aiming to provide improved services for older people, people with disabilities,
migrant communities and homeless people in the area has been approved by the
Iemma Government.
The Redfern-Waterloo Authority has released this second
phase, following a series of stakeholder workshops and calls for public
comment.
Frank Sartor said key recommendations of the plan include:
- A
new taskforce to improve the delivery of dementia services; - Increased
cultural awareness training for service providers; and - Encouraging
more elderly Aboriginals to help design health programs.
“This plan aims to better coordinate services to ensure the
needs of the community are being met,” Frank Sartor said.
“Over the next decade the Government will work to implement this second phase of the
Human Services Plan, along with Phase One – which deals with services for
children and families, Aboriginal people and young people.
“Our aim is to ensure that Redfern-Waterloo is home to a
strong, well-coordinated network of services that are able to adapt to the changing
needs of the local community.
“To achieve this, the Authority will work closely with the
Department of Ageing and Home Care, NSW Health, the Department of Community
Services, Housing NSW and other government and non-government organisations in
the area.”
Member for Heffron Kristina Keneally welcomed the new phase
of the Human Services Plan.
“It is vital we ensure assistance is getting to the people
who need it and to do that we need a coordinated approach,” Kristina Keneally
said.
“We know that 38% of Redfern residents and 34% of Waterloo residents were
born overseas with the most common languages spoken in the area – other than
English – being Russian, Chinese, Vietnamese, Arabic, Spanish and Greek.
“The Human Services Plan Phase Two contains a number of actions specifically designed
to address challenges faced by these communities, including ensuring that
services are delivered in a culturally appropriate way.”
Redfern open
for business
Redfern
established itself as a learning centre earlier this year when Group Colleges
Australia commenced operating from the former TNT Tower building in lawson
Square.
With about 1000
students and more than 100 staff, GCA could not be happier with its relocation
from Sydney’s
central business district.
Speaking at the offcial opening of the new college campus,
GCA Managing Director Alan Manly was enthusiastic about the area’s prospects.
“If anyone is thinking of moving a business, Redfern is where the future is and it’s open for business”
he said.
Alan Manly said that the new campus, with students from over
50 countries, complimented the plans to continue revitalising Redfern into “a
modern cosmopolitan suburb”.
Photos: Smoking ceremony at the official opening of the new Group Colleges Australia campus in Redfern and
Alan Manly speaking at the launch.
New Human Services Plan released
The RWA’s Human Services Plan Phase Two focuses on improving human services
delivery for older people, people with disabilities, migrant communities and
homeless people in the Redfern-Waterloo area.
The recently released
Plan is available on the RWA’s website at www.redfernwaterloo.com.au or by calling 9202 9100.
The Plan has eight priority areas that were identified
through a two-day forum involving community members, services providers and
public policy experts. The priorities are:
- Improving
dementia support; - Improving
service quality for migrant communities; - Improving
access to aged care and health services by Aboriginal people over 45 years
and older; - Reducing
homelessness; - Improving
identification of need and access to services for people with a
disability; - Reducing
social isolation; - Improving
access to local and community transport for people who are transport
disadvantaged; and - Improving
safety and amenity.
The RWA is working closely in partnership with agencies such
as NSW Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care, NSW Health and Housing
NSW as well as numerous other government and non-government organisations to
put the Plan into action.
Some of the initiatives included in the Plan are already
being put in place such as the establishment of a Redfern Community Health
Centre to improve the delivery and coordination of health services to the local
community and the reduction of social isolation through the introduction of
community barbeques and other local events.
The Plan also tackles the issue of lower life expectancy for
Aboriginal people and will provide many opportunities for local Aboriginal
people to be involved in the design, implementation and evaluation of health
programs and other community activities and events that increase the quality of
life.
Information and services for migrant communities are also a
key component of the Plan as approximately half the population of Redfern and Waterloo speaks a
language other than English in the home.
This phase of the Human Services Plan follows on from and
complements the work of the Human Services Plan Phase One that deals with
services delivered to children and families, Aboriginal people and young people.
The actions in the Redfern Waterloo Human Services Plan
Phases One and Two will continue to be delivered in the community over the next
decade. The Plan will also be evaluated during this time to monitor outcomes
and to ensure that actions continue to meet the needs of the local area.
The Human Services Plan Phase Two will further build on the
strengths and works being undertaken by community groups, non-government
organisations and local, state and federal government agencies delivering
services to the Redfern Waterloo community.
Photo: The priority areas in the new Human Services Plan
were developed at a two-day community forum.
Outcomes from first phase of Human Services Plan
A key factor of the Redfern Waterloo Human Services Plan Phase One was the
commitment that the progress of the Plan would be evaluated at regular stages
over the ten-year implementation period.
The evaluation of the
first 18 months of action indicates that government and non-government agencies
are still in the early stages of measuring improved community outcomes from the
performance indicators developed to measure the plan.
There has been much progress and success in agencies working
together to progress initiatives and projects as well as increased activities
and service delivery in the community.
Highlights of the early stage of the evaluation include:
- The
establishment and ongoing activities of the Babana Aboriginal Men’s Group. Prior to the establishment of
this group there were no long standing groups in the community that enabled
Aboriginal men to network and provide support for each other. - The
development and implementation of the Aboriginal
employment Model that provides training in both construction and
hospitality, places the trainees into paid positions and provides ongoing
mentoring support. The model has brokered employment opportunities for
over 250 Aboriginal people in the construction industry over the past 18
months and 90 people, predominantly Aboriginal, have received the Certificate
II in Hospitality with the majority of these students gaining full time
positions in the industry. - The
development and actions of the Case
Coordination project. This has enhanced the capacity for senior and
middle management staff in the major government and non-government human
services agencies to collectively consider the needs of client families
and children and opportunities for working collaboratively to more
effectively deliver services to these families and children. - The
development, implementation and reporting of the Waterloo Green Action plan. This plan was
developed in 2007 in response to local community concerns regarding
antisocial behaviour and other related safety issues in the vicinity of
Waterloo Green. - Formation
of the Family Violence taskforce.
This Taskforce hosted a Family Violence Networking Event that culminated
in the RWA developing and overseeing the implementation of a Family
Violence Action Plan, and a comprehensive resource database to allow
easier access and referral to services. The RWA in conjunction with NSW
Department of Community Services also provided a five day Deep listening
in Indigenous Counselling Skills Workshop by Southern Cross University for
workers from over 20 different Indigenous and non-Indigenous
organisations. - Establishment
of the Redfern Waterloo Community
drug Action team (CDAT). This group has been successful in obtaining
funding to undertake a number of projects to address risky drinking in the
area and has also established a Community Assistance Support Team (CAST)
program to engage with street drinkers to identify services to further
assist this group. - Provision
of six Easy Cooking on a Budget
courses for young parents to provide cooking skills as well as soft entry
points to other support services targeting this client group. The project
has resulted in a working partnership between SDN Children’s Services and
NSW Health. - Provision
of catering grants in
conjunction with the NSW Community Relations Commission to allow local
non-profit community based groups to meet the costs associated with small
community events. - Connect Redfern (Schools as
Community Centres program) undertaking numerous actions including the
development of strategies for communicating with parents to increase
children’s participation in childcare, providing supported playgroups and
preschools and facilitating interagency professional activities as well as
delivering the Redfern Early literacy Program. - NSW
Department of Community Services establishment of an Early Intervention Team with a manager and four case workers
covering the Redfern Waterloo area. - The
NSW Department of Aging, Disability and Home Care (DADHC) attending two supported playgroups four times a
year as well as the Schools as Community Centre’s “Play Days” three times
a year to improve links between assessment and early intervention services
for children with a disability. - Redfern
Police recruitment of four Aboriginal
Liaison Officers located at Redfern Police Station.
The report also notes that the majority of agencies involved
with the delivery of Phase One indicated their ongoing support for the program
of actions and strategies included in the Human Services Plan. The agencies
also reported that the RWA played a crucial role in providing secretariat
support and the coordinating function for implementation.
The RWA will continue to play a facilitating and
coordinating role to support both government and non-government agencies to
maintain the progress achieved through the Human Services Plan Phase One and to
implement the actions contained in the Human Services Plan Phase Two.
Photo: Proud graduates from the Certificate II in
Hospitality in 2007
Photo: The Waterloo Green Action Plan was developed in
response to community concerns.
Photo: The Aboriginal Employment Model has created more than
250 jobs in the construction industry over the past 18 months.
Photo: Participants in the ‘Easy Cooking on a Budget’ course
preparing a healthy and affordable.
Winners at the NSW Group Training Awards 2008
MG
My Gateway and the RWA were winners at the NSW Group Training Awards held on
Friday 27 June 2008 at the Crystal Ballroom, Luna Park.
The awards presented
by The Group Training Association of NSW Inc. recognise the hard work and
dedication of apprentices, trainees, host employers and member organisations by
rewarding their outstanding achievements and excellence in-group training.
MG My Gateway and the RWA won the prestigious NSW Innovation
and Best Practice Award for development of creating opportunities for
employment within the Indigenous community through the Aboriginal Employment
Model.
The RWA congratulates the Indigenous Apprentice of the Year
MG My Gateway employee Lawrence Kelly. Lawrence
is a third year construction carpentry apprentice hosted by Bovis lend lease,
who hopes to become a leading hand and foreman. Lawrence
got his start in the industry through the RWA’s Aboriginal Employment model
working on the CarriageWorks project at North Eveleigh.
The RWA is proud of its partnership with MG My Gateway and
looks forward to working with them to continue to create and support Aboriginal
employment opportunities.
Photo: Congratulations to Indigenous Apprentice of the Year Lawrence Kelly.
Work underway on Eveleigh Markets
Work has commenced on the Eveleigh Markets and the
project is aiming for a launch later this year.
The heritage Blacksmith’s Workshop in Wilson Street adjacent to the
CarriageWorks performance space is undergoing a $3 million refurbishment by the
RWA which will result in 109 undercover market stalls operating initially on
each Saturday and Sunday.
The markets will sell fresh local produce, gourmet foods and
arts and crafts and will also provide additional employment opportunities in
the area.
To find out more about the Eveleigh Markets please contact
Denny Hall at the RWA on 9202 9100 or by email denny.hall@rwa.nsw.gov.au or redfernwaterloo@rwa.nsw.gov.au
Photo:
Channel 7 starts taking shape
The $123 million media hub at the Australian Technology
Park is fast becoming a
reality with excavation and other early works reaching completion.
Building construction is about to commence with the Seven
Network, Global Television and Pacific Magazines to be fully relocated in the
new media hub by early 2010.
A marketing campaign has already commenced for additional
tenants to occupy the remaining 12,000m2 of commercial space in the new development.
Photo:
Black Theatre site complete
The Commonwealth Indigenous land Corporation’s $8 million development on
the historic former Black Theatre site in Cope Street, Redfern is now complete.
The three story building has retail space on the ground floor,
office accommodation on the second and a purpose built radio station and
recording studios for the Gadigal Information Services, the local broadcaster
of Koori Radio 93.7 FM on the third.
Indigenous designs have been incorporated into the
building’s exterior to highlight the structure and to celebrate the fact that
this was the birthplace of Indigenous theatre.
Photo:
Eveleigh Heritage Walk: Project application
The RWA has prepared an Environmental Assessment for the
construction of the Eveleigh Heritage Walk, a pedestrian and cycle bridge
traversing the railway corridor, near Redfern Railway Station, connecting the Australian Technology
Park and North
Eveleigh and suburbs beyond.
The Project application will be determined by the Minister
for Planning under Part 3A of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act
1979.
The Department of Planning is placing the Environmental
Assessment on public exhibition from 16 July to 15 August 2008 at the following
locations during regular business hours:
- Department
of Planning Information Centre, 22-33
Bridge Street, Sydney; - City of Sydney Council, Town Hall
House, 456 Kent Street,
Sydney; and - Redfern
Neighbourhood Service Centre, 158
Redfern Street, Redfern (open Saturday 9am to 12
noon).
The Environmental Assessment can also be viewed on the RWA’s
website at www.redfernwaterloo.com.au
All submissions must be sent to the Department of Planning
by the 15 August 2008. Address your submission to: Director, Urban Assessments,
Department of Planning, GPO Box 39, Sydney NSW 2001 or email: information@planning.nsw.gov.au
If you have any questions regarding the Environmental
Assessment, please contact Yolanda Gil at the RWA on 9202 9100 or by email on redfernwaterloo@rwa.nsw.gov.au
Photo: An artist’s impression of the new Eveleigh Heritage
Walk, a pedestrian and cycle bridge which will connect the Australian Technology
Park and North
Eveleigh.
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