I got a random call at the end of March from a mob wanting
to know if I would like $70 to take part in a discussion group about the
proposed redevelopment.
They wanted to know if I had any mates who might be interested.
And certainly, I could help – many late night discussions at The Royal Hotel have
taught me I have lots of friends in the area who’ll give you an opinion on
anything, whether they’re paid or not.
There was only one catch, I was asked if I was a member of
REDwatch or a range of other community groups – I assume if we’d been members we’d
have been excluded.
Obviously, they wanted people who were interested, but not
too interested.
So, off I went along to Souths Leagues. The focus group of
ten, of whom only about four were my friends, were asked a series of questions
on our impressions of the re-development.
Residents’ ideas about forcing property developers to foot
the bill for community facilities were dismissed by discussion group organisers
as untenable. And questions about The Block, the local Indigenous community and
increased government funding to solve social problems were also side-stepped
faster than a Newtown Jets halfback.
Many of the locals said they worried about increased traffic
from the planned influx of 20,000 new residents and workers. Some were
concerned about the increased pressure on parks and facilities such as swimming
pools and gyms.
Others were troubled that there seemed to be no real plans
to solve social problems – except that more business in the area would create
more jobs, jobs that will no doubt require high-skill levels.
However, most of all they were suspicious of the Redfern-Waterloo
Authority and it’s aims.
Yet, it was only after a barrage of questions about our
impressions of the Authority itself that the penny dropped. The ‘organisers’ of
the discussion group were from the Redfern-Waterloo
Authority – and they weren’t actually interested in our ideas
for the re-development.
They were simply gauging our reaction to the existing plans
to be able to sell them.
Of course, I can’t be sure. But, I can be sure of one thing:
that it is probably the end of the random calls I can expect to get.