The plan
involves a 43,500 sq metre development that will contain a high-definition
television production centre and offices on the currently under-utilised ATP.
Seven and it’s magazine-publishing business, Pacific Magazines, will occupy
18,000 of those sq metres, with Redfern-Waterloo Authority CEO Robert Domm saying there will “be more to come” to
fill-up the new media hub.
Seven will
use the site for television production, with their current facilities in the north-western
suburb of Epping set to be vacated in 2008.
For the
RWA, the development should bring about more activity on the ATP site, which is
long overdue. Currently on the ATP site, there are around 1,200 workers but
Domm says that only about 20 % of the site’s potential is being used.
By the time
Pacific magazines moves there in 2009 (following Seven in 2008), the ATP’s
workforce is expected to rise to 4,000. The actual construction process is
expected to create approximately 600 jobs, of which Morris Iemma last month
promised at least 60 will go to Aboriginal people through the RWA’ s Indigenous
Employment Model.
The ATP
used to be the Eveleigh Railyards – a thriving industry that had 3,000 workers
in the mid-50’s but in recent years has been converted into the ATP. Now,
eleven years on, the RWA is hoping the new media hub, the largest private
sector investment in the area, will re-invigorate the park and boost business
in the general Redfern-Waterloo area.
[South
Sydney Herald August 2006]