Kristina Keneally, Minister for Planning, announced the good news at the Block in
Redfern to an excited crowd of locals and politicians. “It’s a step forward to
creating a modern, and a vibrant, and a sustainable community here in the heart
of Redfern, on the Block,” she said
But the positive atmosphere could not ward off questions about
where exactly funding for the project will come from.
Peter Valilis, Project Director at the AHC, has a simple
explanation for why the source of funding has not yet been confirmed. “Until
the project was actually approved, there was no point looking for the funds. In
fact, if we had sought funding prior to having our application approved, we
would have left ourselves susceptible to influence from governments or other
potential financiers looking out for their interests,” he said.
The AHC has long prided itself on being an independent
organisation that makes its own decisions. It is for this reason that some of
the Planning Minister’s comments left puzzled looks on some faces.
Ms Keneally made particular mention of the residential aspect of
Pemulwuy as a “vibrant new use for this land”, which undoubtedly would have
pleased the AHC.
Mr Valilis has described the residential component as their
hardest won victory, as this posed for them the biggest obstacle
to approval during the Sartor years. The feud with Frank
Sartor was no private affair, so many seemed confused when Ms
Keneally went on to say, “The AHC has always enjoyed the support of its local
members; State and Federal, and presence of Tanya Plibersek and Carmel Tebutt
here today affirms that fact.”
This
didn’t seem to bother her fellow politicians, though, with the abovementioned
and even Lord Mayor Clover Moore
keen to show their support. And nothing could dampen the spirits of Mick Mundine,
CEO of the AHC, who seemed to be at a loss for words to express his happiness.
The approval has marked a bittersweet day for Mundine, who clearly bears the
battle scars from the ten-year fight for Pemulwuy.
“We
went through hell. But that was a learning period for us; we had to go through
those trials and tribulations,” he said.
For
Mundine, who believes that Pemulwuy was always meant to be, it’s now time to
get on with the job and look to the future. “Things are looking very promising
around here.”