REDFERN WATERLOO UPDATE – JUNE 2011
In this Update:
Capturing Redfern with a smile
The Big Issue
moves to Redfern
New Director for
CarriageWorks
Farm cooperative
offers the tastes of the world
Local kids learn
top tips about health
Domestic and
family violence forum
Contact Sydney
Metropolitan Development Authority
Capturing
Redfern with a smile
A new Redfern brand
has been launched to help promote Redfern and the surrounding areas of
Waterloo, Darlington and Eveleigh as a great place for both business and
recreation.
The exciting
Redfern brand was officially announced at the iconic Return to Redfern event on
5 February where the Rabbitohs took on the Newtown Jets.
The Redfern logo is in the shape of a smile to capture the
welcoming spirit of the area and was painted on Redfern Oval on the day.
The Redfern brand is a significant and exciting community
activity to promote the many business, sporting and cultural opportunities on
offer in this area. All of the community can own the Redfern brand and be
ambassadors to encourage people to the area and help shape the future of
Redfern, Waterloo, Darlington and Eveleigh.
The Redfern brand is an initiative of the Roll Up Redfern
Group comprising Redfern-Waterloo Authority, City of Sydney, South Sydney
Business Chamber, REDWatch and South Sydney Rabbitohs.
Roll Up Redfern was formed in 2009 to work collaboratively
on business and community issues in Redfern and Waterloo and to continue the
journey of positive developments in the area.
Redfern brand merchandise including t-shirts and caps is
available to purchase from the South Sydney Football Club Merchandise Store
(Level 4, 265 Chalmers St, Redfern) or South Sydney Business Chamber (88 Pitt
St, Redfern) or Park Café on Chalmers St at Redfern Park.
Visit www.ssbchamber.com.au
to fill out an online order form.
To help promote the positive developments in Redfern, join
the Facebook page at www.facebook.com/redfernwaterloo
and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/redfern
If you would like to find out more about using the Redfern
brand, please contact Liz Wazer from City of Sydney at
ewaser@cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au
Photo: The Redfern and Rabbitohs logo featured on Redfern
Oval
Photo: Local community members wearing Redfern tshirts
A message from our CEO
The
Redfern-Waterloo Authority would like to congratulate the new Government on its
election win and to formally welcome the Hon. Brad Hazzard, Minister for
Planning and Infrastructure to the Redfern-Waterloo area. The Minister has the
responsibility for the Redfern-Waterloo Authority Act so is responsible for the
NSW Government’s involvement in this area.
The Minister has been closely involved in the
Redfern-Waterloo area as the Shadow Minister for Planning and Shadow Minister
for Redfern-Waterloo and therefore has a detailed knowledge of the many facets
that make up this vibrant and diverse community.
The launch of the Redfern brand in February is a major and
significant development for the community to promote Redfern and the
surrounding areas of Waterloo, Darlington and Eveleigh as a welcoming place for
both business and pleasure. I encourage everyone in Redfern to get behind the
brand; it is only with your help that we can change the perceptions of Redfern
and let the wider public know that we are a dynamic community.
The Aboriginal Employment Program including the Koori Job
Ready Program and Yaama Dhiyaan continues to train and find employment
opportunities for hundreds of Aboriginal students. This program really does
make an important difference – not only for the economy through the placement
of jobs, but for the individuals themselves.
I would like to congratulate Aunty Beryl from Yaama
Dhiyaan who has received a Seniors Week Award for her outstanding contribution
to Yaama Dhiyaan and the local community. I would also like to welcome to Yaama
Dhiyaan the new chef, Dallas Dodd.
To continue the momentum of achieving a successful and
sustainable community, the draft Built Environment Plan Stage 2 (BEP 2) aims to
revitalise the Redfern area through urban renewal. Following the recent draft
BEP 2 community consultation process, I would like to thank the community for
their very useful and constructive feedback and look forward to keeping you
informed on this important project.
Redfern and the draft BEP 2 will be a focus for the Sydney
Metropolitan Development Authority (SMDA) as well as the renewal of North
Eveleigh and Redfern Station. The SMDA will continue to implement many of RWA’s
functions and I am looking forward to working closely with the Redfern community
as CEO of SMDA to continue positive change in this area.
Regards,
Roy Wakelin-King
Over 850 jobs and counting
Over 850 employment
opportunities have been created for Aboriginal men and women with the
assistance of RWA’s Aboriginal Employment Program including the Koori Job Ready
Program and Yaama Dhiyaan hospitality training.
Part of the
Aboriginal Employment Program involves brokering deals with large construction
companies through the Koori Job Ready Program and mentoring potential
Aboriginal employees. With hundreds of jobs created since 2006, this number is
set to increase with the recent development of 80 positions for Aboriginal
employees at the Central Park development on Broadway, Sydney.
Luke Sainthill has been helped by the program and is well
on the way to reaching his dream of becoming a project manager by studying a
Bachelor of Construction Project Management at the University of Technology
Sydney.
“The Aboriginal Employment Program helped me get in to
university,” Luke explains. “My study is part of a cadetship that I am doing
with FDC Construction and Fitout Ltd and once I finish, I will be qualified to
design, manage and construct a building site.
“There is so much to do in construction so you’re never
bored – I’m always learning and trying to do a better job than before. It
always makes me feel great when I walk out of the office knowing I put in 100
per cent.”
Denny Hall, Principal Project Manager of the Aboriginal
Employment Program at RWA, says that confidence plays a huge part in the
success of training and finding employment for Aboriginal participants. She has
also noticed a significant shift in the approach by organisations that are now
driven more by corporate social responsibility, rather than just contractual
agreements.
“The Aboriginal Employment Program has benefits for both
the community and the construction industry as graduates are equipped with the
immediate skills they need to work on site,” explains Ms Hall.
“Through the eight week course, students start to build
their confidence and start believing that they have a right to a future, with
many going on to do apprenticeships and cadetships, like Luke.”
The program continues to create and negotiate employment
opportunities for Aboriginal people. This includes developing relationships
with many large construction companies such as Watpac, Abi Group and Multiplex.
Hundreds of further construction job opportunities are currently being negotiated
with UTS and Barangaroo with Yaama Dhiyaan hospitality graduates going on to
work for international hotels, catering companies and restaurants.
Photo: Luke Sainthill is studying construction with the
help of RWA’s Aboriginal Employment Program
RWA welcomes new Minister
The RWA is looking
forward to working with the Hon. Brad Hazzard, Minister for Planning and
Infrastructure and the Minister assisting the Premier on Infrastructure NSW, to
continue to identify and promote Redfern as a thriving and sustainable
community.
The Minister is responsible for planning in Redfern and
Waterloo and the Redfern-Waterloo Act and has a strong interest in the area,
having worked as Shadow Minister for Redfern-Waterloo from 2007-2011 and Shadow
Minister for Aboriginal Affairs from 1996-2007. The Minister brings with him a
wealth of experience, having held over 18 portfolios as a Shadow Minister
including Housing, Community Services, Sport and Recreation and Education. He
graduated from Macquarie University as a science teacher thereafter undertaking
a law degree (UNSW) and Masters in Law (Sydney University) before practicing
law. In 1991 he entered the NSW Legislative Assembly as the MP for Wakehurst.
He is involved in numerous local community organisations and has indicated to the
RWA that he is looking forward to working with us to achieve more positive
outcomes for Redfern-Waterloo.
Photo: The Hon.Brad Hazzard Minister for Planning and
Infrastructure
Draft BEP 2 update
The draft BEP 2
went on public exhibition from 27 January to 28 February 2011 to provide the
community with an understanding of key issues and to encourage feedback.
Draft BEP 2 is a proposed planning framework to continue
the renewal of Housing NSW sites in the Redfern and Waterloo area, including
South Eveleigh, over a 20-25 year timeframe.
KEY ACTIVITIES
RWA worked extensively with Housing NSW and independent
consultants to inform the community and key stakeholders about draft BEP 2.
Through the street corner sessions over 750 social housing
residents were consulted which represents over 14 per cent of public housing
tenancies, while around 70 people attended the information sessions at Redfern
Town Hall. ‘Thank You’ barbeques were held in March for social housing
residents as a token of appreciation for the feedback received.
THE NEXT STEPS
The RWA would like to thank the community for submitting
their feedback. To date, 513 feedback forms and 37 written submissions have
been received. An independent specialist consultation firm is reviewing and
collating this feedback. Following its finalisation, there will be further
opportunities to provide your feedback on this important project.
For more information please visit www.redfernwaterloo.nsw.gov.au/bep2
Photo: Thanking residents for their feedback at the draft
BEP 2 barbeque
The Big Issue moves to Redfern
The Big Issue has
set up a new office space at Little Eveleigh St, Redfern to enable it to expand
its operations and to continue to help homeless and marginalised residents of
NSW.
With 27,000 homeless people in NSW, the new premises,
officially opened on 4 February, will help people who are disadvantaged,
particularly homeless people, by providing opportunities to improve their
social, health and financial circumstances.
The Big Issue has being helping vulnerable people for 16
years.
The Big Issue magazine aims to reduce homelessness by
sellers receiving half the profits from sales of the magazine.
Photo: The Big Issue sellers at the launch of the new
office in Redfern
New art space
Weave Arts Centre
officially launched on 11 May by holding its inaugural exhibition ‘Breakout’
featuring the work of artists who are recovering from mental health issues.
The new arts space in North Eveleigh, granted by the
Sydney Metropolitan Development Authority, provides a creative area to produce
art and to exhibit and sell work to create an income for the group.
The space is run by a professional artist, Camille
Masson-Talansier, and offers an open studio space, classes, workshops and
materials, equipment and opportunities to exhibit and sell work. “For some of
the artists who engage with the new Weave Arts Centre, it will be an
opportunity for them to sell their art and increase their income above the
poverty line and be recognised as accomplished artists,” explains Shane Brown,
Director of Weave.
The Weave Arts Centre is a social enterprise project of
Weave Youth Family Community Inc (formerly South Sydney Youth Services) and is
managed by Julieann Breese. The space will provide a much-needed space for the
for the organisation’s mental health team and for people who are marginalised
or experiencing a range of issues related to mental health, drug or alcohol
issues, social exclusion, unemployment or domestic violence.
Photo: Bernard Vartuli shows off his work at the Weave
launch
Art is a load of rubbish
The construction of
a sculpture made entirely of rubbish was completed at ATP as part of a unique
environmental initiative.
The art installation was constructed by artist John
Dahlsen using hundreds of pieces of polystyrene collected from Clean Up
Australia Day. The poles were built using the pieces of polystyrene foam to
create a series of towering totem-like structures.
The work received some finishing touches in ATP’s
Exhibition Hall in March before being displayed at the Commonwealth Bank’s new
headquarters in Darling Harbour.
Photo: Art made of rubbish assembled at ATP
Underbelly comes to Redfern
The Block has been
transformed in to a set from the 1920’s for the filming of the TV series
Underbelly with local Eora Tafe student Damien Davis being given the
opportunity to join the film crew to gain some experience.
“I am helping with props and special effects,” says
Damien. “This could be anything from providing wheel barrows on set to helping
with smoke machines.”
The Underbelly Razor story is set in 1927 with The Block
transformed to capture the era. Seven buildings have been erected on site to
mimic Darlinghurst Road and surrounding streets including 1920s cars and
costumes.
Filming is set to finish in July 2011.
Photo: Lights, camera, action: Film student Damien Davis
at the Underbelly set
New Director for CarriageWorks
Lisa Havilah has
been appointed the new Director of CarriageWorks after five years as Director
of Campbelltown Arts Centre. During her time at the Campbelltown Arts Centre,
visitor numbers jumped from 30,000 to 190,000 a year. Ms Havilah is looking
forward to developing a diverse and dynamic program at CarriageWorks. The
RWA welcomes Ms Havilah to the Redfern area and wishes her all the very best
for her time at CarriageWorks.
Photo credit: Luke Fuda – A change in direction at CarriageWorks:
Lisa Havilah
Education pioneer wins award
Aunty Beryl
Van-Oploo, a well known Redfern community member and trainer at Yaama Dhiyaan
Hospitality Training School, has received an achievement award for her
contribution to the local community.
Aunty Beryl received the Education & Long Life
Learning Award at the NSW Seniors Week Achievement Awards in recognition for
her instrumental role in setting up Yaama Dhiyaan, Australia’s first and only
hospitality college specialising in Indigenous culture and cuisine.
“After all these years, it is great to get some
recognition – even if I am a senior,” said Aunty Beryl with a smile.
“But on a more serious note, it is great to be recognised
– especially as an Aboriginal person.”
Aunty Beryl’s teaching ability and use of bush tucker has
been described as ‘truly inspirational’. Since the commencement of RWA’s Yaama
Dhiyaan hospitality training program, she has trained and found employment for
over 160 students.
Aunty Beryl is a Seniors Week Ambassador and joined 60
other members of the New South Wales community to receive her award at City
Recital Hall in Sydney on 20 March 2011.
Photo credit: Pardalote – Aunty
Beryl is honoured for her contribution to education
New chef at Yaama Dhiyaan
Yaama Dhiyaan
welcomes a new chef, Dallas Dodd, who is excited about promoting contemporary
Aboriginal cuisine.
“Working as the chef at Yaama Dhiyaan attracted me because
of its strong message,” says chef Dallas Dodd. “I get to give people the
opportunity to learn about Indigenous produce in a modern sense and I also get
to pass on my skills to Aboriginal students to maintain traditional customs.”
Flavouring his dishes with native herbs and spices,
Dallas’s influence in the kitchen comes from his mother who taught him about
the importance of food gathering and using traditional cooking methods such as
smoking foods.
“Cooking is in my
blood,” he says. “I love using Sydney wattles and teaching students how to
identify the different seeds. We dry and ground these to use in breads, flours
and to flavour beverages. It also has natural gums so it is great to use as a
thickener in sweets.”
Dallas also loves cooking with seafood, explaining how to
roll fish in local barks and blanching it. He makes bouillon from local shell
fish and uses native herbs such as river mint, floating watercress and native
ginger to flavour his food.
Dallas has had an extensive career including teaching
hospitality and Aboriginal Studies. He has been cooking for over 30 years.
“To have formal training and qualifications is rare in the
Aboriginal world so I love being able to share my skills – not only through
training students, but by also offering the corporate world a unique Aboriginal
food experience with a focus on health, nutrition and taste.”
Find out more about Yaama Dhiyaan at www.yaama.com.au
Photo: New chef Dallas Dodd joins Yaama Dhiyaan
Commitment to the community
Helen Campbell,
former Executive Officer of Redfern Legal Centre, has received an Order of
Australia Award in recognition of her significant contribution to law and the
Redfern community.
Helen has worked in
community legal centres for over 25 years and has been campaigning for various
law reforms, specifically improved access to legal services for women
experiencing domestic violence. On receiving her Order of Australia Award,
Helen was “very surprised” but pleased.
“I got in to law as a commitment to social justice,” says
Helen. “I wanted to ensure a fair chance for everyone to have access to legal
services when people can’t afford a lawyer.”
Helen worked at the
Redfern Legal Centre for nine years, first joining the organisation as a
volunteer back in the 1980s, then as Executive Officer. Helen was also a
community representative on RWA’s Human Services Ministerial Advisory Committee
from 2005-2007.
Helen enjoyed working with the Redfern community and
seeing the significant developments in the area.
“The Redfern area has a terrific community spirit. They
are proud of tradition and have strength and resilience. It is really a vibrant
and diverse community,” she says.
During her time with the Redfern Legal Centre, incidents
of domestic violence were reduced and Helen cites accepting the Human Rights
Award as one of the Centre’s most significant achievements.
“Redfern Legal Centre coordinated the Redfern Women’s
Domestic Violence Court Assistance Scheme which is now a state-wide program,”
explains Helen. “The program aims to ensure women seeking a restraining order
have access to legal assistance and other support services such as housing,
income support and counselling.”
Helen continues to campaign to improve legal services for
women, currently running Women’s Legal Services NSW, a position she took up a
year ago.
Photo: Commitment to social justice: Helen Campbell
RWA Board Member honoured
Lucy Turnbull,
Board Member of Redfern-Waterloo Authority, has been made an Officer of the
Order of Australia (AO).
Ms Turnbull has been recognised for her distinguished
service to the community, particularly through philanthropic contributions to,
and fundraising support for, a range of medical, social welfare, educational,
youth and cultural organisations, to local government, and to business.
As a member of the Redfern-Waterloo Authority (RWA) Board
since 2004, Ms Turnbull has made a significant contribution to revitalising the
RedfernWaterloo area through urban renewal, education and training, and human
services.
Ms Turnbull also sits on the Board for the Sydney
Metropolitan Development Authority and Australian Technology Park.
On top of her involvement with the RWA, Ms Turnbull is
also currently a member of the Advisory Board of The Salvation Army, Board
Member of the News South Wales Cancer Institute, Deputy Chair of the Committee
for Sydney, and a member of the board of the Centre for Independent Studies,
the Redfern Foundation Limited and the Turnbull Foundation.
Photo: Receiving recognition: RWA Board Member Lucy
Turnbull
Connecting local families
A toy library, a
range of playgroup programs and a thriving community garden: these are just
some of the services available for families at Connect Redfern.
Facilitated by Jo
Fletcher, who is in her 16th year working for the Schools as Community Centres
program, Connect Redfern aims to reach out to all families in the area.
“We offer a range of services at the centre for children
from birth to eight years,” explains Jo. “Services include music and movement
classes, a multicultural playgroup, a pre-school playgroup, and training
courses.”
With 250-300 families coming through the centre each term,
the centre receives regular donations to run a Toy Library where parents can
loan toys for their children. Many local families live in terraces and units so
there isn’t always room to have toys. The library was set up in 2005 and is
very popular.
“We also have a clothing pool that is available for
families free of charge,” says Jo. “Families don’t have to ask, they can just
take what they need but it is a nice entry point to start a conversation with
parents.”
A more recent edition to the program is the Alexandria
Community Garden which was set up in 2008. With many families in the area not
having access to a garden, working bees are held on the first and third
Saturday of the month which is open to everyone. The garden is thriving with
produce such as pumpkins and strawberries.
“The best thing is that kids can see the garden every day,
water it weekly, and are introduced to fresh, healthy produce,” Jo says.
Connect Redfern works in partnership with other
organisations; this is described by Jo as “the best way to work”. Through the
SDN Ngara Nanga Mai – Aboriginal Unit, certificate courses are offered to the
Aboriginal community. This may include first aid, digital filmmaking and child
care with some parents going on to university.
“School could’ve
been a negative experience and some students may have had a long amount of time
away from education,” says Jo. “This program introduces them back to study in a
non-threatening environment.”
Connect Redfern is adapting to meet the evolving
demographics in the area, while trying to reach out to families who may be
struggling.
“We recognise that relationships and trust are really
important – we want families to feel like we are a friend. One parent said:
‘It’s so nice that anyone can come to the centre.’ And it’s true, everyone is
welcome.”
Photo: Servicing the community: Jo Fletcher of Connect
Redfern
Farm cooperative offers the tastes of the world
A small
multicultural cooperative of fruit and vegetables growers in the Sydney basin
is supplying Eveleigh Market shoppers with seasonal and cultural specialties
with the food picked and ready to sell within 24 hours.
Kemps Creek Farms
produces a range of locally grown fresh fruit and vegetables with a
multicultural influence from Chinese to Italian.
The farms cooperative is made up of family-run businesses.
Alexandra Rivers, who is part of the cooperative, says: “Many of my neighbours
are small-time, family-run food producers. I take the produce to Eveleigh
Farmers’ Market every Saturday where it is proving very popular with
customers.”
Kemps Creek Farms includes a diversity of foods such as
rapa, a wild weed used in Italian cooking, and Chinese vegetables such as
bitter melon and kai lan. They also supply other exotic produce such as okra
and chicory.
Eveleigh Farmers’ Market is held every Saturday from 8am-1
pm at the Old Blacksmith Workshop, 248 Wilson Street, Darlington.
Photo: Kemps Creek Farms stallholders at Eveleigh Market
Local kids learn top tips about health
Over 900 children
met their favourite Rabbitohs players to learn about the importance of a
healthy lifestyle at an event at the ATP Performance Centre in February.
The One Community event for local schools in the South
Sydney region took place in conjunction with the Eat Well, Play Well, Stay Well
campaign. NRL players met with the children to educate them on healthy living
and facilitated clinics to teach the children basic rugby league skills. The
children were given the opportunity to get autographs from their favourite
players and to chat about their dreams and aspirations. As the photo demonstrates,
the kids had a ball!
Photo: The Rabbitohs teach kids about healthy living
A Night Off the Grog Forum
Alcohol – how much
is too much and what effect is it having on the Redfern and Waterloo community?
‘A Night Off the Grog’ held on 15 March provided the
opportunity for residents and service providers to have a say on the affects of
alcohol on the local Redfern-Waterloo community and what can be done to improve
the current issues.
The event was hosted by the Redfern-Waterloo Community
Drug Action Team at Redfern Town Hall.
Many local representatives attended including NSW Police,
City of Sydney, Aboriginal Medical Service, Housing NSW, Sydney Local Health
Network, Weave Youth Family Community, and South Sydney Alcohol Accord.
Domestic and family violence forum
Over 75 service
providers and community members attended Negotiating the Family Law System
forum on 29 March to learn more about improving responses for women who are
escaping domestic and family violence and who need advice and referral to
family law services.
Organised by the Inner City Domestic Violence Action Group
and the Redfern-Waterloo Family Violence Task Force, the forum identified a key
barrier for women leaving violent relationships is their fear of what will
happen to their children.
The forum provided service providers with more information
and training on how to advise victims of domestic and family violence to
improve their access to the family law system.
Photo: Forum: information on the family law system
NASCA Gala Day
There was plenty of
sporting activity, cheering and fun and at the National Aboriginal Sporting
Chance Academy (NASCA) Gala Day on 30 March with baseball, basketball and touch
rugby being played at Alexandria Park Community School. Members of the
academy took part in the day as an opportunity to socialise and get to know
each other while playing team sports. A barbeque lunch was also provided.
Contact Sydney Metropolitan Development Authority
To contact the Sydney Metropolitan Development Authority
(including inquiries for the Redfern-Waterloo Authority): email
contactus@smda.nsw.gov.au or call 9202 9100 or write to PO Box 3332, Redfern
NSW 2016.