[North Eveleigh] Minister Jackson on Waterloo / Clover waterloo Meeting / Trevor Davies Lecture / Explorer Street South Eveleigh

Tue Jun 13 15:29:39 AEST 2023

Dear REDWatch members, supporters and agencies,

Minister looks to rework Waterloo South

Clover Moore's Waterloo social housing tenants forum 11am 14 June

Trevor Davies Memorial Lecture - 7pm Wednesday 14 June

REDWatch Meeting July 6 - Explorer Street South Eveleigh Rezoning
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Minister looks to rework Waterloo South
At the REDWatch housing forum with Tanya Plibersek, NSW Housing Minister Rose Jackson made some comments relevant to the redevelopment of Waterloo. Below is the article Minister looks to rework Waterloo South<https://southsydneyherald.com.au/minister-looks-to-rework-waterloo-south/> that Geoff Turnbull wrote for the South Sydney Herald about the Minister's comments.
You can find both a full transcript<http://www.redwatch.org.au/RWA/Waterloo/lahc22-23/070605rj> of Minister Jackson's comments and audio<http://www.redwatch.org.au/RWA/Waterloo/lahc22-23/230605redwrec/view> from the entire REDWatch meeting on the REDWatch website. So if you have an interest in Federal housing policy but could not make the meeting then you catch up on the audio link.
When the current stage of the previous government's procurement process for Waterloo South ends in about a month, the new NSW government will review the proposal to see how it can be turned into something that Labor can support. This was the key message delivered by Minister Rose Jackson at the forum on June 5, 2023.
Under this stage of the procurement process, interest from four potential development consortiums is to be reduced to two by mid-2023. Minister Jackson told the meeting that "we aren't able to stop that without massive compensation to the participants in that process and potentially we want to see what comes out of it".
Minister Jackson said "the previous government's proposition in relation to that redevelopment was a bad plan and we didn't support it" and went on to set out a number of underlying principles that will be used in making a decision about Waterloo and other public housing redevelopments.
The first principle is that developments have to provide "a substantial uplift in the number of social and affordable housing". Jackson said the "voice of people on the waiting list is a really important voice not to forget. So that is a core principle. We want more".
The second principle, Jackson said, was that we want homes that deliver dignity to people "homes and modern amenity, not shit boxes".
Thirdly, Jackson said, "We don't want to sell government land and we won't sell government land as part of these projects. That is not what any of these renewal projects will result in".
Earlier in the meeting Jackson welcomed the federal housing initiatives and said if passed they could deliver around 16,000 new homes in NSW, but that the federal contribution alone was not enough. "The state government is going to have to step up and do a lot more and we're interested in doing that," she said.
There was no indication of how the new government might step up and pay for a redevelopment like Waterloo without selling land even if there was a federal contribution.
Fourthly, Jackson said there would be an "automatic guaranteed right of return to anyone who is temporarily moved as a result of redevelopment and any relocations" and that "temporary relocations will occur in the local area".
Finally, Jackson indicated that the Charter on Estate Renewal, which was developed in 2016 by the Tenants Union and Shelter NSW with City Futures at UNSW, will be reactivated. It "talks about delivering control and autonomy and agency and voice," Jackson said. The adoption of this Charter has been a key request of both non-government organisations and public housing tenants, but the previous government would not agree to it.
Jackson said, "specifically on Waterloo South, those principles will underpin the decision that we're keen to make ... in about a month we will have the opportunity to look at where the proposals are up to and then make some decisions about how to apply those principles to that project".
In response to a question later in the meeting about the 2022 NSW Labor Conference motion<http://www.redwatch.org.au/issues/public-housing/221016alp>, Jackson confirmed that she considered the conference motion to be the policy of the NSW government.
That motion called for implementing legislation in a number of areas "which places a moratorium on the privatisation of public housing including the sale, outsourcing, or leasing of any public housing assets or services". It also included legislation which guarantees that the number of public housing residences in NSW and in the inner suburbs of Sydney increases in both aggregate terms and as a proportion of total new housing stock.
Jackson emphasised that her current focus was on the many things that could be done immediately without legislation. She cited building more social housing stock and getting the maintenance contracts redone in public housing as examples. Legislation changes would come when the legislative timetable allows.
Jackson said she completely understands people's frustration about wanting quick decisions. "I want that too. But similarly, you know, we can't rush things when there are processes that were initiated."
Waterloo tenants will have to wait a month or two longer to see how the principles outlined by the Minister will shape the decision about Waterloo South. It is clear, however, that while the new government has inherited a process from the previous government, it is not planning to just let it proceed without examining how it can improve the outcomes for those on the waiting list and for existing tenants.
How the NSW government will pay for these improved projects while not selling government land remains an unanswered question.
Clover Moore's Waterloo social housing tenants forum 11am 14 June
The social housing meeting for tenants living in the Waterloo area is being held at The Factory, 67 Raglan Street Waterloo from 11am to 12pm on Wednesday 14 June 2023. Council will provide an update to tenants, which will be followed by short updates from Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ), and Land and Housing Corporation (LAHC) representatives.
Following the meeting from 12pm to 12.30pm tenants will be invited to stay for a light lunch and speak one-on-one with staff from DCJ, LAHC and City of Sydney to raise any individual concerns.
Meeting enquiries contact: Katrina Guyatt, City Conversations Coordinator Phone: 9265 9115 Email: kguyatt at cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au<mailto:kguyatt at cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au>
Trevor Davies Memorial Lecture - 7pm Wednesday 14 June
The Trevor Davies ALP Branch and Newtown State Electorate Council will commemorate the life of local Labor stalwart, community activist, and editor of the South Sydney Herald, Trevor Davies in an annual lecture.
Trevor was also one of the ALP founders of REDWatch. REDWatch was formed initially by local ALP branches and the South Sydney Greens in 2004. REDWatch supports no political party and strives to work across political groups for the benefit of our communities. You can read more about Trevor's life and contributions here<https://gmail.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e90420906dfaa9ab576a9b892&id=ee2496d4ec&e=ed3c89df34>. There is a whole section on the REDWatch website about Trevor. There is a seat in Abercrombie Street near Charles Keenan Reserve with a plaque commemorating him and he is the only person to have an ALP branch named after a person.
This year's Trevor Davies Memorial lecture is given by the NSW Secretary and National Director of Food & Beverages of the United Workers Union (UWU), Mel Gatfield. She will speak about how the union is making gains in feminised sectors that have traditionally been difficult to build worker power in.
UWU is one of the largest unions in Australia, representing over 150,000 members. The majority of its members are women who work in a wide range of industries including aged care, early childhood education, hospitality, cleaning and more.
Location: The Rose Hotel, 52-54 Cleveland Street, Chippendale from 6.30pm onwards. There will be a bar tab on the night but RSVP HERE PLEASE!<https://gmail.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e90420906dfaa9ab576a9b892&id=3fd2596e38&e=ed3c89df34>
REDWatch Meeting July 6 - Explorer Street South Eveleigh Rezoning
At the July REDWatch meeting the Department of Planning and Environment (DPE) will present on the rezoning proposal for the Explorer Street South Eveleigh public housing.
Last year Explorer Street appeared in a media release saying that the rezoning would be handled by the DPE rather than Council. That process is underway and Council and LAHC are both advising DPE on the rezoning through a governance group.
DPE expect to exhibit the proposed rezoning later this year, subject to approval from the Planning Minister. The REDWatch meeting will be a pre-exhibition opportunity to get an understanding of what is being proposed by DPE for this site. You can see LAHC's 2020 proposal and other documents relevant to what is proposed on the Explorer Street<http://www.redwatch.org.au/RWA/Explorer> tab of the REDWatch website.
This is a rezoning that will set the height, floor space and other controls for this site. What then happens on this site will be determined by LAHC and the government.
The Thursday 6 July meeting will be held at 6pm at the Factory Community Centre, 67 Raglan Street, Waterloo. It will also be on Zoom via https://tinyurl.com/RedwatchZoomMeeting<https://tinyurl.com/RedwatchZoomMeeting?fbclid=IwAR0wbWKGpZEyQFnX41X03ypR3cZ5EYRRoHocTP-Bl9d03ExHrUu7aLvqAKo>.

Regards,

Geoff
Geoffrey Turnbull
REDWatch Co-Spokesperson
Ph Wk: (02) 8004 1490  Mob: 0418 457 392
email: spokesperson at redwatch.org.au<mailto:spokesperson at redwatch.org.au>
web: www.redwatch.org.au<http://www.redwatch.org.au/>
FB: www.facebook.com/RedfernEveleighDarlingtonWaterlooWatch/<http://www.facebook.com/RedfernEveleighDarlingtonWaterlooWatch/>

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