Councils in Solidarity with Friends of Millers Point

Thursday 2 October

Representatives of local Councils, MPs, Unions, Tenants, members of the Arts Community and Advocacy Groups for Public Housing Tenants came together last night to form Friends of Millers Point and call for a halt to the sell-off of NSW Public Housing.

The NSW Government announced the sale of Housing NSW properties at Millers Point in March and has swiftly commenced sales of the multi-million dollar homes. The packed meeting unanimously adopted the Terms of Reference for the newly formed Friends of Miller Point and elected a Working Group whose membership includes Councillors from Leichhardt, City of Sydney and Marrickville as well as the Mayor of Leichhardt.

Leichhardt Mayor Rochelle Porteous said public housing was in crisis with extensive waiting lists across Sydney.

"This sell off of the Millers Point public housing by the NSW Government sets a dangerous precedent for any public housing in NSW,” Cr Porteous said. “Leichhardt Council has approximately 2,800 local residents in public housing. There is a chronic shortage of public, affordable and supported housing here in Leichhardt and right across Sydney. We need to protect our existing public housing.

The Inner West Tenant Group spokesperson, Lisa Smajlov, said her group was particularly concerned about the perceived lack of transparency in the State Government’s actions at Millers Point and the dangerous precedent that sets for public housing across the state.

“We are in solidarity with the tenants of Millers and Dawes Point and are concerned that the precedent set in The Rocks will be replicated in the Inner West. We particularly ask for transparency on the Housing NSW sell off, with no more closed auctions; transparency with tenants on the lottery process of reallocation; on the allocation and distribution of current and projected sales proceeds; on where the reallocated tenants are being moved to and how these sell offs are impacting on the waiting list,” she said.

Long term resident and spokesperson for the Millers/Dawes Point/Rocks Public Housing Tenants Group, Barney Gardner, said the action of the State Government over the past months was distressing for the Millers Point public housing tenants, especially the frail and elderly, which he said constitutes over half the residents.

“I’ve lived here all my life and what’s happening here is a disgrace,” he said. “There’s been no consultation. People are being bullied to leave; it’s causing anxiety and other health issues. People should be able to age in place with dignity.”

Mr Gardner said many residents had no blood relatives and regarded their friends and neighbours as ‘family’. “It’s displacing a whole suburb because public housing doesn’t fit with the high rolling clients at the new casino at Barangaroo. What kind of Government does that to its most vulnerable people?” Mr Gardner said.

For interviews, phone Barney Gardner 0402 550 603; Lisa Smajlov 0414 743 011; or Leichhardt Mayor Rochelle Porteous 0418 213054. Note: Terms of reference available on request

RESOURCED: http://www.leichhardt.nsw.gov.au/News-and-Events/Media-Releases/2014/Councils-in-Solidarity-with-Friends-of-Millers-Point