“The community has again turned to Jack Mundey for support, and we are delighted to announce he has agreed to be the first Patron of the Friends of Millers Point,” said Convenor, Kelli Haynes.
“We certainly need people across the community to rally once again behind Jack and Friends of Millers Point to save the people and the heritage of The Rocks, Millers Point and Dawes Point."
“Not only are the residents at risk, but also so is the purpose-built worker and social housing constructed in this area throughout the 20th century,” Ms Haynes said. "The destruction of a well functioning community where private owners and public housing tenants live and support each other, is also a terrible waste of tax payer's money and a loss of public assets."
“We believe most of the workers’ accommodation will be lost, including the terraces of Windmill Street, the flats of High Street and most disturbingly, the Sirius Apartments which were built as a direct result of the Green Bans.
“The Rocks Green Ban was only lifted in order to allow the building of the Sirius Apartments, which now stand as a monument to the power of ordinary people - workers and residents to join together and shape the environment in which they live.'
“The State Government needs to come up with a better plan for public housing than turfing vulnerable people out of an area many have lived in throughout their lives.”
The Rally: With the rally to be held in Macquarie Street at noon this Wednesday (19 November), Millers Point, Dawes Point and The Rocks Public Housing Tenants Groupspokesperson and long term resident Barney Gardner welcomed Mundey as Patron.
“I hope Wednesday’s rally draws the same inspiration from the power of collective community action that Jack helped make famous in the 1970s Green Bans movement.
Mr Gardner said this week’s rally is calling on the State Government for more money for more public housing rather than funding it through selling existing properties in affluent areas such as The Rocks.
Background: Forty years ago Jack Mundey and the BLF joined local communities in environmental activism. This was the birth of the Green Bans. One of the first and most hard-fought Green Bans was the struggle to save The Rocks.
In the early 1970s, money was pouring into commercial and speculative property development, and old buildings were in the way.
In The Rocks, Jack Mundey and the BLF fought alongside Nita McCrae and The Rocks Resident Action Group for the preservation of this community and the buildings which are now considered some of the most significant heritage buildings in our country.
Film afternoon
Rocking the Foundations
Pat Fiske’s Rocking the Foundations is being screened at the Abraham Mott Hall at 3:00pm on Saturday 6 December.
John Hinde said it is “an exhilarating and complete account of the Green Bans – one of the most important developments in union history. An uplifting film for the sheer energy of the people involved.”
Rocking the Foundations includes stories of the 1970s Green Bans, Jack Mundey and local identity Nita McCrae who together fought to save The Rocks from developers and from plans for high-rise office towers.
Joining Pat Fiske in discussion after the film will be Jack Mundey, Sirius architect Theo Gofers, and filmmakers Helen Barrow and Blue Lucine who have each been filming in Millers Point for many months. Free entry (or by donation).
Visit the Save Millers Point Facebook page to see who is coming and add your name to the list.
https://www.facebook.com/savemillerspoint
We look forward to seeing you and other Friends on 6 December.
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