LIBERALS CRUELLY EVICT ELDERLY TENANTS FROM MILLERS POINT

NSW Labor today condemned the claims by the NSW Liberal Government that the proceeds from the sale of the public housing in Millers Point will be reinvested in the social housing sy...stem.

“This is more disingenuous spin by the Liberals to cover up their appalling record of budget cuts to social housing. “ Shadow Minister for Housing Sophie Cotsis said today.

“The fact is the last budget shows the Liberals have cut funding for new housing construction in half compared to what Labor spent in our last year in office.

“Last year the Auditor General found the Liberals had delayed $85 million worth of maintenance work for social housing, causing the maintenance backlog to blow-out to $330 million.

“It has been 12 months since the Auditor General’s recommendation to develop a long-term social housing policy, but the Liberal’s still have not done this.”

Labor Candidate for Sydney Edwina Lloyd condemned the announcement by the NSW Liberal Government to begin selling social housing properties in Millers Point.

“The Liberals are evicting elderly and vulnerable people from their homes and their community.” Ms Lloyd said.

“The Liberals’ budget cuts show they are not interested in investing in social housing, these sales are only about the Liberals’ mindless ideological obsession with selling public assets.”

City of Sydney Labor Councillor Linda Scott also condemned the Liberals plans to reduce the availability of social housing in inner-Sydney.

“Our city should be a vibrant place that can cater to a diverse mix of people”, Ms Scott said.

“There is a housing affordability crisis in the inner City and this sell off will remove a significant number of affordable housing dwellings from the City of Sydney forever.”

“Under the Liberal’s heartless sell-off, a vibrant community that has lived in Millers Point for decades will be turfed-out and dispersed.”

Shadow Minister for Housing Sophie Cotsis said that claims by NSW Liberal Ministers that the proceeds from the sale will be reinvested in social housing, are nowhere to be found in the budget. Despite claims that the proceeds will go back to social housing, the Government has no plan or completed any economic modelling.

“There are no plans- this is nothing more than a massive cash grab. The Minister must front up and speak to the many residents who are very concerned and distressed,” Ms Cotsis said.

“The Liberals are obsessed with selling public assets all across the state regardless of the consequences.

“In this case the Liberals decision to sell social housing at Millers Point will see the eviction of elderly and vulnerable people from their homes where they have spent their lives.”

MEDIA CONTACT: SOPHIE COTSIS- 0407945914

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Stop Millers Point public housing sell-off - Senate backs Greens motion

16 Jul 2014 | Lee Rhiannon Housing & Sustainable Cities

The Australian Senate has passed a Greens' motion calling on the NSW government to cease selling public housing in the historic inner Sydney suburb of Millers Point.

"This is a small but important victory for the Miller Points residents and their supporters who have been campaigning to save 293 public housing properties and to stop the eviction of 400 tenants from their homes slated for private sale," Greens NSW Senator said.

"The Greens put this motion before the Senate to win federal support for this important campaign.
"A mighty community campaign saved Millers Point public housing in the 1970s when a Green Ban was imposed by the NSW Builders Labourers Federation.

"The community is again rallying against another Coalition government that is too close to developers.

"Millers Point is of enormous historical significance and public housing in this area is a rich part of the city's heritage. The working class here is part of the character and soul of the city.

"Moves to sell off public housing are part of a long standing attempt by successive NSW Labor and Coalition government's to assist their developer buddies to profit from ‘upmarketing' Sydney.

"Though the NSW Liberal government has been harassing residents and trying to pressure them into accepting relocation to other suburbs, the community and their friends are putting up an inspiring and courageous fight.

"This Greens initiated Senate motion should serve as a message to the NSW Premier Mike Baird that support is growing for this community and their call to stop the selloff of Millers Point public housing," Senator Rhiannon said.

TEXT OF MOTION
347 Senator Rhiannon: To move-That the Senate-

(a) notes that:

(i) the New South Wales Coalition Government has:

(A) announced the sale of 293 public housing properties at Millers Point and The Rocks in Sydney, with the move expected to displace more than 400 public housing tenants,

(B) made the announcement without notifying the tenants first,

(C) left residents without answers about the disruption to their community and their lives,

(D) failed to undertake a complete assessment of the housing stock in question, and

(E) failed to require provision of any serious amounts of affordable housing units in the state‘s largest construction site at Barangaroo, adjacent to The Rocks;

(ii) the 1970s Green Bans organised by local residents and the Builders Labourers Federation won protection for the low cost and public housing in the Millers Point and The Rocks area, and

(iii) affordable and appropriate housing is a basic human right and there is already too little social housing stock within Sydney‘s CBD and surrounds; and

(b) calls on:

(a) the New South Wales Government to cease selling public housing in Millers Point, and

(b) the Federal Government to increase funding for affordable public housing.

http://lee-rhiannon.greensmps.org.au/content/media-releases/stop-millers-point-public-housing-sell-senate-backs-greens-motion