Plans by the NSW Liberal government to sell off prime real estate on the current site of the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney’s CBD have aroused widespread anger.

NSW premier Mike Baird has pledged $10 million to relocate the museum to Parramatta, despite the fact that no new site for the museum has been set aside. The sale is expected to generate $200 million for the government.

Developers are salivating: John Zheng from LJ Hooker told Fairfax that “the highest and best value for it will be apartment blocks”.

It’s the latest in a spate of public land sell-offs in the Sydney CBD and surrounding areas, including the 22 hectares of public land given to developers of Barangaroo and the dozens of occupied public houses being sold off at Millers Point.

The independent state member for Sydney, Alex Greenwich, said: “From Millers Point housing to sandstone heritage government office buildings, one by one the government is relocating inner city functions and services and selling assets for redevelopment without needed open space and community facilities.”

Labor candidate for Balmain Verity Firth said the Liberal government’s announcement that it will sell the site in Ultimo and move the Powerhouse Museum to Sydney’s west just added to the list of valuable assets being sold off.

“Mike Baird is blackmailing the people of western Sydney: if you want arts and culture in western Sydney, you need to vote for my privatisation agenda.”

Community groups say the plans are part of an out-of-control privatisation agenda being pursued across the state. The convener of Pyrmont Action, Elizabeth Elenius, told AltMedia: “To sell the site for private development would be a betrayal of the public interest and, once again, demonstrates that the government treats our heritage and community with disdain when the mighty developer dollar beckons.”

RESOURCED:http://redflag.org.au/article/sell-offs-continue-sydney-cbd

NSW Election: The fiercely independent electorate of Sydney

702 ABC Sydney By John Donegan

The electorate of Sydney covers some of New South Wales' most affluent voters in Potts Point and Elizabeth Bay on the city's eastern edge, and some of the most disadvantaged voters in Millers Point on the city's western edge.

 

This mix of demographic extremes has delivered independent members since it was re-introduced in 2007.

Formerly the seat of Bligh, it was won from the Liberal Party by Clover Moore in 1988 and has been held by an independent ever since.

Cr Moore, the Lord Mayor of Sydney, was forced to vacate the seat in 2012 after legislative change made it impossible for anyone to be an elected member of local council and state government at the same time.

The seat was won at the subsequent by-election by independent Alex Greenwich, who was endorsed by Cr Moore, with a two-party preferred vote of 63.7 percent.

Sydney as an electorate has a member representing the residents, but is designed to cater for the millions of workers and tourists who flock into the state capital every day.

More singles call Sydney home

Sydney is a young electorate, with the median age six years below the state average and, with 61 percent of the population never married, the single status is double the state average.

With nearly 60 per cent of the population listing both parents as being born overseas, the city is a beacon to new Australians, earning on average 65 percent more than the state average income.
Despite the picture of youthful affluence painted by the statistics, an enclave of older, marginalised Australians live in Millers Point alongside the contentious Barangaroo Project.

The sale of public housing in Millers Point, and the forced removal of tenants will be a flash point in Saturday's election, with public housing supporters mobilising against the Government.

Redistribution resulting from more new apartment dwellers in Sydney has seen the seat shrink in area since the 2011 election.

The seat loses Ultimo to Balmain, Centennial Park to Heffron as well as Chippendale and parts of Surry Hills to the new seat of Newtown, creating a marginal seat with a notional 0.3 percent margin to the sitting independent.

Challenging Mr Greenwich at this election will be Edwina Lloyd (Labor), Victor Taffa (Independent), David Pelzman (No Land Tax), Patrice Pandeleos (Liberal), Elaine Addae (CDP - Fred Nile Group), Chris Brentin (The Greens), and Joanna Rzetelski (undeclared).

Topics: elections, sydney-2000

REOURCED: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-03-24/inside-the-fiercely-independent-electorate-of-sydney/6342994 

Millers Point: one year on

 

Dear Barney,

It was encouraging to see many of you at yesterday’s event in Parliament House, Millers Point: Community or Commodity which marked one year since the government announced the cruel mass sell-off and relocation of the Millers Point, Dawes Point and The Rocks community. My thanks to filmmaker Blue Lucine for organising the event and to everyone who continues to fight to keep your homes and community, and ensure we keep social housing in the inner city and protect your heritage significant area.

 A preview of Blue’s documentary screed at yesterday’s event can be viewed HERE. Blue will continue to document the plight of the Millers Point community and can be contacted at contact.forcedout@gmail.com.

As you know, one year  on and there is still no clear information on how proceeds of sales will be spent, with less than 10 properties sold. Over 200 homes sit vacant, while 60,000 people wait for a home and many local residents suffer serious physical and mental health issues. This undermines the government's claims that the sales will result in more social housing – so far there are fewer homes and no tracking of where funds are going.
I continue to appeal to the Government to at the very least allow the elderly residents of the area to age in place and not be forcibly evicted.
You can read my article in yesterday’s Sydney Morning Herald HERE.

The Millers Point community has so far survived developers greed, 16 years of eviction by neglect from the former labor government and social cleansing under the Liberal Government.  I will continue to fight alongside you to retain and maintain social housing in Millers Point.

Let's keep fighting!
Alex

Alex Greenwich MP
http://www.alexgreenwich.com/