Save the Heritage and The Community of Millers Point, Dawes Point & The Rocks before it’s all GONE.
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PUBLIC housing tenants have welcomed a ‘massive shift’ in government policy which will offer 28 apartments to the area’s most vulnerable residents.
“I very much hope it’s the first step of many,” said Friends of Millers Point chair John Dunn.
As foreshadowed by Central Sydney in September, NSW Minister for Social Housing Brad Hazzard offered an olive branch to residents in a deal on Saturday, encouraging the most vulnerable in the community to apply for the spots.
More than 75 per cent of the suburb’s 400 tenants have already been relocated to other suburbs. Barney Gardner, Kelli Haynes and John Dunn hope to secure several more premises for Millers Point tenants. Picture: John AppleyardThe remaining 90 or so residents still living in the area have four weeks to apply for an apartment within one of two buildings on Argyle Place and Kent St.
Mr Dunn said the apartments were a “great concession” by the government but he hoped it was a sign of things to come.
“It’s a way of keeping the viable core of the community together,” he said.
“I very much hope it’s the first step of many ... I look forward to working with the minister and government towards a solution to save this community,” Mr Dunn said.
Formal letters were sent to residents on Monday, explaining the application process to secure one of the 24 one-bedroom, one two-bedroom, and three three-bedroom apartments.
Millers Point resident and convener of the public housing tenants community group Barney Gardner said he had identified two other non-heritage buildings which could also house tenants. Millers Point’s harbourside location means its public housing terraces have managed to secure multi-million dollar prices at auction. Picture: Toby ZernaHe identified 24 apartments on the corner of Merriman St and Bettington St, opposite the Hotel Palisade, and another next to the Langhams International Hotel.
“What we don’t understand is why people were pressured to leave when the last tenant left six months ago and they’re empty,” Mr Gardner said.
“Our crime is that we live to close to the city. It’s been a housing commission place for over 100 years. The government is saying it’s OK ... to destroy this community that’s existed for so long.” Some of the public housing that has been sold for millions of dollars in Millers Point.Mr Gardner said tactics used to convince tenants to leave had been “manipulative”, and the government had let public housing run down in order to present any move as appealing to long-time residents.
“They have new carpets, they’re fresh and clean and renovated ... there’s been a lot of pressure and intimidation,” Mr Gardner said.
He said he was determined to keep fighting, even if he was the last one to leave the area.
Mr Hazzard said there was “no perfect answer” to the government’s approach to public housing.
“The NSW Government recognises that it can be daunting for some residents to move out of Millers Point and away from their local support network (but) the Government has the overwhelming pressure of 60,000 people waiting for public housing,” he said. Millers Point terraces have proved popular on the open market.Proceeds from the Millers Point sale are expected to exceed $500 million, which will be used to build more than 1500 new dwellings in Sydney and regional NSW.
Friends of Millers Point convener Kelli Haynes said the government was choosing a shortsighted solution which stripped the community of it’s value.
“It’s a waste of public funds to treat social housing as just shelter ... if you have an inclusive community which supports the vulnerable then there will be people not relying on support services,” Ms Haynes said.
“If we move people out of Millers Point then the same argument could be made for Vaucluse or Woollahra — are we saying that we can’t have social housing in wealthy areas?
“All we’re doing if we keep going down this line is pushing the vulnerable to the outskirts.” Argyle St at Millers Point, pictured in 1906. Source: Flickr
