Millers Point residents fighting on
SBS' current affairs program The Feed has shone a light on the continued destruction of the Millers Point community by the Baird State Government.
See the full expose from The Feed here:
The video you are about to view and the comments by FACS bureaucrat Mr. Paul Vevers need to be clarified.
http://www.millerspointnotforsale.org.au/millers_point_residents_fighting_on
Mr. Vevers states that the sales proceeds of $500mil will build 1500 new dwellings for the silent majority, the 60,000 on the waiting list! When this project was first announced on National TV in March 2014 by then FACS Minister Pru Goward, without consultation with the Millers Point, Dawes Point & Rocks Public & Social Housing tenants there where 58,000 on the waiting list! "Do the math's"!!!
In Millers Point there where approx. 200 empty properties, some being vacant for several years, they where and still are boarded up after the tenant was forced out! We the committees kept asking FACS & H/NSW why aren't these properties being repaired and maintained for use by the silent majority that Mr. Vevers reminds us of in the video but, conveniently had a memory lapse for 2 or 3yrs whilst these empty properties, many in good livable condition where left to rot!
Mr. Vevers also states that tenants had a choice of staying in one of the 28 houses set aside or moving! They are in fact units not houses and although unsuitable for most elderly and vulnerable tenants they where not a gift from the Gov. but where hard fought for and won by The Millers Point Community Working Party and the tenants them self because we knew that they would suit some of the tenants but, they should not of been used as an example that one size fits all!
These 28units are in two separate buildings and consist of 24x1bedroom, 1x2bedroom & 3x3bedroom most have internal and external stairs with one of the buildings entrances on a steep incline which has to be traversed by the tenants to place washing on the line in the rear courtyard! The units are very small and combined with the stairs are highly unsuitable for the elderly, vulnerable & disabled!
When the 28units where offered we had approx. 100 tenants remaining and only 19units where allocated because of their unsuitability. We must not forget that offering 100 people only 28 properties is akin to what our fathers went through down on the waterfront known as "The Hungry Mile" where men had to fight each other to get a job on the wharves! They now want us to fight each other for our homes!
The Working Party has been campaigning to have another 30-35x2 bedroom 1up 1down heritage listed simple workers apartments that would suit the remaining 40-45 tenants downstairs being street level for the elderly and disabled and upstairs for the more mobile. The difference between these apartments and the offered units is that they are 2bedroom which is required by the tenants who need either casual, permanent carers, family or friends who would be able to stay with them in difficult times! Don't forget nearly all our remaining tenants are aged between 60 & 90yrs!
We must also mention that because of the governments more then expected proceeds from the sales of Millers Point properties they will now realise around $800mil so, its not unreasonable for us to ask for an extra 30-35 dwellings. These properties are the 100yr old workers apartments that have been paid for 10's of times over! Where's the cost? They only need what we haven't fairly received over the years "maintenance and repair"!
Sirius Building. You will see Myra's story in the video. What we would like to know from the government is why the remaining tenants are not afforded the same courtesy as other communities eg; Ivanhoe Estate, Waterloo etc. that is if the Sirius Building is retained in its present form and renovated or worse demolished and redeveloped why is there no provision for these tenants to relocate and then given the option to return on completion?
We should also remind he government of ignoring its present policy of approx. 70% private/30% Social-Affordable Housing in developments so as to have diverse communities which is successful world wide!
One wonders if they have forgotten this in the destruction of Millers Point, Dawes Point & The Rocks, the "Oldest and Only Living Heritage Community" in Australia's European history!!!
PS: Please keep an open mind when judging us here at the "Point"! We have been a hard working community for near on 200yrs. Our people like most Australians have suffered plague, war, depression yet we kept our history, heritage and culture alive, we lived here when no one else wanted to, we welcomed anyone that wanted to settle in and become part of the community! Now we need you to raise your voice for us, this community, this city, all of which was built by the generations of hard working people!
Those of us that still residing here ask for very little, no gratuities no free rides, just to let us live out what remaining years we have left in the community that we call "Home"!!!
Kind Regards, Barney Gardner on behalf of The MP, DP & Rocks Public Housing Tenants Group.
