Residents Rally for Public Housing Meeting

Friday, 11 April, 2014

A large turnout of passionate local residents attended a meeting at Balmain Town Hall last night to protest plans by the State Government to relocate tenants and sell-off public housing.

Leichhardt Mayor Darcy Byrne said representatives of the Millers Point community also attended and received strong, vocal support.

"Public housing tenants in the Inner West are angry and determined to fight alongside the people of Millers Point to save their community.

"Our residents know that if Prue Goward is allowed to get away with selling off homes in Millers Point then Glebe, Leichhardt and Balmain will be next.

"Given the O'Farrell Government's refusal to rule out evicting tenants across the inner city, the only course of action is to prepare to battle them."

Cr Byrne said people from different social and economic backgrounds living together in the same local community is what makes our neighbourhoods great.

“Now is the time for us to stand up and fight to protect public housing in the inner city, before it’s too late,” Cr Byrne said.

The meeting called on the State Government to:
• immediately cease present and any future attempts to relocate and sell-off Housing NSW properties in Millers Point;
• increase Government investment in building new public housing properties, including in the inner city, as well as in maintenance of existing Housing NSW properties to cover a $300M deficit.

The meeting also called on local Councils across the Sydney metropolitan area:
• to take a stand against public housing sell-offs;
• to help build the campaign to save public housing in New South Wales;
• to hold a mass rally to demonstrate the support to save public housing in our city
http://www.leichhardt.nsw.gov.au/News-and-Events/Media-Releases/2014/Residents-Rall-for-Public-Housing