Save the Heritage and The Community of Millers Point, Dawes Point & The Rocks before it’s all GONE.
Please click on the FaceBook link, Like and Share our Pages ................ www.facebook.com/millerspointsaveourhomes/ ............................ www.millerspointnotforsale.org.au/ .............................................. www.savemillerspoint.blogspot.com.au/ ...........................................
G'Day Friends & Supporters of Millers Point, Dawes Point & The Rocks!
Brad Hazzard says, "A pleasure to meet you all & discuss the issues!"
A delegation from Millers Point, the Working Party made up of the Public Housing Tenants Group and the Resident Action Group along with Elder Tenant "Flo" Sekold, also present where Lord Mayor Clover Moore, Deputy Lord Mayor Robyn Kemmis and Independent Member for Sydney Alex Greenwich who was responsible for arranging our meeting with the Hon. Brad Hazzard the Minister for FACS & Social Housing.
We met with Minister Hazzard and presented a way forward and a solution to the retention of Social Housing in the Millers Point, Dawes Point & The Rocks!
We received a warm welcome and a fair hearing of our issues. We now await Minister Hazzards response and will keep all of you our Tenants & supporters informed.
We must give our profound "THANKS" to the Lord Mayor, the Dept. Lord Mayor & Alex for their enduring support!
Millers Point Residents Propose Solution to Housing Stand-Off
Public housing tenants from Millers Point, Dawes Point and The Rocks today presented NSW Housing Minister Brad Hazzard with a potential solution to the stand-off over the sale of inner city public housing.
Millers Point Public Housing Tenants’ Group Convenor Barney Gardner today said the State Government could retain around half of its public housing portfolio in Millers Point, Dawes Point and The Rocks and still make around $300 million for investment in new housing stock.
“So far the State Government has raised around $38 million from the sale of just 16 properties million.Just last night the State Government collected $4.23 million from the sale of a single Millers Point heritage dwelling.
“If these sales values are maintained, the State Government could stop the sell-off at 143 of the 293 Government-owned properties in Millers Point and still make around $340 million.
The State Government could retain purpose built, low maintenance and low value properties for people who are elderly, frail or have a disability to age in place in their community while selling higher value heritage terraces.
“Our plan would enable the remaining residents who wish to stay the opportunity to age in place, while retaining a supply of public housing for inner city workers on low incomes.”
Mr Gardner said it was very positive that Minister Hazzard was prepared to meet with Millers Point tenants to discuss their situation.
“While he didn’t make any promises, we believe Minister Hazzard understands where we’re coming from, and is sympathetic to the needs of the Millers Point community.We hope to have further discussions with him over the coming months.”
Mr Gardner said there was an enormous demand for inner city public housing, and it did not make sense to be selling such a large proportion of the State Government’s inner city public housing portfolio.
“Many of the remaining Millers Point tenants are people who have lived in the area for years, and have deep ties to the local community.There are many others on low-incomes who qualify for public housing and who live and work in the inner city.
“It’s just not fair to expect these people to move out to the city fringe where they are isolated from their support networks and have to pay excessive transport costs just to get to get to work or to see their doctor.
“Public housing tenants have received outstanding support from the local community in Millers Point, including many business owners, home owners and people with long-term leases.
“Together we have put forward a proposal that would allow elderly residents of the Millers Point area to age in place while still enabling the Government to recycle around $300 million worth of public housing assets.We think this is a sensible solution, and is worthy of the State Government’s consideration.
Public housing tenants facing eviction from their homes at Millers Point in Sydney have met with NSW Housing Minister Brad Hazzard in a last-ditch attempt to avoid eviction.
The State Government is selling off nearly 300 properties in the inner-city suburb and using the expected proceeds of about $500 million to build 1,500 new homes across the state in Sydney's south-east and south-west, the Illawarra region and the Blue Mountains.
The residents told the Minister there are enough vacant properties in Millers Point to accommodate the remaining 120 residents, most of whom are elderly.
One of the homes was auctioned yesterday for a record $4.2 million and the NSW Opposition said every dollar from that sale should go back into public housing.
The predominately elderly community at harbourside Millers Point has been fighting eviction from their homes, and some said they know of several residents who have taken their own lives.
Long term residents plead to stay in Millers Point
One of the local residents, 81-year-old Florence Seckold, was born in the area and has lived there all of her life and has been told she may have to leave.
"But I don't want to. This is my home. This is where I live," Mrs Seckold, a widow, said.
"How long am I going to live for?
Photo: Florence Seckold is fighting to ensure she and other long term Millers Point residents can stay in the area. (ABC: TV News)
"Leave us here. That's all we ask.
"We're not being defiant, we just want to finish off what's left here in Millers Point."
Another long-term resident, 88-year-old Myra Demetriou, was too frail to make today's meeting but also pleaded with the Government to be able to stay.
"I'm hoping that they'll leave those of us who can't move about too quickly where we are," Mrs Demetriou said.
"I'm angry, wouldn't you be?
"There's just tears everywhere. It's terrible."
After the meeting with Mr Hazzard, Mrs Seckold said she was satisfied with the outcome.
"It was very productive as far as that went and I think he [Mr Hazzard] will do the very best he can," Mrs Seckold said.
Mr Hazzard said he would consider the plight of the remaining residents of Millers Point, but also said the Government was committed to their public housing program.
"I'm certainly happy to go away and think about those ideas," Mr Hazzard said.
"But at the end of the day it is about 58,000 people on the housing waiting list and we do need as much money as we can get to try to get as much new housing as possible.
"But perhaps there's a balance and I'll look to see what I can do."
The Government has already unveiled some new public housing units funded by the sales, but the Opposition's Tanya Mihailuk said more affordable accommodation needed to be built.
"It's not clear yet how much of the money that the Government is receiving for Millers Point will be going to new stock," Ms Mihailuk said.
"NSW Opposition has asked the Government to formally provide information, on precisely how much of that money is actually being transferred to new housing stock."
Grimes Cottage in Millers Point sold at auction on Thursday night for $4.23 million.
Grimes Cottage, the prize of the state government sell-off of public housing at Millers Point, sold under the hammer on Thursday night for $4.23 million.
The colonial Georgian residence was listed with a price guide of more than $4 million through McGrath's Richard Shalhoub.
The 184-year-old house was bought by lawyer John Schembri and his wife Karen, of Greenwich.
50 Argyle Place Millers Point
"I've loved the area since I first visited when I was 13," said Karen Schembri after the sale was complete. "I can't stop smiling."
It is the 16th property to be sold as part of the sell-off of public housing, which has netted the state government almost $38 million to date.
The freestanding sandstone residence is expected to achieve the highest sale price of all the 293 properties to be sold by July 2016.
The head of Government Property NSW Brett Newman said: "The high spirited bidding for Grimes' Cottage was not surprising, it is one of only a few freestanding residences in the precinct."
As one of the oldest surviving residential buildings in Sydney, Grimes Cottage comes with some of the strictest heritage guidelines of all the former public housing properties.
It was built in 1831 as the first home of master mariner George Grimes and his wife Mary
Underwood, the daughter of shipbuilder, merchant and distiller James Underwood.
The neighbouring six terraces were also developed by Mr Grimes from 1842 onwards.
The Schembri family are expected to undertake a sympathetic restoration and renovation of the rundown property.
The 416-square-metre block and coveted north-facing rear courtyard with Harbour Bridge views drew in a large pool of buyers.
Set over three levels, the five-bedroom, two-bathroom house has formal lounge rooms flanking the entry and iron lacework-framed rear balconies. There is a separate, self-contained studio at the rear.
The controversial sell-off has faced significant opposition from the local community. But unlike previous Millers Point auctions there were no protesters out the McGrath auction rooms on Thursday night.
Tenants' spokesman Barney Gardner said all such action has been suspended until they meet with Social Housing Minister Brad Hazzard on Friday.
Mr Newman said proceeds from the auctions in Millers Point and The Rocks were being used to fund the new supply of public housing, with projects already underway in Lurnea, Condell Park, Padstow, Warilla, Mount Warrigal, Chester Hill, Yagoona, Gymea, Kingswood, Casula, Beverly Hills and Miranda.
The sale tops the previous high for a state-owned property of $3.95 million set last September when a five-bedroom Victorian terrace sold on Lower Fort Street.
