Campaign to save the Block heats up

By Chris Spindler and Jennifer Thompson

SYDNEY -- The campaign to save Redfern's Aboriginal community has heated up amidst repeated denials by the Aboriginal Housing Company of plans to redevelop Eveleigh Street -- "the Block" -- and relocate its current residents. The AHC "owns" the land and houses in Eveleigh Street.

The temperature was raised on February 22 by major newspaper reports revealing dealings between the AHC and a former Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission official, consultants and developers.

The Redfern Aboriginal Housing Coalition, which is campaigning against the relocation of the community, has been arguing for action to develop decent accommodation on the Block, and for residents' participation in decisions about their future.

It has been actively lobbying state and federal Aboriginal affairs ministers about the community's plans for establishing good quality housing on the Block, creating jobs for the residents and maintaining the community.

The coalition plans to seek injunctions against some of the planned house demolitions and wants membership of the AHC opened up to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders to enable community control of its decision making.

The coalition says that the AHC has failed to consult the Aboriginal community or provide information about its plans for the Block. The coalition is also concerned about the AHC's failure to do necessary repairs and renovations on the houses there.

In January, the AHC was granted $6 million by ATSIC to demolish the houses it had failed to maintain, and to relocate the residents. The AHC has been claiming that no firm decision has been made about the community's future, but on February 22 the Sydney Morning Herald and Weekend Australian ran stories rebutting this claim.

Their evidence included confirmation from ATSIC that one of the AHC's redevelopment plans -- for a "black Darling Harbour" -- formed the basis of the $6 million grant.

According to the newspapers, the former deputy chairperson of ATSIC, Charles Perkins, pushed strongly for the demolition and relocation option when he was an ATSIC official. He has now turned up on the board of a number of companies associated with the planned redevelopment.

One of those companies, Antjilka Consulting, belongs to his son, Adam Perkins, who, along with former AHC secretary Anthony Carter, reportedly received $20,000 for investigating commercial redevelopment options, money previously earmarked for much needed repairs to Eveleigh Street houses.

Both Perkins were also reported to be board members of another company which was earlier hoping to represent the AHC in redevelopment negotiations.

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