University students embroiled in debate over Redfern development
Image: Last week's protest at the Redfern Tent Embassy
By Lucy Rennick
Amidst contention over the future of The Block in Redfern, members of the Redfern Tent Embassy have called upon Sydney University to protest commercial development proposed by the Aboriginal Housing Company (AHC).
A student march on Saturday June 21 to protest the Howard government’s Northern Territory National Emergency Response has coincided with community opposition to commercial and residential re-development of The Block, set to commence early July. 130 Sydney University students marched from Town Hall to The Block last Saturday, led by Kyol Blakeney, Indigenous officer at Sydney University.
“The land on The Block is being sold out under the feet of Aboriginal people so that people on the board of the company can get a profit from that rather than do stuff for their people. We agreed to support the tent embassy as long as they support us,” Mr Blakeney said.
“The activists at the Tent Embassy have made it clear they’re opposed to this decision and have called on Sydney University students to protest the university’s decision to do this,” said Rafi Alam, a University of Sydney student.
“As students, we should go with the movement that’s spearheaded by the Aboriginal residents on The Block.”
The $70 million development, known as the Pemulwuy Project, includes a retail and student housing complex on the vacant plot of land between Eveleigh St and Louis St.
“The AHC have to reprioritise their development program,” said Jenny Munro, founder of the Tent Embassy.
“Aboriginal people come first in any development here, not students. Sydney University has enough money to house their students without forcing them on to a community that has great difficulty in being housed in both the public sector and the private sector.”
Mick Mundine, Aboriginal Housing Company CEO, maintains the provision of 62 affordable houses on Eveleigh Street is the responsibility of the state government, rather than the AHC.
“It would be very sad if the government doesn’t give us money towards affordable housing,” he said.
“They give a lot of money out to the remote areas, but the urban Aboriginal people need affordable housing, too. It would make the government look irresponsible.”
The AHC considers student housing as contributing to a broader climate of reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities.
“We want to build a community within a community; we don’t want to be isolated,” he said.
“There’s a huge gap in the Indigenous community between finishing high school and starting university. We’re trying to fill that gap. University is so important for the future, so student accommodation is important too.”
How this debate regarding The Block will be resolved is yet to be seen, but Ms Munro and the tent embassy have made it clear that they will continue to oppose the development.
“We will stay here until we have had this issue resolved to the community’s satisfaction rather than the housing company’s,” said Ms. Munro.
“We’ll be here for a month, a year, five years. If there’s no black housing there will be no development here.”
The Tent Embassy has organised a protest against the development for this Sunday the 6th and Monday the 7th of July at The Block.
