Aboriginal Housing Company isn’t ‘bringing people together’

Aboriginal Housing Company isn’t ‘bringing people together’

BY JESSICA HILL

The Redfern Indigenous community has denied support for the Pemulwuy Project at The Block, despite such claims from the Aboriginal Housing Company (AHC).

The AHC recently lodged an application to the Department of Planning to increase student accommodation. To support the increase from 154 to 500 students, the building will need to be ten stories higher than the original plan.

Nathan Moran, the CEO of the Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council (MLALC), said it’s a big lie for the AHC to promote they have support from the Aboriginal community of Redfern.

“We are the Aboriginal community of Redfern, the Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council. Whether the Aboriginal Housing Company likes that or not, we are the authority legislated to speak and we have never supported this development,” he said.

Mr Moran said the AHC didn’t consult the MLALC in regards to the modifications.

“I’m quite shocked that we have not even had the courtesy of a conversation from the housing company,” he said.

“To have no negotiation, let alone discussion, as an Aboriginal community on options other than going for commercial use of the land is quite shocking. It’s very devastating to be honest.”

AHC Chairperson, Alisi Tutuila, said they included the local community in the development and planning of the Pemulwuy Project.

“We’ve worked very hard in engaging with certain stakeholders in the community,” she said.

Ms Tutuila said the modifications would benefit the local Indigenous community at Redfern.

“Apart from being able to provide 62 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families with affordable housing dwellings, there will also be Indigenous scholarships for students, Indigenous employment opportunities as well as education and other pathway programs,” she said.

The AHC said the decision to increase student accommodation is to ensure they are able to fund the construction of affordable housing on the site.

“There has been no government funding to cover the entire precinct, which the affordable housing is on.

“We’ve worked very hard to try and secure other funding from other avenues, including government, and there hasn’t been any funding available – hence why we’ve had to increase to be able to yield off the height to be able to build the affordable housing,” said Ms Tutuila.

MP Nigel Scullion, the Minister for Indigenous Affairs, committed a $5 million grant to the Aboriginal Housing Company for the Pemulwuy Project in 2015 as a part of a peace deal made with the Redfern Tent Embassy.

The grant was contingent on affordable housing and commercial development being commenced at the same time.

A spokesperson for the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet said the Minster has not received any requests from the AHC to progress this grant.

Mr Moran disputes the claim the AHC exhausted other avenues to fund the Pemulwuy Project.

He said the MLALC offered AHC the opportunity to explore a financial partnership to develop The Block but they didn’t respond to the request.

“I think it’s very important to put out there. We’re not just talking, we actually went to them and offered to mortgage a whole series of our assets,” he said.

Mr Moran said the AHC are functioning as a commercial operation, which is in conflict to their original foundation.

“Their original foundation was to be an Aboriginal community housing provider for Aboriginal people and families to accommodation on The Block,” he said.

The AHC named the project at Redfern after the Indigenous warrior, Pemulwuy, who lead the resistance against colonists in Sydney.

Mr Moran said the AHC never sought approval from the MLALC or the La Perouse Land Council where Pemulwuy belonged.

“They have shown total disrespect for the culture, the community and even that individual,” he said.

The AHC will hold a community information meeting to address the modifications to the Pemulwuy Project on Thursday 9 March at Redfern Community Centre.

Ms Tutuila said the event provides a formal platform for the local Indigenous community to respond.

Mr Moran said this meeting is not a unique community consultation for the local Indigenous community but is part of the development application process.

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