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Pemulwuy Project takes big strides forward

Announcement posted by Aboriginal Housing company 20 Feb 2017

Long-awaited Pemulwuy Project in Redfern progresses with proposed increase in student accommodation

Sydney, Monday 20 February, 2017 – The Aboriginal Housing Company’s (AHC) Pemulwuy Project is one significant step closer to being delivered.  

Pemulwuy Project includes three adjacent precincts located between Louis Street and the railway corridor, opposite Redfern train station:

  • Precinct 1 will feature affordable housing for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people 
  • Precinct 2 will feature commercial and retail spaces
  • Precinct 3 will feature student accommodation

There will be no changes to the previously DA approved affordable housing and commercial precincts  - Precincts 1 and 2. The changes include increasing the number of student accommodation rooms in Precinct 3, which will allow the AHC to fund the entire project on its own. 

This new model will enable all three precincts to be delivered in one stage and will ensure the AHC remains debt free and sole legal owners and custodians of the land.

For the proposed model to be viable, the student accommodation precinct will need to increase as follows:

  • The building will increase in height from 6 to 16 storeys
  • The gross floor area will increase from 2.9:1 to 7.16:1
  • The number of rooms for student accommodation will increase from 154 to approximately 522

A SEARS application was submitted to the Department of Planning in 2016 reflecting these changes. 

AHC Chairperson, Alisi Tutuila, said, “We are extremely excited about this new model to deliver the Pemulwuy Project in a way that realises our core objectives for our community. We will now be able to deliver the Pemulwuy Project as a whole in one stage, and there will be no changes to the affordable housing solution for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families, which is our core objective.”

“This new model will allow the the Pemulwuy Project to remain financially independent and self-determined and the AHC will remain sole legal owners of the land and site custodians.  We won’t be leaving a legacy of debt for our future generations, which is extremely important to us.”

“Our Board has worked tirelessly on this project for many years and we are delighted with this proposed model, which unlocks the true potential and value of the site. It maximises the opportunity for social inclusion by creating affordable housing for Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander people and important cultural and commercial opportunities.”

“Other funding options we explored simply did not allow us to realise all of our objectives: to deliver the Pemulwuy Project in one stage, to provide affordable social housing for our community, to remain legal owners and custodians of the land, and to remain debt free for our future generations. This model is a win win for everyone,” she said.

As part of the Pemulwuy Project community consultation process, a Community Information Event will be held in March 2017.

For further enquiries or interview opportunities please contact media@heardagency.com or 02 8279 7878.

-ENDS-

About the Aboriginal Housing Company

The Aboriginal Housing Company (AHC) is an independent non-profit charity and the first community housing provider in Australia, incorporated in 1973 as a company limited by guarantee.  It is an all Aboriginal governed organisation, located in the heart of Redfern, which lies in the traditional lands of the Gadigal People, part of the Eora Nation.

The company was formed in direct response to the widespread discrimination Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and families experienced in the private rental market.  The AHC is self-funded and operates on income derived from rental properties.  Affordable housing is located across Sydney and country regions in NSW.

A current focus is the redevelopment known as Pemulwuy Project.  The redevelopment will breathe new life into Redfern and restore a strong and healthy Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community with an emphasis on cultural values, spirituality and employment.  Pemulwuy Project will make Redfern the best urban Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community in Australia and in doing so, set the benchmark for all other communities.