[Greens-Media] Media release: Public housing sell off

[Jamie Parker]

For immediate release.
Friday 31 October, 2014

Stop NSW public housing sell-off - Senate backs Greens motion

The Australian Senate has passed a Greens' motion calling on the NSW government to reverse its policy
of selling public housing and to continue funding the Glebe Community Development Project.

Greens Balmain MP Jamie Parker has welcomed the Senate's support for public housing in Glebe.

"This is a small but important victory for the Glebe Community Development Project," NSW Greens Senator Lee
Rhiannon said.

"Sydney is facing of severe housing affordability and instead of proper planning; successive Governments in
NSW have continued to sell off public housing residents so their developer mates can make a big buck.

"The 1970s Green Ban imposed by the NSW Builders Labourers Federation was a historic win for the
communities around Glebe and the Rocks and it is sad to see that the same communities are again under
threat.

"The Greens put this motion before the Senate to win federal support for the Glebe community that is
again rallying against another Liberal government that is too close to developers."

Greens MP Jamie Parker added that "the defunding of the Glebe Community Development Project is a meanspirited
attack on public housing residents who have greatly benefited from the Project.

"The majority of the Federal Senate can see the importance of these issues but the NSW Liberal government
seems blind to social justice and diversity in our community," concluded Mr Parker.

TEXT OF MOTION
I give notice that on the next day of sitting I will move that:
The Senate -
1. Notes that
a) The NSW Coalition government policy of increasing public housing sell offs is causing stress and uncertainty
for public housing tenants across NSW;
b) The Glebe Community Development Project supports a range of organisations that foster community
cohesion and improve life opportunities of residents and the NSW Government is currently defunding the Project
c) The 1970s Green Bans organised by local residents and the Builders Labourers Federation and supported by
NSW Labor's introduction of the Heritage Act, Environmental Planning and Assessment Act and Land
Environment Court Act, as well as the intervention of the Federal Labor Minister for Urban Development Tom
Uren saved considerable housing stock in Glebe from demolition when they stopped the construction of an inner
city motorway
2. Calls on the NSW government to reverse its policy of selling off public housing and continue funding the
Glebe Community Development Project.
Senator Lee Rhiannon

Contact Lee Rhiannon: 0487 350 880 (Brami Jegan)
Contact Jamie Parker: 0431 662 943 (Louise Stewart)