No surrender at Millers Point
“They’ve worked, they’ve paid taxes, they’ve paid the rent”, Patricia Corowa, Millers Point resident and Indigenous activist, told Red Flag at the Millers Point Spring Picnic on 14 September. “This is their community, their home.”
Yet one by one, the close-knit community of residents, most aged between 70 and 100, are being split up and shipped off to make way for millionaires and developers.
Their right to live in the homes they’ve long grown attached to has been weighed against the cost of maintaining the properties and the potential resale values. The state Liberal government has gone for money over human rights.
The 57,000-long waiting list for public housing was cited as a reason for the clearance. Yet all of the auctions have been of properties that have been vacant for some time, even years. Despite their having netted more than $6 million, there has been no explanation of where the money is being spent.
Photos in a local hall depict the long history of the working class area. It was Australia’s first suburb of public housing, provided for the wharfies who toiled through plague, Depression and war. After more than a century, properties in the charming heritage area once viewed as a slum are fetching more than $2.6 million.
Down by the former dock workers’ area in Barangaroo, the rumble of construction vehicles building James Packer’s casino complex signal the transformation of this harbour area into a playground for the rich and powerful. As Mike Baird, NSW premier, has made clear, “All our ministers will be salesmen and saleswomen for this state, with the job of convincing companies why they should come and set up here.”
Low-income housing just doesn’t mesh with the vision of Sydney held by big business and its buddies in government.
In the face of this despicable treatment, the resistance of the Millers Point residents has been inspiring. “We will not be moved!” protesters called out over the police line at a protest on 11 September. There’s no doubt that the state government is facing fiercer resistance from community members than it anticipated.
A combination of direct actions, social media campaigning, “Save Millers Point” merchandise and union support have produced a strong and visible campaign. The picnic topped it off with a huge turnout of locals and supporters.
The Labor Party has given verbal support, but clearly would be on with the developers if in government. When asked by Corowa what the ALP would do about the sell-off if elected, state party leader John Robertson said it would hold consultations.
Consultation would have been useful before the eviction announcement, which came as a complete shock to the community. But as Corowa related, this shock was quickly replaced with a conviction to fight. The residents of Millers Point and the threatened areas surrounding it have forcibly made their demands.
They have a mission, and a motto: No surrender.
