Estates in the balance: best practice in the redevelopment and regeneration of public housing estates

Shelter NSW media release – 16 June 2010

About a third of public housing in New South Wales is in estates. Arguably the public perception is not pretty, but this contrasts with the views of residents – 64 % of tenants of public housing report being satisfied or very satisfied with their housing.

This not to deny real problems, said Mary Perkins, Executive Officer of Shelter NSW. Government action to right disadvantage and poverty by first building and then improving estates has a long history.

The current policies of State and Commonwealth governments favour breaking up the estates and building ‘mixed’ communities. But will tenants experience the estate as a better place to live after the redevelopment occurs? What is the impact on tenants who have been displaced from the estates? What are the best ways of addressing problems arising from poverty and disadvantage? Ms Perkins was speaking on the eve of a 1–day conference being held tomorrow (June 17) in Sydney, on best practice before, during and after the regeneration and redevelopment of public housing estates.

The conference, ‘Estates in the balance’, is organized by Shelter NSW, a nonprofit social change agency.

The conference will be opened by the NSW Minister for Housing, the Hon. Frank Terenzini MP.

The other conference speakers and panellists are:

Andrew Tongue, Deputy Secretary, Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs
Mike Allen, Chief Executive, Housing NSW
Dr Simon Pinnegar, Deputy Director, City Futures Research Centre, University of NSW
Dr Kathy Arthurson, Senior Research Fellow, Faculty of Health Sciences, Flinders University, Adelaide
Gregor Macfie, Executive Officer, Tenants Union of NSW
Julie Foreman, Learning and Development Coordinator, Tenants Union of NSW
Associate Professor Michael Darcy, Social Justice and Social Change Research Centre, University of Western Sydney
Dr Susan Goodwin, Faculty of Education and Social Work, University of Sydney
Bernie Coates, Director, Community Building, Strategic Projects, Housing NSW
Charmaine Jones, Regional Training Worker, Inner Sydney Regional Council for Social Development
Galina Laurie, Acting Manager, Estates Strategy Unit, Housing NSW
Brian Murnane, Executive Manager – Development, Argyle Community Housing
Jen Rignold, social housing tenant from Airds–Bradbury.

The conference, ‘Estates in the balance: best practice in the redevelopment and regeneration of public housing estates ’, is being held tomorrow, Thursday June 17, in Sydney, at the NSW Teachers Federation conference centre, Reservoir Street, Surry Hills.

Media representatives who wish to interview speakers are recommended to contact Mary Perkins or Katie Florance at the Shelter NSW office.

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