City Hub October 24

Saturday night Cross road closure Newtown Markets granted reprieve BY TOM NEALE by the Liquor Accord and the alcohol industry.” BY JAMES BEECH The City of Sydney Council will trial a partial closure Ms Doutney said there were other ways to reduce People power and a raft of public safety, of Bayswater Rd in Kings Cross and is considering a violence and anti-social behaviour in Kings Cross. amenity and access measures gave similar initiative in Darlinghurst Rd following other “A cap should be put on the number of venues.” Newtown Community Markets a last minute initiatives to crack down on violent incidents. Clover Moore Independent Team Councillor Jenny reprieve by Marrickville Council last week. At a Council meeting on Monday night, the City Green said the current situation in Kings Cross should But concerns remains rogue traders decided to close Bayswater Rd to vehicles for a trial not go on. are exploiting its reputation and halving period of three Saturday nights, with the exception of “The current situation in Kings Cross every weekend legitimate stallholders’ income, which taxis, public transport, emergency services and local is untenable with thousands of people, many of whom support critical social welfare programmes residents. The three Saturdays are yet to be determined are intoxicated roaming the streets, coming into contact run by Newtown Neighbourhood Centre. and need the sign-off of the State Government’s Roads with each other and traffic, often resulting in violence,” An amended development application and Maritime Services (RMS). she said. by the centre seeking to formalise their Supporters of Newtown Community Markets A period of trial closures for Darlinghurst Rd remains “There are a number of positives regarding the arrangement with Council answered the on the table but has not yet been approved. proposed road closures ... police will be able to better competition, safety, amenity and access was the only Councillor who voted in Greens Councillor Irene Doutney said she had serious manage crowds and a significant reduction in the huge concerns of Council’s development opposition of the Council approval for the concerns that the trials would not achieve their aim. volumes of ‘look at me’ hoon traffic.” committee. continuation of Newtown Markets. But Helen Crossing, who was the 2011 Convenor “The stated aim is to ease congestion and avoid The revamped application was raised at “The shopkeepers in the small suburbs of the Potts Point Residents Association, said that the jostling, which can often lead to antisocial behaviour the first Council meeting chaired by incoming don’t need someone to come only one day impacts of the potential road closures had not been and violence,” she said. “I fear it could just become an Marrickville Mayor Jo Haylen last Tuesday. a week, pay very cheap rents and try to get disccussed with residents. attractor to more people in an area that is already at Ms Haylen focused on the fact that the business out of them,’’ he said. “There was no consultation,” she said. “Given the visitor capacity. community markets represent what people Staff at the Newtown Neighbourhood extent of the impact of road closures, the whole area “I am also concerned about the costs to the ratepayers love about Newtown. Centre are “thrilled” the future of the centre needed to have been notified and input sought.” to implement [an] experiment which should be financed ‘’It’s a little bit alternative and different and run markets is secured by Council approval Councillor Angela Vithoulkas they really like the vibrancy of activating that and thanks to community support, operations agreed that there should be further public space,” she said. manager Barbara Keen said. consultation with residents and Conditions accepted by almost all Ms Keen said the markets help fund said “more detail” on the trials was councillors include parameters placed the more than 30-year-old, not-for-profit needed, in terms of times, dates and on where stalls can set up. Pedestrian incorporated association’s outreach efforts costings. thoroughfare of 1.5 metres for safety and for disadvantaged or marginalised people. A spokesperson for the City access of four metres for emergency “Now we have somewhere between 20 said the trial closures proposal was vehicles were designated. to 30 stalls and we’re hopeful to grow to influenced by successful violence Council assets, such as gardens and as many stalls as we’re able to have on prevention initiatives overseas. seating, and access to shops are not to be the square site, but it’s always going to be “International evidence suggests impeded. The market remains limited to one small,” she said. dealing with congestion in public day per week and the duration is restricted to However, fee-dodging unregistered, spaces is essential for addressing 10am to 4pm each Saturday, with extended unregulated and uninsured traders who safety at night, especially in areas trading during summer months. set up in the Martin Luther King memorial where alcohol is a major factor, such The arrangement will be reviewed after site remain unwelcome competition for as Kings Cross,” the spokesperson the standard two years, the Mayor said. the centre’s law-biding community spirited said. Councillor Morris Hanna, an Independent, Saturday stallholders. View of Kings Cross from William Street With Peter Hackney Fire risk for Redfern residents BY ADAM HUNT again need more of us, not less.” if there is less than a minimum safe crew of three Published weekly and freely available Sydney-wide. State Government budget cuts have forced A City of Sydney spokesperson explained fire fighters, with the remaining squad sent to Copies are also distributed to serviced apartments, hotels, the closure of Redfern Fire Station 37 times in that Council carries out inspections of other fire stations in Sydney. convenience stores and newsagents throughout the city. less than a year amid concerns over a lack of fire commercial buildings only in response to “By closing Redfern Fire Station the Distribution enquiries call 9212 5677. Published by safety equipment in high-rise public housing. FRNSW and complaints from residents. government is risking the lives of the the Alternative Media Group of Australia. While every effort A number of public housing establishments “Council conducts fire safety inspections community,” said Mr Casey. is made to ensure accuracy of content, City Hub takes no in Redfern are missing fire extinguishers, have of commercial and residential buildings in “Station closures mean that fire trucks and responsibility for inadvertent errors or omissions. broken fire exit lights and lack fire evacuation response to complaints from residents or reports crews from surrounding areas take longer to get procedures. to an incident. ABN 48 135 222 169 received from FRNSW,” said a City of Sydney One building in Morehead St contains fire spokesperson. “We are aware of one situation where there Group Publisher: Lawrence Gibbons cupboards on numerous levels that lack fire Budget cuts have led to the practice of was a kitchen fire a few metres from Redfern Group Manager: Chris Peken extinguishers, despite signs on the doors stating temporarily taking fire stations offline (TOLing) Fire Station on September 22. A resident ran Group Editor: Marcus Braid a fire hose and extinguisher are inside. due to sickness or absence. Stations are TOLed down to Redfern Fire Station but the station was City Hub Editor: Adam Hunt City of Sydney Councillor Irene Doutney, TOLed that day – people had to wait for fire Editors: Peter Hackney and Michael Koziol a public housing tenant, warned that elderly crews from Alexandria to respond.” Contributors: Gavin Gatenby, Triana O’Keefe, Paul people needed fire extinguishers when tackling One practice that occurs with TOLing is Gregoire, Virat Nehru, Tom Neale and James Beech small fires and called for evacuation maps to be labelled ‘Stand By’, where a fully manned fire dam Hunt Arts Editor: Leigh Livingstone installed. A station is closed and moved to cover another Live Music Editor: Chelsea Deeley “For a lot of elderly people a hose is hopeless TOLed fire station. Since November 2012, Photo: Photo: Dining Editor: Jackie McMillan – how are they going to use it, unwind it and Redfern Fire Station was closed 26 times due to Advertising Managers: David Sullivan, Toni Martelli, turn it on? With a fire extinguisher, if you’ve got this practice and only 11 times due to sickness Robert Tuitama and Debra O’Kane a little fire in your kitchen, you can just spray it,” or absence. Design: Joanna Grace she said. Mr Casey said: “The union has been Publisher’s Assistant: Deeksha Chopra “In most of these high-rises there are a very collecting stats of stations performing Stand Bys Distribution Manager: Danish Ali large proportion of seniors – there are so many because even though the station hasn’t been people in these buildings and they’re not easy to officially TOLed, it has the same effect – that Cover: Chris Peken - Prinnie Stevens, Claire Crosby, navigate. There should be an evacuation map is that Redfern residents were without fire Pascel Riley, Stephen Kovacs and Khadija Ali on every floor.” protection for that day or night. Email: [email protected] The O’Farrell Government’s public sector “The union believes that it is better to have Advertising: [email protected] cuts have compelled Fire and Rescue NSW your local crew on hand 24/7 who know the Contact: PO Box 843 Broadway 2007 (FRNSW) to make $64 million worth of savings area intimately than to have another crew from Ph: 9212 5677 Fax: 9212 5633 Web: altmedia.net.au over the next four years. a different area.” This has led to understaffing at FRNSW Fears remain the budget cuts will inevitably If you have a story you’d like to tell us: and is hampering the agency’s ability to ensure lead to tragedy due to longer response times.

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