So where are we on the list for the National Broadband Network (NBN) roll-out?

Well we weren’t included in the trial.  A shame, but trials are run in a very small sample of the target market and there would be equivalent suburbs that could adequately represent Sunshine.

And we didn’t make the list on the initial one year roll out plan but in Jan 2012 an additional 2.7 million premises were added – so….. oh…….. nope. Didn’t make it.

So at least when a three year rollout plan to 2015 was announced, I was placated by knowing that we would at least know the date when Sunshine would get the NBN. But surprise! No mention of Sunshine….

So finally…. today…. Senator the Hon Stephen Conroy puts out a media release announcing areas where 1.3million more premises will be hooked up – although he’s started announcing when work will start…. not finish.  These ones are promised to commence work by 30 June 2016….. and…….. Sunshine doesn’t get a mention.

In fact, if you use the tool provided to find out when the NBN will come to you, here’s what Sunshine residents get:

No date given and it’s clear that we are not even scheduled yet!  The last premises in Australia are supposed to be hooked up by 2020 and it looks like we might run close to being last.

I know that there was a focus on rolling out the NBN to rural and regional areas first and I agree that should be the approach but all of the following suburbs know when they will get the NBN and in some, construction has already commenced:

• Footscray
• West Footscray
• Seddon
• Yarraville
• Tottenham
• Altona
• Brooklyn
• Spotswood
• Maidstone

With the speed technologies develop, will we see Sunshine businesses and residents disadvantaged against our more gentrified and NBN connected neighbours to the East?

There is a Facebook page called ‘Western Suburbs Memes’ that has made me burst out laughing on several occasions. People submit pictures with a comment/statement, trying to represent life in #MelbsWest.

As with most things like this, there are occasional entries that use some pretty tired stereotypes and some are straight-up racist.  But if you ignore those, some touch quite humourously on the issues we deal with West side. Look it up!

The following are taken from the Fb page.

‘TJ’ posted about their fear of losing the Old Sunshine Fire Station.  ’Mary’ replied, noting that the gate chain had been removed and that doors and windows were open, with graffiti appearing inside.  Mary was concerned that it had been set up to look ripe for arson.

I also had a look at the units on Google Streetview, and as you can see, the gate was wide open when this shot was taken.

Ironically, since the flats were damaged in a suspicious fire in January and subsequently demolished 6 days later, the place has been locked up tighter than Fort Knox.

Brimbank City Council (BCC) confirmed on Twitter yesterday that they have completed their investigations and the matter is now pending legal action. Looking at the minutes from the BCC Ordinary Council Meeting on 26 March 2013, it appears that due process may not have been followed by those responsible for this building:

The minutes also note that originally a Planning Infringement Notice (PIN) was issued but that was “withdrawn (and replaced with an order under building regulations) to enable Council to pursue the matter at VCAT and Magistrates Court”.

So what can an enforcement order do?  Under Section 119 (b) of the Planning and Environment Act 1987, it may direct any person against whom it is made to do any one or more of the following:

(i)  to stop the use or development within a specified period; or

(ii) not to start the use or development; or

(iii) to maintain a building in accordance with the order; or

(iv) to do specified things within a specified period-

(A)  to restore the land as nearly as practicable to its condition immediately before the use or development started or to any condition specified in the order or to any other condition to the satisfaction of the responsible authority, a Minister, public authority, municipal council, referral authority or other person or body specified in the Order; or

(B)  to otherwise ensure compliance with this Act, or the planning scheme, permit condition or agreement under section 173.

Sadly, I’m not sure that any of these clauses allow for the owners to be required to rebuild the units as they were?? Anyone familiar with the Act?

We were at the station this morning trying to have a conversation on Platform 1 and it really was difficult to make ourselves heard.

I think an even harder thing to cope with if living or working nearby would be the drilling and pile drivers (?) – those deep thuds and vibrations must get to people who are trying to concentrate, sleep or just relax.  Have you been affected?  I note the old McKay admin buildings have scaffolding supporting some of the facade and a huge crack up the side – I hope that is not collateral damage from the works.

In other news, upgrade of Sunshine Station is continuing, with Platform 3 getting a new surface and British style paint job.

Also, a sign at Sunshine Station advertising free charter buses to attend the Anzac day dawn service shows that while they are prepared to go as far as Croydon and Mitcham to pick up people, if you are in the Western suburbs, you had better be in the Inner West!

Sign at Sunshine Station

I’ve always assumed that gentrification directly results in the displacement of original low-income residents from an area as rental, rates and other costs of living rise above what they can afford.

In 2005, Urban Affairs Review published a paper by Lance Freeman, assistant professor of urban planning at Columbia University.  Looking at an USA wide sample of neighborhoods between 1986 and 1989, Freeman found that low-income residents tended to move out of gentrifying areas at essentially the same frequency they left other neighborhoods. Instead of assuming low-income residents would be displaced by gentrification, he introduced the notion of succession – that when people move away as part of normal neighborhood turnover, the people who move in are generally more affluent.

A later study by the US National Bureau of Economic Research - “Who Gentrifies Low-Income Neighborhoods?” Terra McKinnish & Randall Walsh & Kirk White, 2008 came to the same conclusion after examining a huge amount of long form Census Data from 1990 and 2000.  This study noted that there is a high rate of residential mobility in the U.S., and there is little evidence that the rates are significantly higher in gentrifying neighbourhoods.

So while the study found that gentrification did not necessarily push out original residents, it did identify that it creates suburbs attractive to the middle-classes.  It also categorised data via racial lines, noting that white college graduates, especially those under 40 without children, were a hallmark of those who move into gentrifying neighborhoods.  However, they also identified that U.S. minorities such as college-educated blacks and Hispanics moved to gentrifying neighborhoods more often than they to did similar, more static areas. Against commonly held views, they also discovered that 40-to-60-year-old Hispanics without a high-school degree, and similarly uneducated Hispanics aged 20 to 40 with children, were more likely to move to a gentrifying area.

Ultimately though, whether genetrification results in the displacement or the succession of the original mix of residents, aren’t we very likely to end up with a more bland, homogenised neighbourhood, infiltrated by the latest fad chain-stores and food outlets?

A group of Sunshine/Albion residents is presenting a public screening of the documentary ‘Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea’, about the life of asylum seekers in Indonesia and the reasons why they undertake the dangerous, and sometimes fatal, journey by boat to Australia.

With so many asylum seekers currently living in the Sunshine/Albion area,  many without the right to work or study and with very little income, this free event is aimed at promoting a better understanding of asylum seekers.

The screening will take place at:

7pm 

Thursday 18th April

St Theresa Primary School

Drummartin St, Albion.

It will be followed by a:

• Q&A with Pamela Curr from the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre
• Talk by Sister Catherine from the Brigidine Sisters’ Asylum Seeker Project (who operate asylum seeker accommodation in Ardeer) and
• Talk from a Sunshine resident who himself came to Australia by boat

I’m planning to attend and I hope lots of other locals come along too. This is a real grass roots event, happening simply because of the interest and effort of locals. So much of what is great in this area is thanks to the contributions of many different ideas and cultures and the more we share and interact, the more we gain.

Why not see if your neighbours want to come with you?

Circus Latino (No animals!)

Harvester Road car park, Sunshine until 27 April 2013

I spent a fair bit of time there this year, volunteering on a stall and therefore got to chat to a good cross section of punters, plus have a quick wander around to look at the stalls and activities on offer.

Whilst it was definitely packed around the time of the parade, there was a steady stream of  people from 9.30 until 6pm.  Lots of locals but I also found quite a few who were from all parts of Melbourne and Victoria – some stumbled across the festival but others came especially.

My only disappointment was the lack of craft and art items from our diverse community members.  We are made up of many cultures, with fine traditions in fabrics, weaving, jewelry making, painting styles, textiles etc but there was precious little of that on display.

The street food however, looked great.  I enjoyed a delicious Senegalese one-pot beef stew with broken rice and washed it down with a super refreshing sugar cane juice.

I didn’t get around to many of the stages to see the acts but there was definitely a full program and the weather held out, with only a 5 minute shower around 5.30pm.  With a slew of other festivals on that day, I think Brimbank Council should be very proud of the event.

Here’s a crapload of photos in no particular order:

Previous posts:

• Read about the building’s historical significance to Sunshine
• Wreckers move in
• Brimbank City Council (BCC) steps in

The planning section of Brimbank Council advised today that a site visit was made to the property a couple of weeks ago: this included BCC planning officers, BCC heritage officer and Western Health representatives.

Council have advised Western Health that they will have to get a planning permit approved to undertake works that affect the heritage overlaid property and that they will not be allowed to demolish unless they can demonstrate that the building is structurally unsound – this would need evidence including structural engineer reports.

There is a small shed in the back corner of the property that can be demolished without a planning permit.  The planning officer also indicated that part of the building is not subject to the heritage overlay (it was a later extension) so I am seeking clarification of that from the heritage officer.

Shed at rear of property

So the ball is now in Western Health’s court – a rather ironic analogy considering they have already cleared away the tennis courts behind the house.  Thanks to commenter Speroulla who advised that Western Health did not buy the property but were donated it by its last users – the WestAdd Drug Rehab program.  I imagine they didn’t consider the added restrictions and costs of a heritage overlay when they took it on – and that’s really evident by the fact they left it to deteriorate and subject to vandalism. It also raises the issue that BCC, having issued the heritage overlay, sat and watched it happen.

Backyard cleared

So, do you have any suggestions for how this property can be saved?  I think we can presume that Western Health do not have the capital funding to put the building back into use – could another organisation repair and use it if it was donated to them by Western Health?

Front 2nd Storey window – 129 Durham Rd

Edited 26 Mar 2013 to add:  The BCC heritage officer Natica phoned me today and confirmed that the heritage overlay covers the entire house.  However, parts such as the single story southern wing were added on in the 1980′s and may therefore, be more likely to garner planning permission to make changes or additions.

The historical significance and the heritage overlay restrictions have been explained to Western Health and as stated above, they have gone away to consider their options.

Interestingly, Natica mentioned the differing bricks used in different areas of the house (visible in Backyard Cleared photo above) and was investigating if the second story was added much later.  

Anyone have relatives who can recall the earliest time they remember it having a second story?

More info on Brimbank Council’s website here.