Residents are ready to govern

By Michael Hackett | Wed, 07/10/2009 - 15:34 |   No comments
Residents express their determination to build better lives and self-govern as they discuss the future of the City of Yarra's three public housing estates in 2010 and beyond.

Old crates are stacked together and made as an entering gate; others are made for a bar table. Pictures of residents who attended the Futures Forum 1 that was held in March this year are also hanging on the wall of pergola area in the underground car park in Collingwood housing estate that day, showing residents’ strength and creativity.

 
 
The time was 11.15am, and residents of public housing estates in Richmond, Collingwood and Atherton gardens started to arrive. At 11.30am, the forum started. 
 
Attended by 85 residents, community agency and government workers; the forum was held to discuss about ways on how residents of the three estates can govern themselves post-Neighbourhood Renewal Project, which will end in June 2010. 
 
Neighbourhood Renewal is an eight year initiative, set up to narrow the gap between the most disadvantaged neighbourhoods in Victoria, and includes a clear framework for action while empowering disadvantaged communities to be part of the solution. 
 
“We are ready to take over the role as we have been engaged with residents of the three estates over years,” says Nicholas Arnott, a volunteer at Community Information Centre and former chairperson of the neighbourhood advocacy group in Collingwood.
 
Such a statement is also supported by Joan Kirner, former Victorian Premier, who also attended the forum. She believes that the residents will make it happen if they fully participate in decision making process.  
 
The best decision always comes from the community. Residents need to learn as they go; if they want to drive it, then they are ready,” says Ms Kirner.
 
The composition of the steering committee was fully discussed in the forum. Ms Kirner suggests that the number of residents should be a half or majority of the total steering committee members. She gave an example of the committee at the Corio-Norlane housing estate in Geelong, where 12 out of 24 committee members are residents. Having good composition is only the beginning; the next task is to know the residents’ ideas in governing themselves.
 
The challenge of this proposal is that a lot of people in government positions are not used to sharing power with other people. Ms Kirner says a lot of work and support is the best way to achieve results.
 
Setting up a committee is not enough. You won’t know what residents think unless the residents participate. Residents need to have a say," she says.
 
The main focus area of Ms Kirner’s speech was vision, respect and equity when dealing with conflicts that may arise in running the estates. "A community only works if the people respect each other. It is not respectful to be violent, it's respectful to negotiate," she says.
 
For Mr Arnott, the task of committee members is well understood. He also already has a strategy on how to engage and share ideas with residents.
 
“We need to put our voice there; we need to engage with residents over cups of coffee in the neighbourhood houses,” he says.
 
It was the second forum held in the City of Yarra. The first one was held in the Richmond housing estate in March. Then, a few issues were discussed including safety, security and drug abuse. Drugs are also raised as an issue at this forum.
 
Joseph Nabu, a resident of Richmond public housing estate, expresses her concern on the issue and thinks the police needs to be tougher to deal with drug use.
 
“The police needs to provide a strict order to the drug users, so people will not feel anxious, and feel protected,” she says.
 
Such anxiety does not deter to her involvement in community activities; it further encourages her to be part of the committee. To her, residents’ involvement is important, so they can govern themselves – to “build better lives”.