Block residents given marching orders

The final 75 residents of Redfern’s infamous ‘The Block’ have been evicted.

The notices were served by the Aboriginal Housing Company on Wednesday with the final deadline to leave being set at November 19.

Once the 60-day deadline expires the remaining houses will be bricked over and demolished, including the Mundine family’s gym on Everleigh Street.

The plans to demolish The Block are more than a decade old and the remaining tenants were notified of the imminent eviction in July last year.

The infamous development was founded in 1972 with a grant from the Whitlam Government but has been the subject of media attention recently and has been plagued by the spectre of drugs and violence, it was the scene of the 2004 Redfern riot when an aboriginal boy, 17-year-old Thomas “TJ” Hickey, was killed after he was impaled on a fence during a police pursuit.

AHC chief executive Mick Mundine said the step was an essential one to remove negative influences from the area and no one with a violent or drug-related history will be allowed back in the community houses once redevelopment of the area is finished.

“It’s been an eyesore for so many years, and we went through a very serious cycle of drug-related issues and it really crucified our community. So it’s time for changes,” he told the Ten Network. “We’re trying to change the future for the next generation of children.

“We need to clean out the crime – we want the evil spirit out of this community.”

Locals told City News the culture within the block wasn’t the only factor leading to the demolition.

“I haven’t really experienced too much of the crime myself,” said an Eveleigh Street resident.

“There are drugs there sure, but I haven’t seen as much as the papers make out.

“[But] It’s a good thing they are knocking it down, I can’t believe people are living in some of those houses. They look like they should be condemned.”

Demolition will begin in January and construction of the AHC’s $60 million Pemulwuy Project redevelopment will begin in April.

By Simon Black