Did the AHC Walk Away From a Deal to Fund Indigenous Housing on The Block?

The saga surrounding the future of Sydney-city's iconic Indigenous housing project, The Block, has taken a twist during this week's Supreme Court case. It was revealed the Aboriginal Housing Company refused to sign a Federal Government memorandum that would have guaranteed government funding for the construction of affordable Indigenous housing on The Block. The AHC, whose charter is to provide housing—temporary, emergency or otherwise—to Indigenous Australians, had previously claimed they could not build Indigenous housing because they did not have the money. They also claimed they would have to pursue commercial development of the historic site in order to get it.

The agreement, which was signed by Federal Indigenous Affairs Minister Nigel Scullion, along with Tent Embassy stalwart and local Indigenous elder Jenny Munro, agreed to provide the AHC with a low-interest loan as well as support from Westpac to ensure Indigenous housing was built first, or concurrently, with any commercial redevelopment. The refusal to sign the agreement is, according to Munro, proof of the AHC's intentions.

"We walked out of the negotiations believing we had an agreement, but that changed overnight. Who they were influenced by I don't know. You'd have to ask them but they won't answer you because it will prove how deep the corruption goes in that organisation," she says.

AHC Chairperson, Alisi Tutuila, refused to reveal why the memorandum wasn't signed—but maintained her organisation remained in talks with the government about funding for Indigenous housing on The Block.

"(Funding) is not off the table yet," she said.

Munro and a group of Indigenous and non-Indigenous protesters set up the Redfern Tent Embassy on the vacant lot over a year ago in opposition to plans by the AHC to pursue commercial development and international student accommodation on The Block ahead of providing homes for the city's Indigenous population. The Tent Embassy claims that the AHC, led by Mick Mundine—of the influential Mundine sporting and political family—is attempting to cash in on Sydney's booming property market for themselves.

"It's called nepotism," says Munro. "Our society is based on looking after the group and the family. This is an aberration of what it is culturally. It's meant to be about looking after the whole group, not just your family interests." she says.

Also contained within the Supreme Court rulings was an order for the eviction of the Tent Embassy, the date of which is to be decided on Thursday. The AHC claimed the decision will finally pave the way for the much-awaited redevelopment of The Block.

"For about 16 months, the Tent Embassy has been on the site owned by the Aboriginal Housing Company," AHC Chairperson Alisi Tutuila said via a press release on the AHC's website.

"It's unfortunate that we've had to seek a resolution from the courts, but unfortunately we'd reached a deadlock in negotiations."

Adding to the general air of mistrust surrounding the project is the awarding of the contract for redeveloping The Block to the controversial Redfern-based developer Deicorp. In 2012, Deicorp was criticised for marketing messaging that cast doubt over their sensitivities towards the Indigenous community.

A statement appearing on the website of a firm hired by Deicorp to spruik another Redfern development to local and Asian investors, read: "The Aboriginals have already moved out, now Redfern as the last virgin suburb close to the city, it will have great potential for the capital growth in the near future." The text was quickly pulled after it was flagged by the Australian newspaper.

The Block was bought back from the Australian government by Indigenous Australians during the Whitlam administration in 1973 whereupon it fell under what was then known as the Aboriginal Housing Co-operative.

Order of Australia Medalist and founding AHC member, Sol Bellear, remembers giving Mick Mundine his first job as a labourer with the organisation some 40 years ago. He says he has no gripe with Mundine personally but is in no doubt as to what's going on here.

"He's just looking for his next payday for him and his mob," he says of Mundine, whose development proposal includes an upgrade to the boxing gym owned by his brother Tony, father of world champion boxer Anthony. "I want to see the AHC become a successful organisation, not to be sold to developers," he says.

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