Linda Burney has given the organisations negotiating the future of the National Centre of Indigenous Excellence in Redfern one week to determine the future of the social and community hub, before the government intervenes.
In a heated community meeting on Friday, the minister for Indigenous Australians said her priority was for the tenants of the George Street facility to be given permanency, for the centre to stay open, and for its 50 staffmembers to keep their jobs.
“I am saying this very clearly to the people making decisions about this place, you’ve got a week,” Burney said. “You’ve got a week to sort it out … because this joint is important.”
The community hub has provided health and wellbeing services for Indigenous people in Sydney since 2006, including sport, fitness, conferences and community classes.
Most of its 50 employees are Indigenous. Staff and community…
