Fightback against closure of Glebe Youth Service
Community protest has erupted after youth workers were suddenly locked out of the Glebe Youth Service (GYS) building at 84 Glebe Point Road for alleged fire safety reasons.
“Housing NSW has refused to release the fire safety report which makes us suspect that the real intent is to sell the building for several millions,” said Hannah Middleton who has begun a daily vigil outside the locked GYS building.
At a public meeting last week local Green MP Jamie Parker, ALP shadow housing minister Sophie Cotsis, Sydney City Council Deputy Mayor Robyn Kemmis and representatives of the Glebe Society and Hands off Glebe joined community members in condemning the closure.
“I decided to vigil daily outside the GYS building as one of many efforts to make the NSW Minister for Community Affairs Pru Goward reverse the decision and give us back our youth service,” said Hannah Middleton, a member of Hands off Glebe and the local Port Jackson branch of the Communist Party.
“I will also be collecting signatures on protest Christmas Cards to be sent to Minister Pru Goward.
“I am outraged that on the eve of Christmas the Minister has closed the service as it swings into action to provide activities for young people from 12 to 18 to provide an alternative to what can be risky behaviour.
“We feel the closure is part of a pattern in which social services and public housing tenants are treated as liabilities while buildings are valued as assets.
“Our community is justifiably suspicious of a government interested in cutting rather than providing services, and suspect the motivation is to sell off the building and sell out Glebe’s young people.”
“We are coming together to battle this injustice perpetrated by a heartless O’Farrell Government and we will not stop until we have our Glebe Youth Service back in its home in the heart of Glebe,” Hannah Middleton concluded.
For more information: Hannah Middleton 0418 668 098
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