Living in the Olympic State
3-4 October 1998

Issues and recommendations

The Olympics conference aimed to develop a community sector agenda regarding the Olympics. Two sessions of workshop discussion identified dozens of key issues and nearly one hundred recommendations. These have been forwarded to Olympics Minister Michael Knight, will be discussed by the Olympics Social Impacts Advisory Committee and will form the basis of NCOSS's own advocacy over the three years leading up to the 2000 Games.

Housing
Key issues

• Supply of homeless beds in Sydney generally and west and south west of Parramatta in crisis.
• Criminalisation of the homeless and support for the homeless not just housing in Olympic context.
• SAAP/CAP not working - within SAAP there are issues of emergency accommodation.
• Rising rents for community organisations.
• How effective/responsive are DOH allocations - are all DOH waiting list 'at risk' .
• Adequacy of planning instruments and role of local government especially re SIA of development
• How to get market to complement social housing.
• Affordable housing - rising costs will be prohibitive and force people from their communities.
• Housing and demographic links to Olympics
• Development of high density housing. Need for supply of affordability of housing, existing community is being forced to migrate.
• Effects on Inner Sydney rental markets - Rising rents
• Homelessness

Recommendations

• Ministerial leadership and coordination needed.
• Response plan for worst case scenarios eg. 1000 people in Belmore Park for that 8 week period as in an emergency/ disaster ready to roll.
• Innovative and flexible responses within SAAP/CAP eg. CAP innovation initiative, brokerage.
• Supply backlog in crisis SAAP/CAP to be overcome.
• Effective housing assistance in private rental market.
• Rent capping in Olympic period.
• Local government role to use planning powers, effective brokerage in Olympic market context to be debated.
• Report on affordable housing
• Investigation of (local government driven) private sector funded models for provision of low income housing supported by state and federal government.
• The State Minister should empower local government to use planning tools in the delivery of low income housing as a result of new developments.
• Incentives for low income housing (Landcom)
• Monitor rental market
• $20-$30 million for homeless shelters.
• DCS liaise with housing and health re promise to homeless people.
• Strong support the Boarders and Lodgers Bill.

Transport
Key issues

• Legacy for public transport use.
• Promotion of public transport use and demonstration of better road utilisation - high occupancy vehicles transport to other Olympic venues and areas of activity
• Contingency planning for accidents and bomb threats
• Resident movement through their communities
• Management of safety of large crowds
• Legacy for young people and others who don't have cars, particularly in Sydney's west. Provision of viable accessible transport system, including stock, stations, timetabling and management.
• Environmental sustainable standards
• Management of pedestrian trips and transport for residents of Sydney.
• Accessibility of train stations
• Recognition of cycling and provision of support infrastructure
• Impact of transport planning on residents in immediate vicinity of sites
• Local area involvement in traffic management issues.
• Information for local communities.
• Multi-modal ticketing
• Accessible bus stock
• Focus on transport
• The way we look at our city.
• Need Olympics to give a legacy - not act as the banker - taking money from everywhere and leaving little for community use.
• Need for accessible public transport.
• Lack of confidence in the public transport system - especially information provision.

Recommendations

• Issue of accessibility of public transport to venues and for residents during this period. Need for planning and service standards to be distributed to interest groups for comment now. DDA draft transport standards to be met.
• OCA/ORTA need to be interventionist in private sector through rigorous tender specifications on current status of planning and response to issues to be included in conference papers.
• ORTA/OCA extend information on strategic planning on an issues basis to the conference audience ie. people working with the public and interest groups.
• These issues from this workshop be forwarded to OCA/ORTA for them to provide information.
• Improve public transport across Sydney. Better accessibility, bus corridors, draw up options, quality of vehicles - Priority for capital expenditure
• Opportunity to introduce new planning structures - transport, light rail, roads. Parramatta - centre of city heritage, public transport.
• Transport Advisory Committee for ORTA.
• Get ORTA & SOCOG to articulate their idea of a legacy & reprioritise their activities.
• Accessible Transport Standards applied to all upgrades / develop-ments . Continuous accessible path of travel required. Consistent standards spread throughout the rest of system.
• Bike networks needed & other recommendations of Jacona.
• Car parking access for people with disabilities must be considered.
• Ongoing commitment to provision of information.
• Improve - positive outcomes in attitude to public transport.
• Better marketing of public transport.
• Improve - regional transport across boundaries
• Recognise the need for a link between physical and social infrastructure. We should utilise the Olympics as an opportunity to develop a legacy of social infrastructure which supports physical development.
• Develop a mobility map

Employment

Key issues

• Placement of long term unemployed people with disabilities of non-English speaking backgrounds etc.
• Provision of childcare
• Audit of training - making sure that skills profile is up.
• Employment opportunities from the games is short term.
• No program exists to integrate young people, long term unemployed land non English speaking background people into opportunities presented by the games.
• Benefit - By integrated strategic planning the employment and recreational industry can grow.
• Growth of Parramatta CD and larger areas

Recommendations

• Provision of support for small business to take on the unemployed.
• All training providers should be audited.
• Incentives should be put into place for employers to place un-employed people who are disadvantaged
• Develop a charter of principles which specifically address issues of the long term unemployed.
• Set targets for disadvantaged groups.
• Keep the employment and recreational industry alive
• Keep integrated planning process strengths and build on this.
• Opportunity to invest in a vision for Sydney.
• Opportunity to introduce new planning structures - Millennium Parklands (along Parramatta River), Parramatta Road City Projects, Sydney Cove Strategy.
• Target women in employment /training strategies.
• Use skills we have in our multicultural communities -Employ local NESB population for jobs eg. interpreters.

Health

Key issues

• Mental Health - need for community education about mental health impact on the community, need for adequate services for community and for visitors.
• Transport - where services can be deferred, need to ensure that transport access to hospital /service by consumers and staff and need to ensure providers doing home and other visits can reach consumers.
• Costs - increased costs are substantial. SOCOG is paying for service for some things, ambulance, and may give other money.
• Information dissemination to consumers about changes to health services for some things during the Games.
• Lots of specific issues - food safety, asthma prevention, safe sex campaigns.
• Environment

Recommendations

• Community education campaign about mental health impact of games (eg post games depression) and adequate services.
• Effective transport strategy developed for consumers service providers doing visits and staff.
• Information strategy for consumers, staff at state wide and local level.

Future Use Of Facilities

Key issues

• Community access with overseas teams?
• Local versus state level sports interests at venues - they have a different focus.
• Future public access / nonsport activity eg picnics, BBQs at Penrith Lakes.
• Need to link to other recreation opportunities nearby/adjacent.
• Strategic planning paralysis - What do we do after 2000?
• Focus is on physical structures at the expense of city services and social impacts.
• Access & Equity
• Legacy more than facility.
• Post Olympics - sense of closure.

Recommendations

• Councils need to engage ! Management plans - area and facility
• advancing planning process to take up opportunity.
• integrate with local planning and infrastructure upgrades.
• Need to plan for social impacts Legislative framework - what is the impact?
• Councils do not allow bookings for Year 2000 until Council strategy is in place.
• NCOSS to monitor benchmarks resulting from Olympics - buildings etc.

Western Sydney and Regional NSW

Key issues

• Local identity is a strength
• Maintaining normal services during the 60 days
• Potential alienation
• Accommodation
• Sponsorships and loss of sponsorships.
• Transport access
• Level of transparency and accountability (SOCOG).
• Utilise Sister - City relationship
• Social impacts on poor people
• Retention of social diversity and public spaces of value.
• Lack of resources to existing areas eg. Auburn and surrounding areas.
• Impact of Olympic planning Process on Metro Planning process may create divisions between east:west and force people out to the fringe in search of cheaper housing , hastening globalisation
• Growing role of Parramatta area.
• Lack of involvement and debate in local communities.
• There is a need to create opportunities for involvement.
• Build on social capital
• Childcare issues - Children's services - no planning, children are vulnerable. There will be three weeks school holidays over this period.
• Lack of planning and resources - while at the same time local communities have extra costs.
• Exclusion of disadvantaged or different groups (eg. mental illness) etc. Olympics needs to be inclusive not exasperate the disadvantage

Recommendations

• Get cultural events into the regions.
• Community consultation
• More information - especially transport
• Minimise impact on immediate community.
• Strategic marketing
• Upgrade transport links
• That a Charter of Social Development Principles be developed by SOCOG with broad consultation with the community
• Planning for social impacts - societal maps
• Regional co-operation
• Regional Planning Partnership legacy - Did the Olympic's make any difference? Did we lever opportunities? Did State and LGAs work effectively to ameliorate impacts? Were the infrastructures of lasting benefit?
• Strategy to utilise the funding which will be reallocated after the games and maintained in capital works linked to private investors.
• Capital funds
• Integrated strategic planning does work as seen with the Olympic Project. Keep this process strong and further build on this.
• Local Government commence planning (now three years out) for how their local communities will be affected by the Olympics:
  • examining the possible benefits and negatives
  • in partnership with local communities
• This can only be done if we know more about what is happening eg what is Fairfield actually getting?
• Local councils and community organisations develop a process for identifying opportunities for the Olympics.
• That SOCOG undertake a series of consultations and public meetings - not just in host LGAs.
• Encourage local councils and DCS to hold consultations locally and feed issues to appropriate lead agencies - this process needs to be participatory and empowering.
• That DCS hold consultations with major service providers re provision of appropriate services for children and young people.

Consumer Protection & Security

Key issues

• Identify, develop strategies for responding to and monitor civil liberties issues that could emerge.
• Where possible create lasting positive legacies for country.
• Collaborate across sectors, community, government, industry in implementing strategies.
• Illegal unfair business conduct (misleading adverts, profiteering, scalping).
• Need for information assistance for visitors.
• Security - Olympic venues
• Community safety - What is the impact of security to ordinary people?
• Youth crime prevention
• Security and safety issues.

Recommendations

• Consumer trading education, monitoring market here overseas Fair Trading with liaison Rapid Response Unit - increase enforcement powers, codes, pricing disclosure Fair Trading.
• Olympic security unit addresses with local government volunteers program, training, accommodation Dialogue with community organisations, IMROC youth crime prevention project.
• Implement strategy resulting from pilot at local level. NCOSS to pursue with Atlanta and facilitate on the ground community involvement.
• Prevention instead of reaction
• Public consultation - re safety and security issues.

See also

• Keynote speech: "The experience must be for everyone" by SOCOG Chief Executive, Sandy Hollway.
• Post-conference press release: Conference calls for urgent action on Olympic social impacts

Council of Social Service of New South Wales
66 Albion St, Surry Hills NSW 2010, Australia
tel (02) 9211 2599, fax (02) 9281 1968, email info@ncoss.org.au

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