• Bill Simon, Mick Mundine, Elizabeth Farrelly
• ABC Fora TV

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16 October 2009More than any other urban area in Australia, the Block in Sydney's inner-city suburb of Redfern, has become a meeting place and, some say, spiritual home for city-dwelling   

The area in Redfern known as The Block, sits on about 8000 square metres on a rise overlooking Sydney's CBD. Lived in by generations of Aboriginal residents and desired by developers, its future will be both a test of governmental response to Aboriginal needs and urban planning in Sydney. The speakers on the panel bring three distinct perspectives to the issues surrounding The Block.

Bill Simon, Redfern based pastor and author of the recently published Back on the Block: Bill Simon's Story, brings his understanding of the day to day realities of this community and the community's responses to the social challenges faced. Mick Mundine, as chair of the Redfern Aboriginal Housing Company discusses the political realities which have shaped The Block, and threaten its future. Elizabeth Farrelly, writer and architect, author of Glenn Murcutt; Three Houses, and Blubberland, has written on how planning and design politics impact on The Block and moderates the discussion.

59.53 minutes