Richmond Estate

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Physical Layout
The north Richmond estate consists of five high rise tower blocks; four situated in Elizabeth St between Lennox and Church Sts (blocks 106, 108, 110 and 112) and one situated in Highett St (block 139). Each tower block comprises 200 flats (10 flats on each floor x 20 floors with the exception of 139 which has two extra levels - 22 floors = 220 flats), making a total of 1020 high-rise units. Adjacent to the estate are an additional 215 "walk up" flats in Elizabeth and Lennox Sts. The estimate over all population is approximately 6000 residents.

Demographic Breakdown
Tenants of Vietnamese background constitute the overwhelming majority of the estate population, followed by east Timorese (predominantly Hakka speaking), with a much smaller proportion of Turkish and Anglo-Celtic. Many of those in the first two groups arrived in Australia as refugees and asylum seekers.

Estate Based Community Facilities & Services

• A number of ethno-specific Agencies catering primarily for elderly residents are located in the premises on the ground floor underneath several of the blocks.
• Richmond community care - Jesuit social services is located underneath 110 Elizabeth St.
• The Richmond area housing office is situated on the ground floor at 112 Elizabeth St.
• Bedford St tenancy & advice service is located underneath block 106 Elizabeth St.
• North Richmond tenancy council office and adjacent community hall is also situated at 106.

Nth Richmond community health centre is located in Lennox St (near blocks 106 & 139), provides a range of social/recreational, arts/cultural programs and ethno-specific activities as well as primary health core, drug & alcohol counselling, social worker and two youth workers.

Also resources and functions as a venue for various support groups eg. The "no limits" program run by St Mary's House of Welcome (mental health clients), North Richmond homework support program and north Richmond recreation support program for culturally & linguistically diverse young people, both jointly auspiced by Richmond rotary, the ecumenical migration centre and R.E.P.S. (recreation, education & parenting support) targeting the east Timorese community.

• West Richmond primary school is also located in Lennox St.
• A large community garden is situated alongside block 139 Highett St and a smaller one in Lennox St alongside the walk-ups. These gardens are currently managed by Bedford St.
• Other estate based community facilities comprise two basketball courts between blocks 108 & 112, several children's playgrounds, and two barbecue areas with seating, including one located at "the gathering place" which adjoins Belgium avenue, near block 139.

Current Projects (initiated by or with the involvement of the community development worker)

Dance classes for the over 40's.
Meetings attended by tenants, office of housing staff, Bedford St worker and representatives from the cleaning, security and gardening contractors are held on a bi-monthly basis, (usually every third Thursday of every second month) in the community hall at 106 Elizabeth St. the next meeting is scheduled for Thursday, whenever, from 1pm to 3pm. Responsibility for resourcing and convening meetings (distributing agendas, minutes, putting fliers on foyer notice boards, booking interpreters and following up on issues arising out of meetings as required). Good tenant attendance at meetings, but need to encourage more representation from the Vietnamese and east Timorese community.

low budget healthy food cooking classes.
Funded for 36 weeks through community grants funding from the city of Yarra (2,000) and auspiced by north Richmond tenant council. New program not yet commenced. Need still to identify suitable teacher, organise sufficient cooking equipment for kitchen in community hall and distribute multilingual promotional fliers to tenants.

Multicultural community arts project (Mural).
Funded under the Victorian federation grants scheme (total $15,000 across 3 estates ) and auspiced by the Collingwood neighbourhood house. Project entails community artists working with residents to create a public art work using the theme of "journeys", commencing with Richmond estate first. Project is now in the initial stage of consulting with tenants to determine the design, form ect. Community artist Bronwyn ph 0403 026 566 and Kate 9416 2200.

Recycling community education project
Funded by the western regional waste management group through a waste-wise participant grant of $1,000 to provide community education to residents via floor meetings with interpreters, the purpose of which was to explain how to properly recycle household items. The project was auspiced and undertaken by north Richmond tenants council as an extension of there effective recycling scheme and targeted "problem" floors. The outcome has been very successful in significantly increasing the volume of materials corrected and the actual number of tenants who are using bins in the laundries.

A follow up project proposed was unsuccessfully submitted to the EcoRecycle Victoria to establish a facility underneath block 106 to receive furniture and other household goods which have been either discarded by tenants vacating their flats or dumped outside as unwanted items. These would then be repaired and recycled by being given to new tenants moving in who do not have any material possessions. Contact Brian on 9428 0685

North Richmond estate network group
A network made up of tenants, office of housing staff and workers from key local agencies, service providers and community organizations who are currently involved with the north Richmond high rise estates and the residents who live there. The main purpose is information sharing, identifying priorities, planing and co-ordination joint projects and functioning as a reference group for JSS community development worker.

Youth sport role model program
Funded by the department of justice ($10,000 grant) and auspiced by Yarra plenty Christian centre, with involvement of Yarra youth services and north Richmond community health centre youth worker. The project so far has entailed an extensive soccer program targeting young people aged between 6 and 13 years who live on the Collingwood estates, featuring basketball, soccer, volleyball clinics and competitions which have proven very popular. The project is currently focusing on providing resources to enable young males of east Timorese background who live on the North Richmond estate to participate in a soccer competition at Northcote indoor sports centre and in the process of linking young girls who live on the Richmond and Collingwood estates into a local indoor volleyball competition at Darebin.

Key local agencies / organizations

Belgium avenue neighbourhood house
In addition to English language classes, provides an extensive range of social, recreational, community arts and skills based programs/activities targeting tenants and other local residents.

Community events group
A collaboration of six local community agencies (Belgium neighbourhood house, Acacia indo-Chinese childcare centre, Bromham place clubhouse, language & work centre, North Richmond community health centre, Richmond community care and united church of Australia regional parish mission) who organise significant community events involving participation of estate residents, in particular the annual moon lantern festival held in September and regular café' nights.

Vietnamese women's welfare association
Provides support services and employment training programs and is responsible for coordinating the annual lunar festival.

Finbar Neighbourhood House
Provides a social & recreational program targeting elderly tenants who live in the River St complex.

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