CLANCY OVERELL | Editor | CONTACT

Local inner-city leftie Gen Eckse (49) says the dispossession and forced removal of generations of low-income and vulnerable inner-city residents is such a shame, but it’ll be interesting to see what the developers have planned.

While drinking out of a designer Keep Cup on the steps of her recently renovated terrace house in Betoota’s once rough French Quarter, Gen looks on at the demolition workers pulling apart the iconic ‘Russel Hinze Tower’ and sighs.

“I can’t believe they were allowed to do that” she said, solemnly staring at the once-bustling public housing projects that she used to make weekly noise complaints about.

The fact that Gen was consulted by council several times and even attended a few community meetings about it appears lost on the part-time graphic designer, as she laments the edginess that she once bragged about at dinner parties, until the kids got old enough to ask about why the old drunks outside the convenience store didn’t have a home to go to.

“It’s like it happened overnight”

“It’s such a shame”

As the alarm on her iPhone buzzes to notify her of her upcoming pump class at the recently opened 24-hour-gym next door, Gen takes one last sip of her coffee.

“Arghhh” she says.

“Hopefully they have some decent coffee in there at least. I’m getting sick of the ghetto little cafes we have here now”

“[laughs wealthily]”