A REFUGEE Centre is set to open in Callan Park at Rozelle within months as Leichhardt Council and community organisations move to cut red tape and demonstrate the site’s viability.

A report to council’s next Policy Committee on March 8 sets out a staged strategy to realise the centre.

It’s hoped that a day centre providing services to refugees in a building controlled by council will apply pressure to the State Government to look at a more permanent hub.

media_camera Fr Peter Smith, Cr Simon Emsley and Najeeba Wazefadost (Hazara Women of Australia) inspect the Recreation Hall at Callan Park ahead of its use as a day centre for refugees.

The government has been silent on the issue of refugees settling in Callan Park in dilapidated buildings it controls, which require extensive renovations to make them habitable.

Labor councillor Simon Emsley said the Leichhardt community had jumped at the chance to play a part in providing a place of sanctuary to the many thousands of Syrian refugees due to settle in New South Wales in the coming twelve months.

“In this first stage, council’s Recreation Hall in Callan Park would serve as the base for newly arrived refugees to meet local families, connect with the many sports clubs using the Park’s fields and facilities and perhaps practice their walking and cycling skills on the Bay Run.”

media_camera Building 504 Recreation Hall at Callan Park, Rozelle.

Australia’s leading refugee service organisations and churches from across the inner west have come together to sign an open letter calling on the Baird Government to support council’ s plan for a Welcome Centre in Callan Park.

In the open letter, the Premier has been urged to work with council to use Callan Park as a temporary accommodation centre for newly arrived refugees.

“We believe that it is important to send a message to these people that they are welcome in our local community,” the letter states.

media_camera Girls at the Za'atari refugee camp on the Syrian border. Callan Park could provide services for Syrians settling in NSW. Picture: i-Images

“Temporary accommodation, health, mental health, settlement and other social services are important for the successful settlement of refugees in our country.

“We believe that Callan Park is an ideal environment not only to provide such services, but to also to help them recover from their traumatic experiences.”

media_camera The kitchen at the Recreation Hall at Callan Park, Rozelle which could become a refugee welcome centre.

Parish priest at St Colombus at Leichhardt and Promoter of Peace and Justice in the Archdiocese of Sydney, Fr Peter Smith said he believed the offer of wraparound services in one place was a good step forward for refugees settling in the inner west.

“We are not saying we will stop helping other groups, we are just saying we want to help some of the most needy and most demonised members of our community.”

Leichhardt Council has established a partnership with Settlement Services International, the largest provider of settlement services for refugees in Australia, to finalise the model of how the refugee welcome centre will operate.

Council is hoping that phase one will include a day centre providing support services for refugees, to open within months.