‘Such a clear message': homeless community kitchen told to move last-minute during Sydney's Vivid festival
A soup kitchen that serves hundreds of meals each week to Sydney's homeless community has been told at the last minute that they will not be able to set up during Vivid, leaving them nowhere else to go.
The Alfresco Community Kitchen runs on Tuesdays and every second Sunday in Martin Place, next to the train station in the heart of Sydney's CBD. But on Monday, two of the kitchen's organisers, Tash Sanjay and Carly Hall, were sent an email from the City of Sydney telling them they would have to move. The email, seen by Guardian Australia, said that between Friday 23 May and Sunday 15 June they would have to find a new location.
But on Tuesday morning, the area where the kitchen normally serves food was already cordoned off, with concrete blocks placed inside in preparation for an art installation to be placed there for the duration of the annual festival.
'We've been serving in the same spot for years at Martin Place,' Hall said on Wednesday. 'And it's never been a problem, even during Vivid.'
With just a day's notice, Hall said organisers had no way of contacting the community to tell them the service needed to be moved, and when organisers arrived on Tuesday night, the area was already cordoned off with metal fencing.
'I don't know whether the City of Sydney thought we were just going to sort of whip around a group email to the rough sleepers, to tell them that the location had to change for the next day,' Hall said.
'That is just not feasible, in any sense.'
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She said while the council had suggested other areas in the CBD, such as Queens Square or the Macquarie Street corner of Hyde Park, the kitchen's normal location was crucial because it was known to the community and surrounded by amenities.
'The location is really important and the City of Sydney knows that,' Hall said.
'Some of our patrons have disabilities, physical and intellectual, and this allows them to catch the train. It has lift access. It is well-lit, it has bathrooms.'
On Tuesday, the kitchen served food next to the cordoned-off area, but there was nowhere for people eating to sit, Hall and Sanjay said. And during Vivid, they added, it would be filled with tourists.
The kitchen partners with North Sydney school Monte Sant' Angelo Mercy College and local restaurants and bakeries including Chargrill Charlie's, Attimo and Maggio's to provide high-quality food for those who cannot afford it. They generally provide 200 meals to about 150 people each time.
Hall said the Alfresco Community Kitchen had been serving food for more than four years and had always been in the same position. In previous years, they did not have to move their site during Vivid, she said.
She said the alternative sites proposed by the City of Sydney for the next few weeks were unsuitable because they did not have enough amenities – and without a suitable venue, they could miss six food services.
'It really does send such a clear message – and such a concerning message – about the priorities of the City of Sydney,' Hall said.
'That a light installation, which could be installed anywhere, trumps the basic needs of food and connection of these vulnerable people, who won't know where else to get it so will be stranded for a month.'
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Gregory Thurston, who has been coming to the kitchen for more than a decade, said it was not just about getting a meal.
'I've been coming here for years, since about 2013,' Thurston said.
'It's a place where everyone gets to see each other and help each other. They have medical services that come here too. [A Kirketon Road Centre mobile outreach van parks next to the kitchen, offering accessible treatments including flu shots and diabetes medication.]
'We get a chance to help ourselves and keep everybody going.'
In a statement, the City of Sydney said it 'was devastating ' but not hosting Vivid in Martin PLace would not 'end the food security crisis'.
The spokesperson said Destination NSW, which runs Vivid, had an approved permit to 'activate Martin Place'.
'Due to safety reasons, operators or vehicles not associated with the event who attempt to access Martin Place during this period will be turned away by the event organiser's security and NSW police,' the spokesperson said.
'The state government requires the site for Vivid, which also provides an important function for our city, and we have suggested alternate locations for this food service.'
The spokesperson highlighted the city's annual funding of a$1.5m food relief program and $1.4m for specialist services.
'We understand both the level of need, and the service's frustration,' they said.
'The City of Sydney works tirelessly to meet all its responsibilities.'
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