“A unique scheme to revitalise the NSW city of Newcastle by turning buildings that are vacant, disused or pending development into creative showcases has prompted international interest and resulted in similar schemes in other states. So much interest has been generated in Renew Newcastle that founder, Marcus Westbury has created Renew Australia a new national social enterprise designed to catalyse community renewal, economic development and the arts and creative industries across the country.
“Renew Newcastle solves a very specific problem that has plagued the city for over a decade. While the long-term prospects for redevelopment of Newcastle’s CBD are good, in the meantime many sites are boarded up, falling apart, vandalised or decaying because there is no short-term plan for their use and no one taking responsibility for them. RN cleans up these buildings and gets the city active and used again.”
The Fifth Estate, 5 December 2011
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