11th National Conference of the Socialist Alliance
Table of contens
Registration (fees, bookings, child care)
Information for Branches and Delegates
Transport to the venue Accommodation options
The 11th National Conference of the Socialist Alliance will be held over the Queen's Birthday long weekend (June 5-8) in Sydney. It is open to all Socialist Alliance members and invited guests.
The event will kick off on Friday June 5 with a day of activist workshops, followed by a public launch of the new book Women of Steel: Gender, Jobs and Justice at BHP and the Jobs for Women film project.
Educational and skills workshops will be held throughout the weekend in parallel to the delegated sessions, which will discuss and vote on resolutions on international and Australian politics, policy and campaigning work, building Socialist Alliance and changes to the Constitution.
About the conference
The Eleventh National Conference of the Socialist Alliance will be held in Sydney, at the Socialist Alliance National Office in Ultimo, over four days from Friday June 5 to Monday June 8, 2015. It is open to all Socialist Alliance members and invited guests.
The national conference is our highest decision-making body, and delegates are elected from each branch to participate and vote at the conference on resolutions on international and Australian politics and campaigns, party building, youth and campus work, new policy and amendments to existing policy, as well as any proposed changes to the Constitution. The Conference elects the incoming National Executive and national office bearers.
The conference program will kick off on Friday June 5 with a day of activist skills workshops, campaign and other national working group meetings, as well as a special session of Resistance Young Socialist Alliance members. On Friday night we will host a special event 'Women of Steel - fighting for jobs, justice and equality' with women unionists and young women activists speaking.
Saturday June 6 will focus on international and Australian politics and related policy and educational talks for non-delegates, and there will be a discussion around a draft programmatic document for Socialist Alliance. In the evening there will be an early BBQ, after which people are encouraged to attend an Australia Cuba Friendship Society public meeting with visiting Cuban representative Kenia Serrano at the Teachers' Federation (7:30pm, 37 Reservoir St, Surry Hills).
Sunday June 7 will focus on discussion around building Socialist Alliance, our youth and campus work, policy decision-making, educational talks for non delegates and will end with an evening launch of the Green Left Weekly fighting fund, comic and musical performances, and plenty of time for relaxing and socialising.
Monday June 8 will focus on Constitutional changes, policy decision-making, educational talks for non delegates, the election of national officers and the incoming National Executive.
Further Information:
Conference Organising Committee National Office or by phone on (02) 8070 9330.
Conference program
A copy of the draft conference program is available for download here. NB: Program is subject to change, and will be updated regularly.
Registration
Registration Fees
Whole conference: $60 (waged), $30 (unwaged) or $100 (solidarity rate).
Single-day rates: $15 (waged), $10 (unwaged) and $30 (solidarity) apply.
NB: Meals are not included with registration.
For more information, email the conference organisers at National Office.
Register Online Now
Socialist Alliance members and guests attending the whole conference or for single days can book online here: http://www.trybooking.com/131454
Child care
Professional childcare will be provided at the conference and parents charged a modest co-payment of $10 per day per child. Conference participants wishing to access child care must register early, as places cannot be guaranteed on the day.
To register for child care, please email the conference organisers at National Office with the number and ages of children requiring care and register here. Parents need to fill out a childcare consent form when they arrive at Conference.
Information for Branches and Delegates
Delegate Ratio and Fee
The National Executive has voted that branches are entitled to 1 delegate for every 8 financial members (or majority part thereof).
A delegate fee (to be set at the next NE meeting) will be payable by each branch to go into a pool used to subsidise the travel costs of delegates from branches outside of Sydney to the value of the lowest practical return air, train or bus fare.
Deadline For Delegate Elections
To be eligible to stand as a delegate, and to vote on delegates, you must be in good financial standing. (If you are unsure of whether you are financial, please get in touch with your local branch.)
The last day for branches to elect conference delegates will be Saturday, May 23. Branches are reminded that a minimum of 28 days notice must be provided to members of the election of delegates. (Socialist Alliance Constitution, Paragraph 8.7).
Pre-Conference Discussion and Alliance Voices
Between now and the conference, Socialist Alliance branches will be organising local pre-conference discussions and members are encouraged to read and discuss the key documents being considered by the conference and to write their own contributions. To submit a written contribution to Alliance Voices, email the Editor at Alliance Voices.
The deadline to submit new policy motions or Constitutional changes to Alliance Voices for pre-conference discussion ahead of the conference is Wednesday, May 13. This is to allow sufficient time for consideration and discussion of new policy motions or Constitutional changes by members in the lead up to the conference.
The last date to submit written pre-conference discussion for publication in Alliance Voices ahead of the conference is Wednesday, May 27.
Travel
Delegates' travel will be subsidised from the delegate fees collected from each branch and will be reimbursed at the conference. More information about local travel in Sydney can be found below.
Billeting
Billeting spaces will be strictly limited to those conference participants (delegates will have priority) on low or no incomes. For accommodation options, see below.
Transport to venue
Venue: Socialist Alliance National Office Level 1, 22 Mountain St, Ultimo Sydney, NSW 2007
From Sydney Airport By train/bus
Trains – T2 Airport Line to Sydney Central Station 10-15 minute walk from Central to venue, or Catch any bus stopping at Railway Square and hop off after 1 stop then walk to the venue.
From Sydney Central Station and Interstate Bus Depot (Eddy Ave)
10-15 minute walk from Central to venue, or catch any bus stopping at Railway Square and hop off after 1 stop, then walk to the venue.
Trains, buses and light rail all use Opal Cards, however individual and multi ride tickets can be purchased from convenience stores and purchased on buses outside of peak hours. Most Sydney buses run as Prepaid Services from 7am-7pm, and some (eg. M30) are always prepaid, so you will need to buy tickets before boarding, sold at train stations, newsagents and some convenience stores.
For timetables and maps, check Transport NSW info site www.131500.com.au or call 131500.
Accommodation options
A range of affordable accommodation options are listed below:
Cooper Lodge Hotel
20 City Road, Chippendale
Dorm $35
Single room $65
Double /twin $80 - $110
Triple $100
Tel: (02) 92818895
www.cooperlodge.com.au
Railway Square YHA Hostel
8-10 Lee St, Central Station
Dorm $35
Double /twin $99 - 110
4 bed room $160
Tel: (02) 9281 9666
www.yha.com.au
Sydney Central YHA Hostel
11 Rawson Place, Central Station
Dorm $40
Double /twin $116 - $135
4 bed room $190
Tel: (02) 9218 9000
www.yha.com.au
Newtown Options (Short bus ride to venue)
Australian Sunrise Lodge
485 King St, Newtown 2042
Single room $84
Double /twin $104 - $124
Triple $154
Tel: (02) 9550 4999
www.australiansunriselodge.com
Catch Bus 428, 426, 422, 423, 30 from King St Newtown to Broadway and walk to the conference venue
The Abbey on King Backpackers
379 King St, Newtown 2042
Single room $50
Dorm $22
Double /twin $60
Triple $100
Tel: (02) 2 95192099
www.theabbeyonking.com.au
Catch Bus 422 from King St Newtown to Broadway and walk to the conference venue
Billabong Gardens Hostel
5-11 Egan Street, Newtown 2042
Dorm $27
Single room $59
Double /twin $79 - $99
Triple $99 - $120
Multi from $120
Tel: 1800 806 419
www.billabonggardens.com.au
Bus 428, 426, 422, 423, 30 from King St Newtown to Broadway and walk to the conference venue
Jays Guest House and Apartments
Various locations around Newtown
Rooms / studios from $120
Tel: (02) 79030153
www.jays-apartments.com
Catch Bus 428, 426, 422, 423, 30 from King St Newtown to Broadway and walk to the conference venue
Glebe Options
Glebe Point YHA
262-264 Glebe Point Road
Glebe 2037
Prices start at $27.50/night for shared dorms
Phone: (+612) 9692 8418
http://www.yha.com.au/hostels/nsw/sydney-surrounds/glebe/
Catch Bus 431 to Broadway and walk to the conference venue
Alishan Guest House
100 Glebe Point Road
Glebe, Sydney 2037 Australia
Prices start from $70.00 per person per night (shared apartment)
http://alishan.com.au/sydney-accommodation-rates/
Tel: (02) 9566 4048
Catch Bus 431 to Broadway and walk to the conference venue
For other accommodation options (Hotel rooms, private rooms, homestays) you may want to try: www.wotif.com.au or www.airbnb.com.au.