Public dissent and governmental neglect : isolating and excluding Macquarie Fields

A qualitative research project is conducted at Macquarie Fields, employing textual material that consists of media reportage, press releases, police inquiries and other public documents to assess the construction of the ‘riots’ in public and political discourse. The research shows that the majority of residents at Macquarie Fields felt isolated, geographically, economically, socially and disempowered by every level of government and bureaucracy, ignoring their plight.