CITY HUB January 2024 by Alt Media

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Roaring disapproval at Prime Minister Albanese (See p. 14-15)

Overflowing bins and crawling maggots: Sydney councillor responds HubARTS: Strong women take Flight The Strong Charmion is about circus, love and incredible strength. (See p.24)

PUBLISHED DATE 11 JANUARY 2024 Published monthly and freely available throughout the Inner City. Copies are also distributed to serviced apartments, hotels, convenience stores and newsagents throughout the city. Distribution enquiries call 9212 5677. Published by Altmedia Pty Ltd. While every effort is made to ensure accuracy of content, we take no responsibility for inadvertent errors or omissions. ABN 52 600 903 348 Group Editor & Publisher: Lawrence Gibbons Publisher Assistant: Mal Moody Advertising Managers: Mal Moody 0484 042 615 Advertising: sales@altmedia.net.au News Editor: Grace Johnson Contributors: Grace Johnson, Jasmine Simmons, Abha Haval, Peter Hehir, Wendy Bacon Arts Editor: Rita Bratovich Contributors: Rita Bratovich, Jasmine Simmons, Mark Morellini, John Moyle, Alex Driscoll, Irina Dunn, Olga Azar, Jill Livingstone Cover Photo: Venue: Bei. James Schulz Designer: Nadia Kalinitcheva Mail: PO Box 843 Broadway 2007 Email: news@altmedia.net.au, arts@altmedia.net.au Ph: 9212 5677 Fax: 9212 5633 Website: www.cityhub.com.au If you have a story, or any comments you’d like to share with us: news@altmedia.net.au @CityHubSydney

BY JASMINE SIMMONS s residents throughout Sydney express their outrage with ongoing rubbish collection issues, a local councillor is calling on the public to push back against the outsourcing of rubbish collection. Councillor Linda Scott, a Labor councillor on the City of Sydney Council, and former Deputy Lord Mayor, has started a petition in hopes of changing the Sydney rubbish collection process. The petition follows the Council’s decision to privatise waste collection, where Cr Scott was the only member on the council to vote against the waste collection’s outsourcing. “When the City moved to outsource our remaining waste collection last term of council, I was the only councillor to oppose this,” Cr Scott told City Hub. “As the only councillor who voted against privatisation of the council’s waste collection, I’m devastated to see my warnings coming true.” Cr Scott fears that the current bin-related issues will continue to negatively affect the health and wellbeing of residents. Tensions have risen across Sydney following recent changes to bin collection schedules. Delays in rubbish collections have resulted in overflowing of waste, and maggots, rats and flies infesting the local resident bins. “Collections are being missed by over 4 weeks! This is causing overflowing rubbish, pollution, rubbish dumping and vermin infestations,” stated Cr Scott on her webpage. “Sydney’s streets are filthy, and our residents are rightly calling for help in what is now a rat and maggot infested public health disaster.”

CALLS FOR MAYORAL CHANGE

Cr Scott is calling for the help of Lord Mayor Clover Moore to address the city’s rubbish crisis before it escalates even further. “Clover Moore has undoubtedly changed the face of Sydney and done some good, but after 44 years in office - having been elected when Malcolm Fraser was still the Prime Minister - she simply can’t keep pace with what’s needed of Sydney’s Lord Mayor in 2024,” said Cr Scott.

Uncollected rubbish on the streets of Alexandria. Photo: Councillor Linda Scott, Facebook

The councillor, along with local residents, has expressed her concerns on Facebook, sharing images from residents in Erskineville and Alexandria of the overflowing rubbish and maggots infesting the bins. “Happy New Year’s Day City of Sydney (except for the Liberals and Lord Mayor Clover Moore - who outsourced the City’s rubbish collection!),” stated Cr Scott on her Facebook page. “It’s time for change in 2024!” Another resident also posted in outrage to Facebook, addressing Clover Moore and her decision to outsource waste.

Sydney’s streets are filthy, and our residents are rightly calling for help “We haven’t had regular collections in our lane for weeks and there’s been problems since you outsourced the services,” said a local on Facebook. A spokesperson for the City of Sydney told City Hub that “It’s a very busy time for waste collection crews and they’re working hard to continue to collect residential bins, booked bulky pick-ups and illegal dumps across the local area throughout the holiday season.” “Every week we empty around 100,000 bins and only a small proportion are reported as a missed service on any typical day.” They said, “Occasionally, bins or booked pick-ups may be missed on allocated collection days. We aim to collect any reported missed bins within two

business days. We’re not aware of bins that were recently reported as missed being left uncollected for extended periods.”

CONTROVERSIAL OUTSOURCING

The mayor’s decision to outsource household garbage collection in 2019 was immediately met with resistance. On the morning of November 13, 2019, waste service workers walked off the job in response to management’s refusal to consult with them over a proposal to outsource household garbage collection to a private contractor without an open tender process. “Workers are concerned by this plan which would see a private contractor take over all household garbage collection across the city without an open and transparent tender process or expressions of interest,” United Services Union general secretary Graeme Kelly OAM said at the time. “Workers have spent weeks seeking a meeting with management to discuss this proposal, and when it finally took place they were simply told their questions would not be answered and no negotiation would be entered into,” he continued. “Waste services workers feel they have been left with no choice but to stop work in an effort to force the City of Sydney to undertake genuine consultation with them.” The decision caused the City of Sydney workforce a great deal of angst and uncertainty. As waste is left rotting on the streets, it has only continued to garner criticism. CITY HUB JANUARY 2024

HubNEWS

Police have a field day at music festival BY GRACE JOHNSON SW Police had a ‘field day’ with drug-related charges at Sydney’s Field Day Music Festival, held at The Domain on New Year’s Day. Following the police operation at the dance festival, officers charged 25 people with drug offences. The operation targeted anti-social behaviour, alcohol-related crime, and the supply of illegal drugs both inside and outside the venue, according to a police statement.

One 23-year-old man alone was in possession of 60 ecstasy tablets With more than 24,000 people at the music festival, 91 were detected in possession of illicit drugs, including ecstasy, MDMA, cocaine, ketamine, cannabis and LSD. Major arrests included six people arrested and charged with drug supply offences.

CITY HUB JANUARY 2024

Police made numerous drug-related charges at Sydney’s Field Day Music Festival. Photo: AAP Image, Samantha Lock

One 23-year-old man alone was in possession of 60 ecstasy tablets. He was granted conditional bail and will appear before court on February 29. A 28-year-old man was issued a field court attendance notice for possessing a knife in a public place, and a 25-year-old man was arrested and charged with domestic violence assault.

In total, police issued 23 court attendance notices for drug offences, and 24 cannabis cautions. 41 criminal infringement notices were issued for drug possession.

CALLS FOR PILL TESTING CONTINUE

This Field Day Music Festival saw 84 people treated by paramedics and three taken to hospital.

Though there have been no reported deaths, the start of the summer festival season has intensified concerns for drug usage at music events. Since the death of two young men at a music festival last year from a suspected drug overdose, calls have increased to introduce pill testing. The summer season has only intensified these calls, which NSW Labor has continued to ignore. In October, Labor MP Cameron Murphy split with Chris Minns on the matter, saying an “urgent” trial during this summer’s music festival season could save lives. At the end of November 2023, Greens MP Cate Faehrmann, a spokesperson for drug harm reduction, introduced legislation in the Upper House of Parliament that would allow a trial of pill testing at music festivals and a fixed site across New South Wales. At the time, Ms Faehrmann said, “All the experts agree that pill testing reduces the potential harm from drugs, by alerting people to what’s in a drug they might be about to consume, and by providing vital information as to how to stay as safe as possible if they intend to take it.”

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Outrage after Christmas party leaves local beach trashed BY GRACE JOHNSON ocals have been left outraged and disgusted after a raucous Christmas party on Bronte Beach left a carpet of litter on the nearby park. Over 10,000 people, believed to be mostly tourists and backpackers, flocked to the popular beach in Sydney’s east, wearing red bathers for the annual Christmas event.

Partygoers at Bronte Beach on Christmas Day. Photo: Instagram

So disgusting and disrespectful, very sad Once Boxing Day arrived, locals awoke to a shocking scene, with trash strewn across the park, including broken glass, tampons, and pools of vomit.

PARTY BEHAVIOUR SLAMMED AS “DISGUSTING”

Local residents took to social media to describe their reaction to the littered park and the “disgusting” behaviour of the partygoers. “So disgusting and disrespectful, very sad,” one user said. “So so upset seeing a scene like this,” another said.

Waverley Council staff stayed late on Christmas Day to clean up the mess, with local residents joining in the next day. It took several hours of work for the park to start looking better. In a statement, Waverley Council said “Our hardworking Open Spaces and Cleansing teams worked last night and today to clean

up the significant and disappointing amount of rubbish that was left by beachgoers.” “Public places like Bronte Beach are there for everyone to enjoy, so we do ask that people respect our beautiful open spaces and our local community.” “We ask that visitors take all rubbish and belongings when they leave so that

everyone can enjoy our beaches.” Mayor of Waverley Paula Masselos said she was disgusted with the beachgoers’ acts, threatening tighter restrictions ahead of New Year’s Eve. “I am disgusted that they have treated such a beautiful part of the world with such disrespect and contempt,” she said.

We’re here to help in 2024 As the sun rises on 2024, the Newtown Electorate office would like to wish you and your loved ones a very happy new year. We hope that you’ve had a restful and enjoyable break and found time to recharge after a busy 2023, whether that’s by getting out into nature, traveling with friends and family, or staying local and relaxing.

GET IN TOUCH IF WE CAN HELP Ph: (02) 9517 2800 E: newtown@parliament.nsw.gov.au W: jennyleong.org 383 King St, Newtown NSW 2042

Thus regular column is authorised by Jenny Leong MP. Funded using parliamentary entitlements 6

CITY HUB JANUARY 2024

After a short break, our team is back on deck and ready for another year of continuing to work with you and our community to build a fairer, more inclusive society and win meaningful action on the climate and inequality crises. Over the next year, we’ll double down on our efforts to fix the housing crisis by freezing and controlling rents, protecting public housing and finally ending unfair no grounds evictions. And we’ll keep pushing in every avenue we can to advance human rights, anti-racism, and equality across our communities.

Through it all, we’re committed to continuing to stand with workers across the state in their fights for fairer pay and conditions, with queer and gender diverse communities in the ongoing push for full equality with no exceptions, and with First Nations activists and communities working toward Truth, Treaty, and genuine justice for First Nations people. We’re ready to keep up the momentum for real, progressive change across the state - in Parliament, on the streets, and beyond - and we hope you’ll join us.

to make our area greener, safer, or fairer, we’re here to help. Give us a call on (02) 9517 2800, email us at newtown@parliament.nsw.gov.au, or drop into our office at 383 King Street, Newtown during business hours every Monday-Friday. To keep up to date with our work in 2023, sign up for updates at jennyleong.org/contact or scan the QR code below.

We know that locally we care about global injustices - and will continue to support actions for a free Palestine and an end to the genocidal attacks. As always, please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you need support with a local issue or campaign. From assisting with public housing maintenance and transfers to helping you grow a local community campaign

Jenny Leong MP Greens Member for Newtown

HubNEWS

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HOW DO YOU POUR A GREAT BEER?

lowly. Very slowly. In fact, the main ingredient in St Bernardus Abt 12 - widely regarded as one of the greatest beers in the world - is time. The beer undergoes an unusually long maturation process which draws out the flavours and allows them to harmonise. The result is a more rounded, balanced beer. To fully appreciate the complexity of a bottle of Abt 12, it needs to be poured into the right glass. If you can’t get your hands on the bespoke St Bernardus brewery glass, then you can use a burgundy glass or similar, something with a broad base and slightly closed lip. Don’t tilt the glass, sit it on a table. Open a room-warmed bottle of Abt 12 and hold it out in front of you, then tip slowly until a dark, silky column of beer starts filling the glass below. Keep pouring steadily as a thick, white foam begins to form on top of the beer. Half-way through the pour, raise the bottle higher and then drain it. You may just want to sit and look at the espresso-like wonder for a moment or two before taking your first delicious sip. This is not a guzzler. Abt 12 is for connoisseurs and those who appreciate quality beer. A Belgian-style Quadrupel, Abt 12 is dark chocolate in colour and has a symphony of flavours, with strong notes of caramel and sweet malt and lingering hop bitterness. It is mild-bodied, not too fizzy, and has 10% alcohol by volume. It is a magnificent beer to drink.

Bar Bernard at St Bernardus Brewery, Watou, Belgium

St Bernardus Brewery was formally established in 1946, but its origin goes back further, with two intersecting stories. In 1838, the Trappist Abbey of St Sixtus in Vleteren, Belgium established the Westvleteren Brewery. They brewed beer which they bottled and sold to help pay the abbey expenses. Trappist beers are considered the top echelon and today only ten Trappist breweries in the world are approved for the Authentic Trappist Product label assigned by the International Trappist Association. Westvleteren is one of them. The converging story begins in France in the 1890s, where a hostile anticlerical political climate forced the Catsberg Abbey to move its community to a small

village called Watou in West Flanders, Belgium. There they set up the Refuge Notre Dame de St. Bernard and began making cheese to bring in some income. By 1934, things had settled down in France and the Catsberg monks decided to pack up and head back home. They closed the abbey and sold the cheese factory to a local Belgian. In 1945, the St Sixtus Trappist Abbey approached the owner of the cheese factory and offered him a license to produce and sell the abbey’s beer. He accepted and the Brewery St Bernard was founded. The deal came with the Westvleteren brew master, original recipes, methodology, and the allimportant unique St Sixtus yeast strain.

It was a terrific arrangement while it lasted, but in 1992, with the prestige of authentic Trappist beer increasing and the criteria for accreditation tightening, St Sixtus decided to bring production and sales back into the monastery. The Brewery St Bernard continued to produce beer but it was now bottled and sold under their own label, St Bernardus, and without the official Trappist beer imprimatur. Thankfully, St Bernardus kept the recipes, the know-how and continued to culture that precious strain of yeast, and people around the world can enjoy an extraordinary, truly great beer. Available from craft beer retailers. www.sintbernardus.be CITY HUB JANUARY 2024

HubNEWS

Advocates speak out on “scapegoating” migrants migration, rents actually increased more than they did in the preceding decade,” she continued. The letter references a recent analysis of SQM statistics showing national asking rent rose up to $84 extra per week during lockdown in COVID as compared to $69 rise per week in the prior decade. The organisations emphasise in the letter that many Australian industries rely on migrants including essential services such as healthcare, childcare, and construction.

Migrant communities have been unfairly scapegoated over Australia’s housing crisis. Photo: World Atlas

BY ABHA HAVAL ore than 40 housing organisations have joined forces in expressing their concern over migrants being scapegoated as the primary cause of the housing crisis, calling on the prime minister and opposition leader to show leadership on the issue. The organisations – which include the Australian Council of Social Services, the Federation of Ethnic Communities

Councils of Australia and National Shelter – wrote a letter, saying the housing crisis was caused by poor policy choices by successive governments, including continuous undersupply of social housing and investor tax incentives. Everybody’s Home spokesperson Maiy Azize, who coordinated the letter, said, “It is nonsense to blame overseas migration as a primary driver of a housing crisis that has been decades in the making.” “During the COVID era, which had lower

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It’s a distraction to suggest that migrants are to blame “To make housing affordable again, Australia must tackle the big drivers of this crisis including ending the unfair tax policies that push up the cost of housing and building significantly more social and affordable homes,” said Ms Azize. “Governments have given handouts to investors, allowed unlimited rent increases, and stopped building homes for the people who need them. That’s why housing is unfair, so unequal and so

unaffordable. It’s a distraction to suggest that migrants are to blame,” Ms Azize continued. “Migrants make a valuable contribution to society and fill workforce shortages. They don’t just create demand for housing, they help build the homes we need.”

LOCAL GOVERNMENT SUPPORTS THE CAMPAIGN

MP Jenny Leong, Member for Newtown and NSW Greens spokesperson for Housing and Homelessness supports the Everybody’s Home campaign and stands in solidarity with the 40 organisations calling upon the federal government. MP Leong told City Hub, “We know that the real cause of the housing crisis is not migrants.” “Blaming migrants for the broken housing system both parties have created is racist dog-whistling that does nothing to offer solutions to the crisis that is crushing our communities.” “We are so pleased to see the strong statement from Everybody’s Home and 40 other signatory organisations calling out this blatant racism and hypocrisy and urging the major parties to do better and finally start implementing solutions.”

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CITY HUB JANUARY 2024

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Woollahra Council turns down funding for local orchestra

TANYA PLIBERSEK FEDERAL MEMBER FOR SYDNEY

HAPPY NEW YEAR & FEE-FREE TAFE Happy New Year!

Woollahra Philharmonic Orchestra (WPO) in concert. Photo: Facebook

BY GRACE JOHNSON n their last meeting, Woollahra Council voted down a motion to provide funding to their local orchestra. Established in 1996, the Woollahra Philharmonic Orchestra (WPO) was founded by local amateur musicians after receiving backing from Woollahra Municipal Council. The orchestra comprises up to 50 members who come from all backgrounds, including amateurs, students and professionals. The motion asked that Council, in recognition of the long-standing relationship with the WPO, provide funding to the WPO of $7,500 for the commissioning of a new work by celebrated Australian composer, Elena Kats-Chernin, also a longtime patron of the orchestra. The work would be called ‘Woollahra’ and would be premiered and performed by the WPO in June 2024. The motion was put forward by Councillors Grieve, Swan and Elsing. However, with 7 votes against, the motion was lost. Speaking to City Hub, Cr Grieve said, “It is very disappointing that a culturally rich council such as Woollahra is not contributing to the Woollahra Philharmonic Orchestra to commission a piece called Woollahra, [which] would contribute immensely to our cultural heritage.” “What price can you put on the significance of this work and the work of the musicians,” said Cr Grieve. “This will be the first time Council will not be supporting the artists since the founding of the WPO.” Amongst the members of council who voted down the motion was Mayor Richard Shields. A spokesperson for the council

told City Hub that the funding would have been inappropriate. “Council came to a decision that a separate, one-off funding allocation for commissioning of a new work by the Orchestra was not appropriate,” said the spokesperson. “Council has provided support to the Orchestra through our Grants Program over many years, and our staff are happy to work with the Orchestra in helping it to meet Grant Policy Guidelines, should it wish to apply for funding as part of the 2024/25 program.” WPO had previously applied for a grant during Council’s 2023 round of grant funding, their request being $7,500 made as a contribution to the commissioning of an orchestral work by their patron Elena Kats-Chernin.

Councils are more than roads, rates and rubbish Council at the time thought the WPO’s application did not provide as high a community or cultural benefit as the other applications.

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Fee-free places are subject to availability at each intake and may be subject to capacity constraints. For specific course details visit: tafensw.edu.au/fee-free-short-courses Sign up here to know when enrolments open for 2024: skills.education.nsw.gov.au/nsw-fee-free

THE IMPORTANCE OF THE ARTS

In the notice of motion notes, Crs Grieve, Swan and Elsing emphasised that an organisation like the WPO is unique across the area as a local institution that provides opportunities for musicians to come together. Cr Grieve emphasised the importance of funding the arts on a council level. “Councils are more than roads, rates and rubbish.” “We are also responsible for delivering a community our residents want to live in such as beautiful trees, parks and culture.”

TANYA PLIBERSEK MP 1A Great Buckingham St Redfern NSW 2016

02 9379 0700

Tanya.Plibersek.MP@aph.gov.au SSO Here to Help 2020 V1.indd 1

28/09/2020 1:23:20 PM CITY HUB JANUARY 2024 9

HubNEWS

Oxford Street cycleway to go ahead despite backlash BY GRACE JOHNSON he NSW Government will go ahead with “vital” cycleway along Oxford Street despite community backlash and division. The planned cycleway, which goes from Taylor Square to Centennial Park on the southern side of Oxford Street, and through Paddington, received only 57 per cent support from Transport NSW’s survey of 1500 people. But this percentage, hardly a majority to begin with, is derived from the online survey and fails to take into account the sentiments of those who phoned in, emailed, wrote letters, or talked with community representatives face-to-face. The consultation report, published on December 20, shows that once combined with other channels of feedback, overall support among the 2300 responses falls to 42 per cent, with 51 per cent opposed and 7 per cent neutral. Many business shop fronts didn’t voice their opposition during the time of consultation, which lasted two months from late June, because they were not aware of the disruption that would be caused. They looked to the artist’s impression of the new cycleway (which is noted on the website as “subject to change”) and understandably thought it would all be fine, unaware of the real consequences the plan entails.

There was actually no consultation about the cycleway being on Oxford Street “It gave... how should I say it? A false impression,” Sue Ritchie said to City Hub. An understatement, obviously. Ms Ritchie, the founder of Three Saints Square Project, submitted an alternative proposal which sees a cycleway go down Moore Park Road, which has a comparable length but, significantly, no business shopfronts and fewer intersections, connecting with the Surry Hills and Central Railway cycleway. “There was actually no consultation about the cycleway being on Oxford Street. That was a decision that was made by Transport NSW. There is an alternative in Moore Park Road, but that has not been the subject of 10

CITY HUB JANUARY 2024

Artist’s impression facing east, showing the proposed cycleway on the south side of Oxford Street. Photo: Transport for NSW website

community consultation,” Ms Ritchie pointed out. The Paddington Society has also put forward a vision for revitalising Oxford Street, referred to as “Plan B”, with 71 more trees, extended footpaths for al fresco dining, as well as car parking bays and bus bays, which has received great community support. “As a community, we’ve come up with Plan C, which is best for cyclists,” Ms Ritchie told City Hub. Plan C allows cyclists to take an express route from Paddington Gates at one end of Paddington to Taylor Square at the other end, which would be along Moore Park Road. Or they could take the parallel scenic route along a beautified Oxford Street, according to the Paddington Society’s plan. A cycleway on Oxford Street would be a blow to hit for businesses. Car parking will no longer be possible. Where will delivery trucks go? “Another problem is that the cycleway requires five right-hand turns on Oxford Street to be blocked. So, for example, if you’re coming up South Dowling Street and turning right onto Oxford Street, you won’t be able to do that anymore,” said Ms Ritchie.

“In fact, if you’re in Taylor Square, and you’re heading east, you won’t be able to turn right after Taylor Square until Bondi Junction.”

with the dedicated cycleway on Moore Park Road would also accommodate with their plans for increasing patronage of the stadiums.”

Going into smaller streets on the left to turn around would only create more congestion and problems for the residents on those streets.

KEEPING OXFORD STREET ALIVE

INCREASED TRAFFIC TO MOORE PARK

The NSW Government has been planning to allow more concerts at the Allianz Stadium in Moore Park. Currently, only six concerts a year are permitted, with a maximum rolling average of four a year over any five-year period. In May this year, NSW Premier Chris Minns announced he would increase the cap on Allianz Stadium to allow twenty concerts a year. “So, where’s the traffic management plan that goes with that?” Ms Ritchie questioned. “It already gets gridlocked there.” “If people could cycle to the football with the kids, or if they could cycle to the cricket or to other events, it’s another destination that that solution

Oxford Street, the birthplace of Mardi Gras, home of some of the country’s finest art schools, a “spirited place for people and individualism, creativity and expression”, as Ms Ritchie puts it, has suffered several blows over the past few years, most notably with Sydney’s lockout laws. “It’s just been death by a thousand cuts,” said Ms Ritchie. “It’s still an internationally-recognised icon for Sydney, but it’s just a shadow of its former self.” Looking at Transport NSW’s report, it seems inevitable that the new cycleway will be rammed through, despite objections and alternative solutions. “The community is supportive of cyclists. A lot of the community are cyclists. But not this solution,” said Ms Ritchie. “We can have a solution on Moore Park Road and have a cultural solution for Oxford Street.” “This is just really another significant cut.”

HubNEWS

Palestinian Christians chose to forego Christmas with City Hub, saying “We don’t feel that Christmas has come this year.” “For us, there’s no reason to celebrate Christmas. We can’t even feel Christmas.” “We started with the seventh of October and all of a sudden, it’s Christmas. We’ve had a lot of trauma in our community from that day, as we knew there was going to be a huge disruption of Gaza as a result of these tragic events.”

A DISAPPEARING COMMUNITY

It is estimated that almost 70% of those killed in Gaza have been women and children. Photo: Anas Mohammed, Shutterstock

BY GRACE JOHNSON any Palestinian Christians chose to forego celebrations this past Christmas in light of continuing atrocities in Gaza. The Palestinian Christians in Australia (PCiA) group estimates there are around 20,000 Palestinian Christians in Australia, with most of them based in Sydney and Melbourne.

While the majority of the 2 million people in Gaza are Muslim, there is a small community of around 1000 Christian Palestinians, most of whom are Greek Orthodox, but there are also Roman Catholics. According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, over 20,000 people have been killed in the enclave since 7 October. Suzan Wahhab, President of PCiA, spoke

From the first week of Israeli air bombings, most of the Christian Palestinian community’s houses, businesses, shops and office buildings were destroyed in the first week, Ms Wahhab told City Hub. “Most of them have been sheltering in the Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church for the past two months. They’ve lost everything,” she said. The ongoing bombardment has instilled fears in Palestinian Christians, who have begun seeking refuge in local churches, regarding their existence in the strip. These fears have only intensified after 18 people were killed in the bombing of the Greek Orthodox Church of Saint Porphyrius, the oldest church in Gaza

and the third oldest in the world, dating back to the fourth century. Just recently on 16 December, two Christian women were killed by an Israeli sniper inside the Holy Family Parish, according to a statement released by the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem. Palestinian land holds a significant historical connection with Jesus and his birth. Bethlehem, believed to be his birthplace, lies in the West Bank. But churches there cancelled Christmas celebrations.

Instead of buying gifts, we’re putting that money towards helping our families in Gaza “We are not decorating our trees. No lights. We’re just going to go and pray at the church, no celebration. We don’t want gifts, especially when you see people have lost everything.” “We’re asking our kids to save their money. Instead of buying gifts, we’re putting that money towards helping our families in Gaza, or the people coming here.”

Has a stray kitty stolen your heart?

The Cat Protection Society of NSW can help you with affordable options to get them healthy & safe, and to become a part of your family. Don’t delay, call the Cat Protection Society today on 9557 4818 or visit catprotection.org.au

City Hub - Cat Of The Month Name: ALDO Age: 12.5 years (est) Colour: Male Tabby & White DMH Adorable Aldo is a very distinguished and refined feline who is seeking a brave new world of his own. This splendid senior gentleman is super smoochy with his humans and won’t waste any time curling up with you on the couch. His wonderfully long whiskers, endearing ear-tufts and gorgeous green eyes are sure to enchant and his love of pats and scratches behind the ears means you’ll find it hard to resist this sweet-natured softie. With his fabulous fluffy coat Aldo will require regular grooming - luckily he loves being brushed and for all the pampering he will reward you with endless purrs. With a calm and independent nature Aldo is quite content curling up somewhere comfy and napping the day away. Aldo is looking for an indoor-only forever home as he has never set paws outdoors. Let Aldo into your heart and he’ll give you a whole new purr-ception of life and love!

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INTERESTED IN ADOPTING? Call the Cat Protection Society of NSW on 02 9557 4818 or visit

www.catprotection.org.au Rehoming Organisation Number: R251000224 CITY HUB JANUARY 2024

HubNEWS

Lord Mayor criticised for delaying Town Hall Square BY GRACE JOHNSON he City of Sydney’s Lord Mayor Clover Moore AO has been criticised for delaying action on Town Hall Square, a large public square set to be constructed opposite Sydney Town Hall. The project was first proposed by former Labor Lord Mayor Doug Sutherland in 1982. Since then, Council has planned on knocking down the block between George and Pitt Streets to build a large civic square.

Artist’s impression of the future Town Hall Square

Plans for the Town Hall Square, which would be similar to public squares in Melbourne and Brisbane opposite their town halls, as well as international American and European cities, have been in limbo for decades, as previously documented by City Hub. In 2004, it was suggested that the project would take “10 years at most.” But once the decade was over, there were still no plans nor or funding in place to actualise the plan for a Sydney Square. Businesses were operating as usual and in fact, in 2015, the Woolworths building actually renewed their lease. In the last council meeting of the year on December 11, Labor Councillor Linda Scott brought forward a motion urging Council to develop a concrete plan for the civic square.

again over the years must be matched by action, if the transformative vision of a public square at the heart of Sydney is to be anything other than a mirage.”

In 2021, the Lord Mayor said in City News, “We’ll prioritise plans for a new Town Hall Square opposite Sydney Town Hall.”

MOTION FOR ACTION BLOCKED

But action has now been delayed to 2035. Cr Scott told City Hub, “We have announcements, we have promises, but what we do not have from the Lord Mayor is a costed, public domain plan to deliver on those announcements and promises.” “It’s often said that failing to plan is planning to fail, and it certainly has been in the case of the new Town Hall Square under this Lord Mayor,” she continued. “We don’t have a costed, public plan, and a timetable, for the new square, and as a result the timeframe has been pushed out again and again with ad hoc decisions like the one taken by the Lord Mayor and her team last May, to extend the leases for the properties on the land needed for the Square out to 2035.” The extended timeframe and, consequently, extended leases for commercial and retail spaces, will reportedly give Council more time to buy the required properties, accrue bank savings, and secure funding from the state or federal governments. Cr Scott reiterated, “Those promises the Lord Mayor has made time and time 12

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Cr Scott’s motion was voted a tie, but the Lord Mayor declared it lost. Councillor Adam Worling spoke against the motion, saying “I cannot support this notice of motion. It does not tell the full story. It’s important for the public to understand the evolution of Town Hall Square. And your motion doesn’t capture that.”

The timeframe has been pushed out again and again with ad hoc decisions “In May this year, the Council voted unanimously to support the next stage of the transformation of central Sydney. This included the stage delivery of Sydney Square in 2027, which has already begun. Staff are currently developing the concept design,” he continued. Speaking to City Hub, Cr Worling said, “Look, cities evolve, demands evolve. But we’re not going back on what we’ve promised.”

A spokesperson for Clover Moore echoed this sentiment, saying to City Hub, “In 2019 the Lord Mayor advocated for state and federal support to deliver Town Hall Square over the following ten years. Then the pandemic hit Sydney and the City prioritised spending on support for residents and businesses, and the further extension of George Street pedestrianisation to ensure there is more outdoor space for people to get around and linger outside in the city centre.” “Responsible government requires leaders to adapt to changed circumstances, such as an unforeseen global health crisis, and prioritise what’s best for their communities.”

NEED FOR FUNDING

As part of the Lord Mayor’s address to Council regarding her foreshadowed alternate motion, which was carried, she reiterated that the council would need funding from federal and/or state governments. The Lord Mayor said, “The pedestrianisation of George Street adjacent streets is providing more than four times the people space, that is, 26,000 square meters of proposed Town Hall Square of 5600 square meters.” “They’re serving not just one area, but the length of the city, benefiting people and businesses. Council must be financially responsible, and the high cost of the George Street pedestrianisation,

which is of such enormous benefit to our global city, including extended associated works, has meant that other projects such as the square opposite Town Hall had to be put on hold and vital sources of revenue, such as commercial leases have had to be renewed,” the Lord Mayor continued. “So that’s my alternative recommendation and that tells the story of the humanising of the city. I think it’s probably the best way of describing it.” The creation of Town Hall Square is now likely to commence more than 50 years after it was first proposed, but promises to be “Sydney’s living room, a place for people to gather, pause, participate, or protest,” as described by Paddock Landscape Architects. Funding from state and federal governments will be crucial. The Lord Mayor has reportedly advocated to Premiers and Prime Ministers requesting support for the project. A spokesperson told City Hub, “The Lord Mayor wrote to the Premier before the May Council meeting asking whether the new Government would consider investing in Town Hall Square in the next three years. He has not yet responded.” As Cr Worling said of the square, “It’s not just a major local asset, it’s a major state asset, and it’ll be a major national asset. State and federal should absolutely come to the party and help finance this.”

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Waverley will be covered in tree canopy BY GRACE JOHNSON averley Council has launched their Greening and Cooling Strategy, which outlines 26 targeted actions to increase canopy, shrubs and greenspace in Waverley by 35% by 2032. The goal is to have more than a third of Waverley covered in canopy and vegetation cover. Part of the plan to achieve this includes planting 500 street trees and 40 park trees each year. The strategy also focuses on fostering protection of trees on private land, activating community stewardship and better compliance and reporting. Mayor of Waverley Paula Masselos said, “As global and local temperatures continue to rise due to climate change, Council’s ability to protect and enhance greening on both public and private land is critical to managing an effective local response to the Climate and Biodiversity Emergency.” “Protecting and preserving our natural assets is crucial for any organisation that is serious about addressing climate change, and Waverley Council is at the forefront of this fight,” she continued. Having more trees, shrubs and

groundcovers provides a myriad of benefits for the public. Amongst these are cooling effects through increased shade and evapotranspiration, the combination of water moving from the land to the air through soil and other surfaces (evaporation) and through plants (transpiration). Other benefits include biodiversity habitat and food, improved air quality and absorption of carbon, rainfall and stormwater.

Protecting and preserving our natural assets is crucial for any organisation that is serious about addressing climate change Carbon absorption is particularly important as around 45% of the CO2 emitted by humans remains in the atmosphere, which is a significant factor behind global warming. Carbon sequestration can prevent further emissions from contributing to the heating of the planet. Waverley Council says that protecting, restoring and repairing trees and

Waverley Council will increase canopy, shrubs and greenspace in Waverley to 35% by 2032. Photo: Waverley Council website

vegetation in Waverley will reduce the need for air conditioning and increase local amenity by encouraging walking and physical activity through local green spaces and village centres.

COMMITMENT TO GREEN STRATEGIES

In 2021, Waverley Council became one of the first organisations in Australia to adopt a target of net zero carbon emissions by 2030 for its organisation. The 2023 Greening and Cooling Strategy, which supports Council’s climate resilience goals, received overwhelming community support during the development phase and was endorsed by Council in December.

Despite local challenges to growing and maintaining canopy in Waverley (sandy coastal soil; high density; high private land ownership), the Council has managed to increase vegetation cover since 2005 by successfully managing trees in their streets and parks. But there’s been a significant loss of trees and green space on private land. “For this reason, our new strategy outlines actions to help protect vegetation and deep soil on private land, and to galvanise community stewardship for greening initiatives and to safeguard the trees and vegetation that we have,” said the mayor.

CITY HUB JANUARY 2024

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Palestine supporters roar disapproval at Prime Minister

Hundreds of Palestine supporters protesting outside Sydney Town Hall. Photo: Wendy Bacon

BY WENDY BACON undreds of Palestinian supporters roared their disapproval outside Sydney’s Town Hall on December 19 as they waited for the Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to arrive to deliver a speech at the 20th annual dinner of foreign policy think tank the Lowy Institute. “Ceasefire Now!” and “Albanese you can’t hide, you’re supporting genocide”, they chanted, accompanied by loud, incessant drumming and trumpets. But hide he did, choosing another entrance rather than the Town Hall front steps used by the other guests for the ‘sold out’ dinner. The chanting and speeches continued in Town Hall square throughout the Prime Minister’s speech, which offered a comprehensive overview of Australia’s official foreign policy including conflict in the Middle East. As one would expect

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on such an occasion, the transcript reads more like a carefully prepared set of nostrums that avoids analysis of contradictions in policy or announces fresh policy. The Lowy Institute strongly promotes itself as ‘independent’. But it receives direct funding from the Australian government and its members include the Home Affairs Department, the Defence Department, ASIO, the Office of National Intelligence, BHP, Macquarie Group and the Future Fund. Its sponsors include RioTinto and Rochschilds. It was founded and is still partly funded and chaired by well-known Australian and Israeli citizen Frank Lowy, who built the chain of Westfield shopping centres. He has consistently ranked as one of the top ten richest Australians. His son Stephen Lowy is a strong supporter of and fundraiser for Israel and a governor of the Jewish Agency. The Jewish Agency

for Israel has played a major role in the history of Israel. It fundraises and encourages Jewish people to migrate to Israel. Lowy, who is 93, spoke at the dinner. Dinner guests watched a celebratory video that ended with an endorsement for the “wonderful” work of the Institute by the recently deceased ex-US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, who said that he knew the founder. Speaking to an audience that included many establishment figures including strong Zionists, Albanese repeated his Labor government’s position on the Middle East. He pointed to the current conflict as beginning on October 7, a conflict which he said has ‘claimed’ thousands of innocent lives in mere months. He made no mention of decades of violent occupation or the continuing brutal displacements and killings of

Palestinians in the West Bank this year. There was no mention, let alone condemnation, of the Israeli Defence forces ‘indiscriminate’ bombing of hospitals and schools, the killing of thousands of children including children recovering in hospital from amputations, the arrests of medical staff, summary executions or removal of men to camps where they are reported to have been tortured. He repeated that Israel has a ‘right to defend itself’ but that it must comply with international law. But he made no mention of the fact that for the last ten weeks, Israel’s defence forces have not done that. As has been widely recognised by humanitarian and international law experts including Amnesty International, Israel has been responsible for scores of breaches of international law and abuses of human rights. (Continued on page 13)

HubNEWS In contrast to the call for ‘Ceasefire now’ from the crowd outside, he said his government supported a “pause” in fighting and a “sustainable ceasefire” in “the future”. There was no condemnation of Israel’s bombing campaign,or of the 100odd deaths that occurred in the 24 hours before he spoke including raiding of one of the last functioning hospitals in Gaza and bombing of displaced people who had fled on the IDF’s direction to Southern Gaza. Albanese called on Hamas to release all hostages – immediately and unconditionally, to stop using Palestinian civilians as human shields, and lay down its arms.“ Again, no mention of the thousands of Palestians, including children, summarily arrested and detained without trial in Israel. The Prime Minister’s support for Israel’s war effort showed how distant he is from the views of many Australians who, like Palestinian communities and their supporters around the world, believe that they have a right to defend themselves against occupation and domination and that they do not deserve to be subject to ongoing ejection by Israeli settlers from their lands, to live in open air prisons or be subject to a life of constant surveillance and checkpoints. He expresses regret for loss of innocent Palestinian and Israeli lives

and condemns the horrific attack on residents in southern Israel on October 7 but fails to speak out against the use of starvation and the IDF’s policy of driving Gaza’s residents from place to place to avoid bombing, but then only to bomb them anyway. If Albanese’s speech could have been heard outside, it would have only further enraged the protesters, including members of the rank and file group “Unionists for Palestine” who were carrying flags of the Maritime Union of Australia, the Australian Services Union, the Public Service Union, the NTEU, and the Nurses and Midwives.His carefully selected words will have done nothing to placate members of his own left base inside the ALP, some of whom have signed a statement by 200 past and present politicians calling for a ceasefire that includes the words, “It is beyond dispute that Israel is committed to policies designed to entrench the domination of one people over another in the territories of Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Attempts to deny this, or smear those who allege it, are an attempt to defy truth and reality.” Signatories included five ALP politicians who hold seats in Western Sydney where support for Palestinians is very strong.

Instead the crowd cheered the Deputy Leader of the Greens Senator Mehreen Faruqi who began with the Muslim greeting - Assalam-o-alaikum - peace and blessings be upon you - and acknowledged the unceded ownership of the land in central Sydney by the Gadigal people.

The Prime Minister’s support for Israel’s war effort showed how distant he is from the views of many Australians She congratulated the crowd, many of whom have also joined thousands of others in marching weekly in the CBD in support of Palestinian rights, on their ‘unwavering solidarity’ speaking out against Israel’s policies of collective punishment, war crimes and genocide. In contrast she said she was “ashamed of the Labor government and of the Prime Minister who had failed to act against the oppression of Palestinian people even when it was happening right in front of their eyes. You can’t deny that Australia is complicit in what is going on in

Gaza at the moment … by refusing to condemn Israel for its war crimes … It is complicit in sending military exports to Israel and in investing the Future Fund in weapons industries.” She said Albanese “had taken 67 days to do the bare minimum” in supporting a humanitarian ceasefire but it had taken no time at all to light up Parliament House in the Israeli colours after October 7, or to sign up to Aukus, to blame migrants for the housing crisis, or to pass legislation restricting the rights of asylum seekers after a recent High Court of Australia decision. Faruqi was followed by Fatima Khalil, a member of Labor Left who has just left school. She highlighted her sadness of “living within a part of the world that is privileged enough to disregard an active genocide where I can finish my education and choose the next step I take in my own life, while members of my own family and millions of my own blood have had their right to education and all their basic rights stripped from them.” The protest lasted for three hours, finishing at around 8pm. Protests will continued with a vigil at Pitt Street Mall on December 21 and more rallies and street protests around Australia on weekends.

FIX OUR INNER WEST BUSES Our community deserves world-class, sustainable public transport. But we are facing a bus crisis due to privatisation. Sign my petition to call on the minister to fix our buses and put them back into public hands.

Scan the QR code or visit TAKE ACTION at www.kobishetty.org

www.kobishetty.org balmain@parliament.nsw.gov.au Authorised by Kobi Shetty MP. Funded using parliamentary entitlements. January 2024 CITY HUB JANUARY 2024

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City of Sydney tries for a more inclusive city BY ABHA HAVAL

he City of Sydney is ramping up efforts to implement the recommendations of the Disability Royal Commission’s Final Report, completed in September 2023. The Commission’s report included 222 recommendations on how to improve laws, policies, structures and practices that support people with disability, but many domains were left out, including mental health and transport. The City of Sydney has had an Inclusion (Disability) Advisory Panel since 2012, when it was first endorsed. The council’s Inclusion (Disability) Action Plan 2021-2025 has four key directions for the City, including developing positive community attitudes and behaviours towards people with disability, creating more liveable cities, higher rates of meaningful employment, and equitable access to services. The advisory panel’s main goal is providing expertise, strategies, and impartial advice to the City for the development, implementation, monitoring and reviewing City’s policies to ensure the inclusion of people with disabilities. The motion, brought forward by Labor Councillor Linda Scott, notes that a new action plan won’t be in place until June 2025, and updates to the existing plan with consideration of the Commission’s recommendations won’t begin until 2024.

GREATER VISIBILITY MOVING FOWARD

Passed unanimously by Council with amendments, the motion essentially sets in motion the planning for the City’s next action plan, but with consideration of the Panel’s suggestions about how the recommendations of the Royal Commission might be reflected in the new plan. Cr Scott said to City Hub, “As a result of my motion, the City will now have some of the strongest planning controls to support people living with disability on public exhibition for adoption.” “My motion will ensure City will feature authentic stories of people with disability, ensure the City doesn’t procure from, create, fund or participate or award new grants for organisations that participate in segregated services or employment, or engage in restrictive practices,” she continued. Part of the motion requested that the CEO prioritise the use of authentic videos, images, articles etc. of people with disability and the everyday stories of people with disability in City 18

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Aerial view of Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs. Photo: Taras Vyshnya, Shutterstock

Disability (Inclusion) Advisory Panel at the City of Sydney. Photo: City of Sydney website

publications, digital platforms, and media channels. The motion was seconded by Greens Councillor Sylvie Ellsmore, who expressed her full support to City Hub. “I think this is fantastic and very important because it’s such a comprehensive piece of advice from such an important Advisory Panel,” said Cr Ellsmore. Some of the suggestions from the Panel for the next action plan included continuing to promote the City’s accessible features, phasing out segregated schools and employment, as well as a complaint mechanism through the City of Sydney’s website that is specifically for abuse, violence and neglect against people with disabilities rather than the City of Sydney’s general complaint link. But there’s still a greater need for accessible housing.

GAPS FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITY Cr Ellsmore said, “The motion acknowledges something that the City is moving on but an area where over time, given the gap in accessible

housing for people with disabilities, and a whole range of ways, in the way our city is built, we should be discussing housing.” “The gap of retrofitting our existing housing as well as ensuring standards for new housing, we have so far to go.”

The city needs to continue open dialogue with people living with disabilities Cr Scott similarly pointed out the long road ahead for a truly inclusive city. Talking about the passed motion, she said, “These are big wins for the City of Sydney residents living with disability, and I’m so proud to have secured them. However, there’s much more to do.” “In order to create more and continue support for members of our community with a disability, the city needs to continue open dialogue with people living with disabilities to understand the wants and needs direct from the community and implement their ideas.”

“Ensuring the Panel has the representation and expertise of the disability sector is imperative to providing the opportunity for those with intersectional identities have a voice within the City of Sydney,” she said. Council has also called for the Lord Mayor to write to the Federal Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme and the NSW Minister for Disability Inclusion to advocate for Australian and NSW Governments to adopt the recommendations of the Royal Commission, including: • Creating a Disability Rights Act • A new complaints mechanism to be co-designed by the National Disability Commission • A new Disability Agreement, and • A new Federal Department of Disability Equality and Inclusion In addition, the CEO has been advised to meet with Housing for All Working Group and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Panel to make further recommendations to ensure that people with disabilities have access to City’s communications.

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Opinion

Bondi, the people’s pavilion Bondi Pavilion. Photo: Shutterstock

BY PETER HEHIR he third preview of the ABC acquired documentary; ‘Saving Bondi Pavilion’ was screened in the NSW Parliament theatrette on the 28th of November. It detailed the successful fight to prevent the privatisation/ commercialisation of one of our treasured national icons. Following the screening the audience was shocked to learn that the ABC had mothballed the documentary. The film was introduced by another couple of icons, Sam Neill, whom we often claim as our own, and Michael Caton, who clearly is very much one of ours. There were also pieces to camera by Aussie legends Jack Thompson and Midnight Oil’s Peter Garrett. As the film unfolded it became apparent that the Bondi community had rallied yet again to stave off another attempt by the then Liberal-led Waverley Council to turn the grand old structure into a number of up market privately run commercial venues. Under the auspice of the Waverley Council the decaying pavilion had been subjected to the time-honoured approach of demolition by neglect. The hard-won kids dance company spaces, the three music studio rooms, the existing theatre, the pottery studio, and a number of other community rooms were all earmarked for the axe. All of the great many community groups using the entire upper level were all to be evicted from the pavilion; Bondi’s public venue that had served a plethora of community groups for decades. The sense of outrage was palpable. The doco captured the mood of a now galvanised local Bondi community.

Waverley Council were lobbied. Council meeting after meeting saw scores of locals attend, all asking why the grand old building was being permitted to fall into ruin. Why, they asked, was such a recognisable Australian public landmark being placed in private hands; and why had the Councillors determined that the details of the proposal not be made public. The many community user groups banded together as ‘The Friends of Bondi Pavilion’. They put on concerts to raise awareness and money. The Hoodoo Gurus even rocked up. The Friends leafleted the community and encouraged a great many locals to come out in support of the grass roots campaign to save the pavilion from the privateers.

The doco really does deserve to be seen. It tells it like it is To those who’d seen it all before, there was a real sense of déjà vu. It was thirty years previously that another conservative council had attempted to wrest the building from the community. But this time Waverley Council weren’t about to be swayed by community opposition. They stood their ground, firm in the belief that they had the numbers. The Liberal Councillors who were proponents of the development all refused to be interviewed for the documentary. The next step in the community campaign was to enlist the support of the Union movement. Jack Mundey stepped up and

in one of his very last campaigns, a Green ban was placed on any development of the pavilion that didn’t have the support of the community. The Council elections held in 2017 saw the Liberals removed from control following a huge public grass roots campaign. The Liberals again failed to gain a majority in the 2021 elections. Every polling booth was staffed with locals who wanted the pavilion kept in public hands. The catchcry was “Save Bondi Pavilion. Vote Liberals last”. A pro-community Council was duly elected. The very first item on the agenda was to bin the plans to privatise Bondi Pavilion. The manic push all over the world to privatise every activity under the control of government, whether local, state, or federal has seen communities further distanced from access to public spaces and infrastructure, facilities solely for public use. Many of these community buildings, even Town Halls, are now being rented out by councils that are heavy on management and light on services, at rates that make community use practically impossible. The push by the Baird/Berejiklian/ Perrottet NSW Government to amalgamate local councils and to legislate to take decision making out of the hands of the community; away from those residents who are directly impacted – particularly in relation to development, was a direct attack on the most fundamental tenet of a democracy: ‘Government of the people, by the people, for the people’, first uttered by Abraham Lincoln at Gettysburg in 1863. Any meaningful input into decision making that radically affects the lives of the

community surely has to be made by those concerned. This is why local government only functions if it is truly local. Privatisation of public utilities is a universal malaise. For developers, this is low hanging fruit. For governments which eschew genuine governance, it is a pragmatic social cop-out, disguised as responsible economic management. The bottom line is it advantages the few and disenfranchises the many. The writer, producer, director, Mark Gould from Bondi Rocks Media, in response to a question in the Q and A segment following the screening, told the audience he’d been advised by the ABC Board that the doco would not be screened – a baby euthanized at birth, almost certainly because it was deemed too politically risky to be given air. The ABC presently hold the rights for five years. Public monies were used to acquire the documentary for COMPASS, the flagship Religion, Values and Ethics time slot. Does senate estimates even know about the write off? Given that we are all ABC shareholders and that they have spent just a minuscule proportion of the annual ABC budget on the documentary, this begs the question. Why then are they refusing to screen it? Could it simply be that the heavy hand of the NSW Liberal Party has applied an inordinate amount of pressure to the ABC board and now has them all quivering in their boots. For a broadcaster whose basic charter is to contribute to the Public Good, this is surely a cowed and cowardly decision. It’s a shame really. The doco really does deserve to be seen. It tells it like it is. This article was first published in Pearls and Irritations. CITY HUB JANUARY 2024

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What’s happening at Leichhardt Oval? A Wests Tigers game at Leichhardt Oval. Photo: NRL, Facebook

BY GRACE JOHNSON eichhardt Oval, known in rugby league circles as the “eighth wonder of the world”, has recently been the site of much community parley. Established in 1934 as a rugby league ground and the home of the then Balmain Tigers, Leichhardt Oval has a long history supporting community and professional sports. Today, it operates as one of the Wests Tigers’ home grounds, hosting 6 high attendance NRL games each year with additional regular NSW Cup and Jersey Flegg home games. Inner West is now seeking help from the state and federal governments to fund a renovation of the stadium’s outdated facilities. Council recently wrote to State and Federal Governments to save the community sporting venue based on the Leichhardt Oval masterplan, which was adopted in the October 10 council meeting. Their submission aimed to make clear that a “modest” contribution would “make a massive difference to the multitude of senior and junior, men’s and women’s rugby league, soccer and rugby union teams and spectators who regularly use Leichhardt Oval.” Inner West Mayor, Darcy Byrne said, “Leichhardt Oval is Sydney’s most iconic and well-loved suburban sports ground. Yet it remains the only suburban ground in Sydney that has not received any State Government funding in the past 15 years. That’s why we have submitted the Leichhardt Oval Masterplan to state and federal governments seeking a funding partnership.”

CITY HUB JANUARY 2024

INNER WEST’S MASTER PLAN

The plan includes several tiers of proposed upgrades, from improving men’s and women’s change rooms and toilets to a major new northern grandstand. If it secured enough funding, the plan would also look at overhauling the existing grandstand on the western side. Other key aspects of the plan’s scope include hosting a minimum of six Wests Tigers home games a year, a new grandstand, a Museum of Inner West Rugby League, and modern amenities, including new change rooms, toilets, food outlets and screens.

The closure of Leichhardt Oval would be a dark day for sport in NSW The cost of renovations starts at about $5 million for upgraded seating, then jump to $21 million for a new northern stand, and sit between $33 million and $98 million for upgrades to the major western stand. The mayor said, “We are not seeking to build another major stadium, but rather to keep Leichhardt Oval, the most used suburban sporting facility in Sydney, safe and open for community use.” The mayor is concerned that without significant funding, the ground may soon be unsuitable for professional sports. In 2022, a stand collapsed midmatch, resulting in thirty spectators tumbling just under two metres onto

the concrete in front of a crowd of over 15,000 people. After the incident Wests Tigers chairman Lee Hagipantelis said, “We’ve been saying for some time that the state of the facility at Leichhardt is substandard, it’s third-world, and potentially dangerous, what we saw was the fulfilment of that potential.”

PROPOSAL TO REALLOCATE FUNDS FROM PENRITH

To fund the Leichhardt Oval Master Plan, the Inner West mayor is suggesting that funds for the Panthers stadium in Penrith be reallocated to the oval. The mayor said, “We proposed to the State Government that with a fraction of the $300 Million that has been allocated to Penrith Stadium, fans and athletes could enjoy decent seating, toilets, catering facilities and upgraded, female-friendly change rooms. “It is high time this unjust and unfair situation was ended and that this iconic community asset was allocated the modest funding required to secure the ground’s future. “The closure of Leichhardt Oval would be a dark day for sport in NSW.” Redevelopments of Leichhardt, Brookvale and Cronulla stadiums were cancelled by the former Coalition government in order to support victims of northern rivers floods. Inner West was then left out of a grants program funded by the sale of WestConnex, which the mayor said was a deliberate exclusion.

While former Liberal Premier Dominic Perrottet’s decision to reallocate reconstruction funds for NRL ovals to flood-affected areas angered some, it would have been a bad look to leave thousands homeless after the natural disaster. Some said he broke key promises that had gotten him elected. But mostly, he came under fire for redirecting funds but maintaining the $300 million funds for the Panthers’ stadium in Penrith. At the time, Mayor Byrne was furious. “This petty exclusion is a continuation of the government’s blatant bias against our community,” he said in a mayoral minute that was tabled at the council’s meeting on March 8. The mayor then released a strongly worded release, saying: “Dominic Perrottet is happy to spend $300 million in Stuart Ayres seat, to build a shiny, new Panthers Stadium for the exclusive use of one club. But the Wests Tigers, and all of the other men’s and women’s Rugby League, Soccer and Rugby Union teams who regularly use Leichhardt Oval get nothing.” “The Premier likes to make a big deal of being a Tigers fan but given his abysmal record of failing to support our spiritual home at Leichhardt, it seems his alleged support for the Club is just a charade.” In his most recent media release, the mayor said, “The previous Liberal / National Party Government had a very deliberate and overtly partisan policy of refusing to contribute to any funding to the upgrade Leichhardt Oval.” It’s not certain what will happen, but the council’s proposal is now under review.

COFFIN ED’S NAKED CITY

HARD CORE POVERTY PORN

‘P

overty Porn’ – it’s a term that immediately sparks concern and one that applies to varying degrees of exploitation on the part of the purveyors and outrage from those that call it out. Wikipedia defines it as “any type of media, be it written, photographed or filmed, which exploits the poor’s condition in order to generate the necessary sympathy for selling newspapers, increasing charitable donations, or support for a given cause”. In recent years it has also become an obscene and highly disturbing objectification of the poor and the homeless for the purposes of entertaining a privileged audience. A blatant form of gratuitous voyeurism when it comes to those living in poverty is the number of personal vlogs on YouTube, taking viewers on a walk through some of the world’s worst slums in countries like India and the Philippines. Manila’s sprawling shanty towns are a popular destination for these vloggers who have little regard for the privacy of the families who live there as they waltz through their ramshackle

Photo: Fair Development Consulting

buildings, filming every daily activity in high definition 4k. Their rationale is that they are focusing attention on some of the world’s most impoverished people but the intrusive, in your face, nature of their filming smacks entirely of poverty porn. In some of the vlogs, nearly all filmed by well to do foreign tourists, slum kids and adults are treated to free food including ice-cream, with the vloggers noting that they have done their ‘good deed’ for the day.

PROPOSAL TO UPGRADE A MOBILE PHONE BASE STATION WITH 4G/5G AT MARRICKVILLE 1. The proposed works consists of: 1 Way St, MARRICKVILLE NSW 2204 www.rfnsa.com.au/2204006 The proposed works on the existing monopole facility consist of: • The installation of three (3) new 4G/5G panel antennas (2688mm x 498mm x 197mm) attached on the existing headframe • The removal of six (6) existing panel antennas • The installation of six (6) new Remote Radio Units, six (6) new Tower Mounted Amplifiers and three (3) new Junction Boxes • The removal of twelve (12) Remote Radio Units, three (3) Tower Mounted Amplifiers and three (3) Junction Boxes • Internal works within the existing shelter building 2. Telstra Limited (A.C.N 086 174 781) regards the proposed installations as a Low-impact Facility under the Telecommunications (Low-impact Facilities) Determination 2018 (“The Determination”) based on the description above. 3. In accordance with Section 7 of C564:2018 Mobile Phone Base Station Deployment Code, we invite you to provide feedback about the proposal. Further information and/or comments should be directed to: Matthew Tang on behalf of Telstra, 0478 270 951, matthew.tang@ericsson.com by 31st January 2024

If the latter is the soft core version of poverty porn then a current US aberration, focusing on the Kensington area of Philadelphia is clearly the hardest of hard core. Best described as one of the poorest areas in one of America’s poorest cities, Kensington has become a refuge for the homeless and the severely drug addicted. There are now over seventy YouTube channels regularly recording their ongoing trauma for public consumption, many of them monetising

their vlogs through the YouTube Partner Program and advertising revenue. According to the Philadelphia Citizen: “These days, it’s as common to see volunteers passing out food on the sidewalks of Kensington Avenue as it is to see people prowling the pavement with iPhones, recording people suffering in public view.” Perhaps the sickest of all the YouTube channels are those that offer a 24/7multi webcam coverage of the homeless and drug addicted gathering throughout the North Kensington hood. There are numerous close ups and a live chat where viewers discuss the destitute as if they were players in some kind of bizarre soap opera. The comments are often derogatory, ridiculing lurched-over fentanyl addicts and applying crude nicknames to many of the regulars. It’s unlikely we will ever see such a gross violation of people’s privacy in Australia with webcams, for example, in Woolloomooloo’s Walla Mulla Park or Tom UrenPlace – and thank god for that. Clearly there are much better ways of highlighting poverty without turning it into a spectator sport.

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HAPPY HOURS SYDNEY RETURNS IN JANUARY 2024! Time to get excited for Eastside Sydney’s three-week food and drink festival, “Happy Hours Sydney”! Between the 8th and 28th of January 2024, various cafes, pubs, restaurants, and bars will open their doors to offer unbeatable food and drink deals.

The Winery

BY JASMINE SIMMONS ixty different venues will host Happy Hours, with over 100 mouthwatering food and drink specials. Even better, the city’s finest culinary delights, including food, cocktails, and craft beers, can almost all be enjoyed for under $20! The delectable venture will take place throughout Darlinghurst, Surry Hills, and Potts Point. These vibrant suburbs are home to many small bars, lively pubs, upscale restaurants, and alfresco dining. The Happy Hours Sydney Festival allows all foodies (or those who enjoy a good bevvy) to visit old favourites and discover new staple venues. More importantly, taking advantage of all Happy Hour deals will support many local businesses.

CITY HUB JANUARY 2024

Following is a sample of the best venues to visit based on individual needs and desired locations. Whether you want a laid-back lunch, cheap deals, or outdoor dining, Eastside has got you covered! NO NEED TO DENT YOUR WALLET WITH THESE $20 FOOD AND DRINK DEALS: BILL AND TONI’S - The relaxed Italian space offers a pizza and a glass of red wine for $20, all day, every day. BITTER PHEW - The craft beer venue provides Hanks First Round Pale Ale and a plate of Comte for $20. EAST SYDNEY HOTEL - Try “The Algerian” marinated chicken thighs for $20, and pair it with your favourite beer or wine. BEACHAM HOTEL - Enjoy a main lunch special for $21 with a beer or wine at the three-level bar.

LIL’ DARLIN - Get in amongst the party crowd and receive a margarita and 2 tacos for $20. GUILS - Serving only the best Italian classics, Guils offers a truffle and cream pasta with a glass of wine for $20. FOUR PILLARS EILEEN’S BAR - Try out a $20 highball and waffle at this distillery from Wednesday through Friday between 5-7pm. WANT TO EXPLORE A HOT NEW VENUE? CHECK OUT THE FOLLOWING PLACES: GILDA’S - The Basque-inspired wine bar hosts Gilda’s Golden Hour, serving mid-week martinis and spicy margaritas. TAPHOUSE - In the heart of Darlinghurst, visit the Taphouse on a Monday to enjoy Pork Chops and a Philter Super Cool Lager for $20.

BEAU - The intimate laneway bar in Surry Hills hosts “Snacks on Fracks” from 4-6pm on Tuesday through Saturday. JANE - The special at Jane is “Australiano Hour”, with Australiano cocktails for $8 and $2 oysters. Enjoy more tasty drinks and snacks from $6. PARLAR - Celebrating Mediterranean cuisine, “Aperitivo” drinks will be offered from 5-6pm Tuesday through Friday, and on Saturdays from 3-6pm. TUCANO’S - This tiki-inspired bar will host Tiki Time from 5pm-6:30pm on Wednesday through Friday. Cocktails and food for $12 and $8 wine and beer will be offered. BEI - At Taylor Square in Darlinghurst, join Bei for Happy Hour on Tuesday through Saturday, from 4.30-6pm, for fantastic food, drink, and snack deals.

7-course, Authentic Italian Feast, with drinks from 1pm daily. OTTO - With waterfront views, Otto provides patrons complimentary snacks and drinks at Aperitivo Hours on Tuesday through Sunday from 3-5pm. LIL MISS PIGGY - The all-pink eatery and courtyard serves a 2-hour bottomless brunch with a Middle Eastern-inspired menu and a range of your favourite beverages.

hours of flowing drinks (bubbles, wine, beer & soft drinks) and the signature Butler’s Banquet shared feast. KINGS CROSS HOTEL - This groovy sixfloor venue with a rooftop bar hosts a $25 steak night and a $20 schnitzel night. BURDEKIN - Have a blast at this lively refurbished rooftop overlooking Hyde Park and the Sydney CBD. The Burdekin offers $17 schnitzels and $14 burgers to accompany the view.

TRY OUT THESE ROOFTOPS WITH DIFFERENT POINTS OF VIEW: THE BUTLER - Indulge in The Butler’s Summer Lunch at $125 per person with a view of the city skyline. Included are 2

PLANNING A TRIP TO THE SYDNEY FESTIVAL? STOP BY AND TRY THESE OUT: BAR NINA - Visit Bar Nina on Stanley Street for Happy Hour every day from 4-6pm! EAST SYDNEY HOTEL - The Last Country Pub in Sydney hosts Happy Hour with all schooners and wine for $6. GOLDEN AGE CINEMA AND BAR - Step into the art deco-style Golden Age Bar for 2 Mini Martinis and a bite-size snack for $20. HOTEL HARRY - The heritage-listed bar and rooftop serve pasta, burgers, curry, and schnitty, all for $20, Monday through Thursday.

Nomad

KILN - Make your way to the 18th floor of this contemporary rooftop bar to enjoy Fried Oyster with Kombu Butter and a Yuzu Mini Martini for $20. BOTTOMLESS BRUNCH OR LUNCH, ANYONE? GATHER YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY AND VENTURE TO THESE LOCATIONS: BAR LUCIA - This elegant Spanish wine bar serves a 2-hour bottomless brunch with Grey Goose every weekend in Potts Point. BARTOLO ROOM - Located at the Adina Apartment Hotel in Surry Hills, the Bartolo Wine Room serves bottomless wine, mimosas and Peroni paired with an authentic Italian Feast. FORRESTER’S SURRY HILLS - Over 100 years old, a daily bottomless lunch is offered at Forrester’s, with a choice of frozen margaritas, prosecco, and house beer.

THE WINERY - This venue offers weekend brunches with a summer menu and bottomless drinks at their stylish bohemian outdoor space. Additionally, The Winery hosts Sunday Drag entertainment to liven up your weekend. NOMAD - Dig into wood-fired platters paired with wine, beer, and spritz at Nomad’s “Endless Summers” on Saturday and Sunday from 12-2pm.

Parlar

This event is perfect for summer and a chance to kick back, relax, catch up with mates, and delve into a range of delicious food and drinks. Visit Eastside Sydney for spectacular food and drink action for “Happy Hours Sydney” 2024.

Bill And Toni’s

RELAX IN THE WARM SUMMER’S BREEZE AT THE FOLLOWING AL-FRESCO DINING VENUES: BLOODY MARY’S GAZEBO - The cosy and quirky outdoor restaurant offers a bottomless All Day and Night package, serving mimosas, bloody marys, sparkling, rose, and pinot noir. GINO’S KITCHEN - Head over to Gino’s Kitchen in Darlinghurst for a 2-hour,

Surry Hills Hotel

Check out the website for more irresistible deals! happyhours.sydney CITY HUB JANUARY 2024

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INDIAN JAZZ POP

Hear the electro-folk-jazzIndian sounds of Peter Cat Recording Co (See p.29)

HITTING THE HIGH CS: IL TABARRO

BY JOHN MOYLE ydney’s National Maritime Museum is not a usual setting for an opera but now the Sydney Festival has taken the leap and is using it to stage the Victorian Opera’s presentation of Il Tabarro (The Cloak), the first act of Puccini’s masterpiece, Il Trittico. First staged in 1918 at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City, this romantic tale of desperation and heartbreak was originally set on a barge in Paris. This Australian exclusive production has taken that hint and ramped it up to set

it aboard the Carpentaria, an unmanned lightship that was built at Sydney’s Cockatoo Island Dockyards in 1917, the year the Puccini finished writing the opera. In this new version, the scene has moved from the Parisian river port to 1930s Depression Sydney and the museum will be transformed into a world redolent with history, song and storytelling that will tug at the heartstrings. Conductor Simon Bruckard will lead a cast of Australian singers and a live orchestra in front of an audience of

around 800 for each night’s free but ticketed event from 9 -13 January. The event also gives the audience the chance to enjoy fine food and wine during the performance with a seperate antipasti platter which needs to be preordered.

Il Tabarro will be live-streamed on January 12 as part of the Sydney Festival’s AT HOME Digital program. Jan 9 - 13, National Maritime Museum, 2 Murray Street, Pyrmont sydneyfestival.org.au/events/ il-tabarro

STRONG WOMEN TAKE FLIGHT BY JASMINE SIMMONS n exciting new work by playwright Chloe Lethlean Higson will premiere in January 2024 at the Flight Path Theatre in Marrickville. The Strong Charmion is inspired by history’s fierce strongwomen and follows the life and story of Rosalie Whitewood. Set in Sydney 1921, Whitewood is the Charmion and a star spectacle of the Freize Family circus. Performing sold-out shows across the country, Whitewood is adored greatly for her extraordinary strength and physical capabilities. Yet, she is constantly fetishised and ostracised for her body and talent. Conflict arises during Whitewood’s career when she is caught between two

TOTALLY ABSURD THEATRE S

BY ALEX DRISCOLL OPHIA=(WISDOM) Part 3: The Cliffs is coming to Newtown’s leading community theatre,The New Theatre, this January and February. An absurdist, existential and boundary-pushing piece originally performed in 1972, this play will be looking to shock, delight and bemuse its audiences over its three-week run. Originally written by experimental theatre practitioner Richard Foreman, the piece made its debut in New York in 1972. This will be the first time this piece is performed in Australia and the first time in 20 years that a Foreman play has been performed in Sydney. The piece was pivotal in the growing experimental and absurdist theatre scene of the time and has since amassed a cult-following. 24

CITY HUB JANUARY 2024

Falling into the capable hands of director Patrick Kennedy (who will be acting as director, set designer, costumer, lighting expert and prop man) the play follows a Portland-based artist called Rhonda, who, in an attempt to reinvigorate her marriage to her husband, Max, creates numerous absurd, nightmarish and dreamlike circumstances. The story unfolds in a mixture of slapstick comedy and a Dadaist-inspired narrative. SOPHIA=(WISDOM) Part 3: The Cliffs is the perfect theatrical experience for those looking for something a little more strange, challenging and cerebral. Jan 10 - 27, New Theatre, 542 King St, Newtown newtheatre.org.au/ sophiawisdom-the-cliffs

love affairs – one from the past and one from the present. As she navigates herself through this challenging situation, Whitewood battles for control of her life, identity, and desires. She must learn to cope with her struggles in order to prevent her stage persona from falling off. This original story from Higson, recipient of the 2023 Katie Lees Fellowship, is a thrilling and vibrant exploration of feminine and queer rebellion. The Strong Charmion is a representation of the many body types that defy societal norms and imposed labels. Jan 19 – 27, Addison Road Community Centre, 142 Addison Rd, Marrickville. flightpaththeatre.org

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BANANALAND SLIPS INTO RIVERSIDE

BY JOHN MOYLE rawing on their experiences of writing original music for the stage musical, Muriel’s Wedding: The Musical, Kate Miller-Heidke and partner, Keir Nuttall have collaborated once again to create the score and lyrics for Bananaland from the book by Nuttall. Bananaland’s storyline concerns Kitty Litter, Australia’s least-loved punk band, who finds acceptance with little kids when their pop anthem “Bananaland” goes viral. “Comedy tends to make people think that it is not serious theatre, and although it is based on the story of The Cockroaches becoming The Wiggles, it is not literally based on that,” Nuttall said. With a blurb that reads, “From punk rock zero to kiddie-pop hero, can Kitty Litter adjust to fame and keep their cool?” we know that there are a lot of tropes to be explored. “It [Bananaland] is simple on the surface, but it has a lot to say on the arts in general post-pandemic, but it also questions why we do this when it can sometimes be a heart-rending thing (the arts) to be involved in.” Along with a deeper subject matter

than the title implies, Bananaland also comes with a director and cast who all represent the very peak of Australian musical theatre. Nuttall and Miller-Heidke had previously worked with New Zealand director Simon Phillips on Muriel’s Wedding: The Musical and feel that they are blessed to have him on board for Bananaland. “Just to be able to work with Simon

Phillips on Muriel’s Wedding was like doing a three-year mentorship and learning the craft of musical theatre, as he has such an overview,” Nuttall said. “We have also been blessed with some of Australia’s best musical theatre actors and singers.” Max McKenna, best known for their show-stopping role of Jo in Jagged Little Pill and as Muriel in the Phillipsdirected production of Muriel’s

LA TRAVIATA V

BY IRINA DUNN erdi’s La Traviata is the story of the shaming of a celebrated Parisian courtesan, perpetuated by men entrenched in the patriarchy. In no version of the opera that I have seen before is this more clearly emphasised than in this co-production by Opera Queensland, State Opera South Australia and West Australian Opera, which is directed by Sarah Giles, with the orchestra conducted by Jessica Cottis for the first half of the season. Samantha Clarke has captured the very essence of Violetta in every nuance of Verdi’s tragic work, soaring to heights of passion when singing Everything is folly in this world That does not give us pleasure. Let us enjoy life, For the pleasures of love are swift and fleeting As a flower that lives and dies and sinking to the pathos of her dying words Come closer, Alfredo, my beloved, Take this picture of me In happier days gone by As a remembrance of her Who loved you truly. Under Cottis’ empathetic guidance, the orchestra embraced every colour of Violetta’s voice, providing subtle shading I

Wedding:The Musical, plays Ruby Semblance, Kitty Litter’s lead singer dedicated to “onstage conceptual art”. Coming from many years with the STC’s Actors Company, Amber McMahon brings to Bananaland her considerable comedic skills and dramatic gravitas, along with fellow actor Chris Ryan. “There is a lot of farce and absurdity in the show, but in each of the roles that Amber plays, she brings that actor’s craft and really defines those roles,” Nuttall said. Comedian Dave Eastgate is yet another Muriel’s Wedding alumni, and Nuttall couldn’t be happier. Hiding real-life children’s musical group experience in plain sight was Joe Kalou, who was a onetime member of Hi-5, who, like the Wiggles, was a band aimed at pre-schoolers. “Joe kept his Hi-5 experience under his hat, and we didn’t know until the audition,” Nuttall said. Also appearing in Bananaland are Georgina Hopson, Maxwell Simon, Erika Naddei and Mark Hill. Jan 3-14, Riverside Theatres, Cnr Market & Church Sts, Parramatta riversideparramatta.com.au

have never heard before in quite this way. The rest of the cast was also magnificent. Kang Wang is a powerful Alfredo, loudly protesting his passion for Violetta but cowering before his father’s demands. Phillip Rhodes is impressive as the patriarch Giorgio, and Petah Cavallaro as Annina, Violetta’s maid, has a beautiful pure tone so suited for her caring role. Set and costume designer Charles Davis also contributed to the “feminine” feel of this production. His light touch produced simple bright scenery that could be easily changed between scenes, and gorgeous costumes for the party settings. And the two Opera Australia dancers who gave us the gypsy dance and the Spanish dance were superb in their costumes of red and black with a hat to match. When the last note was sung, something spectacular occurred, something I cannot recall happening in many many years. Moved by Giles’ interpretation of the final scene, and indeed the whole opera, the audience rose in a standing ovation that lasted minutes, showing their appreciation for this outstanding new production. Until Mar 14 Joan Sutherland Theatre, Sydney Opera House sydneyoperahouse.com CITY HUB JANUARY 2024

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GIANT OCTOPUS AT WATERMAN’S COVE BY OLGA AZAR ow, who doesn’t admire an octopus? Fans of the eight-tentacled cephalopods can greet a giant one at Sydney Festival’s opening celebration on January 5 with Te Wheke-a-Muturangi: The Adversary, artist Lisa Reihana’s floating fabric creation inspired by Māori myth. The Te Aranganui choir will accompany a telling of the story of a seafaring navigator named Kupe, who encountered

the creature and slayed it near Aotearoa (New Zealand), which, legend has it, he was the first to discover. At the free opening event (no registration required), Muruwari man Matt Doyle will give a Welcome to Country. The octopus installation will bob along in Waterman’s Cove near the Barangaroo ferry wharf until January 28, when the festival concludes. For a closer look, outdoorsy types can

take a kayak tour (on offer from Sydney Harbour Kayaks on January 5 – 28, $89 and up), which leaves from the Maritime Museum and encompasses other

BOOK REVIEW

THE RIVER CHILD

THE SHIP WIFE BY ANNE VINES

BY JO TUSCANO

BY IRINA DUNN o Tuscano has a particular gift for understanding the psychology of women and creating dramatic tension out of the circumstances in which her heroines find – or place – themselves. After a twenty-eight-year absence, Siobhan Montrell returns to Rachley Island to sell the family home, which she has inherited from her aunt. For

CITY HUB JANUARY 2024

decades, Siobhan has carried a heavy burden of guilt over the death of Elise Boatman, the three-yearold sister of Siobhan’s best friend, who went missing while she was under Siobhan and her mother’s watch when Siobhan was 10 years old. On the island, Siobhan discovers the drawing book belonging to her aunt Esther, and the information she discovers about herself, her aunt and the family finally helps her to understand how things went so wrong. Only after viewing events from afar and with the help of the writings of the longdead Esther, can Siobhan finally let go of the guilt she has carried all her life regarding Elise’s death. She realises that she was part of a larger set of circumstances beyond her control. Jo’s writing style sensitively portrays the nuances of her characters’ personalities and moods and their interactions with the people around them, while her vivid presentation of the other characters that populate her stories provides the social – and emotional – context for her main characters. Odyssey Books 2021

harbour sights. You never know; there may even be a tiny little octopus wandering about. sydneyfestival.org.au.

BY IRINA DUNN he Ship Wife by Anne Vines is a fictionalised account of a real individual called Elizabeth Rafferty, an Irishwoman who was transported to Australia in 1797. It is a feminist re-interpretation of the female transportation story, based on the life of a woman remarkably independent for that time. Despite suffering abuse, beatings, rape and imprisonment at the hands of men, Elizabeth decides to fight for her life by becoming “the ship wife” on her voyage to Sydney, thus escaping the hold where many convicts perished from starvation, disease, or beatings. Her beauty brings her to the attention of the captain of the ship and she has a child by him. When he dies, she discovers he has left money and land to her and their son in his will, and this enables her to become an astute businesswoman in the thriving port of Sydney. Alliances with two other men give her more children, but her status as a convict prevents marriage. The fictionalised Elizabeth wins her readers through her patience, forbearance, compassion for others, including convicts and Aborigines, and perhaps most of all, her determined drive

to remain independent and to provide for her children and grandchildren. This is a great saga which takes Elizabeth from her young teenage years as a housemaid to her becoming a grandmother, and gives us an understanding of what such a woman had to do to save her life and survive 220 years ago. Glass House Books 2023

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ART AT YOUR FEET BY RITA BRATOVICH rom north to south, Sydney has an amazing coastline with truly stunning natural vistas, and there are fabulous walks along most of it. As well as sandstone cliffs organically sculpted by tide and weather, many seaside strolls also offer impressive humanmade artworks. The Northern Beaches coastal walk stretches from Palm Beach to Manly, taking you past several surf beaches with their distinctive dark yellow sand. One surf beach in particular, Freshwater, is famous for having

A statue of Duke Kahanamoku near the Surf Life Saving Club, Lumsdaine Drive, Freshwater. Photo: Alec Smart

there. One rather large, impressive metal artwork, The Crab, by Joy Heylen, was created and displayed for the 7th annual Sculptures@Bayside competition — which it ultimately won. Local council decided to make it a permanent fixture. Further along, at the entrance to Cook Park, is another competition winner. Renowned artists, Gillie and Marc Schattner won the sculpture prize at the 2019 Bayside Arts Festival for their delightful work, Come out, Come out Hippo, Wherever you are. It depicts a small hippo coming out of a manhole and has featured in countless selfies. On the other side of Botany Bay, along the Kurnell Foreshore walk, you’ll find the Kamay sculptures which were placed in 2020 to mark 250 years since the Endeavour arrived at that shore. Sitting on the rocks right beside the sea is a large, ambiguous sculpture that combines the idea of the ribs of HMB Endeavour and the skeleton of a whale. Called The Eyes of the Land and the Sea, it was created by Alison Page and Nik Lachacjzak. Nearby is Gawuras (Whales), created by Indigenous artist, Theresa Ardler. It depicts a large bronze humpback whale with its calf, both looking out to sea.

SYDNEY FESTIVAL: 24 DAYS OF ART, MUSIC, AND PERFORMANCE

BY JASMINE SIMMONS ydney Festival is now officially open with a city-wide celebration of arts events. Hundreds of talented international and local artists are lined up to perform across 24 action-packed days in over 50 venues. This year’s events are catered to creative and culturally curious audiences and will run from Parramatta to Bondi Beach. Director of Sydney Festival, Olivia Ansell, stated that the program “revels in the unique talents, cultural precincts and attitudes of our city whilst also delivering some of the world’s brightest stars to Sydney’s doorstep”. Ansell encourages audiences to indulge in the Festival all summer long and take in everything on offer.

‘Whales’. Sculpture by Julie Squires and Theresa Ardler Oceanides. Sculpture by Helen Leete

hosted Hawaiian surf advocate, Duke Kahanamoku who demonstrated this dazzling ancient sport in Freshwater’s waves in 1914. In 1994, a statue by sculptor, Barry Donohoo was dedicated to Duke Kahanamoku. It stands on the beach headland and depicts Kahanamoku on a surfboard. A walk from Manly Beach around to Shelley Beach features lots of small silver metal sculptures of sea and land creatures embedded in the sandstone or sitting on benches. At the Fairy Bower, roughly midway, on the far side of the ocean pool you’ll find The Oceanides (aka Sea Nymphs), a sculpture by Helen Leete based on Greek mythology. Originally made of ceramic, the sculpture was damaged in a storm in 2016, but thanks to local crowdfunding efforts, it was recast in weather-resistant bronze in 2017. Head even further south to Botany Bay and the walk along Kyeemagh Beach and you’ll find a few sculptures

Hippo, Lady Robinson Beach

To kick off the festival, Lisa Reihana’s Te Wheke-a-Muturangi: The Adversary was launched, literally, into Watermans Cove. The giant, luminous octopus installation will float around Barrangaroo throughout most of January. One of the many Australian exclusive events of the Festival is the dance work Encantado, showing at the Sydney Opera House. Directed by Rio de Janeirobased choreographer Lia Rodrigues, the production celebrates nature and our connection to it. Eleven dancers will transform 140 colourful blankets into shape-shifting costumes, taking inspiration from real environmental and spiritual struggles in Brazil. Sydney’s new after-hours night district,

The Thirsty Mile, will be home to a range of live music and dance shows. Located at the Walsh Bay Arts Precinct, the city’s most beloved DJs, circus acts, drag stars, and cabaret shows will entertain audiences almost every night of the Festival. A pool of Australia’s most loved performers, such as Kween Kong from Drag Race Down Under, comedy cabaret icon Hans, and global drag legend Courtney Act will be making appearances along with other surprise guests. Curated nights of eclectic live music, including electronic gigs, rock ‘n’ roll shows, and jazz performances, will cater to all audiences. Stage shows and operas such as Kate Miller Heidke’s new musical hit comedy BANANALAND, an outdoor staging of Il Tabarro, and the baroque music series, Temperament will be showing in the Festival’s various locations. Sydney Festival 2024 will ensure that all city locals and international visitors stay busy this summer. sydneyfestival.org.au CITY HUB JANUARY 2024

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BENJAMIN SKEPPER FOR TEMPERAMENT BY JASMINE SIMMONS o-curator of the music series Temperament, Benjamin Skepper, will perform under his own solo spotlight at Sydney Festival 2024. Skepper will present a live remix of his own modern composition, “Praeludium y Fuga”, which pays homage to Bach’s “Prelude and Fugue”. Temperament at Sydney Festival is a week-long celebration of Bach’s Baroque-era compositions and his influence on the current orchestral world. Alongside Skepper, the event features a range of exceptional local and international artists, including various ensembles. Skepper’s piece will open with a short introduction (the prelude) that will transition into a more complex work (the fugue). The composition’s structure remains true to the Baroque era and Bach’s signature style, and the added electronics, such as

Tim Freedman

BRETT WHITELEY STUDIO SESSIONS

BY JOHN MOYLE ach year the Brett Whiteley Studio in Surry Hills hosts a group of talks and discussions as part of the Sydney Festival. This year a dazzling array of musical guests will share their response to Brett Whiteley, one of Australia’s most cherished and acclaimed artists who died in 1992. First up on Saturday 6 January is the extraordinary powerhouse singer with jazz sensibilities, Jo Davie, who boasts a four-octave range and a stunning vocal technique. Later that Saturday she is followed by Grammy award winning singer songwriter Judith Hill who has duetted with Michael Jackson and toured with Elton John. The following week on January 13 will

see sitar virtuoso Anoushka Shankar face the audience to be followed early in the night by Cuban jazz pianist Harold Lopez- Nussa. Few musicians have had as large an impact on the Australian music scene as Tim Freedman, the frontman for The Whitlams. On Saturday 20 January he will be joined later in the day by Rizo, the legendary New York based singer and actress who has become a festival star around the world. The Brett Whitely Studio Sessions are supported by the Brett Whitely Foundation and the Art Gallery of NSW. Bookings are essential. January 6 – 27, Brett Whitely Studio, 2 Raper St, Surry Hills www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au

synthesiser, piano, and electric cello, form Skepper’s unique twist. Further, recordings from decades of world travel have been woven into the piece, forming a pulse to drive the rhythm. Born in Melbourne, Skepper is a classically trained musician with an interest in evolving technologies and their relation to music. As part of his fascination and professional practice, Skepper incorporates issues of human rights, identity, and the relationships between sound, medicine, and healing in his creative works. “Praeludium y Fuga” was originally performed at Moscow State Conservatory in 2019, and now Sydney Baroque and modern music enthusiasts have the chance to experience the transcendent remix. January 27 - 28, ACO, The Neilson, Pier 2/3, 13A Hickson Rd, Walsh Bay

Benjamin Skepper

LINE-UP FOR LANEWAY FESTIVAL 2024 BY JASMINE SIMMONS t. Jerome’s renowned Laneway Festival is returning in 2024, with the highly anticipated line-up already announced. The international headline artists performing exclusively at Laneway are British rap sensation Stormzy and American singer-songwriter Dominic Fike. Joining them at the top of the line-up is alternative singer-songwriter and guitarist Steve Lacy. Known for his various freestyle rap hits, Stormzy is one of the UK’s most successful artists. He established an industry name for himself in 2017 with his debut album Gang Signs & Prayer, which became platinum-certified. Having headlined for Glastonbury Festival, Stormzy will now perform for Australian and New Zealand audiences at Laneway. Dominic Fike has increasingly made his way to the top of the music charts and built up a devoted

CITY HUB JANUARY 2024

fanbase. After initially connecting with audiences on SoundCloud, Fike landed a #1 place on Billboard’s Alternative Songs Chart. In addition to producing and releasing catchy hits, Fike expanded his profile after portraying Elliot on the popular TV series Euphoria. Grammy Award Winner Steve Lacy returns to Australia after his successful 2022 tour for his latest album Gemini Rights. In addition to performing at Laneway, Lacy will play two 2024 shows at the Sydney Opera House. Joining the international artists are Australia’s best acts, including Angus Stone’s band Dope Lemon, Newcastle indie rock band Vacations, and Indigenous Australian rapper JK-47, from Minjungbal / Gudjinburra Country. Feb 4, Sydney Showground, Sydney Olympic Park www.lanewayfestival.com

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ANOUSHKA SHANKAR IN CONCERT

BY JOHN MOYLE ecuring a performance by sitar virtuoso Anoushka Shankar has been something of a coup for the Sydney Festival. Performing at the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall, Shankar returns to Sydney for the first time since her sell out shows here in 2018. Born into musical royalty, Shankar is the daughter of sitar maestro Ravi Shankar and sister to Norah Jones, one of the great voices of our time and with whom she often performs and records. Shankar started studying sitar at the age of eight and gave her first pubic performance at age 13 when she accompanied her father at his 75th birthday concert in New Delhi. By the early 2000s she was performing between 50 and 60 concerts a year including the role as a featured musician at the Concert for George, the musical tribute to the late George Harrison. Shankar is also an enthusiastic collaborator having performed or recorded with many including Herbie Hancock, Philip Glass, Patti Smith and

Charlotte Gainsbourg. For her Sydney show Shankar will be drawing material from her new EP Chapter 1: Forever, For Now and previous releases.

Anoushka Shankar will be leading a five-piece band who are all renowned soloists in their own rights. Shankar is also on the bill for the Brett Whiteley Studio Sessions on January 13, and will

appear at Symphony Under the Stars at Parramatta on January 20. Jan 12, Sydney Opera House, Concert Hall www.sydneyoperahouse.com

INDIAN JAZZ POP COMING TO SYDNEY FESTIVAL

GET READY FOR THE TRIPLE J HOTTEST 2023 BY ALEX DRISCOLL ne name on the Sydney Festival roster we implore you to check out is that of Peter Cat Recording Co. Fans of classic vocal pop standards, modern psychedelia, smooth jazz and even European folk music will all find something to love about this humble indie band from Delhi, India. The band formed after lead-singer Suryakant Sawhney had a spiritual experience in 2008, which intimated that he needed to pursue a career in music. This led to the album, A Portrait of Time: 2010-2016 released in 2018, which encapsulated the sense of adventure the band approached their music with, creating a unique blend of jazz, pop, folk and electronica.

Peter Cat Recording Co. started making waves online with their 2019 sophomore album, Bismillah, an album praised for both its musicianship and its lyrical themes. Since then (and when covid permitted), the band has been steadily touring their material, expanding their profile from underground heroes in India to cult sensation worldwide. With two albums under their belt and a growing international profile after years of hard work, Peter Cat Recording Co. will be playing at ACO the Nielson as part of their debt tour of Oceania and Australia. January 17 & 18 ACO, The Neilson, Walsh Bay www.pcrc.in

BY JASMINE SIMMONS he time of year is back when avid music listeners have the chance to vote for their favourite songs and artists to be crowned Triple J’s Hottest 100. The classic Australian summer celebration is just around the corner, and voting is now open in preparation for the countdown. The voting process involves visiting the Triple J website, signing up, and selecting 10 songs to nominate for the Hottest 100. A mix of worldwide famous stars, local Aussie singers, and alternative bands have made the list with their most loved songs to choose from. The featured artists include Australia’s MAY-A and Hockey Dad, American singer-songwriter Sufjan Stevens, award-winning rapper Doja Cat, and many more.

Some artists have already selected their favourite songs to give listeners inspiration on who to vote for. Triple J has announced that British rapper Aitch has voted for “Lovin On Me” by Jack Harlow and electronic music duo Snakehips have selected “Silent Assassin” by Tkay Maidza and past winner Flume. The countdown from 100 to 1 of 2023’s most popular songs will commence at 12 pm on Saturday, 27 January. In between each hit being played, the Triple J hosts will keep audiences entertained with commentary and interviews with nominated singers and bands. Cast your votes for your favourite songs, gather your mates (and a drink), and prepare for another Hottest 100. CITY HUB JANUARY 2024

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DOONA! REVIEW

ANATOMY OF A FALL BY MARK MORELLINI oviegoers who enjoy courtroom drama thrillers should not be disappointed in this French cinematic offering which justifiably won the Palme d’Or at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. When Samuel Maleski falls to his death from the third floor of his chalet in France, law-enforcers investigate the death. Was it an accident, suicide, or murder? His partially blind son Daniel was walking his dog and Samuel was home alone with his wife Sandra. The autopsy is inconclusive. It’s treated as a suspicious death. The marriage is put under a microscope, so much so that the movie could aptly be retitled ‘Anatomy of a Marriage’. This is an emotional and somewhat

haunting whodunnit that should keep armchair detectives glued to their seats until the verdict is announced in the very last moment. Award winning German actress Sandra Huller delivers a powerful performance as Sandra Voyter, the novelist who desperately tries to prove her innocence. Samuel Theis and Milo Machado Graner portray the husband and son respectively and Swann Arlaud is a standout in the role as the lawyer. At a running time of 2.5 hours it is admittedly exhausting viewing, but it’s so intense with impeccable performances that restlessness should not filter through.

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In Cinemas January 25

BY JILL LIVINGSTONE ee Doo-na (Bae Suzy) is a K-pop idol who’s walked away from her career after a kind of breakdown. Moving into a share house, she explodes into the life of the genuine but hesitant Lee Won-jun (Yang Se-jong), who’s shocked by her outspoken and streetwise behaviour. Despite their rocky start, they develop a friendship that turns into a relationship, which sees him overcome his reluctance and her break out of her protective shell. This short series maximises every scene in a beautifully polished production by the director of CLOY. It’s a realistic storyline about two 21-year-olds, one a survivor with

abandonment issues and one who’s been serious and responsible his whole life. While there are a few of the obligatory K drama scenes including cherry blossoms, hospital visits, and claw machines, overall this drama has no plot contrivances. The couple’s physical chemistry is off the scale, and their verbal interactions are often insightful and moving with Doo-na forcing Wonjun to express his emotions so there are no frustrating misunderstandings. The series has a tantalisingly ambiguous ending, but close watchers will pick up the hints and markers along the way – probably best not the skip the intros of eachepisode! Streaming on Netflix

REVIEW

THE CANTERVILLE GHOST BY RITA BRATOVICH scar Wilde’s humorous short story has been slightly sanitised for this animated adaptation, but its essence is preserved. An American inventor moves his family into their newly purchased castle in England, which, they soon discover, is haunted by 300 year old ghost, Sir Simon de Canterville. Teen daughter, Virginia resents the move to England and encourages the ghost to scare her family away, however, Sir Simon’s efforts are met with indifference and counter attacks by two mischievous young twin boys. Meanwhile, Virginia has a chance encounter with the young Duke of Cheshire and a romance soon blooms. At the same time, Sir Simon’s dark past comes to light, with the

CITY HUB JANUARY 2024

revelation that he may have murdered his wife. The rest of the plot revolves around Virginia’s attempts to discover the truth and hopefully free Sir Simon from the shackles of ghosthood. The Canterville Ghost is beautifully animated with vibrant colours and detail. The historical and aristocratic setting allows for illustrations of gorgeous architecture, garden landscapes and vintage objects. The characters are voiced by British actors including Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie, Miranda Hart, among others. Though the “Americanism” can sometimes feel intrusive, this is overall a charming family film.

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In cinemas January 11

TWO TICKETS TO GREECE BY MARK MORELLINI agalie (Laure Calamy) and Blandine (Olivia Cote) were best buddies at school until they had a falling out over the affections of a young boy. Fast forward 30 years and Blandine’s son organises a meeting between the two, as he feels that his mother is suffering from depression owing to her recent divorce. They try to relive a pact they made as kids – to journey on a holiday to Amorgos, the exotic island in Greece which was the filming location for the classic movie The Big Blue. But they encounter many problems, never quite managing to reach the destination they want to visit and experience many

hilarious misadventures along the way. This French-speaking comedy boasts picturesque locations throughout Greece and explores the awkwardness of renewed friendships and about giving friendship another chance. What is obvious from watching this movie is that both actresses had an enjoyable time during filming, especially Laure Calamy who portrays a character whose personality reportedly isn’t very different to her own. Her infectious smile, laughter, and her remarkable ability to bring chaos to their ‘forget-it-all holiday’ is the main reason why this comedy is such a joy to watch.

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In Cinemas now

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SHORT FILMS ARE MAKING WAVES AT FLICKERFEST

Flickerfest 2023 outdoor cinema. Photo: Supplied

Flickerfest 2023 outdoor cinema (above). Photo: Supplied

BY RITA BRATOVICH he 33rd Flickerfest short film festival and competition is curling up ready to break with a resounding crash onto the idyllic shores of Bondi Beach. Held once again on its home turf inside Bondi Pavilion, this year’s festival will showcase over 210 films handpicked from a recordbreaking field of more than 3400 entries from all over the globe. Flickerfest is Australia’s largest short film competition and has the unique distinction of having Academy® Qualification and BAFTA recognition. This means that films that receive a Flickerfest award in categories including Best International Short Film, the Yoram Gross Award for Best International Animation, the Panasonic Lumix for Best Australian Short Film or the Flickerfest Award for Best Documentary are eligible for an Oscar. With that level of incentive it’s no wonder Flickerfest attracts such a high standard of industry talent each year. Among contenders for the Oscar Qualifying International competition are: the comedy noir, 7 Minutes, by awardwinning comedian, Ricky Gervais; a gorgeous animation set to John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s song, Happy Xmas (War is Over) with Sean Ono Lennon and Peter Jackson as co-executive producers; and the heart-rending, My Week With Maisy starring the multifaceted and much-loved Joanna Lumley. Australians have short odds (pun intended) at bagging a little gold statuette too with a fantastic offering of gems this year. Legendary actor, Bruce Spence, gives a masterful performance in Cold Water. Written by siblings, Jay and Shaun Perry, the film is an

Showpony

Ashes

Finding Home

Cactus

hilarious and sobering look at a twilight relationship. Poignantly relevant now though set in the 1980s, Unspoken looks at a young Croatian woman whose relationship with an Australian man is at odds with her family’s values, something that comes to a head amidst the proxy tensions that filter her community in response to the war in Yugoslavia. Written and directed by critically acclaimed actor, director and Flickerfest Alumni Damian WalsheHowling. In a similar but different vein, documentary film, Finding Home, depicts the extraordinary story of Yousef Mohammadi, who fled the war in Afghanistan as a boy. Made by Bondi local, Lester Jones, this world premiere combines live action and animation to tell a riveting story.

On the lighter side, comedy doyens Michael Caton and Michala Banas star alongside writer/director Georgina Haigh in the darkly comical Ashes, that looks at the practical side of death. Showpony is an insightful, inventive look at a fraught relationship. Sophie Lowe reaches deep to play a vulnerable actress trying to record an audition video while her super critical boyfriend watches on. Milena Bennett is appearing for a third time at Flickerfest, with her previous films, A Day in Your Life and The Listening having since screened globally (the latter is now in development for a feature length version). This year, she has entered a beautiful, quasi-autobiographical film, Cactus. The film is a mostly factual retelling of a time when Bennett lived in Marrickville next to an older, single Portuguese man. The next door neighbours had

a tense relationship in the beginning, with their cultural differences causing friction, however, it soon warmed into a meaningful friendship and a valuable life lesson for Bennett. Bennett wrote the script with her partner, Harry Greenwood. It was written a few years ago and put away without much thought until COVID hit in 2020. “The reason why we came back to it, it’s all about connecting and connection… and connecting with people that aren’t necessarily like you; connecting with people that might challenge you or have different views to you. And I felt that it was even more prevalent after COVID where we were missing connection with people,” explains Bennett. She was able to film the story not far from where she had originally lived, with the added bonus of being served cake and very strong coffee by the Greek family whose front yard was used. The plot of Cactus is simple and quite sweet but also imbued with insight and nuanced messaging. Bennett wanted the location to be recognisable as Marrickville as that is a well-known cultural meltingpot in Sydney and that’s important to the story. For Bennett, making a short film offers opportunities to learn, test and hone her film making craft, but raising money for a short film can be very challenging and even then you need lots of willing volunteers. The reward is the sense of validation. “I remember after Cactus I felt like ‘OMG I just wanna keep doing this’, I loved it so much…afterwards I just had this buzz and I thought I don’t care what I do I just want to be on a film set,” says Bennett. “Then it’s also about telling stories that you care about and hoping people see them and that it touches them in some way.”

Jan 19 - 28, Bondi Pavilion, Bondi Beach ı Touring Nationally, Feb - Oct ı www.flickerfest.com.au CITY HUB JANUARY 2024