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city hub 24 MAY 2018
Four in Hand given a hand BY JOHN MOYLE Who ever would have thought that Australians would be fighting to save their local pubs, but this is what is happening in Paddington as the Four in Hand comes under threat of being converted into residential premises. Over the past couple of months the much loved 140 year old pub located on Sutherland Street has been at the centre of a well orchestrated campaign run by local residents including Woollahra councillors, ex-News Ltd boss John Hartigan and actor Rhys Muldoon. Last Monday night the Woollahra Council voted unanimously for a motion put by Residents First councillors Harriet Price and Luise Elsing that Council undertake an assessment of heritage significance for the hotel and for it to be listed as a local heritage item and to place it on the State Heritage Register. “It was a fantastic result,” Councillor Harriet Price said. While this may not ensure that the pub keeps trading as a local it may just be enough to deter any prospective buyer wanting to upsize. The reason for the recent trend to convert pubs to residential is clear when real estate agent Gavin Rubenstein told Hospitality Directory: “There’s more residential value in the site because it has 700sqm of internal space than there is in its use as a pub”. The hotel is on the market for $6 million, having sold six poker machines. Since Paddington’s first wave of gentrification in the ‘70s, the suburb has undergone several make-overs from its working class origins,
including the 16 pubs left in the area. “There is a passion and drive from people who have signed on to this campaign that this pub is not lost for future generations,” Clint McGilvray, savethefour campaigner said. The demise of the corner pub is state wide with over 100 pubs having closed since 2008, while in that time around 1,000 bottle shop licenses have been granted and recently online delivery is growing. Leichhardt has lost four pubs since 2015 and Paddington has seen the closure of the Windsor Castle for residential and the conversion of the Albury and the Paddington Green into retail spaces In Bondi Junction the Bull and Bush and the Miill Hill have also been converted to apartment developments. The corner pub is one of Australia’s most important social institutions where people can come together in some semblance of equality and the only judgement made is on whether or not a person acknowledges their shouts. American housing industry blogger Michael Hickey puts it more philosophically when he writes “The vaunted ‘third space’ isn’t home, and it isn’t work - it’s more like the living room of society at large. It’s a place of both possibility and comfort, where the unexpected and the mundane transcend and mingle”. “I think of these pubs in terms of community hubs and areas where people can meet and we are losing these traditions with the busty environment in which we live,” Cr Price said. “It’s not just the bricks and mortar
Save the Four campaigners celebrating at Woollahra Council Chambers. Photo: Supplied
of these buildings but the social aspects as well.” Everyone remembers the film ‘Shaun of the Dead” where the corner pub, the Winchester Arms, was the community safe haven from the ravenous zombies outside. Well, think again, as in 2008 the real pub used in the film, the “Duke of Albany”, was converted into flats.
To ensure the future of the Paddington pub the Woollahra Council is expediting the Paddington Pub Project that will look at various protection and controls for the pubs and how they can be protected. Clint McGilvray doesn’t see this as the end of the effort to save the Four in Hand as campaigners gear up to keep the pressure on.
“We continue to have a groundswell of people wanting to get on board by buying T-shirts and putting corflutes in the front yards of their neighbours and friends,” he said. That this campaign has attracted international attention and the support of over 9,500 change.org signatures says that this pub is not going down without a fight.
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BY ANDREW WOODHOUSE Noise doesn’t just happen, it is made to happen and is the biggest threat to our wellbeing in the inner city. I’m not just talking about screaming, jet engine-style leaf blowers, construction site jackhammers or doof-doof nightclub noise forcing residents onto Stilnox to get some zzzs. We are living in disturbia, not suburbia. I am also talking about our tax-payer-funded Royal Australian Navy (RAN) at Garden Island who say locals are whingers. There is a groundswell of community concern about the RAN’s snub to neighbours’ amenity. And no, the Navy was not here first. The residents were. Garden Island wasn’t separated from Potts Point until 1939. Potts Point may have lost its point but not its residents. Now the Navy intend to build massive new wharves. The two-stage works and later works will cost a staggering $700 million over the next decade and will not be completed until after 2030. Using Orwellian double-speak they’re described as “Critical Recovery Infrastructure” projects, to pre-empt necessary approval. But the money needs Federal Parliamentary approval first. Stage one costing $238 million is now being considered by its Parliamentary Works Committee. Last week these high priests of planning met in Woolloomooloo to put their case to the public.
The room was packed with a full armada of over 40 white-uniformed, brass-buttoned, shiny-shoed Navy personnel with a phalanx of Defence staff as reserves. It was a land-locked battle. The tense meeting was met with threats of eviction for interrupters and as I was the only resident, I took that to mean me. We were told objections were minimal, yet no resident group was notified, thus evading scrutiny. Commander Andrew Fraser, from HMAS Kuttabul, says “local whingers ‘crave engagement’”. The new works will mean 53 large trucks clogging local roads six days a week removing debris. The RAN says traffic will be “acceptable”. I reject this: the roads will be grid-locked. Residents were also told by LieutenantColonel Fox, Project Director, that noise will be measured by the NSW Environment Protection Authority and that there will be noise screening. Can that be true? In his email of 8th May he states: “The project does not require … monitoring or reporting with NSW EPA.” And when I phoned the noise screen manufacturer I was told these flimsy light-weight flaps have limited effect, even with 360-degree coverage. Currently, they only provide 180-degree coverage. No relief from screening is possible, another furphy. The Navy says: “it is expected that potential noise impacts … could be effectively managed to an acceptable level.“ But will they? And
Garden Island to get bigger. Photo: Andrew Woodhouse
acceptable to whom? And how? The noise from Garden Island is unacceptable now. I do note, however, there is expected to be some reduction when dockside generators are finally removed after the two stage project is fully complete – after 2030. But has the Navy ever completed a major project on time and within budget? So there is no noise management plan, no noise mitigation, no decibel cap or sanctions for non-compliance. N-O-T-H-I-N-G. It’s a two-fingered salute to taxpayers who are funding this extravagant indulgence. We say the Navy’s motto, “We serve Australia with pride” is really “Serving ourselves from the taxpayers’ pot of gold with pride”. Is RAN rally just an acronym for Really Atrocious Noise? To have your say before you go deaf email the works committee: pwc@aph.gov.au Andrew Woodhouse is the President of the Potts Point and Kings Cross Heritage and Residents’ Society city hub 24 MAY 2018
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Glad the Impaler’s demolition plans by Kylie Winkworth Premier Berejiklian is pushing ahead with the government’s world first museum demolition plan. It will close the Powerhouse Museum next year. The government has spent three years and five months trying to justify Mike Baird’s captain’s pick to send the Powerhouse Museum to Parramatta. It has now released what it says is the Final Business Case Summary, a scant eight pages to justify an act of staggering cultural vandalism. The government spins its scheme to ‘move’ the Powerhouse Museum as cultural equity for western Sydney. The real reason, as always in Sydney, is the development opportunity in grabbing the PHM’s 2.6 hectare Ultimo site. Only in Sydney could a major state museum be evicted from its purpose designed site so that its property, assets and infrastructure can be demolished for yet more apartments. Fishing for cover for this grotesque asset stripping of public cultural facilities the government proposes a ‘Broadway-style lyric theatre’ in the Powerhouse Museum. When the Powerhouse Museum opened in 1988 the great volumes of the turbine and boiler halls were the perfect setting for the museum’s internationally significant power, transport and engineering collections. These magnificent exhibition spaces were purpose designed to show historic engines working under live steam, the No 1 locomotive and carriages, and the irreplaceable 1775 Boulton and Watt beam engine.
These planes will crash land at the new Powerhouse. Photo: Supplied
Next year these priceless collections will be gone, back into storage. Instead of an accessible family museum, the public will have to buy an expensive ticket to an American musical to see a building they once owned. There is a case for a new lyric theatre in Sydney. The government has known this since the 2011 review of Sydney’s cultural facilities. The question is why a lyric theatre wasn’t included in the massive development at Barangaroo, or the $1.5b redevelopment of Darling Harbour. Instead of a proper feasibility study of site options for a lyric theatre, as
recommended by Infrastructure NSW, Arts Minister Don Harwin has come up with his own captain’s pick to squeeze a lyric theatre into the shell of the historic Powerhouse Museum. The theatre will apparently be funded, built and run by a commercial operator. No public servants, no recurrent funding, music to the ears of the hard right in the Liberal Party. It will be funded by towering blocks of apartments on the museum’s site. The same brilliant economic formula applies to what is called the New Museum at Parramatta.
It too will sit under a 50 storey apartment block. All we know of the government’s intentions for the New Museum is summarised in a bare four pages. Ignoring the Parramatta community’s stated cultural priorities; the government is proposing a STEAM museum and a planetarium. The NSW government is shrinking the Powerhouse Museum from its current 23,000sqm of public and exhibition space, with total floor space of 35,000sqm, to a museum of only 18,000sqm at Parramatta. The press release says it will be the largest museum in NSW. This will only be true after they have demolished the larger Powerhouse Museum. The replacement storage and workshop facilities to be built at Castle Hill will also be smaller, less accessible and in every way inferior to the museum’s collection storage at Ultimo. The Harwood building in the former tram depot next to the PHM has 8,000sqm of environmentally zoned storage for 240,000 objects. There are also conservation labs, a large fumigation chamber, photography studio, large engineering and fabrication workshops and a specialist library that is used not just by MAAS curators, but by students and museum volunteers from around NSW. All of this will be demolished to be replaced by only 5,000sqm of collection facilities at Castle Hill, which will be less functional and distant from the Parramatta museum.
It will cost at least $250m to build the new collection storage and workshops at Castle Hill, and move the museum’s 240,000 objects. There is no cultural dividend, necessity or purpose in moving the treasures of NSW from their purpose-designed, world’s best practice collection facilities at Ultimo. Also mooted is it a design and fashion museum. But there is no masterplan for the Powerhouse site. No business plan. No feasibility study. It is museum planning by press release. All the museum’s recurrent revenue and staff is tied to the New Museum at Parramatta. There will be no museum infrastructure left at Ultimo. With no plan, no budget, no staff and no museum infrastructure the result will likely be a few showcases in the theatre foyer. In the last four years the NSW government has subjected the Powerhouse Museum to an unprecedented cultural vendetta against a major state museum. The museum has been denied funds for basic maintenance and exhibition renewal. It has lost more two thirds of its staff. Donations and philanthropy are in freefall. The community’s best hope to save the Powerhouse is to visit the museum, write to MPs and the premier, and think carefully about voting for the mob that’s promising museum demolition at the next election. Kylie Winkworth is a Museum and heritage expert and former trustee of the PHM
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Greens’ “nice guy” under threat BY LANIE TINDALE A newly preselected Labor candidate says that the seat of Balmain has finished its “experiment of voting for a Greens MP”. PhD candidate Elly Howse will be taking on incumbent member for Balmain, Greens MP Jamie Parker. “[Y]ou’ve done your experiment of voting for a Greens MP” said Ms. Howse. “I’m sure Jamie Parker is really nice but Balmain needs someone who’s not just nice, they actually need someone who’s gonna be able to deliver as part of government”. “I think the main issue is that the Greens might have a lot of policies that sound nice on paper, or sound good on paper but there’s a really big difference between coming up with nice policies and actually being able to deliver for your electorate”. “And we know Labor is a party of government, the Greens is not a party of government”. In response, Mr. Parker said: “It’s important that we have a voice outside of the government if Labor wants to form government because the truth is any member has to toe the party line whereas I’m in a position to be outside that Parliamentary arrangement and speak up for the community”. Ms. Howse said her campaign’s policy platform includes increasing funding for public schools, and said that Balmain Public School “has about $1.3 million in maintenance backlogs” and that “Rozelle Public School is almost close to a million dollars as well”. “Jamie as the MP for Balmain has just not been able to deliver and as a result classrooms in his electorate are falling apart and we’ve got schools that are basically full to the brim and can’t fit anymore students”, said Ms. Howse. In response Mr Parker said: “I’ve fought hard to increase maintenance funding for schools …
Labor announces Elly Howse as its candidate for Balmain. Photo: Supplied
the last NSW Labor government left behind a school maintenance backlog of nearly $1 billion”. Mr Parker said he has secured “nearly $700,000 in grant funding for local schools to help them plug the gaps in state funding”. “In the last 12 months alone I’ve secured a $20,000 grant for new bitumen surfacing at Birchgrove Public and $50,000 to refurbish a dilapidated toilet block at Forest Lodge Public School”. Ms. Howse said she supports progressive causes such as assisted dying legislation, progressive
abortion laws and drug law reform. Former Leichhardt Mayor Mr. Parker says the local community “need[s] to be having a completely different approach to public transport, to development” and believes in “supporting social services, protecting public housing, opposing the government’s terrible privatisation agenda of buses and public stability and we need this optimistic positive vision for our community”. Both Ms. Howse and Mr. Parker oppose the privatisation of the public transport system. Ms. Howse has attended the University of
Sydney since 2007 and is currently completing a PhD in health policy and promotion. She has worked as an electorate officer for Tanya Plibersek and has “been engaged in [her] union the [National Tertiary Education Union] for many years since working at the University of Sydney”. In response to criticism that she is young or inexperienced, 30 year old Ms. Howse said: “It’s really interesting how that’s sometimes put towards young women ... I think that there’s sometimes a bit of a gendered basis to that”. “We’re seeing at a state level and federal level the absolute attacks on public education and on school funding as well as on university funding and the tax on TAFE”. “If you actually have more young people in Parliament representing the views and the voices of their electorate ... I think you get better outcomes not just for young people but more broadly for society”. Ms. Howse grew up in Redfern and Forest Lodge, and says that Tanya Plibersek, NSW Labor MP’s Penny Sharp and Jo Halen and Inner West Mayor Darcy Byrne are some of her supporters. “I was preselected because no one else actually nominated to run”, Ms. Howse said. “I obviously did such a good job at [convincing ALP Members to endorse her] that no one else wanted to run”. When asked whether he perceives Ms. Howse as a threat, Mr Parker said that “no one can ever take an election for granted and I take any candidate seriously”. He said that his achievements as Member of Balmain have included the light rail extension to Lilyfield, “free travel on light rail for school students”, stopping the “sell-off of Callan Park”, funding for ferry wharves, restoring “$3m in funding cuts to local women’s refuges” and reinstating the Glebe Youth Service.
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Young people not flying the nest BY SOPHIE STOCKMAN Census data has shown that in recent years more young Australians are living with their parents into their late 20s. Statistically, more than one-fifth of Australians aged between 25 and 29 still live at home with their parents, and that figure doubles for those aged between 20 and 24. Glenn Capuano, Australian Bureau of Statistics analysis, has noticed the increasing reluctance for young people to leave home. “It’s a small trend, but it’s definitely there”. Circumstances where children in their late twenties continue to live at home with their parents are controversial in society. The media often condemns young people for lacking independence and “bleeding their parents dry”. Emma, 27, lives with her husband and her family in her childhood home and admits that there may be some truth to the stereotypes. “I mean, some of it is true, we are kind of lazy”. “I have everything I need at home… I don’t need to move out”. However, there seems to be another side to the story explaining why young people are reluctant to move out. Many young people have pointed to the increasingly expensive housing market as a major factor in preventing independent living. Economist Dr Andrew Wilson acknowledges the financial hurdle faced by many young people in gaining access to the real estate market. “Rent is rising and there is strong competition for properties”. “That’s a reason why young people are staying at home, because even just renting a property is far more expensive than living at home”. Edwina, 29, lives with her parents in the eastern suburbs of Sydney.
Young reluctant to leave home comforts. Photo: Supplied
Currently studying at university, Edwina sees this as her only viable option. “I would absolutely move out if I could, but it’s just so expensive”. “Anywhere that’s close enough to work or university is absolutely out of reach for someone like me who isn’t working full time yet”. 2016 census data revealed that 56 per cent of Australians now hold a post-school qualification.
Shelter skelter BY MICK DALEY The release of an independent analysis into the social, economic and policy drivers determining the scale and nature of homelessness in Australia has polarised commentators and service providers. The Australian Homelessness Monitor, commissioned by Launch Housing, has found among other salient facts that Sydney’s homelessness population has trebled since the 2011 census. It stood at 116,000 Australia-wide on census night 2016, an increase of 14 per cent since 2011. It also claims that 8,200 were homeless on census night 2016, a 20 per cent increase since 2011. Most of the blame for these figures is laid at the door of the runaway housing market, which has created unprecedented rental stress and a huge divide between those who can afford to buy, and those who never will. The report has triggered predictable responses from politicians. Labor’s Shadow Minister for Housing and Homeless, Doug Cameron, pointed out that housing affordability and homelessness were effectively absent from the 2018-19 Budget. “Labor has announced major policy initiatives to tackle homelessness and the housing affordability crisis and will have more to say before the next election,” he said. In response the Federal Minister for Social Services, Dan Tehan, said the Commonwealth has pledged $7 billion to housing over the next five years, with an additional $620 million going to homelessness funding, whatever that distinction may be. Curiously enough these figures, while they demonstrate an actual economic and social crisis in our nation, are not the most controversial aspect of this analysis. 6
city hub 24 MAY 2018
They’ve have been challenged by grass roots service providers, who say that statistical analysis, particularly those based on the 2016 census, are essentially flawed. Linda Strickland runs Hawkesbury Helping Hands, a largely self-funded service based in Windsor, Western Sydney that’s been feeding and helping out people sleeping rough for the better part of the past decade. She points out that while the 2016 census figures for Windsor put its homeless population at 57, as most homeless don’t have an address, they cannot, by definition have received census forms. “A lot of people didn’t get (census) forms, so if you ask our guys they don’t know anything about it,” she told the City Hub. “Most people you ask won’t even say that they’re homeless. If you’re going into the demographic of middle aged women, they’re embarrassed about their situation, so do you think they’re going to respond to a census and say they’re homeless? “I was in a meeting last week with service leaders and I was told that their data says homeless people are coming into Windsor from outer areas. “They were trying to say that our service was bringing people into the area. “I asked them ‘where do you get your data from?’ I’m here to tell you I’m on the street every day and I’m telling you the data’s wrong. “I said that my data, which comes from talking to actual people, is that almost all of these people have a local connection. They don’t just sit down with a map and choose the Hawkesbury at random because they think they might get a nice lunch.” “I said if that was true, then we should stand up and pat ourselves on the back, not think of it as a bad thing, I mean, what’s the old adage - you judge a town on how it treats its most vulnerable?
Edwina believes that this cultural shift for pursuing careers and higher education is a major factor contributing to young people staying at home for longer. “As a young woman I want to build a professional profile before I settle down and have children… and living at home has allowed me to do this”. Despite calls to increase New Start and
Youth Allowance, the 2018 budget has ignored concerns from young people struggling to support themselves while studying. Emma explains how tough it can be for a mature age student to juggle study and work commitments, let alone trying to pay rent on top of that. “I still work part-time around my class schedule, but even then am not in the position to be able to fully support myself” “There’s no way I could work full-time with having to be constantly doing placements and internships while studying” However, Dr Wilson advises young people seeking to enter the real estate market to lower their expectations and be more frugal with their finances in order to move out. “Saving for a deposit means making sacrifices in terms of budget and consumption profile”. “Perhaps there also needs to be more compromise in terms of the location and condition of a property”. He also suggests that turning to the banks is a great option for young people looking to enter the housing market. “There has never been a better time for first homebuyers in terms of lending capacity”. “The banks are quite amenable and no longer have the same restrictions on lending as there have been in past generations”. Dr Wilson does subscribe to the view that while young people are able to make good choices for better outcomes, the government also has a part to play in assisting young renters and first homebuyers. “At the end of the day we really have to look at the supply side of the argument”. “A clear solution to under representation by first home buyers is to provide more housing in the first instance”.
Lanz Priestly, unofficial Mayor of Martin Place. Photo: Supplied
Lanz Priestly is a self-motivated advocate for the homeless who was dubbed the ‘Mayor of Tent City’ when Martin Place became an ad hoc citadel of homelessness last year. He says that basing the administration of homelessness services on census figures or indeed on the business models of national organisations is a flawed system. “There’s a huge difference between what’s happening in the city and what’s happening in the country or outer suburban areas. Of all the schemes brokered through organisations and commented on in the media, well often nobody’s heard of these schemes in say, Mudgee. “If you do the numbers out in country towns, the problem’s considerably higher than the statistics would show, as many people are couch surfing or sleeping in cars or staying with friends.
“There are bigger question that needs to be asked – yes, we’re seeing more social housing but there’s no empirical evidence that it alleviates the problem. No matter how much social housing is built, the disparity between income and what people have to pay is growing all the time. We’re not addressing the root causes. We have to make housing affordable for everybody. People fall through the cracks and two years later we pull them out. That’s like parking the ambulance two kilometres away from the bottom of cliff and then hoping they crawl over to you.” The Homelessness Monitor concludes that homelessness is a social ill requiring a coherent strategic vision and the provision of social housing at realistic levels. But while the major parties gear up for a populist Federal election this kind of engagement on behalf of our most vulnerable seems unlikely.
Light Rail Construction Derailed BY JADE MORELLINI Construction for the light rail has been in progress for over three years and despite the Government’s earlier promise that it would be completed by 2019, it is obvious that this is no longer the case. In April, ALTRAC informed the Government that construction is running behind schedule and will not be finished until 2020, making commuters and small businesses wait an extra year before the city will be restored. From Circular Quay to Randwick, the city has been chaotic since construction began and has impacted heavily on over 350 businesses along the route, as well as around 12,000 residents. Leader of the Small Business Matters Party, City of Sydney Councillor and small business advocate, Angela Vithoulkas said, “My business has been impacted by construction for the past three years. We’ve had a dramatic drop in sales and we’ve lost a lot of business. It’s just devastating and catastrophic for the business, our family and our staff.” At blame for the delays is the Spanish sub-contractor ACCIONA who have been accused of using “goslow” tactics during the construction process. Transport Minister Andrew Constance told ABC that “they are on a ‘go-slow’. The city has unattended
construction zones with no work force on the ground. Ms Vithoulkas added, “Only the state government was saying that it was still running on track, no pun intended, but everyone else could see that it wasn’t. It was clear by the appearance of the lack of progress that it was going to take longer than they had anticipated.” With the case now before the court, ACCIONA are demanding financial compensation, blaming Transport for NSW for making them join a contract without having all the required information on the project. They are arguing that a core issue issue is how they deal with underground electricity infrastructure. NSW Labor Deputy Leader Michael Daley told ABC he agrees with the contractor, “If you examine why the contractor is holding things up, its because they are sick of being treated like rubbish from day one with the contract that lied to them, with plans that said we don’t know what’s underground, do your best.” What initially started out as a $1.6 billion project is now expected to cost $3.5 billion because of all the mishaps which have taken place. “I think the initial scope of work didn’t allow for enough investigative work,” Ms Vithoulkas told the City Hub. “I believe that the construction project in general was very poorly handled and that the State Government didn’t take responsibility
George St Sydney CBD Light Rail Project construction site. Photo: Mick Tsikas
or an interest in the operation of this construction project. They allowed the disaster of it to continue for too long.” Businesses along the route have been blocked by construction and are losing a lot of sales as a result. Leigh Harris, Vice President of Darlinghurst Hills Chamber of Commerce, said, “In terms of the Surry Hills Creative Precinct and in my role as vice president, I’d say the businesses continue to be placed under stress. The situation is unfortunate, but we are working
really closely with Transport for NSW, ACCIONA, the City of Sydney and other stakeholders to support businesses through this period.” Surry Hills Creative Precinct and Transport for NSW have started a campaign to assist small businesses with the Head to Surry Hills and Devonshire Precinct competition. This provides the chance to win $100 daily to use at their favourite local business. “There are a number of initiatives that the chamber has driven to support businesses, including a new
initiative called Spring into Surry Hills which is part of the Surry Hills festival,” Harris said. Despite having these initiatives in place and Minister Constance announcing his new small business assistance program to try and help business owners, they all just want construction to come to an end. “The impact of this light rail project has devastated our businesses but it’s also been really tough on the residents. They suffered a lot and they have gone unacknowledged a lot of the time,” Ms Vithoulkas said.
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FEATURE By Jamie Apps Internationally, particularly in Europe, pill testing at music festivals has been implemented for almost 20 years. Just last month though the first ever Australian trial of the program was conducted in Canberra at Groovin The Moo. The testing was a collaborative effort conducted by Safety and Testing and Advisory Service at Festivals and Events (STA-SAFE), the ACT government and ACT Police. Under this testing program 128 festival patrons submitted 85 seperate samples for testing with results indicating that 50 percent contained ‘other’ (lactose, artificial sweetener or paint etc) and in the most disturbing finding two (2) samples were considered lethal if consumed. Based off of these findings Harm Reduction Australia President Gino Vumbaca believes his group was able to “deliver what was promised”, which was a sentiment echoed by ACT Police Chief Justine Saunders who said the testing was a “great success.” Given these results NSW Greens Minister David Shoebridge is “astounded” that a nationally recognised pill testing program has not been implemented. “The results of the trial in Canberra confirmed absolutely that pill testing is an essential harm reduction measure,” said Mr Shoebridge. “A test that allows festival-goers to reject a pill because it appears to be dangerous or not contain what they had intended surely can only reduce harm.” In a statement from a spokesperson for the NSW Minister of Police and Emergency Services, Troy Grant the matter is not so clean cut. “No test can guarantee the safety of an illegal drug or its effect on an individual. This government will not be complicit in providing a false sense of confidence that the drug a person intends on taking will not harm them. We strongly urge people not to take illegal drugs and will continue to work with event organisers to ensure that dance parties and festivals are as safe as possible.”
Safe & Sound
On the flip side of the argument it has been argued that by providing pill testing services at music festivals it encourages drug use. According to Mr Vumbaca this is simply not case. While the never ending ‘war on drugs’ rages on, young lives continue the “The people who used our testing service had to be lost.Yet one of the most effective and proven harm minimisation already gone through security, passed police on the perimeter and were inside the festival itself. methods, pill testing, continues to be ignored in NSW Pill testing does not encourage or condone drug use rather we simply ask patrons to pause before consuming a pill to at least have it Curve Ball Music Festival. analysed so that we can then give some Photo: Supplied information about what it is they’re thinking about taking, its potential effects and how to seek assistance if something adverse were to occur.” During our research City Hub reached out to a number of music festival promotors for comment but we were regularly told there was a fear that commenting on the matter would bring their events under extra scrutiny. Even though music festivals are run as private businesses they cannot implement any form of pill testing program to protect their patrons without cooperation from the government or police. In order to roll out a pill testing program in NSW Mr Shoebridge explained to City Hub that there isn’t a need to amend any current laws or create any new laws. “We already have a system that allows police discretion to be used to allow the safe injecting centre in Kings Cross to operate and that same Currently in NSW the Drug Dog program is This was reflected at the recent Midnight discretion could be applied to allow pill testing the primary tool implemented by police to Mafia music festival where only 45 of the 187 at festivals to operate.” minimise drug use at music festivals and dance people searched following a ‘positive’ drug Therefore at this stage the only step that can be parties. dog indication were found to have illegal taken is to continue to lobby the government However according to Mr Shoebridge the drugs on them. Despite these heavily skewed and argue the case for pill testing. Mr Vumbaca Drug Dog program is a “woefully ineffective” results all patrons who were searched were will continue to lead this charge, now armed harm minimisation measure. then refused entry into the event. with the results of a trial conducted under “Over its 17 years of operation the drug dog “What we saw at Midnight Mafia was a bizarre Australian conditions. program has proven to be a costly waste of totalitarian approach and shows just how “We’re asking governments to stop sticking to funds with false positive rates as high as 80 extreme the failing war on drugs has their anti-pill testing rhetoric and simply review percent in some commands.” become,” said Mr Shoebridge. the evidence.”
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT REVIEW: Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert - The Musical David Harris (Mitzi), Tony Sheldon (Bernadette) and Euan Doidge (Felicia). Photo: Sam Tabone Getty Images
The choreography by Andrew Hallsworth is quirky, raw and sprinkled with comedy. With big stilettos to fill, Tony Sheldon, David Harris and Euan Doidge are commensurate in the lead roles of Bernadette, Tick and Felicia respectively. They each manage to reference the characters
as they appeared in the film while also making them their own. Robert Grubb is as dinkum as they come, playing the soft-centred yet worldly Bob. Descending at regular intervals from above as a sort of small Greek chorus are three angelic divas - Cle Morgan, Samm Hagen and Angelique
The Walworth Farce Enda Walsh’s hilarious and moving The Walworth Farce has arrived in the Kings Cross Theatre. One of the founders and co-artistic director of Workhorse Theatre Company, Troy Harrison, stars in the production. “This is a play I have wanted to stage for almost four years now, but it never seemed the right time to do it because of how hard and big a production it is,” he said.“I love the challenge of the play. I love plays that have drive and energy. I love plays that are complex and that force you to think in ways and from such a different point of view or moral standpoint than your your own.” The play explores what happens when we get stuck inside the stories we tell. Dinny has kept
his two boys, Sean and Blake, locked away in a tiny South London flat since bringing them from Ireland. He orders them to perform a farce at 11am each morning, what ensues is a blurry line between truth and lies that could threaten their family. Mr. Harrison said audiences can expect a rollercoaster journey of emotions. “It is a relentless surge from it’s absurd beginning to it’s devastating end. It is a play where you sit back and laugh through the beginning as the farce takes centre stage. It is a funny play. But it is also an awfully unnerving, uncompromising play. Expect to not know what the hell is going to come next.” (GF)
Blazey Best. Photo: Phil Erbacher
Cassimatis - who add fun, spectacle and incredible vocals to many of the numbers. Of course the star of the show is Priscilla herself. A marvel of set design, the famous bus has been manifested to resemble a giant Barbie camper, with a normal facade and opening door on one side and cut away interior on the other. To say more is to give too much away, but there are some wonderfully clever effects and mechanisms. The show is an extravagance of light, colour, and sound. It’s got a party vibe while still telling a meaty story and allowing space for some genuinely tender moments. What a wild ride! (RB) Until July 19. Capitol Theatre, 13 Campbell St, Haymarket. $75.90-$155.90+b.f. Tickets & Info: www.priscillathemusical.com.au
Robin, Laurence & Troy
Fabulous, outrageous, hilarious, audacious and even a little bit sentimental. Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert - The Musical returns to the stage, bigger and bolder than a drag queen’s wig.Award winning director, Simon Phillips has achieved the seemingly impossible and reimagined this iconic story in a production that feels fresh and innovative while retaining all the familiar charm. The cast and creative crew are a veritable dream team. Costume designers Lizzy Gardiner and Tim Chappel, whose unique creations for the original film won them a BAFTA and Academy Award, have recreated those legendary outfits as well as equally amazing new pieces. Stephen “Spud” Murphy’s musical arrangements give nuance and energy to the selection of pop classics that are not just nostalgic and camp but actually form an integral part of the narrative.
Gypsy
Until Jun 9. Kings Cross Theatre, Level 2, Kings Cross Hotel, 244-248 William St, Kings Cross. $20-$37+b.f.Tickets & Info: www.kingsxtheatre.com
Blackie Blackie Brown – The Traditional Owner of Death
Presented by Sydney Theatre Company comes a bold new work and world premier from writer
Nakkiah Lui, Blackie Blackie Brown – The Traditional Owner of Death. The play see’s archaeologist Dr Jacqueline Brown as she uncovers a mass grave, finding an ancient skull. The Doctor is over come with the spirit of her great greatgrandmother, the cold-blooded vigilante Blackie Blackie Brown. With one mission in mind, she sets out for vengeance on all of the descendants that killed her ancestors in a blood-curdling,
a&e
hilarious and twisted origin story. Only containing two performers, with break-out new comer Megan Wilding in the title role, and Ash Flanders who, “plays every single role other than Blackie Blackie Brown. I play the men and women, getting killed over and over in all kinds of hilarious ways.” An exciting feature alongside the high-octane action is the visuals for the set, based on illustrations by Emily Johnson and animations by Oh
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Yeah Wow. Excitedly Ash commented, “The set is amazing! There are hidden doors, crazy props. The audience will be immersed in a crazy cartoon world for an hour and a half.” A must-see comedy that will have audiences on a laugh out loud, in your face, night of outrageousness. (RH) Until Jun 30.Wharf 2 Theatre,The Wharf, 4 Hickson Rd,Walsh Bay. $40-$60+b.f. Tickets & Info: www.sydneytheatre.com.au
Arts Editor: Jamie Apps For more A&E stories go to www.altmedia.net.au and don’t forget to join the conversation on Twitter at @CityHubSyd
One of the greatest musicals in history, Gypsy, is coming down under to premier at Hayes Theatre Co. The musical follows an ambitious mother, Rose, who is the ultimate stage mother and does everything she can to turn her daughters into stars but instead, she ends up driving them away. Director, Richard Carroll said, “Gypsy is one of, if not the greatest American musical. I believe it’s got the best script of any musical ever and it’s got a bunch of songs people would know, like Let Me Entertain You and Everything Coming Up Roses, so it’s a fabulous show and at the core is an in depth psychological study of characters.” Carroll’s directorial vision focused on family relationships and the damage which may be done to those who are loved when one is too fixated on a single goal. “I’m really interested in the psychological depth of the characters, so rather than seeing it as a show about show business, I see it as a story about families and my interest is really in that progression from a happy family to a broken family.” Gypsy will make audiences think about their own family and the people that they love, confronting them with the issues that many individuals may be able to relate with. “Our group of actors are so incredible, I’m really excited to see such a talented group of actors get into the root of these characters and bring the show to our audiences,” Carroll concluded. (JM) Until May 26. Hayes Theatre Co, 19 Greenknowe Ave, Potts Point. $79-$99+b.f.Tickets & Info: www.hayestheatre.com.au
Contributors: Barbara Karpinski, Craig Coventry, Emily Shen, Irina Dunn, Jade Morellini, Joseph Rana, Leann Richards, Lisa Seltzer, Mark Morellini, Mel Somerville, Olga Azar, Rita Bratovich, Rocio Belinda Mendez, Sarah Pritchard, Shon Ho, Jade Morellini, Alex Eugene, Manuel Gonzalez, Tommy Boutros, Riley Hooper, Mohsen Dezaki, Daniel Jaramillo, Georgia Fullerton, Gary Nunn.
city hub 24 MAY 2017
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Live Music Guide LIVE WIRE Sydney
Middle Kids
By Jamie Apps
Jeremy Loops
Photo: Ellie Smith
Jess + Matt: Sydney’s mesmerising duo, Jess + Matt (Jess Dunbar and Matt Price) will be performing songs from their forthcoming album, Songs From The Village, tonight as they take on the special guest duties for Rick Price and Jack Jones’ tour. Thu, May 24, Enmore Theatre The Whitlams: In their classic four-piece configuration the iconic band will bring their rowdy 25th year to an end tomorrow night. For this show they are ditching the conductor and the charts from previous 60 piece orchestral performances, and are back to the common muscle-memory of 1000 shows and six albums. Fri, May 25, The Metro Busby Marou: The Queensland duo of Thomas Busby and Jeremy Marou are back on the road in support of their ARIA topping album Postcards From The Shellhouse. Sat, May 26, Leadbelly Set Mo: Sydney’s dynamic production duo Set Mo (Stu Turner and Nick Drabble) return home this weekend after an epic 24 show tour around both Australia and New Zealand. Sat, May 26, Good Bar Mick McHugh: After giving up an engineering career for music, this Irish troubadour and now Byron based indie-folk artist Mick McHugh is set to launch his new album,
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A Million Stars. This record is a statement of an album, McHugh as an artist is not afraid to address tough issues, hardships and plight, but at the same time, layering it with his trademark hope. Sat, May 26, MoshPit Augie March: Set out on the road at the beginning of this month for the first time in donkeys years to support their new record, Bootikins. This weekend the group arrives in Sydney and fans can expect all of the new tunes alongside a healthy dose of the old from their now sprawling back catalogue. Sun, May 27, The Lansdowne Sydney Jeremy Loops: South Africa’s biggest contemporary music export returns to Sydney this weekend. His near-sellout tour of Australia in 2016 cemented his popularity down under, while his latest single Waves from his upcoming album Critical As Water is continuing his incredible growth. Sun, May 27, Factory Theatre Playboi Carti: The 22 year old rapper’s work is known for it’s experimental but hook-heavy sound and this coming Wednesday Sydney fans will finally get to see it live. Since this is a rescheduled show Playboi Carti will now be joined on this tour by human vibe machine Horizon, who is known for whipping crowds into a frenzy. Wed, May 30, Enmore Theatre
By Jamie Apps Sydney trio Middle Kids made a powerful debut last year with the release of their self-titled EP which has seen them go on to tour the world and perform on worldwide television. This month has seen the group achieve yet another milestone with the release of their debut full length album, Lost Friends, ahead of a homecoming show as part of VIVID this weekend. As Tim Fitz explained to City Hub the group was surprised by the response to their EP. “We were shocked by the opportunities we got off the back of just an EP… we’ve definitely done things that we never thought we’d be able to do.” By achieving such success in such a short period of time Tim says there were “two levels” to the experience. When they were in the moment performing live shows around the world or performing live on the Conan show it was a ball of nervous energy and fun so it isn’t until “the more down
times, after a tour for example” that they can “realise how special those achievements were.” In order to help himself and fellow band members, Hannah Joy and Harry Day, remember these experiences Tim said he always has a camera on the road with him. “I like to record footage and take some shots because those memories are something that we really treasure.” Without the opportunities afforded to Middle Kids following the EP it’s quite possible this record wouldn’t exist as it does now. “There are songs on this record that wouldn’t have happened if we were just sitting at home in Sydney. The song On My Knees for example I remember Hannah writing the opening riff at a soundcheck somewhere in the United States,” explained Fitz. “There’s not necessarily songs about touring but there are songs that happened in the environment of touring and I think it’s safe to say that we were really inspired by touring as it creates a fertile
Jamie McDell Extraordinary Girl Whilst you wouldn’t normally associate country music with New Zealand, songstress Jamie McDell puts forth a record which sits effortlessly within the genre. McDell does a wonderful job of blending touching singer-songwriter elements with the catchiness of pop all under a veneer of country sounds. Throughout the record McDell’s vocal performance slides from sultry to strong and powerful with ease. Bad Attitude is a particularly special example of this. Other standout tracks include, Running Now, Extraordinary Girl and Under The Bonnet. Extraordinary Girl will appeal to those not usually drawn to the country sound but will also placate those more familiar with the genre. (JA) WWW1/2
environment for inspiration and ambition.” Whilst it may appear that all of the bands success has come from releasing great records Tim refuted that by saying that much of their success has actually come from their live show. “A lot of our big opportunities have come from someone watching us play and them really enjoying the show.Vivid for example was booked after they saw us supporting Paul Kelly in the Opera House Forecourt.” With that in mind Middle Kids are incredibly aware of what an honour and privilege it is to have music as their livelihood. “If people actually want the thing that we’re creating and want to be a part of it then that’s a huge honour and blessing. So we want to respond to that by putting our best efforts forward because it’s the most fun thing that we could possible imagine doing with our lives.” May 27. Sydney Opera House, Bennelong Point, Sydney. $19-$59+b.f. Tickets & Info: www.middlekidsmusic.com
THE NAKED CITY
James Cameron –
THE GRUMPY AFTERMATH TO THE ROYAL WEDDING!
With Coffin Ed You might be unaware, but millions of Australians chose not to view the saturation television coverage of last Saturday’s royal wedding in London.Their numbers included numerous good citizens of a non Anglo-Saxon background, hardcore Republicans and those that view any reverence for the outdated British aristocracy as an anathema to the egalitarianism that has long defined Australian society. Millions obviously did and given the media frenzy that preceded the event and the whole soap opera saga, it’s not hard to see why. It’s also difficult to think of an occasion in recent times that devoured such a sheer mass of TV and newspaper space – particularly in Australia as opposed to other Commonwealth countries with a symbolic tie to the monarchy. On Saturday evening major stories such as the school shooting in Houston and the plane disaster in Cuba were pushed into the background on the Seven, Nine and ABC news broadcasts with extended live crosses to Windsor Castle. Gushing news anchors could hardly contain their delight as they speculated whether Meghan Markle would be fronting the ceremony in a wedding gown whipped up by an Australian designer - “Oh, wouldn’t that be
wonderful!” Ever since the first settlers invaded there’s been a movement to maintain a kind of ‘bunyip’ aristocracy in Australia, mimicking their English counterparts with select private schools, exclusive gentlemen’s clubs like the Melbourne Club, a superior way of speaking, an impeccable table etiquette and of course an undying devotion to the monarch. During the Menzies era, when we still sang ‘God Save The Queen’ and regarded England as the homeland, society matrons would queue to be presented to the Queen whenever she toured the country. In those days the ‘curtsy’ was a full bending of the knees, the kind of subservient posture that Henry VIII would have demanded. Unfortunately for these devoted monarchists,Australia has never done snobbery very well, unlike the English upper classes who have made a fine art out of it. Class here is defined almost purely in
Deadpool 2
economic terms, rather than by birthright or some ludicrous inherited title. These days the British monarchy exists more as a taxpayer funded tourist attraction, constantly fuelling the tabloids and trashy women’s magazines. It’s an industry that employs a small army of household staff, security, servants, royal watchers and makers of tacky souvenirs, generating millions of pounds annually.The fact that elements of the family are dysfunctional, like Charles and Camilla’s adulterous affair and Prince Andrew’s association with the notorious Jeffrey Epstein, only makes for a more engrossing narrative, straight out of the saucy pages of Barbara Cartland. Now that an American in the shape of Meghan Markle has chosen to sign up for a soap opera bigger than Days Of Our Lives, royal watching is certain to enter a new dimension.You would hope that in modern multicultural
of expectation, and thankfully it lives up to them admirably. Deadpool 2 immediately ups the ante in terms of graphic and liberal violence with a hefty helping of decapitations, impalings and dismemberments in the opening few minutes. This however isn’t the only area upon which the film improves on the original. With the sequel we’re served up a much more inspired story than the generic superhero formulae we saw in the original. Whilst the plot is kept minimalist and simple it allows for a manic approach of whacky and invariably comedic scenarios to reflect Deadpool’s wisecracking wit excellently. When Deadpool first arrived on the If you enjoyed the first Deadpool silver screen he arrived with zero outing you will not be disappointed expectations, which allowed for him by Deadpool 2 as it takes what we all to become an immediate success. loved and simply adds fuel to the fire. This time around however Deadpool 2 (JA) carries with it a much heavier burden WWW1/2
Challenging The Deep
Australia, that this kind of obsessive voyeurism would be contained to a minority but the media are guaranteed to never let up.When there’s a hole in the nightly news broadcast or the need for some feel good injection, the royals always have something to offer. Even if Australia does eventually become a Republic our reverence for the British monarchy is likely to take years to dissipate. Further intrusion by commoners and foreigners such as Markle may well help to dilute the exclusivity of the family.Who knows? Some years ago, we missed what could have been a golden opportunity to reap total havoc within the cloistered halls of Buckingham Palace and reduce the whole dynasty to a disgraceful shambles.At the time, believe it or not, Donald Trump was seriously suggesting that he would be a suitable suitor for the then freshly divorced Princess Diana. Had this union ever been formalised in a wedding ceremony at Windsor Castle, surely all hell would have broken loose. Hookers would have been awarded their own special entrance at the Palace, Ivanka deemed the Duchess of ‘Suss-Sex’ and the rest of the royal family promptly fired. Buckingham would have been renamed Trump Palace and Jeffrey Epstein appointed to replace the Archbishop Of Canterbury. If only!
The Australian National Maritime Museum (ANMM) will be opening an exciting, immersive exhibition at the end of the month. The exhibition highlights the extraordinary deep sea exploration achievements of famed director, James Cameron. Cameron has had a lifelong fascination with the deep oceans. He has led eight major deep-sea expeditions and many submersible dives, setting world firsts including the first solo dive to the Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench, the first exploration of the interior of the wreck of RMS Titanic, and the first seafloor-tosurface live broadcast. Challenging The Deep is a collection of artefacts and
specimens from Cameron’s expeditions; items used in design and construction of the Deepsea Challenger – the vessel he used to navigate the ocean depths which was custom built in Sydney; underwater equipment and diving technologies pioneered by Cameron; and props and costumes from his blockbuster feature films, The Abyss and Titanic. Large projections of underwater scenes and the walk through layout of the exhibition will provide an immersive experience for visitors. (RB) May 29-Jan 30. Australian National Maritime Museum, 2 Murray St, Sydney. $12-$50+b.f.Tickets & Info: www.anmm.gov.au
German Film Festival The German Film Festival returns to Sydney after a year’s absence and the specially curated line-up of 26 films should establish this festival as one of the more popular cultural occasions in Sydney. The high-quality selection of comedies, dramas, family films and shorts should allure audiences and ensure there’s a film for all tastes. German films rarely receive cinematic releases in Australia and this festival allows audiences to experience them as they should be seen, on the silver screen. Special events include the Opening Night reception, which features a sparkling cocktail and German delicacies on arrival, followed by the Australian premiere of postwar, award-winning drama The Silent Revolution. Festival-attendees who enjoy exquisitely crafted period dramas should be mesmerised by Mademoiselle Paradis, also an Australian premiere, which details the true story of a blind musician who lost her eyesight as a child.Austrian cocktails will be served prior to the screening. The closing night event also promises to be a crowd-pleaser, with the digitally restored version of Wings Of Desire, a beautifully filmed romantic-fantasy
TOP PICKS
Three Peaks: Filmed in the Italian Dolomites this story of love and survival should have audiences on the edge of their seats.What’s meant to be a restful vacation high in the mountains leads to potential tragedy when the lives of a man and child are endangered. Gripping and tense.
The Silent Revolution
produced in 1987.The story surrounds invisible, immortal angels in Berlin which provide solace for those in need.The pre-film reception includes a drink on arrival. By watching these films Australian audiences should not only perceive that Germans produce good films, but more importantly they will learn about their culture. International film festivals are all connected as they showcase human stories with very universal themes, but these films are from a German perspective. (MMo)
The Final Journey: When a 92 year-old man’s wife dies, he boards a train to the Ukraine in search of the only woman he ever considered his true love.This quasi road trip film is emotionally challenging. My Brother Simple: This buddyroad-film hysterically showcases the adventures of Ben and his mentally handicapped brother Barnabas, as they travel to the city in search of their father who they haven’t seen in 15 years. This crazy comedy should prove to be the laugh-out-loud hit of the festival. (MMo) Until Jun 5. Palace Norton St & Chauvel Cinema. $18-$70 (5 film pass).Tickets & Info: www.germanfilmfestival.com.au city hub 24 MAY 2017
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