City Hub 3 October 2019

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Snippets by ALEC SMART Brewery brawl A fight disrupted a punk rock gig at Staves Brewery in Glebe on Sunday 29 Sept, resulting in broken furniture, smashed beer glasses and a window, damaged drums and a woman punched.

The brawl attracted six carloads of police.

City Hub was told two members of the band The Rampants provoked a confrontation with headliners The Kids (who really are kids, all under 17) over an unspecified issue, just four songs into the latter’s set.

Allegations The Rampants also made Nazi salutes and chants provoked anti-fascists to declare they’ll picket the band’s forthcoming gig at The Moshpit in Erskineville on Oct 13, to prevent them playing, although the band has already been struck off the bill.

According to The Music Network: “Eyewitnesses said patrons hid in the toilets and behind the bar, as the skirmish saw more chairs broken, glasses smashed and equipment thrown about. Finally, band members, parents and audience members threw the trouble-makers out and six squad cars and ten officers from the Glebe precinct arrived.”

City Hub tried to contact The Rampants, but, shortly afterwards, they closed their Facebook account and vanished.

Car captures car thief In an apparent act of altruism between automobiles, an electric car in a Kent Street city carpark reportedly filmed a neighbouring car being burgled and told its owner.

One of the first Tesla Model 3s in Australia – the vehicle film actor and ex-California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger drives and provided climate activist Greta Thunberg to travel between climate-related events in the USA and Canada in September – was parked and placed in ‘Sentry Mode’ by its owner.

This triggers hidden cameras to start filming if the vehicle senses it is being broken into.

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On this occasion, the car detected movement in the car parked alongside and captured the break-in, which involved a specialised tool, and recorded the theft of several items.

The Tesla owner told The Driven: “I was away for about 5-6 hours. When I returned, it had a little message saying “instances reported”... when I got home I plugged in the USB and saw .. the person’s car next to me broken into. I took the footage into the police and they were amazed that it was so clear – they are sending it off to the local area command to see if the person is known to them.”

Stadium stagnation The two bidders now involved in the contest to rebuild the Sydney Football Stadium (SFS) Multiplex and Cox Architects - are locked in a legal battle that threatens to derail the tender process the NSW Liberal Govt established to rebuild the SFS for the amount they promised in the March election: $729 million.

The two contractors fell out over work they did together on Perth’s Optus Stadium, and now Multiplex allege Cox Architects were “inadequate, erroneous, inconsistent with accepted practice at the time… which caused loss... in contravention of the Australian Consumer Law.” In mid-September, NSW Sports Minister John Sidoti referred the stoush to Infrastructure NSW. Just days later he himself stood down from ministerial duties pending a potential investigation by the Independent Commission Against Corruption into his property dealings. He would not admit how he acquired his stake in a Rouse Hill property, which increased in value from $4.1 million to $70 million after favourable planning decisions.

Risky Endeavours Captain James Cook, acclaimed by historians as ‘discoverer’ of Australia, is facing stormy waters as

a replica of his ship, The Endeavour, was refused permission to dock in New Zealand this month.

The replica, part of a flotilla currently travelling around New Zealand in the Tuia 250 event organized by New Zealand’s Ministry for Culture and Heritage, was turned away from Doubtless Bay on the northern Karikari Peninsula, 300km north of Auckland.

The regional Ngāti Kahu Maoris’ chief executive, Anahera Herbert-Graves, told Radio New Zealand: “Cook never came into our rohe [territory], he sailed by, and apparently cast his eye to the port and said, ‘oh, that’s Doubtless Bay.’ It’s a fiction for him to ‘re-visit’ us because he never came … Wherever he went, like most people of the time of imperial expansion, there were just a lot of bad outcomes for the indigenous people. He didn’t discover anything down here, and we object to Tuia 250 using euphemisms like ‘encounters’ and ‘meetings’ to disguise what were actually invasions.”

This repulsion comes in the wake of two Captain Cook statues moved to safekeeping in May and July after they were graffitied by Maori activists.

The Australian Government invested $6.7 million into the replica Endeavour circumnavigating Australia next year to mark the 250th anniversary of Captain James Cook’s first voyage to Australia and the Pacific.

In 1768, Cook embarked on his first Pacific voyage on board Endeavour to chart the transit of Venus. He returned to map the east coast of Australia, anchoring in Botany Bay in April 1770 before continuing northwards (missing Warrane, aka Sydney Harbour) until he struck a coral reef and was forced to go ashore to patch his stricken ship.

The Endeavour replica will depart Sydney in March 2020, sailing south to Hobart before heading north and following Australia’s coastline,

making 39 stops, where it will host a series of events.

It is not yet known whether indigenous Australians will refuse its anchorage in ports that stir tribal resentments of historic colonial conquests.

Nor whether The Endeavour will re-enact tearing itself open on coral on the Great Barrier Reef.

Civil Rights erosion The NSW Govt is considering whether to introduce a bill to criminalise trespass on farmland. The Right to Farm Bill 2019, currently before NSW parliament, can punish disruption and/or unlawful entry to lands deemed ‘enclosed’ (surrounded by a fence, wall or natural boundary) with up to three years in jail, and severe fines.

The proposed bill amends the existing Inclosed Lands Protection Act 1901 and creates harsher penalties. In 2016 the fine was multiplied tenfold from $550 to $5,500. The new amendment will increase it to $22,000.

Pauline Wright, NSW Civil Liberties Council president, criticised the revision as “a crackdown on people’s rights to protest.”

The NSW Govt claim farmers needed protection from dangerous trespassers – which many interpret as environmentalists opposing ‘fracking’ for coal seam gas and animal rights investigators monitoring cruel treatment of livestock - but the law already has safeguards.

The irony is farmers have dominated protests against coal seam gas extraction, protecting natural waterways, opposing coal mining and other environmental issues that required trespassing to raise awareness.

If this rigorous new suppression of dissent was enforced over the past decade, NSW’s Northern Rivers and Pilliga Forest would probably be one big gas extraction site today.

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city hub 3 OCTOBER 2019

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WestConn builders: Environmental Offenders

BY WENDY BACON Westconnex builders CPB Contractors were convicted of breaching the NSW Protection of the Environment Operations Act in 2017 last Wednesday—and ordered to pay nearly half a million dollars.

The NSW Land and Environment Court found that on four separate occasions, CPB caused substantial harm to residents by failing to control toxic odours from untreated leachate or contaminated water pooling at the WestConnex St Peters Interchange site.

The harm included asthma attacks, physical pain and severe nausea. CPB acknowledged that it failed to hire a suitable expert to supervise the old landfill site and that it could have foreseen the harm.

After pleading guilty, CPB Contractors were ordered to pay $445,000 in fines and costs.

Inner West Independent Councillor Pauline Lockie was involved in helping the community with the odours complaints.

She describes the episode as a “classic example of the callous way WestConnex and its contractors treat residents during construction, and how hard it is for ordinary people to stop them doing it, even when it affects people’s health and safety.

“In this case, it took months of lobbying, complaints and media campaigning to take WestConnex and CPB from denying the issue existed, to admitting that it did but downplaying it, to finally being forced by the EPA to fix it. In the meantime, people were suffering - and there was no escape.”

No company is more heavily involved in WestConnex than CPB Contractors. It is involved in all WestConnex stages except the mainline M4/ M5 tunnel.

Just two days after it was sentenced, CPB released the first publicly available map of its designs for the WestConnex Rozelle Interchange, a project that was approved on the basis of no more than a ‘concept design’ last year.

measures. CPB did eventually take actions to improve leachate management.

On a normal worksite, the EPA could stop work until the problem was solved. However as the NSW EPA itself explained, a little known change to the NSW Planning Act in 2012 removed the EPA’s powers to stop work on Critical State Significant Infrastructure sites such as WestConnex.

Getting ready for a new Big Dig:The WestConnex Annandale site. Photo: Alec Smart

No such complex spaghetti interchange has previously been built underground anywhere in the world.

Many residents have now discovered for the first time that tunnels will be less than 10 metres under their homes.

It’s a classic example of the callous way WestConnex and its contractors treat residents during construction Even if the company had a perfect record of safety, proceeding with the project without a regulatory assessment of its detailed impact would be risky—and CPB Contractors’ project record is poor. Quite apart from odour breaches, a NSW Parliamentary

Committee found that residents were exposed to such unacceptable noise, dust and stress that it recommended a special WestConnex mental health unit. The Berejiklian government declined to act on the Committee’s recommendations.

Lessons from Odours If Rozelle, Annandale and Lilyfield residents want an insight into how CPB contractors have managed risk, they can learn a lot from the experience of St Peters residents.

Only after the odours began to cause distress did the community discover that the New M5 Environmental Impact Statement did not cover the risk of toxic odours during construction.

After odours became uncontrollable, the underresourced EPA struggled to force CPB contractors to take extra remediation and monitoring

CPB promises not credible As fresh alarm-bells ring across the Inner West, Rozelle Project director Tarnjit Chahal was quoted in the SMH as saying, “On this project, in the unlikely event that tunnelling has caused any damage, we’ll treat property owners fairly.... We’re expecting virtually no damage to properties as a result of our tunnels.”

Councillor Lockie remains unconvinced. “It’s hard to believe CPB’s assurances that there’ll be ‘virtually no damage’ from the very shallow tunnelling they’re doing.”

Previous WestConnex tunnels have left significant damage behind. “Residents who’ve suffered property damage [in the past] have been fighting for months, if not years, for compensation. It’s clearly the way they work. It’s a system that fails residents at every turn,” explains Councillor Lockie.

Local Greens MP Jamie Parker agrees. He has called a meeting of residents on November 2nd.

“It defies common sense to think that you can build a spaghetti junction less than 10 metres underground and not impact people’s homes,” he says. “These tunnels are designed to be shallow to give motorists a smoother drive despite the increased risk this poses to people’s homes on the surface. When the government prioritises driving experience over the structural integrity of properties, they make it crystal clear that they work to serve tollway companies, not residents.”

Parker says the junction should be dug deeper to keep it farther away from residences, and include ground movement and vibration monitoring.

Join the Glebe Island and White Bay Community Liaison Group Port Authority of New South Wales is seeking a Pyrmont resident to join its community group for Glebe Island and White Bay — the historic working port in the heart of Sydney Harbour.

About the Glebe Island and White Bay CLG

Apply to join the CLG

The Glebe Island and White Bay Community Liaison Group (CLG) is a forum to inform the local community and other stakeholders about activities at the port.

Visit portauthoritynsw.com.au/communityliaisongroup to find out more and read the application criteria.

Download the membership application form.

Port Authority is now seeking an individual who lives or works in the Pyrmont area and has links with the community to join the CLG. As a CLG member, you will be a valuable link between your community and the port.

Complete the application form and send to enquiries@portauthoritynsw.com.au.

Membership applications close 5pm Friday 18 October 2019.

Sydney Harbour | Port Botany | Newcastle Harbour | Port Kembla | Port of Eden | Port of Yamba

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city hub 3 OCTOBER 2019

Light rail traders railroaded

BY JOHN MOYLE Just as Transport for New South Wales (TfNSW ) had finished crowing about settling a $1.1billion light rail legal claim for the bargain amount of $576million they are preparing to defend a new $400 million claim.

The class action set down for a hearing on July 1 next year is being brought by City of Sydney councillor and former cafe owner Angela Vithoulkas under the umbrella of her Small Business Party and representing the claims of mental anguish and loss of income for around 180 small business owners and residents along the light rail route.

“Right now we have upward of 180 people signed up and another 50 about to come into the class action,” Ms Vithoulkas said.

To get to the figure of $400million lawyer for the case Rick Mitry, Mitry Lawyers, said “you add the losses of each claimant, and we have around 200, and some of them have lost up to $10million but the average is around $500,000.”

Construction work on Sydney’s light rail earlier this year. Photo: John Moyle Class action While the TfNSW’s applications for small business assistance closes on October 1 Ms Vithoulkas wants residents and business owners to know that her class action is still open and she is ready to take enquiries.

“We got a lot of enquiries and that sparked another round of community sessions and we have been pushing out on social media, letterbox dropping and word of mouth,” she said.

Ms Vithoulkas added “We want to inform the residents that they can come into the class action if they have suffered any mental anguish, distress or trauma.

Rick Mitry said that a class action needed commonality and in this case “it is that they have all been aggrieved by the mishandling, bad

management and bad planning of the light rail infrastructure project and they have suffered either economic loss, such as landlords, or psychological loss such as the people who have suffered the dust, noise, vibrations and light spillage.”

there are hundreds of businesses that will never be able to climb out of the dark pit of debt Many businesses have been confused that if they accept any offers from TfNSW then that will disqualify them from joining the class action.

Since 2017 TfNSW “has supported 179 businesses by providing more than $39.8million in

financial assistance,” a spokesperson for TfNSW said.

While this is a help to some small businesses, it has failed to help many others as the paper work required was onerous and the timeframes for assessments did not always live up to TfNSW’s claims.

“I know of more than 60 businesses that have closed in my local government area and there are more outside of it, and there are hundreds who have their backs to the wall and they will never be able to climb out of the dark pit of debt,” Ms Vithoulkas said.

Fight for compensation Dave Seibert is a resident of Devonshire Street in Surry Hills who works from home and has

received noise mitigation work on his property but has since found it unacceptable.

“We had to fight for any sound treatment and that took a year and a half and even after it was put in it was not good enough and we are still hearing trains,” he said.

“I am joining the class action for mental anguish, as it’s my home and it should be a haven for us, but it hasn’t been for some time,” Mr Seibert said.

Jason Pope and his wife are hospitality consultants and experienced cafe operators and should have had all their dreams come to fruition when they took out a lease on a prime property on the corner of George Street and Margaret Street in Sydney’s CBD. “We did our due diligence thinking the light rail would be complete by the time we had finished our fit-out around October 2018,” Mr Pope said.

“A week or two before we were to open we read that the light rail is going to be delayed around a year and a half.”

Since that time the cafe has only been able to operate by personal loans from Mr Pope’s family and is trading around 50 per cent of where it needs to be.

Mr Pope has also been unable to qualify for assistance.

“I had to submit all these documents and pay my rent up to date so I could submit invoices and my case went to the minister and he turned me down,” Mr Pope said.

Originally TfNSW promised that the project would be conducted over 30 zones but that went out the window when it was discovered that it was much cheaper to put it all in a single zone and lock down the whole city while the work was done.

No wonder that these people have turned to a class action to get the justice that should have been theirs from the beginning of the bungle.

END OF LEASE SUPER SALE 38-42 Parramatta Rd Stanmore 2048 P: (02) 9565 1275 E: info@annandaleinteriors.com www.annandaleinteriors.com.au

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city hub 3 OCTOBER 2019

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Mural faces mauling

BY ALLISON HORE The Westconnex has met with more controversy with the release of their proposed changes to the approved design of the Rozelle and Lilyfield interchange for the M4-M5 Link.

The change would bring the complex and expensive underground interchange above ground in a series of overpasses.

However, many believe the changes pose a threat to local landmarks, including Buruwan Park and a historic mural on The Crescent in Annandale. The mural, described as the ‘people’s mural’ was created in 1980 by artist Rodney Monk and a team of six other artists in a scheme to create jobs for unemployed artists in the area.

In creating the mural, Monk was inspired by both community activism in opposition to the Vietnam War and the sacking of the Whitlam government and also social movements surrounding sexuality, gender, racism and ethnicity. Mr. Monk told City Hub that he believes the reason the work resonates with the community is that it “was designed to reflect social attitudes and values.”

One of the themes present in Monk’s mural is harbour, health and foreshore recreation. But he thinks our changing understanding of that reflects the changing demographics in the area.

“The mural was created in a time when Sydney’s inner west was changing in its social makeup; from workers cottages, student accommodation and factories toward what it is today,” he explained.

“Few could see that ‘harbour foreshore recreation’ would be realised in the form of expensive leisure craft storage or that the increased property values a new parkland and playgrounds bought would exclude those who had created the funky social ambience the area is so admired for.”

Kelly Reed, 24 Originally from: UK Now lives: Sydney

Threatening proposal The proposed overpass will allow vehicles to cross from the Northbound to Eastbound portion of the crescent, towards Victoria Road and the Anzac Bridge, without having to use the existing intersection. Westconnex also say that the overpass will provide additional capacity to the network needed for further development projects in the area, including the West Harbour Tunnel project, which is currently undergoing approval.

Originally slated to be built above ground, public outcry led planners to design an underground network for the interchange instead.

And while there were questions over the possibility of such an underground interchange being built, the proposal was approved for development.

The new changes would again bring the interchange above ground, in a system of overpasses including the one at The Crescent.

Westconnex acknowledges that the change has “the potential to result in vibration and visualsetting impacts to heritage-listed items”.

The mural is a living reflection of its community While the mural is not currently heritage listed, the Inner West council voted unanimously in late 2018 to nominate the mural for heritage listing, an idea which was first debated in the council 8 years ago. In 2003 Leichhardt Council paid $10,000 to refurbish the mural, which was in poor condition.

This renovation also included the addition of indigenous themes to the artwork.

Opposition from the community State member for Balmain, Jamie Parker, opposes the proposed overpass. He believes that The Crescent mural he describes as a “dearly loved and historically important local artefact”

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An historic mural on The Crescent in Annandale faces damage from WestConnex construction. Photo: Alec Smart

should be protected. He also questions the effectiveness of the submissions process.

“The government says that these modifications will be subject to public consultation but we’ve seen little evidence that they are genuinely listening to the opinions of experts, let alone residents,” he told City Hub. “My office has already had multiple complaints from locals about the difficulty of even submitting an objection through the new online portal.”

IWC opposes overpass The Inner-west Council is also opposed to the changes and told City Hub they are “calling on the NSW Government to back away from plans to introduce a Los Angeles-style overpass in the heart of residential Rozelle, Lilyfield and Annandale.”

“The Premier needs to pull the road builders into line and start listening to the communities’

concerns about the damaging impact that this modification will have,” said Inner-West Mayor Darcy Byrne.

The council also said that they hope the state government will wait for the heritage application for the mural to be processed before they push on with the changes but that there is no legal obligation for them to do so. For Mr. Monk, if the changes go ahead he would like to see developers actively working to minimise the impact.

“If a new freeway pier will partially visually block the mural then I would like this urban reshaping to be minimal in its impact and that the mural be also renovated by me so as to keep its presence relevant and dynamic,” he said.

“It is a “living” reflection of its community.”

Submissions to the NSW Government regarding the project closed on the 25th of September after the deadline was extended for a week. They are currently being collated.

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Eastern contributors

BY VANESSA LIM Waverley Council and Randwick Councils elected new Mayors last week, both of whom will run for a 12-month period. On September 24, Randwick Council voted in Labor Councillor Danny Said as the new Mayor and Greens Councillor Philipa Veitch as the Deputy Mayor.

On September 26, Waverley Council chose Labor Councillor Paula Masselos as Mayor and Greens Councillor Eliane Keenan as Deputy Mayor.

Mayor Paula Masselos, the 6th woman to be Mayor of Waverley council in 70 years, has worked on multiple community projects throughout the years. Mayor Masselos has been living in Bronte for almost 35 years and believed that the community was of utmost importance.

“A lot of people were urging me to be more involved in the council since I was doing a lot of community action.” Mayor Masselos has fought against over-development, such as 194 Oxford St, making sure the Tamarama Waterfall wasn’t destroyed, and has also worked with councillors to save the historic Boot Factory that will now be repurposed instead of destroyed.

She was also supportive of the past Mayor and Deputy Mayor efforts to save the Bondi Pavillion and make Waverley Council more progressive.

In front of Bronte Beach, the local community can visit ‘Paula’s Hut’ in the mornings on the weekends.

More accountable “For me, local councils have a very strong democratic institution,” she said. “It’s probably one of the purest forms of democracy because we’re here. People can stop and talk to us straight away, so we’re held far more accountable than the other levels of government because we’re so much more accessible.”

Mayor Masselos said that being part of a local council meant she could make decisions that had

Waverley Council Mayor Paula Masselos and Deputy Mayor Elaine Keenan at Bronte Beach. Photo:Vanessa Lim

a quicker reaction time than the other levels of government.

“Also, as a resident, it’s about making sure the resident’s voice is heard, particularly in a place like this where it’s drawing a lot of tourists. It can be too often that the commercial interests or the tourism industry interests get heard and are given credence other the residents.”

She saw the role as a great privilege and looked forward to making progressive changes with Deputy Mayor Elaine Keenan. Mayor Masselos said, “I’m looking forward to working with Elaine who has got a very similar vision to mine. My politics are certainly progressive and I have to say, the older I get, the more progressive I become.

Partly because of the kind of community we’re in.”

Deputy Mayor Elaine Keenan has lived in Waverley for more than 30 years and is an active community member. She said positive changes to Waverley was her main motivator for getting into local politics.

NSW Govt needs to stop playing politics with women’s health “Since I’ve been living in this area for a long time, the local Liberal government that was in place at the time made some decisions that I found really unpalatable. So, I started to get

more involved in my local group and I must say that I didn’t expect to be on the council.

I think that we can make a difference and we’ve got similar views such as climate change, affordable housing, needed amenities and other community-based projects.”

Honesty Coming from a working-class background in Glasgow, Cllr Keenan said she had a “strong sense of social justice and a willingness to help”.

Cllr Keenan comes from a nursing background where she worked in areas such as HIV/AIDs and Community Health. At the moment, she works as a public servant in Human Resources.

Cllr Keenan has also been supportive of saving Bondi Pavilion, the Boot Factory and other progressive initiatives in Waverley Council.

“It’s about being honest with the local people.

You can’t always get everything done, but at the very least we’ll listen to your concerns. We’ll always try as hard as we can.”

Randwick Council new Mayor Danny Said and Deputy Mayor Philipa Veitch were honoured to be given the role, and declared that they would work for the community. Mayor Said has been resident in Randwick for most of his life. He is also a supporter of local sports such as the local surf club and the South Sydney Rabbitohs. Mayor Said declared, “It is an incredible privilege to be given the opportunity to serve the people of Randwick as Mayor for the coming 12 months. I promise that I will do the best for Randwick and will ensure that Council continues to place our people at the forefront of all decision-making.”

Mayor Said pointed out the proposed and unpopular Yarra Bay cruise ship terminal as a significant challenge that he and other councillors would need to face in the next 12 months of their term.

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Opinion

Lockout laws take new twist

Kings Cross is at the epicentre of Sydney’s Lockout Laws debate. Photo: Sardaka/WikimediaCommons

By ANDREW WOODHOUSE Kings Cross is at the epicentre of a storm.

This week the state government’s Joint Select Committee on Sydney’s Night Time Economy delivered its report. It recommended 40 changes to controversial lockout laws.

Lockouts were introduced in February 2014 to reduce alcohol-fuelled violence. Teenager, Daniel Christie, died in January 2014, the victim of a one-hit punch. He had been celebrating New Year’s Eve in Kings Cross. His assault, a random attack at 9pm, was just metres from the site where teenager Thomas Kelly had also been fatally punched in July 2012.

The current laws require 1.30am lockouts and 3am last drinks at bars, pubs and clubs in the Sydney CBD entertainment precinct. The precinct is bounded by Kings Cross, Darlinghurst, Cockle Bay, The Rocks and Haymarket.

Significantly, the Star Casino, a massive source of government revenue and one of Sydney’s most violent licensed venues, is exempt, as were CBD venues with poker machines.

Impacts While data show that the lockout laws helped reduce alcohol-related violence, concerns were raised about the impact of the law on Sydney’s night-time economy.

In 2016 the law was subject to an independent review, conducted by former High court Judge, Ian Callinan QC. He said the laws were justified.

Nevertheless, the government announced it would relax the last drinks and lockout laws by half an hour for live entertainment venues in a two-year trial.

Last month the NSW Premier prematurely announced lockout laws would be repealed by the end of the year, except Kings Cross, although the Committee’s review was still incomplete.

Medical professionals and emergency services workers opposed any repeal, and still do.

This week, the Committee noted the impact of the 2014 laws in the Cross. It found “from January 2014 to March 2019, non-domestic assaults decreased by 52.8 percent. This equates to roughly 1,921 fewer assaults … due to the historical nature of Kings Cross, venue density and the small size of the precinct, there is a high risk that if the 2014 laws were removed, violence would increase and the rate of assaults would begin to rise again.”

The Australian Medical Association NSW and St Vincent’s, Darlinghurst, support lockouts.

They note that they have reduced violence, relieved budget overruns on financial resources and reduced trauma and injury. “We’ve gone from a time when people were dying, to a time when people are not dying,” they said.

This week the Committee recommended: extending bottle shop hours by one hour, 8

city hub 3 OCTOBER 2019

banning sales of shots after midnight, asking venues to engage with the private-sector to promote community safety programs, improve the notification process of breaches, better coordinating venue inspections in Kings Cross, installing better street lighting, appointing an area co-ordinator, introducing a good neighbour policy, seeing whether 24-hour rail transport is feasible, only using ID scanners after 10pm on Friday and Saturday nights, freezing new liquor licences until a review in 2020, and oddly, asking venues to self-report their own breaches.

It found KX was “not yet sufficiently changed to warrant a complete reversal” of lockouts and recommended another review in 12 months.

An increase in alcohol-related harm Brendan Martignago, owner of Dulcies, a “subterranean cocktail bar” at 44B Darlinghurst Road, Kings Cross, which has been operating for a year. He says he doesn’t understand how new self-reporting schemes would work. “I’d be interested to know more,” he said, adding “we already report to the Liquor Authority and Police, who conduct weekly visits.”

We need a healthy mix of food, drinks and entertainment “Long gone are the days when 45,000 people invaded the cross creating problems.” He sees the future of the Cross as positive, with a healthy mix of food, drinks and entertainment.

Justin Hemmes, beer bar baron, said “hospitality providers need to cater for people all hours of the day and remove the after-dark ghosttown experience we currently have.”

Doctor Preisz, Director, St Vincent’s emergency department, says safety comes first. Alcohol causes harm. The more alcohol, the more harm. “Sydney is more likely to experience an increase in alcohol-related harm if the Berejiklian government accepts these recommendations,” he said.

Consider New York. It has doubled its tourists in the mid-town, Times Square area since the 1990s. It now attracts 60 million tourists a year.

The same area reported 2,600 major crimes last year compared to 23,000 in the 1990s. When crime dropped tourism flourished.

Alex Greenwich MP, Member for Sydney and Deputy Chair of the Committee, said “I support the repeal of the lockouts in Kings Cross … a lot of the issues that existed in Kings Cross were a result of the saturation of 24/7 licenced venues all next to each other.”

Just how this saturation can be reversed is unclear. But with more reviews of the reviews on the way, residents still live in a state of flux.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT 30 Something

Cabaret darling Catherine Alcorn and Australia’s award-winning musician, actor and comedian Phil Scott are joining forces this October and converging on the Hayes Theatre.

Their cabaret-come-comedy show 30 Something will see the pair performing original and re-spun musical hits.

Catherine and Phil are taking the audience back to New Year’s Eve, 1939. They’re in bohemian Kings Cross and will be counting down the final hour of the year in real-time.

Disguised as a throwback theatre piece, 30 Something is, in fact, a glamorous, cleverly disguised commentary cabaret on today’s issues.

“There was obviously a feeling in 1939 that the world was heading somewhere that, you know,

was going to be a problem and had to be sorted out,” said Phil Scott. “And that is the overwhelming feeling now, that there’s a feeling that things can’t go on the way they are. I think it was a very similar feeling then.”

When considering the best person to execute such a high energy and poignant piece with, Phil immediately thought of Catherine, saying, “I’ve known Catherine for years and loved her work and thought I must work with her, and apparently, she thought the same thing!”

Despite the subtle nods and parallels to today’s climate, 30 Something is an hour of incredible cabaret, partying and live music. Catherine and Phil have combined to create an unmissable night of 1930’s fun.

Describing the show, Phil said, “I think that the word ‘party’ sums it up, you know. It’s like going

Fangirls

Sharon Millerchip, Ayesha Madon, James Majoos, Chika Ikogwe, Kimberley Hodgson.

Photo: Stephen Henry

This highly anticipated musical comedy which enjoyed standing ovations during its Queensland world premiere season should prove to be a smash hit with Sydney audiences.

The show surrounds Edna, a 14-year old schoolgirl who is an obsessed fangirl of a singer named Harry in ‘True Connection’, the most popular boyband in the world. The band is

coming to town and her mission is to meet Harry and nothing will get in her way!

“Edna takes this obsession to a whole new level to hilarious and catastrophic effects,” laughed Sharon Millerchip who plays the role of Edna’s mother along with a few other characters.

“It packs a real punch in terms of a message about the empowerment of young girls and how we can harness their passion to good effect. It’s a powerful story for parents and kids alike. Parents who are coming up to me and thanking me for representing them in this piece have their own memories of fandom.”

The predominantly young cast of eight is headed by 18-year old Aydan who makes his professional stage debut as Harry the pop star.

He has built an incredible fan base after being one of the four finalists in The Voice last year.

“He’s life imitating art because he’s got thousands

Art Attack Here we have our ears field tuned to pick up on all of the gossip, rumours, news and general hubbub that is happening around Sydney.

to a really good New Year’s Eve party where everyone’s having a fun time and whatever happens later, doesn’t matter, we’re going to party tonight.” (MB) Until Oct 6. Hayes Theatre Co, 19 Greenknowe Avenue, Potts Point. $49-$59+b.f. Tickets & Info: www.hayestheatre.com.au

of followers on Instagram and we go out and meet his fans after the show! He’s just a class act that kid.

He’s respectful, astute, does his homework, listens and takes it all in and conducts himself beautifully.

He’s just the nicest kid!”

Millerchip enthused that this show has something in it for everybody. “It’s very funny, it goes quite dark and audiences will leave the theatre humming the songs. It’s a rollicking good ride. There’s choreography, singing, dancing and you may shed a tear or three.

And what’s it like being the eldest performer in the show? “I was worried because I thought it would make me feel like an old lady but it’s totally the opposite, their enthusiasm is quite infectious and I’m regressing – I feel young! It’s been a fantastic experience and there’s also the feeling that we’re creating good work!” (MMo) Oct 12–Nov 10. Belvoir St Theatre, 25 Belvoir St, Surry Hills. $30-$85+b.f.

Tickets & Info: www.belvoir.com.au

What’s Wrong With You?

Hair

question…’what’s wrong with you?’.

“Most of the time I’m very inward-looking in my standup, everything’s that’s wrong with me, and this year I’ve sort of turned my gaze outward I guess,” said Anne.

“The shift came probably from a combination of age and fed up-ness.”

Leading up to the show, Anne found herself wrapped up in a road-rage incident, that further cemented her argument within What’s Marking her solo debut show Wrong With You?, saying, “I at the Sydney Opera House, had a road-rage incident two Australia’s darling of comedy weeks before this show Anne ‘Eddo’ Edmonds is happened and it really tied bringing her new stand-up everything together nicely. show What’s Wrong With You? This guy typified everything I to Sydney this October. With was talking about really, so the world crumbling around us, the show is really an Anne is ready to ask us the exploration of everything

Marking 50 years since its debut Australian season, tribal rock musical HAIR will take to the stage once again at the Sydney Opera House.A revolutionary musical packed with original classic hits, this October HAIR will have new life injected with a contemporary take on the 1969 hit.

Starring Packed To The Rafters four-time Logie winner Hugh Sheridan, HAIR features a cast packed with talent and energy. With the 1960s tribe coming face to face with the Vietnam War, HAIR is the story of young people rising up and fighting for change.

Mirroring the cultural and social worlds we exist in today, the musical will leave you overjoyed, inspired, and most likely in tears.

Australian theatre-maker and actor Callan Purcell plays Woof in the production and spoke with City Hub about what makes HAIR so incredible.

“It’s packed full of sexual liberation, psychedelic experimentation and truth about us as a human race; whether or not we’ve progressed since then.”

Callan also discussed the parallels between our world and the world captured in HAIR

a&e

that’s wrong with him.”

With What’s Wrong With You? marking her first solo show at the Opera House, Anne said, “I’m really excited, I mean it’s incredible. Never would I have thought I’d be performing the Sydney Opera House.”

Although her stand-up is heading in a more outward direction, Anne still aims to connect with everyone in the audience. “My hope always in comedy is that people will find things in a show that make them feel less alone or less like a freak. I’ve always thought ‘why don’t I say it for everybody and then people can laugh at me’. (MB) Oct 8-13. Sydney Opera House, Bennelong Point. $54.90+b.f.Tickets & Info: www.sydneyoperahouse.com

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STAGE SCENE Sounds SCREEN

Arts Editor: Jamie Apps For more A&E stories go to cityhubsydney.com.au and don’t forget to join the conversation on Twitter at @AltMediaSydney

This week the Sydney theatre scene is dominated by a theme of love, despite it being nowhere near Valentine’s Day. First up is everyone’s favourite gregarious Greek goddess Effie, who’s is back and looking for love. Effie’s brand new show, Effie In Love Me Tinder, sees the unlucky-in-love legend holding a mirror up to the complexities of finding love and keeping it in the modern world of digital dating. Has love at first sight really become love at first swipe?

Oct 4. The Juniors Kingsford, 558A Anzac Pde., Kingsford. $35-$40+b.f.

Tickets & Info: www.thejuniors.com.au Next up a little cherub has shot an arrow Art Attack’s way, with a special message attached. The message read ‘All You Need Is Love… is coming!’ After a little snooping we were able to decipher the message and learn that it references a special concert performance celebrating the mastery of The Beatles. As part of this show acclaimed performers such as Jack Jones (Southern Sons), Ciaran Gribbin (INXS), Rai Thistlethwayte (Thirsty Merc) and Jackson Thomas (The Voice) will take to the stage alongside The Day Tripper Band and The Strawberry Fields Rock Orchestra to perform a selection of classics from The Beatles catalogue.

Jan 1-2. Opera House, Bennelong Point, Sydney. $89-$169+b.f. Tickets & Info: www.sydneyoperahouse.com

saying, “We’re seeing young people combating climate emergencies and other global injustices but the difference is they are also taking to digital platforms to strengthen numbers. Even out of a political context we see in both worlds risk-takers, adventurers and fresh faces taking on very real, very important struggles for their own generation.”

Overall, however, HAIR is undeniably fun.

Callan shared, “It is such a funny script! For a setting as distressing as the Vietnam war, the script and score are electric…the whole show is just a beast.”

Oct 3-6. Sydney Opera House, Bennelong Point, Sydney. $49-$139+b.f. Tickets & Info: www.sydneyoperahouse.com

Contributors: Irina Dunn, Mark Morellini, Rita Bratovich, Madison Behringer, Allison Hore, Renee Lou Dallow, Alannah Maher.

city hub 3 OCTOBER 2019

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FEATURE

Walsh Bay Redevelopment Delays

BY MADISON BEHRINGER Plans to redevelop the Walsh Bay arts precinct in Barangaroo have been in the pipeline since as far back as 1998. In May 2018, plans were approved by the State Government for the precinct alongside a $207 million budget for the project. However just as quickly as the building began, the project has now been put on hold.

Reconstruction of the precinct sits across two major sections: Pier 2/3 and Wharf 4/5. Building began on Wharf 4/5 in October 2018, however, unforeseen structural issues have caused the works to be put on hold until further notice.

The delays to works on Pier 2/3 are more complex however, involving lack of funding from Treasury delaying the commencement of any building or construction.

Once complete, the reconstruction of Wharf 4/5 will house Sydney Dance Company, Bangarra Dance Theatre, Sydney Philharmonia, Gondwana, and Song Company, as well as new commercial retail opportunities. The creative companies who call Wharf 4/5 home are currently working out of temporary performance and workshop spaces. The delayed works on Pier 2/3 are causing bigger problems for the companies that are set to move into the new spaces there.

The Australian Chamber Orchestra, Bell Shakespeare and Australian Theatre for Young People (ATYP) have all had to find temporary residencies to work out of after having to vacate their previous workspaces in the Walsh Bay precinct.

Fraser Corfield, Artistic Director at ATYP said the following about the move, “Everyone’s moved off the wharf that was there…we’re now in offices on William Street and we’re kind of

Nicole Kidman.

Photo: Geoffrey Boccalatte

partnering with everybody and anybody for performance and workshop venues and all sorts of other things.”

Australian Theatre for Young People has fostered the early careers of several successful Australian actors including Rose Byrne, Rebel Wilson, Rob Carlton, and even Nicole Kidman.

Their vision as a company is ‘to forever raise expectations of what theatre with young people can achieve.’ Not only do ATYP produce live theatre, but they also offer a wide range of

Art Attack

School holidays are in full swing, but that doesn’t mean the kids need to miss out on some education alongside their fun.

The Sydney Opera House will be playing host to an incredible show for anybody with an infatuation for dinosaurs. Erth’s Dinosaur Zoo will take audiences back in time to meet awesome prehistoric creatures, from cute baby dinos to some of the largest carnivores and herbivores that have ever walked the planet. Careful though, while the animals from bygone eras are mostly friendly you never know what will happen

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when you’re walking almost dinosaurs.

Until Oct 12. Sydney Opera house, Bennelong Point, Sydney. $29-$49+b.f.Tickets & Info: www.sydneyoperahouse.com If you’re looking for something a little more subtle and laid back then head on down to the Darling Quarter for the Little Creators Project.There are three inspiring workshops where your kids can make music, create original art, and take part in an interactive storytime.And it’s all free!

Until Oct 7.Village Green North, 1 Harbour St, Sydney. FREE. Info: www.darlingharbour.com

Big Anxiety Festival

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hands-on workshops for young people. Finding new spaces to base these workshops in has taken a huge toll on the company’s revenue.

“What is costing us money is that audiences are loyal and they’re loyal to venues and spaces and routine, and when you up-end that and ask audiences to travel across town to new theatres, and when you ask them to travel across town to different workshops…you lose those audiences. ATYP has had a hit across all our earned income,” said Corfield.

It seems currently that Create NSW, Infrastructure NSW, and Arts Minister Don Harwin, are all pushing for Treasury to approve the funding needed for construction of Pier 2/3 to go ahead. Minister Harwin and Create NSW stated, “Development designs for Pier 2/3 for the Australian Chamber Orchestra, Bell Shakespeare and the Australian Theatre for Young People, as well as a retained heritage commercial events/art space for events such as Sydney Writers’ Festival, Biennale of Sydney and a wide range of cultural events, are being finalised.” They went on to say, “Create NSW continues to work collaboratively with all Pier 2/3 tenants. The completion date for Pier 2/3 will be determined after plans are finalised.”

Despite this, Millers Point Community Resident Action Group president John McInerney stated that Infrastructure NSW informed him in June that the works are still indefinite.

“We were informed that it is highly likely that this pier – until now a critical part of the vision for the precinct – will need to be boarded up and left inaccessible for an undefined period of time.”

Fraser Corfield expressed ATYP’s stance on the

city hub 3 OCTOBER 2019

For the past week, the world’s biggest mental health and arts festival has taken over Sydney.

The Big Anxiety Festival is hoping to change the way people think about and deal with the issue of mental health.

The Big Anxiety Festival is of particular importance simply due to the sheer volumes of people who experience mental health issues, here in Australia one in five people will deal with some form of mental health illness with the most common types being anxiety or depression. An are of considerable concern is the proportion of people who fail to seek help when experiencing a mental health illness, in Australia alone this figure sits at 65% of suffers.

As part of The Big Anxiety Festival leading national and international artists, scientists, technology experts and thinkers have converged to use innovative experiences that include

state-of-the-art immersive environments (virtual reality and gaming), international art exhibitions, performance, music, talk events and public forums to transform the way society perceives mental health.

Executive & Artistic Director of the Festival, Professor Jill Bennett (UNSW) says, “there is resounding evidence that the arts can contribute to our mental wellbeing in really substantial ways, far beyond simply promoting awareness...

Through The Big Anxiety Festival, we want to transform the way people think, feel and connect; to create opportunities for meaningful encounters that increase curiosity and empathy, decrease stigma, support neurodiversity and promote psychological and emotional well-being in our society” Until Nov 9. Various Venues & Prices. Tickets & Info: www.thebiganxiety.org

current situation however, saying: “We are aware that Create NSW, Infrastructure and the Minister are absolutely committed to Pier 2/3 and getting it up and we have found them nothing but supportive through that whole process. We are also aware that Pier 2/3 going ahead depends on Treasury and if for some reason Treasury does not approve the remaining money as is being requested, then ATYP is in a really difficult position. Because every year we’re out of Wharf, it’s costing us a lot of money.”

ATYP’s concerns are shared by both Bell Shakespeare and the Australian Chamber Orchestra, with all three companies left without a base for their work if funding isn’t granted by the state government.

“To that aspect, we have every confidence in the State Government that it will follow through on its promises and deliver the building and the plans that have been agreed to. If it doesn’t, the Government is essentially jeopardising the National Youth Theatre Company’s future,” said Corfield.

Next month a meeting of the Expenditure Review Committee will be held to decide whether the funding required to get Pier 2/3 up and running will be granted. Creatives around the country will be holding their breath as the decision could either make or break several of these flagship companies.

“It’s important for the state of New South Wales to be able to point to flagship organisations that are doing world-leading work, and ATYP is one of those organisations,” concluded Fraser, saying, “A major organisation like ATYP cannot exist without support from its state government.”

Ricki-Lee

Photo: Max Doyle

By Jamie Apps It may only seem like yesterday but it was in fact 15 years ago that Australia was first introduced to pop superstar Ricki-Lee via Australian Idol. To celebrate the milestone Ricki-Lee will be taking a lap around the country with her unique two-hour concert, which sees her fusing her own personal story with the music of smash-hit film A Star Is Born.

When Ricki-Lee first conceived the idea for this concert it was originally going to simply be a one-off special event. However, after tickets went on-sale it quickly became apparent that there was a desperate desire from fans around the country to experience this show.

“I got bombarded on social media with people asking for shows around Australia,” recalled Ricki-Lee, “People were so excited, which I guess was because I haven’t toured in about five years.”

During the planning of her anniversary concert, Ricki-Lee had initially only planned to celebrate the various songs and achievements from her 15-year career. Once she saw A Star Is Born for the first time though she immediately felt a deep connection and knew it had to be incorporated into the show.

“As I watched the movie I started to watch it through the lens of me as a kid who dreamed of one day becoming a star. The way that that movie took the story of Lady Gaga’s character

Art Attack Tomorrow night chart-topping artist Louis Baker will be taking over Low 302 in Surry Hills.

In this special one-night-only performance the neo-soul singer-songwriter will be showcasing his new album Open. Also for readers of this column, we have a double pass to give away on our Facebook page.

Oct 4. Low 302, 302 Crown St, Surry Hills. $27.55+b.f.

Tickets & Info: www.low302.com.au

getting into the industry by one person seeing, hearing and believing in her struck me because that’s what happened with me. All it took was for one person to hear me sing and them then giving me an opportunity which changed my whole life.”

The concert will now see Ricki-Lee performing the show in two halves. The first half of the show will be dedicated to songs from the film. Whilst the second half of the show will be all of Ricki-Lee’s biggest hits, all of the fan favourites, and even a selection of songs harkening back to her time on Australian Idol.

With such parallel stories between the film and her own life, Ricki-Lee told City Hub that performing some of these songs is going to be very difficult.

“I think it’s going to be hard for me to sing I’ll Never Love Again without crying because it’s such an emotional song. Every time I watch the movie I bawl my eyes out at the end of that song, so to actually stand on stage and deliver the song I don’t think I’m going to be able to get through without crying. But, that’s probably all going to add to the drama of the shows though.”

Oct 12. State Theatre, 49 Market St, Sydney. $65-$75+b.f. Tickets & Info: www.statetheatre.com.au

Art Attack has also been given a double pass to another fantastic concert by Little Quirks when they arrive next Friday, Oct 11. The Central Coast trio will be arriving at the Oxford Art Factory following the incredible success they’ve had with their single Crumbled. For such a young folk band Little Quirks live show is staggeringly energetic.

Oct 11. Oxford Art Factory, 38-46 Oxford St, Darlinghurst. $11.61+b.f. Tickets & Info: www.oxfordartfactory.com

Greek Film Festival The Taverna

The 26th Greek Film Festival comes to Sydney with a program which boasts 15 feature films, three documentaries, and one Australian short film.

Australian film director Alkinos Tsilimidos, who has had films previously screened at this festival, is thrilled that his black comedy The Taverna will close the festival. “The plot of this film is essentially what happens when you substitute a waitress for a belly dancer and the repercussions which include a brawl and a final confrontation between quite a few of the characters.”

Tsilimidos explained that the idea of this film was to have a bit of fun. “The guidelines I set for this film were that I wanted it all set in a Taverna (Greek restaurant) and I wanted to put a bunch of characters that are based on people who I know personally and throw them into

this equation. The plot then came once I placed all those people in this place.”

The film stars Vangelis Mourikis a Greek actor who is well known amongst the Greek community in Australia. “A lot of his films have reached the Sydney Film Festival so he would be known to cinema-going audiences, not just Greeks I would say, the more arthouse cinema.

This is a much lighter and different sort of role for him.”

And is this film festival the perfect launchpad for the world premiere of your film? “It seemed like the natural place for the film to find its audience. Normally I’ll do the larger film festivals, but it felt right giving this film its birth in a predominantly second-generation Greek audience.” (MMo)

HOT PICKS THE BACHELOR 3: Madness and mayhem continue in the third installment of this hilarious franchise.

WHEN TOMATOES MET WAGNER: This documentary details how a small village revives business by selling organic tomatoes.

MELTEM: A lady’s holiday plans in the Island of Lesbos are disrupted when she finds a Syrian refugee separated from her mother.

Oct 8–20. Palace Norton St. $17-$80+b.f.Tickets & Info: www.greekfilmfestival.com.au

Beth Hart - War In My Mind Beth Hart explores the full breadth of genres on her latest record, War In My Mind. However, the one key element always tying the record together is her incredible vocal performance throughout.

War In My Mind is a lengthy album, clocking in at close to an hour for its 12 tracks.

With such a diverse selection of styles and subject matter, Hart’s latest release will require a number of listens to fully comprehend all of the messages contained within it. Even with its sometimes somber messages, Hart manages to keep the album uplifting thanks to her powerful delivery of said messages.

When appreciated in its entirety War In My Mind delivers an incredible jazz and blues-roots fusion offering, which makes it one of this year’s most compelling releases. Even if this style of music is not usually your thing check it out just to hear Hart’s voice!

(JA) WWWW1/2

The Sydney Opera House is set to play host to two fantastic concerts this week. Firstly, the kids can learn about the amazing story of wunderkind Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart when Australian pianist Simon Tedeschi assumes the titular role in Meeting Mozart.

Oct 4-13. Sydney Opera House, Bennelong Point, Sydney. $25-$35+b.f.Tickets & Info: www.sydneyoperahouse.com

Ground-breaking modern jazz visionary Kamasi Washington will return to the Sydney Opera House with his eight-piece band next Friday. Together Washington and his band will premiere their transcendent sophomore record Heaven And Earth to Australian audiences.

Oct 9. Sydney Opera House, Bennelong Point, Sydney. $59-$109+b.f. Tickets & Info: www.sydneyoperahouse.com

Next up, the Opera House has a concert catering to the jazz aficionado in the family.

Remember if you’ve got any tidbits to share, send them in via #ArtAttack

Birds Of Passage

This culturally diverse epic crime thriller is directed by Ciro Guerra (Embrace Of The Serpent) and details the dark and violent rise of the illegal drug trading in Columbia, from the 1960s through until the 1980s.

The film centers on a poor but happy extended family and its reversal in fortunes when a man provides the mother of the woman he wishes to marry with an extravagant dowry paid via “weed” money. A profitable family empire evolves,

prosperity doubling in two years – but at what cost?

A universally significant film which highlights the adverse and evil effects from the trafficking of marijuana, Birds Of Passage also resonates the influences of the new world upon the old world.

The importance of family, customs and superstitions infiltrate the film and audiences will come to the realisation that all communities regardless of stature have the misconception that “weed is

the world’s happiness,” Production values are surprisingly high and an unknown cast many of whom have probably never been in front of a camera before enhance the raw and gritty feel of the film.

This extremely violent film which touches on police corruption ultimately leads to a blown-out family war and mercilessly depicts murderous scenes which will stay with audiences long after leaving the cinema. (MMo) WWW1/2 city hub 3 OCTOBER 2019

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city hub 3 OCTOBER 2019