TANYA PLIBERSEK
FEDERAL MEMBER FOR SYDNEY
A Fair Work Commission decision to increase the national minimum award wage by 3.5 per cent means these workers will receive an extra $1,669.20 a year.
In the three years since Labor came to government, the national minimum wage has increased by $4.62 an hour, more than $175 a week or $9,120 a year. Overall it represents a 22.7 per cent increase since 2022.
The Albanese Labor Government has supported each of these increases to help our lowest paid workers who continue to face cost-of-living pressures.
Annual real wages have grown for 18 months in a row after going backwards under the previous Liberal Government.
Under Labor, real wages are up, inflation is down, unemployment is low, incomes are growing and we’ve had two interest rate cuts in three months.
Boosting wages, cutting taxes for every taxpayer and creating more jobs are central to our efforts to help with the cost of living.
Under Labor, more Australians are working, earning more and keeping more of what they earn.
We also know that people are still under pressure and that’s why this decision and our ongoing cost-of-living relief measures are so important.
BEARDED TIT TO CLOSE
The beloved Redfern queer bar announced it will close in November (See p.8)
HUBARTS | KARATE KID: LEGENDS
The homage to the beloved franchise kicks but doesn't quite land
(See p.22)
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HubNEWS
Punctuality of Sydney trains has fallen below target on all lines
BY WILL THORPE
All major Sydney Trains suburban and intercity lines have fallen below punctuality targets over the past twelve months, underperforming compared to previous financial years.
In the 2025 fiscal year, 83.5% of Sydney Trains suburban services ran on time, defined as arriving within five minutes of schedule. This is a drop of more than five percentage points from FY 2024.
The punctuality target for suburban services is for 92% to arrive at their destination within five minutes of the timetable, a benchmark which was last exceeded in FY 2022. The target for intercity trains is for the same percentage to be on time within six minutes. According to Transport for NSW, these goals are in line with national and global standards.
Just over 70% of intercity services ran on schedule, a 10-point drop in one year leading to a considerably worse result compared to previous fiscal years in this decade.
NOT ALL THE LINES THE SAME
Punctuality rates varied by ten percentage points across suburban lines. At the top end, almost 90% of T8 Airport & South Line services were on time. The T3 Liverpool & Inner West Line, formerly the T3 Bankstown Line, came second with a rate of around 86%.
Just above 84% of T4 Eastern Suburbs & Illawarra Line trains were on schedule, a significant drop from the line’s recent performance which is typically bolstered by its physical segregation from the rest of the suburban network.
The T1 North Shore & Western Line and the T9 Northern Line both recorded about 79% punctuality, the latter’s result being nearly eight percentage points below its performance in the fiscal year preceding.
The T1 and T9 are the longest lines on the suburban network. They share tracks with intercity trains from the Blue Mountains, Newcastle and the Central
Coast, as well as with regional and goods trains. Timetable enhancements implemented in 2024 have resulted in most trains from the Central Coast and Newcastle now overtaking suburban services between Epping and Hornsby.
Figures were not available for the T5 Cumberland Line, the T6 Lidcombe & Bankstown Line, the T7 Olympic Park Line and the intercity Hunter Line.
Just over 70% of intercity services ran on schedule, a 10-point drop in one year
The 2025 fiscal year was a rough one for Sydney Trains, which faced disruption from strikes, severe weather and infrastructure failures. The year’s final week opened with passengers being advised to allow extra travel time after a mental health incident required the attendance of emergency services.
Travellers were, incidentally, exempted from fares that day, as an apology from the NSW Government for chaos the week prior.
In Sydney Trains’ annual report for FY 2024, chief executive Matthew Longland was able to boast of “a 22% reduction in overall delays for passengers,” attributed
to the Government’s Rail Repair Plan. Despite significant upgrades and repairs to the railway network, there appears to be more to do.
MORE SERVICES ADDED
A silver lining is that, while punctuality has worsened, service increases have reduced nominal wait times across Sydney.
The Bankstown line was closed for conversion to metro in September 2024. This resulted in broadly increased service frequencies elsewhere as trains were freed up and the bottleneck caused by converging lines near Central was alleviated. The Inner West has seen a noticeable uptick in service frequencies as trains to and from Liverpool now travel via Lidcombe. Some peak hour services were cut back at the same time.
Meanwhile, Sydney Metro has added a shine to Sydney’s 170-yearold railway network. The automated services, which operate on their own tracks, have proven to be highly reliable and have reduced travel times, allowing passengers to interchange from suburban or intercity trains, particularly if they are coming into the city centre from the north.
Photo: Will Thorpe
Martin Place community homeless kitchen shut down for Vivid installation
BY LYDIA JUPP
Multiple services for Sydney's homeless community have been shut out of their regular operating space to make way for a Vivid installation.
The Alfresco Community Kitchen has been running regular meals and community meetups in Martin Place on Tuesdays and every second Sunday for years. They're often joined by additional services, providing the locals with medical services and clean, dry clothing.
On Monday 19 May, organiser Carly Hall received an email from the City of Sydney informing her that the kitchen would have to move to make space for a Vivid installation.
Seen by City Hub, the email said services would be affected between Friday 23 May and Sunday 5 June. However, when organisers arrived the following morning (20 May), the area the kitchen usually works from had already been cordoned off in preparation for the Vivid installation, three days before they were told access would be affected. Vivid has not impacted services operating out of Martin Place in previous years.
Hall said that while they were able to serve food nearby, regular patrons saw the usual space was blocked off and left, with only half of the expected 150200 people attending that night.
COMMUNITY KITCHEN “UNABLE TO GET THE WORD OUT” ABOUT CLOSURES
"We can't get the word out," said Hall. "So even though [the City of Sydney] can whip around and email all the other vendors, there's no chance that we can convey that information to anybody."
While the council suggested alternative meeting places, organisers are concerned about accessibility, especially for those who were elderly, disabled, or had young children.
Hall said the proximity to a train station was also vital.
"There are lots of elderly train sleepers who come to eat," Hall said. "They sleep on the train because it's warm and safe.
"The other thing about serving right next to an installation is that a lot of our community aren't comfortable being
around crowds because of the way that they're often treated."
"We don't expect the world to grind to a halt for our community kitchen, but we do expect that the most vulnerable among us are not stopped from receiving their basic needs.
Sydney’s homeless deserve support — instead, their community kitchen is being moved on to make way for flashy lights and tourists
"Perhaps if we had a month's notice... we could have actually given flyers to people with a map to say, 'this is what's happening, this is where we'll serve you'. But there's no time for that."
STATE AND CITY PASS THE BLAME
“This is a cruel outcome that could’ve been avoided,” said Greens Councillor Matthew Thompson. “Pushing aside a community kitchen that has operated for 15 years in Martin Place for a state sponsored commercial festival? With only a couple days notice? It’s not good enough.
“Sydney’s homeless deserve support and dignity — instead, their community kitchen is being moved on to make way for some flashy lights and hordes of tourists.
“We’ve got thousands sleeping rough, countless more unable to afford
from the City of Sydney in early April. In line with standard event planning processes, local stakeholder engagement is managed through the City of Sydney."
However, in a statement on social media about the story, Lord Mayor of Sydney Clover Moore said that while the City approved a request from the state government to host attractions for Vivid in Martin Place, they were not the ones to install the blockades.
"To keep everyone safe during the month-long event, expected to draw massive crowds, the State Government is enforcing road closures and installing pedestrian barriers," she said.
"That means operators or vehicles not associated with the event won’t be
food, and instead of doing more we’re moving on a key lifeline for them."
Thompson added that the Greens would be moving in the next council meeting to review how public space for community services and the increasing number of rough sleepers could be protected.
Speaking to City Hub, a spokesperson from Destination NSW said they were only made aware of the issue on 21 May, following advice from the City of Sydney.
"We recognise and deeply respect the important work Alfresco Community Kitchen does for vulnerable members of the community."
"Destination NSW received development approval for Vivid Sydney’s Martin Place activation
able to access Martin Place, and will be turned away by event security and NSW Police."
Moore said that while understood the frustration for organisers, "Homelessness support and food relief are not local government responsibilities."
"The City works tirelessly to meet all its responsibilities – providing more food relief and homelessness support than any other council, and providing sites for community events like Vivid, which are also really important."
Organisers had also been contacted by the office of Rose Jackson, NSW minister for housing and homelessness, who said they were “aware [of] and upset” by the developments.
Photo: Alfresco Community Kitchen
Photo: Alfresco Community Kitchen
Potts Point restaurateur’s wrath over pot plant complaints
BY LYDIA JUPP
ASydney restaurant owner uploaded an expletive-laden video to her business' Instagram after council rangers arrived to address a complaint during rush hour.
Nahji Chu, who owns successful Vietnamese restaurant Lady Chu in Potts Point, said that the rangers arrived at 7pm on a busy Saturday and insisted they speak to her while she was working. They claimed they had received anonymous complaints about large pot plants blocking the Roslyn Street footpath.
"When he said it was the plants, I completely lost it," Chu told City Hub "So I grabbed my phone and I started filming."
In the video, Chu can be heard telling the rangers, “I’m trying to activate a dead city and you’re trying to f**king shut it down."
“I’m not a f**king naughty school kid so don’t speak to me like that."
A spokesperson for the City of Sydney said they had been receiving ongoing complaints about furniture, umbrellas
Ph: (02) 9517 2800
E: newtown@parliament.nsw.gov.au
W: jennyleong.org
383 King St, Newtown NSW 2042
and planters beyond the business’ approved outdoor trading area, obstructing the footpath and causing difficulties for pedestrians.
Chu claims the anonymous complaints have come from locals who dislike her.
I’m trying to activate a dead city and you’re trying to f**king shut it down
"They've got a problem with a successful business, and they've got a problem with a Vietnamese refugee doing really well in this country, as far as I can see," Chu said.
LORD MAYOR RESPONDS:
‘IT’S NOT A PRIVATE
COURTYARD’
Lord Mayor Clover Moore responded to Chu’s video, saying in a social media post: “I want to… make a request: please treat our staff with respect and civility … We always work collaboratively with businesses to balance their requests and the community’s needs, and our planning staff have met with Lady Chu multiple times.
“Roslyn St is narrow, and it’s not possible to maintain Federal Discrimination Act accessibility standards as well as all its dining tables, planters and umbrellas.
“We have repeatedly asked Lady Chu to remove some of the unapproved planters or the umbrellas to ensure there is enough space for pedestrians. It’s
Photo: ladychu / Instagram
not a private courtyard, "It's a public footpath – people should not be forced onto the road, especially people in a wheelchair or with a pram.”
The City of Sydney spokesperson said: "We will continue to work with this business to ensure it can enjoy the free use of city footpaths while understanding its obligation to maintain sufficient space for others, including those pushing prams or for wheelchairs."
Chu told City Hub that she had seen wheelchair users and couples holding hands navigate the footpath without issue.
Greens Abortion Access Bill Becomes Law!
Six years on from the decriminalisation of abortion care in NSW, the Greens in NSW Parliament have secured landmark reforms to further improve access to abortion care in NSW.
Late last year, research by the University of Sydney found that on ly 3 of 220 public hospitals are routinely providing access to essential abortion care services. We have heard far too many instances where women have been forced to travel hours, wait weeks, or spend hundreds to thousands of dollars to access the essential care they need.
The Abortion Law Reform Amendment (Health care Access) Bill 2025, introduced by Greens MP Dr Amanda Cohn, will expand access to abortion i n NSW by enabling highly-trained nurse practitioners and endorsed midwives to prescribe early-stage medical abortion medication.
This Bill will make it easier for those in rural and regional communities to access the care they need, and help to address a key healthcare inequity impacting communities across NSW.
My Greens colleague Dr Amanda Cohn has campaigned on this issue for many years - first as a pract ising country GP herself, and now as a Member of Parliament.
In her words: “The Greens are incredibly proud to have put abortion access on the political agenda and driven this needed change for women’s rights and reproductive rights in NSW.”
At a time when women’s rights and reproductive rights have been under fire both at home, and overseas, it is so significant that the NSW Parliament has not only safeguard ed reproductive rights, but strengthened them.
I am so proud to be a part of a movement that is unapologetically pro-choice, and will always fight for one’s right to choose.
Thank you to each and every one of you who has supported this Bill - and of course, thank you to the many of you who have agitated for change over many years and indeed decades to ensure safe access to reproductive healthcare in NSW.
Watch my speech in Parliament regarding these reforms using the QR code below.
Jenny
MP
Leong
Greens Member for Newtown
Construction company scolded for backing out of M6 project after sinkholes
BY WILL THORPE
Premier Chris Minns has blasted construction consortium CGU for backing out of the trouble-ridden M6 motorway project, which has faced significant difficulties after the emergence of two sinkholes last year.
In an email to staff on 19 May, M6 Stage 1 Project Director David Jackson wrote that the consortium had advised Transport for NSW that the contract between the two parties had become ‘frustrated’, meaning it had been terminated.
According to Jackson, “unique adverse ground conditions” had hampered progress on the project, with tunnel excavation being paused for nearly a year. These ground conditions were caused by a “complex faulting zone, including a high angle reverse fault”, which had not previously been identified.
As such, the consortium intended to wind up works by 30 June, pledging that it “remains committed” to working with Transport for NSW “in all matters related to the M6 project.”
The poor ground conditions which have delayed construction “could not have been anticipated by anyone,” Jackson declared, adding that they were only discovered following tunnel excavation.
They were responsible for building the thing and we expect them to do it
However, SMH reports that lead contractor CPB chose a cheaper tunnelling strategy with the assistance of subcontractor PSM, in spite of warnings from the primary subcontractor about the risks.
PREMIER EXPECTS CONTRACTORS TO FINISH JOB
Minns advised the consortium to “send the lawyers home and bring back the engineers” to complete the project.
“The contractor took both a design and construct contract from the previous government, meaning they were responsible for the design of it," Minns said. “And, they were responsible for building the thing and we expect them to do it.”
“We don’t want this to go to court, but I’m not going to be in a situation where we rule out working with a different contractor to finish the project."
“Ultimately, we can’t be put over a barrel and I’m not going to allow NSW
taxpayers to be put a barrel over [sic] for these big projects given I’ve got more than just the M6 on the boil at the moment. What kind of message would that send?”
The M6 is to connect the M8 motorway in Arncliffe to President Avenue in Kogarah. However, a 10-metre sinkhole emerged above one of the tunnels in March last year, heralding difficulties for the project. Another sinkhole emerged about 150 metres away.
The motorway was originally scheduled to open by the end of 2025, which was moved to late 2028 following the sinkholes. It is now likely the opening will be delayed further.
Construction approved for Balmain Leagues Club site
BY WILL THORPE
The NSW Government has given the green light to an expanded proposal for the construction of 227 flats on the site of the former Balmain Leagues Club in Rozelle.
Submitted last year, following changes in planning rules incentivising the provision of affordable housing, the new 16-story proposal is four stories taller than that which was originally approved. 59 of the units will be designated as affordable under the new plan.
Local opinion has been divided on the development’s visual appeal, height and potential effect on traffic.
The former club has sat increasingly derelict for 15 years, at one point substantially damaged by fire. Demolition works began last year, resulting in the removal of part of the structure before progress halted.
The property changed hands in March this year, acquired by Australian developer PERIFA and investment company Mitsubishi Estate Asia.
Situated on Victoria Road just down from Darling Street, the site is located near pubs, restaurants, cafés and shops at the heart of the Balmain peninsula. In addition to housing, the mixeduse development will accommodate a registered club, supermarket and public plaza. Advertisements promoting the upcoming community hub have long faced down Victoria Road whilst the abandoned, decayed colossus rested behind.
Construction is expected to provide 416 jobs, with 452 jobs expected once the building is completed.
GOVERNMENT HAILS PLANNING REFORMS
Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully was celebratory over the approval, hailing it as a “win for young people and families” and for the Minns Government’s Infill Affordable Housing Pathway.
“The old Balmain Leagues Club site on Victoria Road has been an eyesore for too many years, but will now be transformed into a thriving residential area with a supermarket, registered club, and public plaza,” Scully said.
“The Infill Affordable Housing Bonus is a clear example of how smart
planning incentives can drive real results, delivering affordable housing in well-located areas to meet the needs of households on low to moderate incomes.”
This site has sat empty for far too long. We’re bringing it back to life
Housing minister Rose Jackson said the “vacant property is finally being transformed into something the community can be proud of — with affordable housing at its heart."
"59 affordable homes in a prime inner-city location is a big win — and just the start of what this new planning pathway will unlock across NSW," Jackson said.
"This site has sat empty for far too long. We’re bringing it back to life — with homes, jobs, and services locals actually need."
Photo: NSW Fire & Rescue.
Photo: Will Thorpe
Photo: Will Thorpe
246 new electric vehicle chargers to be rolled out across NSW
BY NAOMI LAWRENCE
The NSW Government has announced a $16.1 million boost in grant funding to install 246 new electric vehicle (EV) charging stations across the state — including dozens in Sydney suburbs.
Backed by an additional $25.1 million in private investment, the $41.2 million rollout aims to ease range anxiety and encourage more drivers to make the switch to electric.
Climate Change and Energy Minister Penny Sharpe said the new ultra-fast chargers will be powered entirely by renewable energy.
“Making charging faster and eliminating range anxiety are key to getting more EVs on the road in NSW,” she said.
while also helping to reduce climate pollution,” adds Sharpe.
Grant recipients include big names like BP, Energy Australia, Plus ES, Tesla and NRMA who will install the chargers at 38 locations from Ashfield, Campsie, Homebush and Kensington to Mascot, Parramatta and Sydney Olympic Park.
and
Member for Heathcote Maryanne
Stuart celebrated the move by opening BP’s newest fast-charging station in her electorate. “We’re seeing the benefits of
stations will feature accessible design and pull-through bays, making them user-friendly for people with disabilities and for those towing trailers.
This rollout builds on the more than 3,200 public EV charging ports already operating across NSW. In 2023, NSW launched what it called the largest public EV charger rollout in Australia.
The Inner West local government came out on top, scoring 136 ports, followed by Randwick and Waverley.
Reclaim
NSW CLIMATE GOALS STILL 6 PERCENT BELOW TARGET
Still, projections show that NSW is behind on its climate goals. The state is on track to cut emissions by 44% by 2030, falling short of the 50% target. The government views scaling up EV infrastructure as a key strategy to close that gap.
NSW drivers can find their nearest public charging station on the state government's EV Map.
End Greyhound Racing and
Wentworth Park for our Community
The use of our public land must be decided by the community, not the gambling and racing industries.
Right now, valuable green space in the heart of our city is at risk of continuing to be used for cruel greyhound racing.
The lease for greyhound racing at Wentworth Park is due to expire in 2027. The previous government committed to returning the land to our community when the lease expires, to increase our open green space.
Last month in Parliament I introduced a public interest debate, calling on the current Labor government to uphold this plan and return Wentworth Park to our community in 2027.
So far, NSW Labor have refused to commit to banning greyhound racing and returning Wentworth Park to our community when the lease expires in 2027. Instead, they’re considering extending the lease for the greyhound racing industry. We cannot let this happen.
Pyrmont and Ultimo are two of the most densely populated suburbs in Australia, and with more highdensity apartments planned, the shortage of green space will only worsen. Our community needs access to this open green space.
We also know that the cruel greyhound racing industry has lost public support - it is an industry beyond reform.
In 2024 alone, more than 390 greyhounds were injured and five killed in races at Wentworth Park. This cruelty must end.
Please join us in calling on the NSW Government end greyhound racing at Wentworth Park and return this site to our community.
Kobi Shetty MP Member for Balmain
SCAN HERE
Beloved Redfern queer bar The Bearded Tit to close
BY LYDIA JUPP
Redfern queer sanctuary The Bearded Tit has announced its doors will be closing in November.
Owner Joy Ng made the announcement on social media, writing that the decision had come from a "deeply personal place."
"I am at a stage in my life where I want to expand my horizons and explore a career outside of hospitality," she wrote.
"It has been the privilege of a lifetime to be part of this community, to witness the joy, creativity, and resilience that has filled this place night after night.
"The Bearded Tit has been so much more than a bar. It has been a sanctuary for queer, POC, and other historically underrepresented communities.”
The Bearded Tit has been so much more than a bar. It has been a sanctuary
The Bearded Tit opened to the public in 2014, and has become a staple of the Sydney queer scene. It has hosted hundreds of performers in its time, and held beloved regular events such as Queerbourhood, Sound Sorcery Jam, and Sad Dyke Sundays.
"It [has] for me, been such an incredibly wild ride, but also so fulfilling. It's brought me so much love and joy, and I just feel really lucky that the public has received it the way it was intended,” Ng told City Hub
Ng said that while she appreciated the community’s love for the Tit, she had
decided not to try and "save" the venue by allowing someone to buy the bar.
"I've spent so long building up this name, I really want to be able to preserve what it means 100%," she said.
COMMUNITY MOURNS THE LOSS OF THE TIT
The outpouring of love on the Tit's Instagram speaks volumes.
"This has been [a] sanctuary and will live on in all of our bodies as a way to keep being in this world. I love you,” wrote performance artist Betty Grumble.
"Joy, you’re a pillar. You’ve created the safest of spaces that’s also the coolest of places," said Noongar journalist Narelda Jacobs.
Ng hopes the success of The Bearded Tit will encourage others to try and establish a similar place themselves.
"So even though it is sad, it's a closing of a chapter, I also think it's really, really exciting for Sydney, you know. And I'm hoping that multiple community spaces, queer spaces, will be able to open up as well, that this inspires people to do that."
Following its closure, The Bearded Tit will host a market day, giving patrons a chance to buy decor and artworks that adorn its walls.
Legal bid to stop Newington College from becoming co-ed rejected
BY CHRISTINE LAI
ANewington College student has lost his legal bid to challenge the private school from enrolling girls.
‘Student A,’ a Stanmore student, took legal action to stop Newington College from becoming coeducational, arguing that the word “youth” in the school’s 1873 trust deed refers exclusively to boys and young men.
Newington College’s secondary school fees start at $41,751 for students enrolling in years 7 and 8, and goes up to $45,369 for students in their senior year.
Presiding judge Justice Guy Parker has rejected student A’s claim. Justice Parker concluded the term “youth” in the 152-year-old trust deed was used in a “gender-neutral sense” and did not mandate “males only at the college”, as reported by The Guardian
During court, Justice Parker declared, "I have concluded that the word 'youth' in the 1873 trust deed was used in a gender-neutral sense, and does not mandate male-only enrolment at the college," he said.
“On the evidence, I think that the meaning of the term [youth] has not changed since 1873”.
NEWINGTON COLLEGE’S CO-ED PLANS
The private school first announced plans to become co-educational in November 2023.
Newington College will begin accepting girls into Kindergarten and Year 5 from 2026 at the Lindfield and Stanmore Prep campuses. In 2028, the private school
will begin accepting girls into Year 7 and Year 11 at the Senior campus in Stanmore, before the college becomes fully co-ed in 2033.
In January, more than 50 boys had been removed from the college after the school announced it would be transitioning to coeducation from 2026. However, according to AFR, almost 1000 girls have since applied to enrol in the college.
...The word 'youth' in the 1873 trust deed was used in a gender-neutral sense
Newington College describes itself as a “Uniting Church school” that offers “high quality education and a diverse co-curricular program to primary and secondary school students”.
The college is a “proud member of the Great Public Schools Association – an association of boys’ schools in New South Wales”.
Newington’s principal Michael Parker welcomed the court’s decision, writing in a letter to the school’s community, “We have been steadfast in our position throughout these proceedings and we remain excited to build on our rich history and traditions by taking Newington into our next era”.
“We look forward now to uniting around our future vision for Newington College as a respected, modern and dynamic school for boys, girls, young men and young women from next year and into the future,” Parker wrote.
Photo: Supplied
Photo: thebeardedtit / Instagram
Photo: Bianca de Marchi / AAP
200-year-old artefacts unearthed during Metro construction
BY WILL THORPE
Hundreds of historical artefacts have been unearthed during construction of a new metro station on Hunter Street, as part of works for Sydney Metro West.
The Sydney Metro West's excavation team unearthed the artefacts near the former De Mestre Place, a laneway off of George Street in the CBD.
The diverse range of objects includes glassware, military remnants, currency and brick footings – a kind of foundation – for a property which once existed on the site. The oldest of these items date to the 1820s, during the Regency era which preceded Queen Victoria’s ascension in 1837, whilst newer items date from the 1840s.
In 1820, Sydney had a population of 12,000. NSW was at the tail end of Governor Macquarie’s transformative
administration, which saw significant urban development and is cited as heralding Australia’s emergence as a full-fledged society, rather than being primarily a destination for convicts.
ARTEFACTS LINKED TO PROMINENT SYDNEY BUSINESS LEADER
Macquarie’s governorship over the 1810s saw an explosion in the colonial population. One of the new arrivals was the French-born merchant Prosper de Mestre.
In 1825, de Mestre became the second person to be naturalised as a British subject in the Colony of NSW, which allowed him to pursue his business endeavours with the same rights as others. He was a director of the Bank of New South Wales, a founder of Sydney’s insurance industry and a member of the prominent Agricultural Society of New South Wales.
Cat Boutique
He and Sydney-born wife Mary Ann de Mestre lived in a property on Hunter Street. Mary Ann would go on to play a key role in the development of the city of Nowra.
Objects include glassware, military remnants, currency and brick footings from the former de Mestre property
Sandstock brick footings believed to be a part of the de Mestre property, including its counting house — where financial accounts and currency holdings for the family business were kept — were uncovered during excavations.
A well was also unearthed. It is likely connected to the property’s redevelopment in the 1840s.
Gun flints, bullet shells, lead shot, glass beads and bottles, slate pencils, bone, metal buttons and a coin dated to 1834 were among the objects found.
Some of the discoveries are explained by the site’s proximity to the erstwhile George Street Barracks, erected in 1792 as the settlement’s first military barracks.
The site is next to the heritage-listed, 1840s-built Skinners Family Hotel.
Construction work is continuing with a mind to protect this establishment, which will be integrated with the station complex.
Specialists will advise on the long-term safekeeping of the artefacts.
In a bit of pickle? All you want to do is stay home but your friends are all about big nights out. Branston is ready to be your furry bestie and give you a great excuse to spend Friday nights on the couch. A little shy at the start, Branston will need time to settle in but he’s really a super smoocheroo at heart. This gentle guy is fond of a nose boop and crazy about chin scratches. Branston also enjoys basking in sunbeams and is partial to snuggling up in his cosy cat bed, he’ll also have his sights set on your bed. With his gentle purrsonality Branston is best-suited to low-energy indoor-only forever home. Branston will give your heart a boost and you’ll have the best excuse to skip a night on the town!
INTERESTED IN ADOPTING?
visit www.catprotection.org.au
Rehoming Organisation Number: R251000224
Photo: Sydney Metro / Facebook
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O'BRIEN CRIMINAL AND CIVIL SOLICITORS
Marketing Services TUSSLE DIGITAL
CATEGORY NAME
BUSINESS NAME
Most Inclusive Employer WOTSO - ZETLAND
New Business 170 GRAMMI PIZZERIA
Pharmacy BLAKES PHARMACY
Professional Medical Services SPINE AND POSTURE CARE
Professional Services UNCONDITIONAL FINANCE
Real Estate Agency INFINITY PROPERTY AGENTS
Recruitment Agency TINK RECR UITMENT
Restaurant - Asian GOLDEN CENTURY - CROWN SYDNEY
Restaurant - Casual VIA NAPOLI PIZZERIA
Restaurant - Fine Dining QUAY
Restaurant - French FELIX
Restaurant - Interna tional OLYMPUS
Restaurant - Italian MACHIAVELLI RISTORANTE ITALIANO
Service & Trade THINK GLOBAL LOGISTICS
Specialised Business WOTSO - ZETLAND
Specialised Retail Business THE TEA COLLECTIVE - QVB
Tourism Services SEA SYDNEY HARBOUR
Business Person of the Year DANIEL TONKIN, THINK RENEWABLE
Youth Award BALAZS GASPAR, ONYX GYM
Business of the Year SRG THAI BOXING GYM
The 2025 City Suburbs Local Business Awards recognised the dedication and hard-work of local businesses, celebrating their contribution to making Sydney a vibrant and liveable city.
Photo: Eventpix
Premier questions “massive” tobacco tax in light of black market cigarette boom
BY WILL THORPE
Premier Chris Minns has called for the “massive” Commonwealth excise on tobacco products to be reviewed.
The call comes in the context of declining excise revenue alongside a thriving, normalised black market for cigarettes, which are widely available under the counter and are often illegally imported.
“The current situation is intolerable,” Minns said on 1 June, adding that something has “gone wrong” with current policy, prompting smokers to move to the illicit market rather than curtail their smoking habits. The Premier noted he was not calling for the tax to be scrapped altogether.
“We’ve got to either allocate police resources to confronting illegal tobacco sales, or we should have a commonsense look at the massive excise.”
Minns said that he is “completely in support of the public health messaging, but you’d be crazy to just turn a blind eye to the proliferation of illegal tobacco sales and think to yourself, isn’t there a better way of allocating public money?”
be crazy to just turn a blind eye to the proliferation of illegal tobacco sales
“The biggest supporters of the massive excise on tobacco sales in NSW are probably organised criminals, because it’s created a giant black market that they can exploit on every street in every suburb,” said Minns. Federal revenue from the excise and from the equivalent customs duty peaked at nearly $18.3 billion in the 2020 financial year, falling to
Optus and Vodafone plan to upgrade the telecommunications facilities at the below mentioned address with the addition of new 5G equipment: 115-119 Bondi Road, Bondi NSW 2026 (RFNSA: 2026008)
The proposed 5G upgrade will consist of:
• Replacement/ Modification of existing steel work
• Reuse of nine (9) existing Optus panel antennas (each not more than 2.8m in length);
• Reuse of five (5) existing Vodafone panel antennas (each not more than 2.8m in length);
• Replacement of one (1) existing Vodafone panel antenna with one (1) new Vodafone pane antenna (not more than 2.8m in length);
• Installation of three (3) new Optus panel antennas (each not more than 2.8m in length);
• Installation of two (2) new Vodafone panel antennas (each not more than 2.8m in length);
• Installation, relocation and removal of ancillary equipment, including sixteen (16) new Remote Radio Unit (RRUs) and twelve (12) existing (reuse) RRUs, GPS antennas, mounts, feeders, cabling, combiners, and other associated equipment;
• Reposition of existing chain barrier; and
• Internal works within the existing equipment shelter.
Optus and Vodafone regard the proposed installation as a Low-impact Facility under the Telecommunications (Low-impact Facilities) Determination 2018 based on the description above.
In accordance with Section 7 of C564:2025 Mobile Phone Base Station Deployment Code, we invite you to provide feedback about the proposal.
Further information and/or comments should be directed to: Vanessa Wan at Service Stream Limited, 0447 240 015,Optus.Submissions@servicestream.com.au or Zenith Tower B, Level 3, 821 Pacific Hwy, Chatswood NSW 2067 by 5pm, Friday 27 June 2025.
If you would like to know more about this site, further information can be obtained from www.rfnsa.com.au/2026008
about $11.9 billion over FY 2024. It is forecast to total approximately $7.4 billion in FY 2025 – less than half the figure accrued five years prior. Increases in the excise have not led to higher revenue, but it is a dubious suggestion that tobacco use has so dramatically plummeted over this time.
VOICES OF CAUTION
Two Queensland MPs, Nationals member Llew O’Brien and Liberal member Warren Entsch, made the same case as Minns last year. "If you think you're going to tax yourself out of this problem, you've got to be kidding,” remarked Entsch.
Federal treasurer Jim Chalmers defended the excise, whilst admitting that illegal sales had siphoned revenue.
"Tobacco excise is an important public health measure to encourage people to give up smoking," the treasurer said.
State opposition leader Mark Speakman also pushed back on the premier’s comments, arguing that the excise would have to be drastically reduced to dent the black market.
According to AIHW, 8.3% of Australians aged 14 and over were daily smokers in 2022–23. In the same period, 7% of the population aged 14 and above were current users of e-cigarettes.
PROPOSAL TO UPGRADE AN EXISTING MOBILE PHONE BASE STATION AT DULWICH HILL
Optus and Vodafone are proposing to upgrade an existing mobile phone base station at 425 New Canterbury Road, Dulwich Hill 2203
The proposed upgrade will consist of:
• Replacement of three (3) existing Optus panel antennas with three (3) new Optus panel antennas each not more than 2.8m in length);
• Replacement of two (2) existing Vodafone panel antennas with two (2) new Vodafone panel antennas (each not more than 2.8m in length);
• Relocation of one (1) existing Vodafone panel antenna (not more than 2.8m in length);
• Installation of three (3) new Optus 5G panel antennas (each not more than 2.8m in length);
• Installation of three (3) new Vodafone 5G panel antennas (each not more than 2.8m in length);
• Replacement of twenty-one (21) existing Remote Radio Units (RRUs) with fifteen (15) new RRUs and re-use six (6) existing RRUs
• Installation, relocation and removal of ancillary equipment, including GPS antennas, mounting steelwork, feeders, cabling, combiners, and other associated equipment; and
• Internal works within existing equipment shelter.
In accordance with Section 7 of the Industry Code C564:2025 Mobile Phone Base Station Deployment, we invite you to make comments about the proposal.
Please direct comments to Vanessa Wan at 0447 240 015 or via email at Optus.submissions@servicestream.com.au or via post at Level 3, Tower B, Zenith Centre, 821 Pacific Highway, Chatswood NSW 2067 by 5pm, Friday 27 June 2025
For more information about the proposal, scan the QR Code or visit www.rfnsa.com.au/2203001.
Photo: Nikki Short / AAP
COFFIN ED’S NAKED CITY
HORIZONTAL MONUMENTALISM & SYDNEY'S BIG TOWN HALL SQUARE PLANS
Many of our civic mothers and fathers and long serving politicians love to embrace ‘monumentalism’ as part of their long enduring legacy — the most common could be described as ‘vertical’ and ‘horizontal’.
Statues and towering sculptures are a popular choice when it comes to the vertical: in Sydney you’ll find the 20-metre-high Dobell Memorial sculpture on the corner of Pitt and Spring with its glistening stainless steel cubes.
Horizontally speaking, it’s the large public squares that are often seen as essential to the modern city, especially harbour cities like Sydney with so much to show off.
Unlike Melbourne and Adelaide, Sydney was never really a planned city when it came to roads and public spaces. It’s no secret some of the streets were originally cattle tracks, and throughout the 1900s band-aid style planning was endemic.
In 1994, PM Paul Keating offered
federal funding of around $150 million to demolish the elevated section of the Cahill Expressway that passes over Circular Quay. Keating’s vision also called for rerouting of the rail line underground, opening up the entire area of Circular Quay as an impressive public square – adjoining the Domain and the Botanic Gardens.
Unfortunately the total costs involved
and the disruption to public transport and traffic were seen as massive obstacles — the plan never got off the drawing board.
In 2014, Lord Mayor Clover Moore revealed plans for a huge wiggly arch towering opposite the Sydney Town Hall. Once again the cost, which blew out to a staggering +$20 million, drew large criticism.
But it appears we will soon have a major public space to rival Melbourne’s Federation Square and Adelaide’s five public squares. It’s all part of the transformation of central Sydney.
The Council has been furiously acquiring buildings to demolish and provide us with a large civic square framed by Pitt, George and Park Streets – smack dab in front of the Sydney Town Hall.
Let’s hope the Square and all that it hosts will be well considered and become a much loved area of public relaxation and social interaction. There is a tendency worldwide for these big public spaces to become dead after 10pm and revert to windswept concrete wastelands.
Construction of the Square is not due to start until 2028 so it gives the Council plenty of time to realise such a space’s true value to the city. The $150 million budget is bound to explode, but horizontal monumentalism does not come cheap.
REQUEST FOR TENDER
Addison Road Community Organisation is seeking quotes from suitably experienced and qualified Contractors to assist in the upgrade of a heritage building at the Addison Road Community Centre.
This includes replacement of existing timber floor structure, new toilets, kitchenette and roof, and replacement of windows, fire doors, and electrical upgrade works.
To obtain RFQ documentation contact Mike Hayes at m.hayes@addiroad.org.au
Quotes must be sent by email to this address, and must be received by 4pm on 27 June 2025
Photo: City of Sydney
A REEL ADVENTURE: SYDNEY FILM FESTIVAL IS BACK FOR 2025
The Sydney Film Festival (SFF) returns for its dazzling 72nd year, running from 4–15 June. This stunner of a festival once again promises another immersive voyage through the boundless world of cinema, with over 200 films from 70 countries lighting up screens across the city. For over seven decades now, the Sydney Film Festival has carved a luminous legacy, seamlessly weaving international cinematic masterpieces with local storytelling gems.
This year continues the festival’s grand tradition, inviting audiences into captivating narratives, daring creativity, and visionary filmmaking.
GETTING TOGETHER ON SFF OPENING NIGHT
Launching the festival's cinematic journey is the Australian premiere of Together, the acclaimed Sundance hit crafted by Australian filmmaker Michael Shanks and starring Alison Brie and Dave Franco. This compelling film, a mesmerising fusion
INTERNATIONAL CINEMA & GUESTS HEAD TO SYDNEY
Straight from the glamour of Cannes, Sydney audiences will relish exclusive screenings of 15 distinguished films. This includes Jafar Panahi’s breathtaking Palme d’Or winner, It Was Just An Accident, which SFF Festival Director Nashen Moodley celebrates as an extraordinary expression of artistic resilience.
Sydney will also warmly welcome Kleber Mendonça Filho, Cannes Best Director honouree, whose gripping political thriller,
Ari Aster’s provocative Eddington, Kelly Reichardt’s exquisitely-crafted art-heist tale The Mastermind, and the delightful canine drama The Love That Remains, which won the coveted Palme Dog. And the festival includes incredible guest appearances, too. Visionary director George Miller of Mad Max fame, and revered video game creator and dedicated cinephile Hideo Kojima will lead an exclusive discussion about cinema’s thrilling intersection with gaming at Sydney Town Hall on June 14.
A SYMPHONY OF AUSTRALIAN STORIES
Australian voices shine brightly at this year’s festival, particularly within the Documentary Australia Award lineup, including powerful films like Floodland, an emotionally resonant exploration of flood-impacted Lismore communities, and Kriv Stenders’ gripping portrayal of Queensland’s controversial former premier in Joh: Last King of Queensland Festival-goers will also enjoy Special Presentations such as
homegrown talents challenging conventional narratives.
Featured beautifully within the Screenability program is Where the World is Quiet, an intimate documentary where Australian of the Year Grace Tame poignantly reflects on her autism journey and the solace she finds in long-distance running. Directed by Ben Strum and co-produced by Tame herself, this film powerfully underscores the festival's commitment to amplifying diverse storytelling voices.
SFF: A ONE-OF-A-KIND FESTIVAL REACHING NEW HEIGHTS
In a striking first, this year screenings will also be held at the iconic Sydney Opera House alongside beloved traditional venues such as the State Theatre, inviting festivalgoers to experience worldclass cinema at one of Sydney’s most cherished cultural landmarks.
For Melbourne-based Shanks, having the film open Sydney’s premier film event is a personal milestone.
“Despite our US leads, this is an Australian film through and through,” he said. “I’m so proud to be showcasing the amazing talent we have in our local industry. I got altitude sickness at Sundance, so I’m especially glad the premiere in Sydney should be a bit easier on the body.”
“The Sydney Film Festival is the highlight of the year for NSW film fans and is part of an amazing lineup of cultural events that kick off as the cooler weather kicks in,” says Minister for the Arts John Graham.
As [the 2025 program] confirms, you will always see the best films in the world at the Sydney Film Festival. You won’t find this carefully curated collection of films
The Secret Agent, stars the captivating Wagner Moura. Other standout Cannes entries illuminating Sydney's screens include
the delightfully inventive animated queer space quest from South Australia, Lesbian Space Princess, and Amy Wang’s incisively humorous SXSW-winning Slanted, showcasing
SFF is a beloved annual pilgrimage, where cinephiles, dreamers, and storytellers gather to celebrate film’s extraordinary power — a testament to Sydney’s enduring passion for screen.
Photo: SFF / Supplied
Lesbian Space Princess
On Swift Horses
The Secret Agent
Where the World is Quiet
SIRAT
ROMERÍA
HubARTS
BY MARK MORELLINI
Are you underwhelmed watching the same productions which seem to be recycled year after year? If so, Legally Blonde The Musical is the next show you should attend!
East Sydney community theatre group MustSee Shows is proud to be presenting high-quality amateur musical theatre, after a 10-year absence in the local area.
MustSee founder and director Kathy Petrakis said that if audiences feel the joy from this production, they’ve successfully achieved their goal.
“Legally Blonde The Musical is such a fantastic choice—it has energy, humour, heart, and plenty of moments to shine, both theatrically and choreographically.”
For those who have never seen the movie (is this possible?) Legally Blonde follows sorority queen Elle Woods, who follows her ex-boyfriend to law school. Discovering that there’s much more to her than just her looks, she sets out to prove herself to the world.
“The audience will travel the journey with Elle to
THE PHOENICIAN SCHEME
Wes Anderson's new offering is very familiar, but fun
(See p.21)
eventually discover that being true to oneself is ultimately the key to success,” says Petrakis.
“We’ve worked tirelessly to interweave all elements together to create an immersive, high-energy musical production — choreography, talented cast, colourful and sequin costumes… dazzling visuals, and quality sound [bring] it all to life for one unforgettable experience.”
BY LYDIA JUPP
Director Shaun Rennie is back with a new season of multi-Tony Award winning musical RENT.
“I’m thrilled…The depth of talent we have in this country never ceases to amaze me," he said.
Henry Rollo (Rocky Horror Show) plays Mark, a struggling filmmaker, and Harry Targett (Dear Evan Hansen) will be HIVpositive musician and recovering addict Roger. Kristin Paulse (Tina: The Tina Turner Musical) is Mimi, a reckless and passionate exotic dancer.
The Voice finalist Calista Nelmes reprises her award-winning performance
of Maureen, and Imani Williams (Hadestown) played her girlfriend
Joanne, a tough, headstrong Harvardeducated lawyer.
Philosophy teacher Collins is played by Googoorewon Knox (Hamilton) with Jesse Dutlow (& Juliet) as HIV-positive drag artist Angel and Tana Laga’aia (Jesus Christ Superstar) as landlord Benny.
Completing the cast are Anna Francesca Armenia, Kobe Brown, Sam Harmon, Lawrence Hawkins, Carmel Rodrigues, Chad Rosete, Eliza Soriano, Stacey Thomsett, Bree Tipoki and Theodore Williams.
Tickets are on sale now.
The musical version stays faithful to the movie’s plot with all the same characters, but when asked whether there would be a lovable chihuahua on stage alongside Elle, Petrakis laughed.
“That is still under debate. As a director, I don’t want the dogs to take away the focus from the cast…but I may be outvoted in the end!”
Audiences of all ages have over the years enjoyed the movie and stage productions of Legally Blonde — the latest promises to continue that tradition.
“It features several big song-and-dance numbers and is filled with humour mixed with heartfelt emotional moments. Importantly, its strong, positive messages about being true to oneself, fighting discrimination… and the determination to succeed, will appeal to today’s socially conscious generation as well as those who want a feel-good musical theatre experience! Especially those who like the colour pink!” concluded Petrakis.
Legally Blonde: The Musical is on 2 – 6 July at the Ascham Packer Theatre.
LEGALLY BLONDE: THE MUSICAL WOMEN ON THE VERGE OF A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN
BY JOSH KERWICK
It’s a testament to director Alexander Berlage and his phenomenal cast that Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, a musical adaptation of Pedro Almodóvar’s 1988 film, is an outstanding, chic night of theatre in spite of occasionally clunky material.
Pepa (Amy Hack), an actress in 80's Madrid, has been dumped over voicemail by Ivan (Andrew Cutcliffe).
In a whirlwind two days, Pepa searches for Ivan, learns she’s pregnant, and discovers her
friend Candela (Grace Driscoll) has gotten involved with a terrorist.
One of the show’s greatest strengths is the frenetic nature that Berlage and his cast bring, though the chaos never feels unwieldy or messy.
The narrative is anchored by the phenomenal Hack, who dances along the knife’s edge of hilarity and sincerity. The wider ensemble are all great, but Tisha Kelemen is another major standout.
WTVNB at the Hayes Theatre is a zippy, entertaining show that’s much more than the sum of its parts.
Photo: Supplied
Photo: Daniel Boud / Supplied
BY LYDIA JUPP
Presented as part of the Vivid Ideas program by the nner City Legal Centre, Law and Life: Transgender Stories sees five trans storytellers and one ally share their lived experiences navigating gender, legality, and survival.
Law and Life brings together Kings Cross legend Vonni, of Les Girls and Priscilla fame; activist Norrie May-Welby, who made history in 2014 as the first Australian legally recognised as neither male nor female; Kavitha Sivasamy, a founding lawyer and director of Justice Q, an LGBTQIA+ legal service in Melbourne. The event is the brainchild of director and playwright Charley Allanah.
"[It’s] an opportunity to have a discussion in the public domain that's positive and humanising, so it also goes towards our goals of making the world a safer and more inclusive and more understanding space for our trans community,” said CEO of the ICLC, Katie Green.
"83% of Australians don't believe they know a trans person," said Allanah. "They
‘LAW AND LIFE: TRANSGENDER STORIES' BRINGS VITAL STORIES TO VIVID
don't really have any understanding of how it would be to live a life where you get told you can't have a medication that would save you from going through a puberty that you don't want… or being told you have to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to reverse that.
"These six people have put up their hands to say, we'll tell our stories… so that maybe they can hopefully disseminate a bit of that story."
All emphasised how transformative the show had been for them.
"There's this amazing kind of sense of
community being built before our very eyes," Allanah said. "While no two trans stories or trans experiences are the same, there are these few threads of similarity that kind of bind us all together in really, really fascinating ways."
May-Welby warns that not all stories are easy to hear. "It's not all fluffy," they said.
"Some of the stories might punch you in the gut, but there's a lot of uplifting moments in it too… stories of survival and triumph with a bit of song and dance."
Transgender people are being threatened in legal and political realms like never before, so sharing one’s story is not only an admirable theatre experience, but an act of resistance in the face of fascism.
"We hope that it will provide a renewed energy and enthusiasm, particularly in our gay and lesbian community members," said Green. "We need our allies.”
Law and Life: Transgender Stories: 5-7 June at the Rebel Theatre.
Photo: IMdB
Photo:
BETH GIBBONS AT VIVID WILL GIVE YOU GOOSEBUMPS
BY SEAN CEREXHE-MCINTYRE
It’s that Vivid time of year, the southern shore of the harbour is heaving, and Beth Gibbons is back in town after 14 years. Only this time it’s without the rest of Portishead, and she’s playing her debut Australian shows in the Opera House. Interestingly there’s a set at both 6pm and 9pm, her only Sydney shows on the tour.
Blue-tinted smoke fills the stage as the audience sits waiting, relaxed and chatty. Gibbons’ 2024 solo album Lives Outgrown found wide praise from critics and fans, and primarily explores themes of aging and grief. She emerges from the side of the
stage with a seven-person entourage of musicians and the room fills with applause. The gravity in the room has shifted and suddenly we’re all sitting in a more important space.
Breaking into the opening track of Lives Outgrown, Gibbons’ voice is harrowing and spectacular.
Dressed in black long sleeves for a silhouetted look, Gibbons wraps both of her hands around the microphone, slightly hunched, eyes closed. She doesn’t speak to the audience until around 5 songs in, when she says “thank you” with a nervous, giddy energy. Her singing appears both awfully draining yet effortless and sustainable.
Although the room would be fans of her primarily as the voice of Portishead, the performance of her new music is fantastic. Rewind is an instrumentally chaotic epic, and the percussion in Beyond The Sun is bouncy and driving. With Mysteries, a song off 2002’s Out of Season, the acoustic tone is noticeably lighter to the songs from her new album.
She thanks us before the encore, smiling while telling us “shout a bit and we’ll come back out”, which we did.
Time for a couple of Portishead classics. Roads is fantastic. Then Glory
Box. Full body chills ensue for the latter. First when the opening piano and bass notes kick in and then the chorus.
One of the people sitting next to me is showing their concert buddy the goosebumps on her own arm. Gibbons sounds exactly as she did on 1994’s Dummy
After one more song from Lives Outgrown, the band bow to an audience lightning quick to its feet. Shaking the hand of everyone in the front row and giving a double thumbs up, Gibbons follows her band off the stage to get ready for the 9pm show.
RADIO FREE ALICE FAREWELL AUSTRALIAN SHORES WITH MINI-TOUR
BY SEAN CEREXHE-MCINTYRE
As they get ready to make the (seemingly) permanent move to London next month, Melbournebased Radio Free Alice are saying their goodbyes to local fans with a mini-tour of Australia’s east coast.
They begin their tour with a soldout appearance at the Oxford Art Factory on a muggy Friday evening in Darlinghurst, not far from the record store they were named after.
Opening acts The Engine and Bennetts Grove both kill it, but unfortunately play to an unresponsive crowd, bar the odd sway of an audience member’s head. While they have a similar post-punk image to Radio Free Alice, the music of both is darker and heavier.
You can feel excitement in the murmuring crowd as they wait for the headliners to emerge. They open with one of their biggest songs, Look What You’ve Done. The angular guitar-
playing echoes New York icons The Strokes and Television, and the crowd sing along to the opening track.
The band is very tight and clearly well-rehearsed. Cutting their teeth on festival circuits and substantial touring appears to have done its job.
After the opening song, the first half of the set builds energy but the crowd is yet to break out in substantial
movement. The band wears their influences more explicitly mid-set with a surprising cover of Gang of Four’s 1978 classic Damaged Goods
There’s a significant gear shift in the crowd as the band breaks into fan favourites Johnny and Paris is Gone
The former is a Smiths-y number with a bouncy bassline, jangling guitar and baritone, pained vocals. In the latter
song the crowd erupts into the moshiest they’ve been all night. People are getting knocked over and someone in front of me is hurriedly searching for their glasses on the floor with a phone torch.
The band disappears after playing Waste of Space and re-appear for a one-song encore of Fire Warning. Fire Warning would fit sonically on the 2000s soundtrack of the Inbetweeners, alongside bands like the Arctic Monkeys and The Libertines.
While the image of Radio Free Alice is quite dark and brooding, the reality of their live performance is a poppy, polished set very true to the sound of their recorded output. This disconnect between image and substance was at times distracting, but their fans didn’t seem to mind. It’ll be interesting to see what kind of profile the band can build stationed on the Atlantic.
Photo: Jordan K Munns / Supplied
Photo: Sean Cerexhe-McIntyre
THE PHOENICIAN SCHEME
Photo: IMdB BY JOSH KERWICK
Even by Wes Anderson’s standards, which have in recent years settled into a rather comfortable rhythm, The Phoenician Scheme does feel a little… tired. Yet if you’re even a little susceptible to Anderson’s style, it’s easy to have fun with the film.
Zsa-zsa Korda (Benicio del Toro) is unaffectionately named Mr Five Per Cent by his enemies for his ability to insert himself into any deal. His latest project — the revival of Phoenicia — is sabotaged.
He seeks out his daughter Liesl (Mia Threapleton), a nun who resents her father. Nonetheless, the two set out across Phoenicia to cover the funding
deficit, along with bug scholar Bjørn (Michael Cera).
Korda and Liesl’s relationship is the best stuff in the movie, accurately digging into the complicated nature of family with both humour and pathos.
The Phoenician Scheme’s opening half an hour is bogged down with stuffy financial details, but the film makes it through this uneasy opening and becomes much more fun after this point. Del Toro is expectedly brilliant as Korda, his performance deliberately exaggerated, often bizarre but nonetheless deeply charming. He gives big snake oil salesman vibes, but it’s hard not to fall under Korda’s spell.
However, the film’s greatest
FINAL DESTINATION: BLOODLINES
BY JOSH KERWICK
The latest entry in the series, Final Destination: Bloodlines certainly doesn’t do anything to radically change the structure the series is known for. Yet by shifting its perspective from the usual random group of teenagers to an extended family, Bloodlines has a surprisingly strong thematic throughline, even if its story is still ultimately a vehicle for creating absurd scenarios for people to die in.
But despite having a strong script, Final Destination: Bloodlines makes
no excuse about prioritising creative kills above all else. As a result, it inherits the abjectly nihilist viewpoint of the franchise; a fact that could be a massive draw or turn-off depending on your own interests.
Bloodlines is a gorily good time that doesn’t seek to reinvent the wheel but improve upon it by shifting its perspective to a completely new set of characters… and slaughter them in a variety of newly gnarly ways.
Final Destination: Bloodlines is in cinemas now.
achievement is its deployment of Mia Threapleton. With her deadpan line deliveries, strong well of emotion and the ability to rock a nun outfit with green eyeliner, she’s a perfect addition to Anderson’s roster of characters.
The wider cast of this film is absolutely stacked, including Tom Hanks and Bryan Cranston, as well as Richard Ayoade as a hilarious communist revolutionary and Benedict Cumberbatch in a truly ridiculous beard and wig.
Though The Phoenician Scheme errs more on the side of comfort than even recent efforts like Asteroid City and The French Dispatch, even a weaker entry in the Wes Anderson canon remains a sincerely fun effort with lots to appreciate. I can’t blame one of our most iconic modern filmmakers for taking one to rest on his laurels, even if I hope he gets off them for his next outing.
1/2
The Phoenician Scheme is in cinemas now.
PUBLIC NOTICE
Proposed termination of Strata Plan No. 35689 being the property situated at 51 Barcom Avenue, Darlingurst NSW 2010.
Notice is given of an intention to apply to the Registrar General for an order terminating the above Strata Scheme and the consequent winding up of the Owners Corporation, pursuant to section 142 of the Strata Schemes Development Act 2015 (NSW).
Any person having any claim against the Owners Corporation of the above Strata Scheme or any estate or interest in or claim against any of the lots comprised in the Strata Scheme is required, on or before (a date not less than 14 days after publication of the advertisement), to send particulars of the estate, interest or claim to J S Mueller & Co, Level 1, 240 Princes Highway, Arncliffe NSW 2205.
Photo: IMDb
Photo: IMDb
KARATE KID: LEGENDS
BY NAOMI LAWRENCE
Karate Kid: Legends is a sweet, nostalgic, if not slightly thin, homage to the beloved franchise.
Legends, the sixth film in the franchise, marks Ben Wang’s feature debut and brings together the long-awaited crossover of Jackie Chan’s Mr. Han (from the 2010 reboot) and Ralph Macchio’s Daniel LaRusso – the original Karate Kid himself.
Li Fung, haunted by his brother’s
death, moves to New York with his mother and finds himself swept into a new world, and a familiar formula.
Li accidentally offends a local pizza shop owner, Victor (played by Joshua Jackson doing a slightly iffy New York accent), by asking for a stuffed crust, and sparks a friendship with the former boxer, and his daughter Mia.
Enter trouble in the form of Conor, Mia’s ex and a ‘90s-style bully, ponytail included.
After helping him in a fight, Li reluctantly agrees to train Victor for a match — cue the training montage. When that goes sideways, Li freezes again under pressure and spirals into guilt.
His supportive uncle — played with effortless charm and warmth by Jackie Chan — steps in and decides it's time for Li to fight. He goes so far as travelling to the opposite coast and enlisting Daniel LaRusso to help Li prepare for a karate tournament, and a shot at healing.
LILO & STITCH
BY JOSH KERWICK
Athoroughly de-fanged and sanitised version of a film that’s already rated G, 2025’s Lilo & Stitch is a particularly rough couple of hours at the movies.
It’s arguably a worst-case scenario remake — it’s both endlessly devoted to recreating the nostalgia people have for its original film, while also entirely missing its point, with a number of head-scratching decisions that make the entire affair feel soulless.
Though it shares much of its DNA with the original Lilo & Stitch, the entire remake feels like a completely toothless update to the original story. What works so much about the 2002 film is that the characters are allowed to be complicated and do sincerely bad or selfish things, and what makes that film so compelling is the growth of its characters’ experiences.
The entirety of the live action Lilo & Stitch lacks this edge that makes the original such an insightful rumination
on family, and thus undercuts every character and narrative decision throughout.
Lilo and Nani’s relationship has been absolutely butchered in this remake due to its newfound simplicity, as has Stitch’s arc from the original film. You may remember a key moment where Stitch reads The Ugly Duckling at a crucial point in the film for his development. This plot point is completely absent in the 2025 version,
Ben Wang is a natural. He’s charismatic, grounded and sells Li's guilt with conviction. You can’t help but root for him, even when the story gives him little to work with.
Chan is a joy — softer and more affable than in the 2010 reboot. While Macchio brings a sense of soul and legacy, anchoring the film despite his limited role.
The bickering dynamic between the two legends is thoroughly fun to watch.
The action is solid, with the best sequence being an alleyway fight that felt like a perfect love letter to classic Jackie Chan choreography — funny, fastpaced, and a little chaotic. It’s a moment in the film where the action, humour, and characters fully click.
Unfortunately, the rest of it lacks that spark, ending on an emotionally flat note with no real stakes.
Karate Kid: Legends is a decent addition to the cheesy franchise, wanting to blend heart, legacy, and fresh energy. And it almost does.
There's still fun here for kids and franchise lovers, for the Easter eggs and charm alone.
But for a true spiritual successor? Cobra Kai offers a much better kick.
1/2
Karate Kid: Legends is in cinemas now.
which makes his transition from destructive critter to genuinely caring member of the family feel thoroughly unearned.
This befuddling approach to adaptation affects the side characters of the film, with one-eyed drag diva Pleakley (Billy Magnussen) and gruff scientist Jumba (Zach Galifanakis) downgraded to mostly simplistic aliens-in-disguise roles without even a fraction of the comedy present from
2002. It all feels deeply humourless, reflected in the array of performances that make newcomer and veteran actors alike feel deeply exposed.
I found Maia Kealoha a charming Lilo. In a film full of performances that feel utterly lifeless, her sense of childlike wonder and connection with Stitch are endearing. Strangely, the movie plays into these strengths less than you’d expect with a cluttered character list that constantly cuts away from these characters’ relationship.
The Disney nostalgia machine claims another victim as it devours a beloved family film and churns out a hollow version of it in a shameless attempt to coax multiple generations into the movie theatre for easy cash. Its few redeeming qualities can’t make up for the fact that it doesn’t have one good reason to exist.
Just stay home and watch the original.
Lilo & Stitch is in cinemas now.
Photo: IMDb
Photo: IMDb
