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Kobi Shetty on why she won’t give up fighting for the Powerhouse Ultimo Page 16
Stay up to date on my work for the Community and in Parliament at alexgreenwich.com
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OLLY ARKINS ELECTED Arkins becomes Sydney's first trans Deputy Lord Mayor (See p.10)
Walsh Bay function centre
approved over residents’ objections BY WILL THORPE
HUBARTS: BEVERLY BUTTERCUP Queen retires from community radio after 30 years (See p.20)
Published monthly and freely available throughout the Inner City. Copies are also distributed to serviced apartments, hotels, convenience stores and newsagents throughout the city. Distribution enquiries call (02) 9212 5677. Published by Altmedia Pty Ltd. While every effort is made to ensure accuracy of content, we take no responsibility for inadvertent errors or omissions. ABN 52 600 903 348 Group Editor & Publisher: Lawrence Gibbons Managing Editor: Chloe Sargeant Staff Journalist: Jacques Nieuwoudt Email: news@altmedia.net.au, arts@altmedia.net.au News Contributors: Carelle Snounou, Chloe Sargeant, Jacques Nieuwoudt, Joanna Yang, Will Thorpe Arts Contributors: Coffin Ed, Jacques Nieuwoudt, Joanna Yang, Jonah Kearns, Josh Kerwick, Mark Morellini, Naomi Lawrence, Sophie Glynn Designer: Nadia Kalinitcheva Cover Image: Mark Dickson Publisher’s Assistant: Mal Moody Admin Assistant: Courtney Miller National Sales Director: Greg Topalian Ph: 0455 120 404 Advertising Manager: Mal Moody Ph: 0401 244 297 Advertising: sales@altmedia.net.au Mail: PO Box 843 Broadway 2007 Phone: (02) 9212 5677 Website: www.cityhub.com.au PUBLICATION DATE: 29 October 2026
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Photo: Wikimedia Commons
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proposed function centre at Walsh Bay has been approved over noise and other concerns among residents. The $4.9 million venue with capacity for 750 will be located inside the heritage-listed building on wharves seven and eight, after the proposal was unanimously accepted by the City of Sydney’s local planning panel on Wednesday 23 September. Navarra Venues, who likewise operate Le Montage on the Lilyfield foreshore and various other sites around Sydney, will run the new establishment. To be situated at the end of the pier, the centre will feature a large function space alongside another private function room, bar and kitchen areas, and a harbourfacing balcony. Current office space will be gutted. Navarra says that the venue will provide a boost to the local economy and employment, and will appropriately utilise a historic building. Other commercial and hospitality businesses operate towards the southern end of the pier. However, these are smaller, and hundreds of residents live 70 metres away on the adjacent pier six and seven. OBJECTIONS RAISED IN MEETING Speaking at the planning panel meeting on behalf of fellow residents on the adjacent peer, Julie Wise opposed the development. She said, “we already know how easily sound carries between these two piers.” “Today, we can hear the existing restaurant and the ordinary conversations from the relatively small number of people fishing late at night. So our concern is what happens when that becomes hundreds of people attending an event, gathering outside talking, and leaving late at night.”
Photo: Markham Real Estate Partners
“The proximity also creates privacy concerns, with the eastern gantries looking directly into apartments across several floors. With live entertainment of up to 95 decibels, every time a gantry door opens, there is also the risk of music noise escaping as well.” “We do not believe an event centre of this scale is compatible with the established homes and cultural precinct, so we urge the panel to refuse this application,” Wise said, joining residents from Towns Place and pier eight and nine. Like the others, she urged that several measures be implemented if it were approved nonetheless. These consisted of a one-year trial period, the closure of outdoor areas by 9pm, the closure of the venue by 10pm, no overnight road vehicle deliveries, and no “unlimited” serving of drinks.
PANEL SETS CONDITIONS Conditions ultimately imposed by the panel include the installation of acoustic airlocks on doors to mitigate noise, a guarantee that there will be sufficient security guards on shift in proportion to patron numbers, that there be no deliveries or waste collection between 10pm and 7am or 8am on weekends, and that acoustic monitoring will take place within six and 12 months of opening, to be conducted unbeknownst to the operator.
We do not believe an event centre of this scale is compatible with the established homes and cultural precinct “The plan of management does also need to be updated in terms of the methodology for the staggering of patrons to ensure that there's not a mass exit on closure,” said panel chair Jan Murrell. Responding to calls about the serving of alcohol, Murrell noted that such matters pertaining to the Liquor Act are beyond the panel’s authority. CITY HUB NOVEMBER 2026
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Council proposes synthetic field in Callan Park again BY WILL THORPE
Photo: Greater Sydney Parklands
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he Inner West Council is again proposing to rip up part of an oval on Callan Park’s foreshore for artificial grass, after a previous attempt was unanimously rejected by its own planning panel. With works underway to transform the nearby field on Balmain Road, the council wants to create another ‘all-weather’ patch on Waterfront Oval, costing approximately $3.5 million. This would be built within its northeastern half, whilst a grass field adjacent to it would be retained. Despite the council’s “ongoing commitment to industry best practice and delivering a suitable surface for all users, climatic conditions and significant growth in user numbers have had a dramatic influence on the ultimate condition of the surface,” said a report prepared by consultancy Greenspace 4D. The proposal has the support of the Balmain Football Club, but opponents are concerned about the effect on other sporting codes. “DON’T BE SO RECKLESS” Millicent Lamshed – a Balmain resident who completed an Honours course in Wildlife Conservation at the University of Sydney – said “Council’s relentless push to resubmit synthetic turf for Waterfront Drive demonstrates a reckless disregard for the community, environment and independent planning decisions.” “The local planning panel recently rejected this site unanimously for good reason. By placing a temporary plastic carpet directly on the Callan Park foreshore, an indefensible ecological hazard is created for Iron Cove and the broader Parramatta River catchment.” “Doubling down on a second plastic field directly adjacent to a newly approved harbour pool displays the anthropogenic values that guide the council’s decisions, 4
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turning a blind eye to the inevitable impact of plastic runoff on human, wildlife and catchment health.” “Waterfront Drive has served as an accessible, multipurpose green space for generations of residents, various sporting types, and local wildlife. Sacrificing our living foreshore for a single, specialised sport, while committing taxpayers to an expensive cycle of plastic waste and renewal, is an unjustifiable false economy.”
It constantly boggles my mind how the installation of synthetic turf continues to be planned in already established green areas Lamshed said that the council “must respect the planning panel’s previous findings, abandon this repeated proposal, and invest in the research and implementation
of sustainable, high-performance natural turf drainage instead.” “Although I am strongly against synthetic turf as a whole, it constantly boggles my mind how the installation of synthetic turf continues to be planned in already established green areas—often nearby water bodies—rather than vacant impervious surfaces that already do not provide resources for urban biota.” MP CALLS FOR NATURAL TURF INVESTMENT Greens MP for Balmain Kobi Shetty understands why some support the creation of another synthetic turf field. “My kids have been playing football and training at Waterfront Drive for years, so I know firsthand how important these fields are for local families and sporting clubs, and how frustrating it is when wet weather impacts them.” “I’m disappointed Council’s pushing ahead with another synthetic turf proposal after the independent planning panel unanimously rejected the previous application, because it was not
satisfied the development would avoid pollution risks to Sydney Harbour in a flood. I’m not confident that the minor design changes in the latest development application, at an additional cost of $550,000, will address those risks, and they certainly won’t address the other concerns that locals have been raising with me about synthetic turf.” “We shouldn’t have to choose between good sporting facilities and protecting our environment, including in Sydney Harbour where the new harbour pool will be opening soon.” “With better drainage, highquality natural turf and proper maintenance, we can give local clubs many more playable hours on our fields while keeping Waterfront Oval green, accessible and welcoming for the whole community.” “I’d much rather see governments investing in worldclass natural turf than locking our community into more plastic surfaces.” The Inner West Council was contacted for comment.
HubNEWS
McDonald's sneaky return to Newtown sparks anger BY CARELLE SNOUNOU
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cDonald’s is proceeding with a new Newtown restaurant just 500 metres from the site where its King Street proposal was rejected twice, causing local anger over how the latest development was approved. The fast food giant began construction on the former Enmore Road Oporto restaurant on September 25, after the application was lodged on September 21 and approved the following day. The $1.2 million project was ratified through a Complying Development Certificate (CDC) by a private certifier. Unlike a standard development application (DA), a CDC
can be approved by council or an accredited private certifier without a full DA or public exhibition, given the proposal meets the relevant development standards. NSW Planning describes complying development as a fast-tracked approval process. THE KING STREET REJECTION McDonald’s first attempted to return to Newtown through a proposed 24-hour restaurant at 212-214 King Street in July 2025. The application was publicly exhibited for 21 days and gained 1,433 submissions with the majority opposing the proposal. The City of Sydney’s Local Planning Panel then refused the application in October 2025.
Photo: Joe Chen / Pexels
McDonald’s later submitted a revised proposal in January 2026 with reduced trading hours, but the second application was also unsuccessful. The company then took the matter to the Land and Environment Court before abandoning the case in September.
This is worse than putting it on King Street The King Street proposals raised concerns over delivery riders, pedestrian safety, rubbish, late night activity and
the impact of another fast food outlet on Newtown’s independent businesses. K-Shift, a citizen-led group advocating for King Street and Enmore Road to be more people-first, criticised the speed of the process: “If only street improvements could happen this fast.” The reaction has spilled into the Enmore 2042 Facebook group where residents criticised the way the approval was handled. “This is worse than putting it on King Street,” wrote Jason Clark.
The Greens Want to Cap Your Rent YouGov polling from October confirmed what the NSW Greens have long suspected - a majority of people (about four in five) support some form of government regulation to control rent increases. 55% of voters believe that landlords should only be allowed to increase rents by inflation or less, and another 23% want to go further and temporarily freeze rents. And it’s not just renters who are ready for concrete action to rein in rents - 71% of those who own their home outright, and 73% of people with a mortgage also back a rent freeze or rent cap. A home should not just be a commodity, or an asset in a portfolio to deliver profits to
earner in a median rental in Sydney spends 70% of their income on rent.
2,587 more people who are homeless now added to the waitlist.
Because of these massive increases in rental prices, the social A safe, decent, affordable home is a housing waitlist has also human right, but for more than two skyrocketed under the NSW Labor million renters in New South Wales, Government.
How many more renters need to be pushed to extreme housing stress and poverty while investors reap the profits and the social housing waitlist grows? There is no better time for our Parliament to act to bring relief to renters in our state - That’s why I’m bringing our Greens’ Rent Control Bill to Parliament this month - you can show your support by signing our petition below.
investors. But the law currently places no limit on how much a landlord can raise the rent each year.
this human right is treated like According to their own figures, the stocks on a share market - with a cruel twist: the price only ever goes waitlist has grown 25% since the last election - that means there are up. now 16,000 households that are waiting even longer than they were Recently we have been hearing under the Coalition to be housed. stories about house prices going down, but has anyone in New South The worst part is that, according to Wales ever received a rent decrease? If you have, please get in recent Budget Estimates figures, these increases to the waitlist are touch so we can celebrate. . hitting the most vulnerable people in The sad truth is, after three years of our community the hardest including 1,400 more single mums a NSW Labor Government rents with kids, almost 4,000 more people have spiked by 22%. aged over 65, 345 more people escaping family violence, and Renting has become so grossly unaffordable that a median income
Get in touch if we can help:
Jenny Leong MP Greens Member for Newtown
(02) 9517 2800 newtown@parliament.nsw.gov.au jennyleong.org 383 King St, Newtown NSW 2042
Authorised by Jenny Leong MP. Funded using parliamentary entitlements.
CITY HUB NOVEMBER 2026
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20 units proposed for Bellevue Road, reducing affordable housing “real possibility” that groundwater will be present in this area. The report finds that the only possible means of shoring up the ground is by creating a cutter soil mix wall, formed by mixing a cement composite into the soil. However, this method could be impossible if bedrock is present. Next to Bellevue Hill, Double Bay has a uniquely high water table, only a metre from the surface in parts. Buildings near construction sites have suffered from cracking and sinking in recent years.
BY WILL THORPE
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estled in the Eastern Suburbs, Bellevue Road in Bellevue Hill has seen a flurry of housing construction. The owners of one home say that the latest $23.3 million proposal, slated to surround their house on two sides, is different. At 138A—140 Bellevue Road, eight storeys are proposed to be built, replacing existing residences — including eight affordable housing units — to provide 20 flats. Four two-bed units would be classified as affordable for 15 years. There will also be 13 three-beds, two four-beds and one single-bed. Three floors of underground parking would be built. The statement of environmental effects prepared by GSA Planning for applicant Common Office states that the site is a 389 metre walk from the Double Bay shops. This makes it eligible for the Minns Government’s low and mid-rise housing incentives targeting developments within 400 metres of a town centre. According to the document, the proposal “will substantially improve the appearance of the site in keeping with the desired future character of the area.” “The proposal will offer a contemporary built form with an appropriate bulk and scale that positively responds to the evolving character of Bellevue Road and the area surrounding the Double Bay town centre.” RESIDENT FEARS FOR “DREAM HOME” Rabie Mtanos lives at 138 Bellevue Road with his family. Mtanos and his wife Mitra Azimi are concerned about the effect the building would have on their home, which they “worked so hard” for. “My wife and I moved into this dream home with our three children about two years ago. We spent more than a year renovating the house internally, not as an investment, but to make it the
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We are definitely not NIMBYs… We just ask that it be reasonable and make sense for the community Photo: Common Office
home we intended to raise our family in for a long time to come.” Currently, their balcony offers a panoramic view towards the city centre. “Multiple neighbours would lose their city views and sunlight, and they have all recently built their properties.” “We are definitely not NIMBYs as we are already completely surrounded by construction and will be for a long time. We just ask that it be reasonable and make sense for the community.” “If we ever opened a window or curtain or tried to enjoy our front patio or pool in the back, we would have countless windows not only looking down into our outdoor areas and balconies but directly into our bedrooms and living room and dining room and kitchen.” Neighbouring residences would be similarly impacted, Mtanos said. Scouring documents submitted on the applicant’s behalf, he observed varying measurements of its distance from the Double Bay shops. The Government’s online Low and Mid-Rise Housing
Policy Indicative Map places the front of the property only 1.09 metres within the 400 metre radius required for eligibility. REPORT HIGHLIGHTS EXCAVATION RISKS Mtanos is also concerned about the scale of excavation required on the steeply sloping site. According to a report by JK Geotechnics, nearly 19 metres will have to be dug out at the eastern end, where a driveway exists nestled between houses. It is a
Photo: Rabie Mtanos
“While we cannot provide comment during the DA assessment process, we can confirm that all matters raised will be considered as part of the assessment, and the proposed development will also be assessed against relevant state and local planning legislation,” said Woollahra Council. The municipality is on track to adopt a permanent affordable housing requirement for new developments. Common Office was contacted for comment.
TANYA PLIBERSEK
FEDERAL MEMBER FOR SYDNEY
RIGHTING A WRONG Homosexuality was decriminalised decades ago but Australian Defence Force personnel participating in consensual same-sex activities could be prosecuted right up till 1992. Former and current personnel still carry the burden of these convictions which appear on their service records.
under the scheme where they meet scheme requirements. The expansion increases the maximum eligible solar system size from 100 kilowatts to 1 megawatt.
STRONGER COMMUNITY GRANTS
This is an important step in righting a historical wrong.
Funding is available for projects costing between $2,500 and a maximum of $20,000 through our Stronger Communities grants program. Community and not-for-profit groups can apply for grants to buy equipment and services to help strengthen your volunteer base, encourage younger people to be involved and assist you to fund your programs. Please submit your expression of interest to my office by 5pm Friday 6 November 2026.
FIRST HOME BUYERS
To learn more, contact my office or scan here:
We know too many Australians feel housing is stacked against them, especially younger generations with falling rates of home ownership. That’s why the Albanese Labor Government is levelling the playing field through:
MY FEED, MY WAY WAY
We are addressing the harm caused by these historical convictions by amending the Defence Force Discipline Act 1982 (Cth) to allow eligible individuals to apply to have convictions for consensual activity formally extinguished.
■ Reforming capital gains tax and negative gearing. ■ Our 100,000 Homes for First Home Buyers program. ■ Our Help to Buy shared equity scheme. 5% DEPOSIT SCHEME
Our 5% deposit scheme means that if you don’t have a 20% deposit, you won’t have to pay lenders mortgage insurance. For a first home buyer purchasing the national median-priced home with a 5% deposit, that is an estimated saving of around $23,700.
SAVER SCHEME SCHEME FIRST HOME BUYERS’ SUPER SAVER
We have basic safety standards for cars, toys and food so we’re introducing basic standards for the online products we use every day. We’ve already legislated to create a world-leading social media age ban. Now we’re giving Australians more choice online through our draft Digital Duty of Care legislation. It will set minimum safety standards for online services such as games, apps and AI chatbots, to protect under-18s from material, conduct and features that are harmful including content that glorifies crime or life-endangering stunts, causes serious mental distress, encourages eating disorders, or promotes hostile attitudes towards women.
If you’re saving for a housing deposit you can grow your funds faster and pay less tax. The First Home Super Saver Scheme helps you save up to $50,000 in total through your super fund. You can contribute up to $15,000 per year.
Under the Digital Duty of Care, social media services will also be required to give users a choice over their default feed. My Feed, My Way means Australians over 16 will be able to choose whether they see recommended content as their primary feed, or the pages and people they choose to follow.
To find out more, scan the QR code:
The eSafety Commissioner will be given the power to issue removal notices for nudify apps or websites. Failure to comply with the Duty of Care could attract penalties of up to $109.2 million.
EXPANDING ROOFTOP ROOFTOP SOLAR SOLAR Thousands of farmers, community organisations and small businesses across Australia could save around 20 per cent on the installation costs of larger rooftop solar systems with the Albanese Government’s expanded Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme. Mid-scale solar systems are now eligible for support
1A Great Buckingham Street Redfern NSW 2016
To have your say on the Digital Duty of Care, scan above:
(02) 9379 0700
Tanya.Plibersek.MP@aph.gov.au
Authorised by T. Plibersek, ALP, 1a Great Buckingham Street, Redfern 2016
HubNEWS
Threats to defund Qtopia Sydney appoints arts leader student council Cecily Hardy as CEO over ‘intifada’ election ticket BY JACQUES NIEUWOUDT
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Photo: Supplied
BY CHLOE SARGEANT
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topia Sydney has announced Cecily Hardy as its new CEO, appointed to oversee the precinct’s next phase of development as a home for LGBTQIA+ history, culture and community. Hardy brings 20 years of experience across arts organisations, major festivals and community cultural projects. Her appointment also carries a personal connection to the history Qtopia preserves. “Qtopia Sydney exists because people fought to make sure our stories would be remembered,” Hardy said. “As the daughter of someone who protested one year on from 1978, that history matters deeply to me.” Qtopia occupies the former Darlinghurst Police Station, where those arrested during the 1978 march-turned-riot were detained. Hardy has worked as the CEO and Executive Producer of theatre company Legs On The Wall, the Executive Producer of the Festival of Dangerous Ideas, and Director of Public Programs at The Ethics Centre. She also worked on the Helpmann Award-winning Namatjira Project, which secured the return of Albert Namatjira’s copyright to his family. Her career has included touring work across
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Australia and internationally, and she recently helped Divine Playhouse navigate its controversial shutdown. “As Sydney loses queer spaces, Qtopia has a chance to be somewhere everyone in our communities can gather, create, look to the future, and feel safe,” Hardy said. Since opening in February 2024, Qtopia has presented exhibitions, performances and education programs celebrating LGBTQIA+ lives and preserving the community’s diverse history. Hardy said she wanted to build on that work while expanding opportunities for artists, audiences and communities to use the precinct.
Qtopia Sydney exists because people fought to make sure our stories would be remembered “I’m excited by what Qtopia Sydney can become as a cultural space people return to again and again,” she said. “There is enormous opportunity ahead to bring fresh energy, ideas and vision to the precinct, while staying firmly rooted in community, and recognising everything that has already been created here.”
he University of Sydney’s (USYD) Students' Representative Council (SRC) is speaking out following threats from the university to reassess its affiliation and funding of the group. It comes after USYD Chancellor David Thodey AO and ViceChancellor and President Professor Mark Scott released a statement condemning the SRC’s approval of an election ticket named ‘Globalise the Intifada’, which they dubbed “totally unacceptable” hate speech.
The University is vilifying and seeking to defund, and potentially take over, certain aspects of the SRC “We reject the contention that this phrase is innocuous,” the letter wrote. “The deliberately provocative use of this slogan has caused – and continues to cause – overwhelming distress to members of our University community. The letter went on to threaten disciplinary action against staff and students found in breach of policy, with several investigations
“already underway”. It also stated USYD would commission a number of independent reviews, including an assessment of campus security, the university’s existing code of conduct, and notably, its current affiliation and funding arrangements for SRC. On October 1, USYD’s SRC responded, publishing an open letter dubbed “Hands off our SRC”. The letter demanded the University not only respect the independence of the SRC, but also act on the referendum vote of 4,000+ undergraduate students, of which 90% voted in favour of cutting ties with complicit Israeli institutions and weapons companies. “The SRC maintaining independence from the University has ensured that it is able to serve students and run its campaigns, which often are necessarily against the University itself. Now, the University is vilifying and seeking to defund, and potentially take over, certain aspects of the SRC. “This flies in the face of the 2019 Model Code for the Protection of Freedom of Speech and Academic Freedom that the University of Sydney itself adopted, which makes clear that free speech – even when controversial, offensive, or challenging – should not be subject to university penalties.”
Photo: @src_usyd / Instagram
HubNEWS
Lord Mayor calls for ‘urgent’ data centre regulations BY JOANNA YANG
Photo: Stephen Markham / AAP
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ord Mayor Clover Moore is urging the NSW government to develop a statewide planning framework for data centres, which many believe is long overdue. “One functional, data centres employ few, and the streets surrounding them become devoid of activity. It does not make sense to sacrifice scarce inner-city land, better allocated to housing or job-rich businesses,” Moore told City Hub. “We welcome a nationally coordinated approach, which will hopefully prevent an all out raceto-the-bottom where states lower standards to attract investment.” Moore said. Sydney does not have any regulations that prevent developers from building data centres in and near residential areas. Balmain MP Kobi Shetty has spoken out to say that data centres need to be far away from
that by 2030, data centres in Sydney will consume 11% of our grid-electricity and 20% of our drinking water. OUTRAGE OVER PROPOSED LANE COVE CENTRE A proposed data centre in Lane Cove would come within 16 metres of homes, and residents have furiously spoken out about it.
Data centres need to
city centres and residential areas. “Data centres need to be located away from residential homes, schools, and sensitive bushland or rivers," Shetty told City Hub. "It’s the local communities who will pay the price of this poor planning for years to come.” The responsibility of introducing new rules falls to the state
government as local communities do not have the ability to impose new restrictions due to these developments being considered state significant. Sydney MP Alex Greenwich has said he supports a state government bill for renewable energy to power these facilities. The Energy Regulator and Sydney Water project states
be located away from residential homes, schools, and sensitive bushland or rivers The developers for the proposed data centre have received strong opposition from local residents and senators. In Victoria, data centres are banned in residential areas, have to use renewable energy, and contribute to the community.
Has a stray kitty stolen your heart? The Cat Protection Society of NSW can help you with affordable options to get them healthy & safe, and to become a part of your family. Don’t delay, call the Cat Protection Society today on 9519 7201 or visit catprotection.org.au
Cat Of The Month Name: TOMMY | Age: 4 years (est) Sex & Colour: Male Black & White DMH You’re in for a treat with Tommy! This furbulous fluffy guy is always on the lookout for cuddles and loves to show his appreciation with plenty of purrs. A chatty kitty who enjoys deep and meaningful discussions, Tommy likes to speak his mind with many meows. This gentle boy is always ready to leap into the nearest lap and snuggle away but he is equally passionate about playtime. He is hoping for an experienced cat guardian who can monitor his health and provide a stress-free environment for Tommy to thrive in. He is best suited to a relaxed indoor-only forever home so his medication and diet can be monitored. No doubt about it, Tommy ticks all the boxes, you’ll love spending your life with him!
INTERESTED IN ADOPTING? visit www.catprotection.org.au Rehoming Organisation Number: R251000224 CITY HUB NOVEMBER 2026
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HubNEWS
Olly Arkins unanimously elected as Deputy Lord Mayor of Sydney BY JACQUES NIEUWOUDT
Arkins spearheaded the City of Sydney's new sourcing framework, which will require staff to better justify the $1 billion in council services being outsourced this term. She also initiated the City's creative and nightlife concierge, a front-door service for creatives and nightlife businesses in need of support and for people to pay for parking via an app.
Photo: Supplied / Wikimedia Commons
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irst-term Labor Councillor, Olly Arkins, has been unanimously elected as the Deputy Lord Mayor of Sydney, making her the first openly trans person elected to the City of Sydney. Despite Arkins’ election marking a tremendous victory for the LGBTQIA+ community, the Councillor has made clear that her commitment is to Sydney, and her election will be a win for all who call the vibrant city home. According to Arkins, her four major priorities as Deputy Lord Mayor will be affordable housing; for Council services to be delivered in-house by City staff, rather than for-profit contractors; the fruition of Special Entertainment Precincts; and finding a permanent home for fbi radio, an independent, not-forprofit community radio station supporting emerging artists in Sydney.
I'm ready to get
"We can take our place as a global city, while deeply respecting our history – particularly that of First Nations people, whose culture should be at the forefront of how we set policy,” said Arkins. "I'm ready to get to work on making Sydney a city that's easy
and enjoyable to live in, and one people around the world are desperate to visit.” Since her election to Council in 2024, Arkins has been noted for introducing Special Entertainment Precincts, extending library opening hours during exam seasons, and investing in affordable housing.
Local Sydney businesses forced to raise prices amidst card surcharge ban BY JACQUES NIEUWOUDT
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number of Sydney businesses have expressed concern over the recent card surcharge ban, noting they will likely have to raise prices or find other ways to pass the cost onto consumers. It follows The Reserve Bank of Australia’s (RBA) decision to modify surcharge rules nation-wide “in the public interest”. These modifications subsequently allowed Visa, Mastercard, and Eftpos card networks to ban card surcharges from 1 October 2026. Crucially, while businesses can no longer charge customers for opting to pay by card under the new rules, businesses will still incur costs when accepting card payments, as the intermediaries of these card networks 10 CITY HUB NOVEMBER 2026
charge fees to process and secure each transaction. Consequently, the Australia Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) had advised businesses that would like to recover the cost of accepting card payments to do so by incorporating that cost into their overall pricing.
We simply would not survive the changes without increasing our prices Bhavani Baumann, founder of the Chippendale Hotel’s Mama B’s, told City Hub that while they used to pass on a merchant fee of 1.54% to customers paying
to work on making Sydney a city that's easy and enjoyable to live in Arkins is Deputy Chair of the Cultural, Creative and Nightlife Committee, and Co-Chair of the Creative and Nightlife Advisory Panel. She has served as a board member of Local Government NSW since 2025.
Photo: Unzer Berlin / Pexels
by card, they’ve since had to up the price of all their offerings. “We have had to make small increases across the food and drinks menu,” said Baumann. “We simply would not survive the changes without increasing our prices. For us it would have been tens of thousands a year in lost revenue. It's already hard to make a profit with everything else going up in price. According to the Darlinghurst Business Partnership (DBP), other businesses more fearful of raising their prices are entirely unsure what to do. “This is going to cost us thousands of dollars a year, and of course we will look for a way to pass that onto the customer, but it’s very difficult to raise prices in an economy like this,” said a spokesperson for DBP.
PETS PALACE ��
Come and say hello We are proudly local, genuinely friendly, and passionate about your pets — because they are family too! We bring you the best quality and prices for retail products for dogs and cats. Quality products at great prices for dogs and cats, including clothing, toys, beds, bowls, collars, treats, and flea & worming protection — plus more in-store and online. This is paired with personalised doggy daycare and exclusive homebased dog stays. A refined, one-on-one care in a calm, home environment. No cages. No commercial facilities. STORE TRADING HOURS: 8am till 7:15pm DOGGY DAY CARE: 7:00am till 7:00pm. ALL DAYS OF THE WEEK
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0411 560 599
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Shop 28/617-627 King Street NEWTOWN NSW 2042
To us, Pilates isn’t just an exercise; It’s a foundation for a life lived to its fullest potential—and that’s what we want for you. Often described as a sanctuary in Pyrmont, our personalised Studio Sessions, led by dedicated and highly-qualified Instructors, ensure that every movement is in alignment with your unique needs and goals. Our clients range in age from just 13 to 86 years young and include those wanting to move more freely and with confidence, people rehabilitating from injuries, individuals managing conditions such as MS, Parkinsons and Scoliosis, and athletes and dancers looking to enhance their training. No matter whether you’re a seasoned Pilates attendee or considering it for the first time, we’d love to welcome you into our studio to become a part of our community.
EXPERIENCE THE DIFFERENCE
PERSONALISED PILATES CAN MAKE At Sense of Power Pilates, we believe Pilates is more than exercise — it’s the foundation for a healthier, stronger and more confident you. Our personalised Studio Sessions are tailored to your individual needs by highly qualified Instructors. No matter whether you’re new to Pilates, recovering from injury, managing a health condition, or simply wanting to move with greater ease, we’re here to help you achieve your goals.
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Suite 4/181 Harris St, Pyrmont NSW 2009 CITY HUB NOVEMBER 2026
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COFFIN ED’S NAKED CITY
AN ODE TO PARRAMATTA ROAD F
ormer NSW premier Jack Lang described it as the “varicose vein” of Sydney and for most presentday Sydneysiders it spells endless traffic congestion, billowing diesel fumes, gaudy advertising signage and the occasional semi derelict building. Parramatta Road, which links our CBD with the would-be metropolis of Parramatta, is probably the most maligned stretch of road in Greater Sydney. Yet beyond that popular stigma there is a real and engaging tale to be told – and social researcher and author Heather L. Jones does just that in her brand new book ‘Parramatta Road: Dark Tales, Vanished Icons, History and Legend’. Heather is no stranger to exploring the mean streets of Sydney and has previously written about King Street Newtown and Glebe Point Road. The result is a fascinating excursion into the history and culture of the road, written with a great deal of affection and backed up with lots of detectivelike research. It’s not all hugs and kisses, of course, and Heather is quick to point out the dark side. “I set out with the central ethos of ‘make me love you’ and I uncovered a silent stalwart, a road that asks for nothing back, but which had a major role in supporting Sydney as it grew into a major world city,” she notes. “On balance, the good far outweighs the bad, but as with all things, crime did darken its length.” There’s a good historical background to the road which Heather notes as being born “as an ancient path trodden by the countless Eora and Dharug Nations for countless generations”. From there we learn of its growth in the 1800s as a major transportation route and the various commercial enterprises that sprung up alongside in the ensuing decades. 12 CITY HUB NOVEMBER 2026
Heather Jones
Heather writes of the many wonderful milk bars and picture theatres that fronted the thoroughfare in the '50s and the influence of post war migration that led to the incredible cultural diversity of the surrounding suburbs today. No history of Parra Rd would be complete without coverage of the motor dealerships, flogging both new and used vehicles as well as the motor inns and hotels. Not surprisingly she devotes a good chunk of the book to the rock pubs and other warehouse style venues which once dotted the road and its immediate side streets – the Annandale Hotel, the Lansdowne, the Phoenician Club, the Petersham Inn and the Bald-Faced Stag - to mention just a few. I put it to her that as buildings are demolished and areas redeveloped, aren’t we losing not
only the bricks and concrete but much of the history behind it? She replied: “That is part of the reason I wrote this book – there are huge development changes coming to
Parramatta Road and I wanted to preserve an accessible record of what it had been and some interesting points of interest. If done sensitively, the new development could help to preserve the old, while blending it with new ways of living and giving the road new life – think about the apartment blocks that are built within and behind the facades of old buildings now.” Rather than rely on photographic records, Heather has chosen to illustrate with her own engaging pen and ink drawings, evoking a real nostalgia for the old movie houses and milk bars that were once the prominent landmarks. Heather obviously has a great passion for Sydney’s Inner West, admitting she “never grows tired of unearthing new dark history nuggets from Sydney’s Inner West and sharing them with others.” She is already planning to make her next book another self-guided walks book like ‘Ten Walks of Terror’, which she wrote for those walking around Leichhardt, Annandale and Lilyfield. If you would like to pick up a copy of this highly entertaining book, ‘Parramatta Road – Dark Tales, Vanished Icons, History & Legend’ is available from Berkelouw Leichhardt or via darktales.com.au.
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‘PROMISED THE COMMUNITY’ KOBI SHETTY IS STILL FIGHTING FOR THE POWERHOUSE
Government as much as possible to make sure that they follow through with their commitment.”
BY WILL THORPE
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ince her election in 2023, MP for Balmain Kobi Shetty has taken a keen interest in the future of the Powerhouse Museum in Ultimo. “As soon as I was elected, I knew it was my responsibility to take up the mantle on behalf of the local community,” the Greens member said. The Minns Government has been conducting a major renovation of the site since early 2024. The Wran Building, built in 1988 with a curved roof of steel and glass, was recently demolished. Having pledged to “save” the iconic structure before the 2023 election, the Government says that it will be rebuilt largely as it was. “They should have refurbished it. But like a lot of renovation projects, once you start knocking things down… you find huge amounts of contamination, and that's what they're dealing with. I think they've wasted a huge amount of money, and now they're trying to figure out how to proceed when it's going to cost them a lot more.” The Sydney institution is located directly across from Shetty’s electorate. She and independent MP Alex Greenwich have worked together to scrutinise potential threats to its survival. AN UNENDING FIGHT In September, the Sydney Morning Herald reported that the Government was considering whether to curtail upgrades. Options reportedly included the sale of the Harwood Building, selling the museum after upgrades bring it up to present standards, or the mothballing of the entire landmark. 16 CITY HUB NOVEMBER 2026
Labor have a responsibility now to deliver what they had committed to when they were in opposition… They promised the community, and they need to deliver Shetty is not surprised that the museum’s future is still an issue, six years after the Berejiklian Government abandoned plans to sell it completely. Rather, she is “just disappointed and frustrated alongside thousands of people in the community who thought that they had won that initial battle, but have unfortunately continued to have to campaign to save it time and time again.” “Labor have a responsibility now to deliver what they had committed to when they were in opposition,” says Shetty. “They promised the community, and they need to deliver.”
“We were initially told that it would open again in 2026 or 2027. That time is upon us now, and it looks like, even if they do proceed, it is not going to be open until 2029.” Shetty said that locals have been “amazing” in their support since 2015, when the Baird government initially announced its intention to sell the institution. “We've run petitions, we've had letter-writing campaigns, and we've really gotten together and tried to put the pressure on the
TREASURED MEMORIES “I took my kids to the Powerhouse when they were little,” said Shetty. “We went to the Wiggles exhibition… and they marvelled at the amazing engines, the steam engine, the seaplane hanging from the roof… “It was a really special moment for us to walk around and see all these incredible pieces of historical machinery.” A NSW Government spokesperson said in September that it “is committed to the Powerhouse Museum, including the Wran Building reopening in Ultimo.” “The NSW Treasury review is considering the future operating model for the Powerhouse in its entirety, and options to deliver a museum in Ultimo that meets community needs and expectations.” The Save the Powerhouse campaign told City Hub that “the Government should immediately stop its so-called revitalisation project which will never deliver a genuine museum, and engage with museum and heritage experts to design a project that will deliver a true museum of applied arts and sciences.”
The Powerhouse Museum in Ultimo is an iconic cultural and historic landmark that deserves to be protected. Disappointingly, that hasn’t stopped the NSW Labor Government from considering, in secret, to sell off some Powerhouse buildings and stop the heritage revitalisation of our beloved museum. We cannot let this happen. The NSW Labor Government needs to keep their promise and protect and restore this incredible public institution.
SAVE THE POWERHOUSE ULTIMO
By coming together we’ve saved the Powerhouse from sale and demolition in the past, now we need to do it again. Show your support by signing our petition to stop the sell-off. SCAN TO SAVE THE POWERHOUSE ULTIMO
Governments should protect people from gambling harm. Disappointingly the NSW Labor Government has failed to do that, with gambling losses skyrocketing. NSW residents are on track to lose $10 billion a year to gambling. We have the highest number of poker machines per capita of any jurisdiction on earth, and gambling advertising remains widespread – exposing children and young people to harm. A better way is possible. We have a plan to get pokies out of our pubs and clubs, and to ban gambling advertising. Show your support by signing our petition.
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As always, if you have any questions or concerns, I’m here to help 02 9660 7586
balmain@parliament.nsw.gov.au
Shops 1 & 2, 201-205 Glebe Point Road, Glebe 2037 kobishetty.org.au Authorised by Kobi Shetty MP. Funded using Parliamentary entitlements. October 2026.
HubARTS
NAZA
A remarkable, fearless, must-watch documentation of modern genocide (See p.21) REVIEW
THE ELEVATOR:
DESCENDING DOWN THE CORPORATE LADDER BY NAOMI LAWRENCE ickedly sharp and tense, The Elevator is an increasingly relevant satire about what it means to claw your way to the top of the corporate ladder, even if it takes a while to get there. Written by Eloise Snape and directed by Anthea Williams, the world premiere at Ensemble Theatre traps three women inside an AIoperated lift as Eco Engines faces their latest PR nightmare. Margot (Leeanna Walsman), the newly returned CEO and even newer mother, is left to clean up the mess after one of the company’s self-driving cars, powered by TAURUS, the company’s AI model,
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hits a man and leaves him critically injured. She and new marketing head Alison (Shirong Wu) are scrambling over a suitably sanitised statement when they get stuck with Ollie (Di Adams), an otherwise invisible building facilities worker. Beyond skewering big corporations, greenwashing and AI, The Elevator is a compelling character study that eventually becomes something much more sinister, as Snape delves into what it takes for women to make it to the top and the humanity that has to be shed to stay there. The writing is strongest when Snape lets the tension do the
Photo: Prudence Upton
work, but the first half takes some getting used to as the cast finds its rhythm. As dialogue occasionally feels more written than lived-in, jokes land awkwardly and some bigger ideas arrive with the subtlety of a corporate presentation, The Elevator pushes a little too hard, initially. But once it gets going – or halts, actually – and the trio’s chemistry grows considerably as the walls close in, the show hooks you into something that feels deliciously foreboding. Walsman brings Margot to life
with an icy, calculated presence. Her eventual breakdown, a devastating reckoning confronting everything she’s sacrificed to become a CEO and what that has cost her as a mother, is one of the show’s strongest moments without ever becoming an excuse for her actions. While The Elevator has some pacing flaws, its strongest moments hit hard. It raises sharp questions about corporate greed and the true cost of success, proving that Eloise Snape is a playwright to watch.
REVIEW
THE UNFRIEND: STC ELEVATES THIS FARCE BEYOND ITS LIMITS
BY JOSH KERWICK oliteness is a foundational element of cultural norms in England, but to whose benefit is this etiquette, really? Taking this question to its absurd endpoint is the goal of Steven Moffat’s The Unfriend, a farcical play that lambasts the limits of British politeness in the face of an American who has very little interest in upholding these unspoken rules—and some of the written ones, too. It is a fun show that is entertainingly written, with its sharp dialogue delivered brilliantly by its cast. That said, there are signs of unevenness that betray it as the work of a first-time playwright—at times, it does feel more like a television script reworked for the stage. Peter (Tim Walter) and Debbie
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Photo: Prudence Upton
(Alex Lee) are an archetypically British couple on a cruise, which is where they meet and make “travel friends” with the eclectic Elsa Jean Krakowski (Helen Thomson), an extremely forthcoming and blunt American. Elsa suggests they stay in contact should they ever be in each other’s neck of the woods—and wouldn’t you know
it, soon enough, she’s knocking at their door to stay a week. Yet just before she arrives, Peter and Debbie make the mistake of googling Elsa and uncover some… troubling revelations about her. As they grapple with the potential truth about Elsa, she ingratiates herself into the family’s life and takes a particular liking to their
children Alex (Ty Arnott) and Rosie (Brooklyn Davies). Will Peter and Debbie be able to bring it up, or will the customs of British politeness get in the way? It is a simple, delightful setup that feels like the worst kind of “what if” scenario come true, only exacerbated by the inability of these very British characters to actually confront the situation before them. The outlandish cringe comedy that comes with Elsa’s existence is entertaining, but this deeply uncomfortable interpersonal relationship was the most effective part of The Unfriend to me, while being as funny as the rest of the show. However, I do find myself wishing Moffat had embraced such subtleties throughout the rest of the script as well.
HubARTS
BY JACQUES NIEUWOUDT ydney’s annual Sculpture by the Sea will return from 16 October until 2 November, transforming Bondi’s coastal walk into a 2km long, free public exhibition. While the oceanside cliffs are arguably artwork in their own right, what better time to visit this salt-sprayed scenic route than when the trail is dotted with some of the most challenging, absurd, and amusing objects made by human hands? Of course, you don’t have to take our word for it. We’ll
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HandToMouse. While Nathan pays tribute to a natural gem, namely the kind you can’t seem to get out of your car, our next artist has chosen another kind of shard, a fragmentation instead made by man. In Both Sides Now, 20year career journalist Paul Ewart transfers his extensive knowledge of conflict, competing perspectives, and political polarisation into something unexpected: a gigantic, dualfaced head made entirely out of mirrors. Our final artist
Photo: Supplied
be hearing from three of the spectacular Sydney artists to be featured in this year’s festival, who will explain exactly why their donation to the exhibition is not to be missed. Care to join us? Have you ever dreamed of paying five cents to step into a shipping container and admire a grain of sand? Neither have I. But according to Bondi artist Nathan Don, AKA Procrastinatedon, it is “without question, the greatest grain of sand you will ever pay to see”. According to the 32-year-old UNSW Art & Design alumni, ‘Procrastinatedon’ is the art he makes when he is meant to be running his brand studio,
to be featured in this year’s Sculpture by the Sea is none other than Julian Pereira. A 2015 Design in Architecture graduate from the University of Sydney, Julian’s work largely explores ideas of accessibility and inclusion in public space. His latest sculpture is no different. In Atlas (The Endurer), Julian reimagines the Greek Titan as a dad lifting a pram, the steel-cut stick figure distinctly resembling the minimalist motifs found on toilet and accessibility signage. According to Julian, the artwork is designed to invite audiences to consider how people respond when built environments create barriers.
Photo: Odessa Jones
MEET THE SYDNEY ARTISTS BEHIND BONDI’S SEASIDE SCULPTURES
BEN LEE CURATES DAY OF LIVE LOCAL MUSIC AT NEW INNER WEST FEST
BY JONAH KEARNS nner West Ale Trail is launching its biggest festival to date this month – the 'Made in the Inner West' Festival – which also features a day of live local music curated by Ben Lee. This massive 10-day festival celebrates the unique creative culture of the Inner West, as the best-known breweries, musicians and independent makers from the neighbourhood join forces. Ben Lee will curate and headline a free, one-day progressive live music showcase on Saturday, November 7. He will perform across four breweries, alongside his favourite up-and-coming Inner West artists. Running from November 6 to 15, the Inner West Ale Trail brings together 13 local breweries and 13 independent businesses. The result is a series of exclusive limited-edition beer collaborations. Some standout pairings include Grifter and A.P Bakery's mashup, Heaps Normal teaming up with Mapo Gelato, and Young Henry partnering with Reverse Garbage. With bakers, gelato makers, cafes, and distillers collaborating, expect the unexpected with these unique combinations! Richard Adamson, President of the Inner West Brewers' Association, says the festival is all about bringing favourite local businesses together to try something different. "There's no shortage of people doing great things in the Inner
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Photo: Casey Garnsey
West, whether it's food, music, art or beer...That's what makes this festival exciting!" To encourage exploration across the neighbourhood, festivalgoers can collect stamps in a "Made in the Inner West" passport with each brewery visit. Collecting ten stamps earns a limited-edition tote bag featuring artwork by Aidan Howes. More festival prizes will also be up for grabs. This event is completely free to attend, with family-friendly and dog-friendly venues participating. Full line-up of collaborators: Grifter X A.P Bakery Heaps Normal X Mapo Gelato Young Henrys X Reverse Garbage Bracket X Miss Sina Mixtape X Field & Fin Kicks X Wood Roaster Coffee Pickled Monkey X Donut Garage Hopsters X Epic Pizza Sauce X Jungle HQ Record Bar Batch X Marricks Cafe Future X Halo Print Chuck & Son’s X Hickson House Distilling Sydney Brewery Rozelle X Red Mill Rum CITY HUB NOVEMBER 2026 19
HubARTS
NSW LIVE MUSIC INDUSTRY CELEBRATES LANDMARK LEGISLATION
Photo: Caleb Oquendo / Pexels
BY SOPHIE GLYNN n 23 September, Parliament passed a music bill to protect live music in NSW in what has been described as a “world first” to protect NSW’s music industry. John Graham, the Minister for Music and the Night-time Economy, has just announced the new legislation under the passed Contemporary Music Act 2026. He says that it will provide “vital protections for our music industry, an industry which was smashed by lockouts, lockdowns, and overregulation”. Amongst the changes, this legislation will establish a Music Venue Recognition Scheme, which will likely come into effect by the end of 2026. This scheme will categorise venues as ‘dedicated’, ‘significant’ or ‘live music’ venues to ensure they receive the right government support, such as through grants or extended trading hours. Graham said that there will also be “common-sense changes, like updating the definition of concerts so smaller events aren’t wrongly classified as large-scale music festivals and slugged with more red tape”. The legislation aims to prevent the unfair cancellation of outdoor events, including music festivals, due to unpredictable occurrences such as sudden
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bursts of sound or gusts of wind. The Act will establish a new noise assessment methodology for outdoor events to improve this, based on an average over time metric. The music bill has also introduced tailored dispute resolution support, which will give qualifying venues free mediation support from the NSW Small Business Commission. The NSW Government will also establish legislation to end music genre-based discrimination so that state government agencies and local councils cannot make decisions on live music events by the genre performed. This music bill falls under the Minns Labor Government’s NSW Contemporary Music Strategy, which is the 10-year plan to protect and strengthen the NSW music industry. The strategy was launched in 2024, with a vision of NSW’s music industry being better, bigger and stronger by 2034. “These laws mean we can now invite an extra Sydney-based artist to join our All-Australian lineup on Foreverafter—a big gig we’re curating at the Carriageworks in January,” said Julian Hamilton, Australian singer-songwriter and member of the ARIA Award-winning electronic duo, The Presets.
BEVERLY BUTTERCUP RETIRES FROM COMMUNITY RADIO BY JOANNA YANG significant chapter in Sydney's community radio history is coming to an end, with Western Sydney’s beloved radio presenter, Beverly Buttercup ending her show after nearly 30 years. Her show on 89.3FM, CampAir, has been a platform for LGBTQIA+ voices, stories, and issues for Western Sydney. The final CampAir program aired on October 5, produced by Glenn Whitfield and Buttercup, with presenters Justin Scott, Pomara Fifth, and Marilyn Mootrub. In a press release, Buttercup thanked and acknowledged the many volunteers, producers, presenters, and listeners the show has had over the years. “Every single person who has been part of these programs has helped create a very special part of Western Sydney’s LGBTQIA+ community history,” she said. Her LGBTQIA+ community radio programs included Queer Out West, Queer Radio, Pride Radio, and CampAIR. Queer Out West won the DIVA Award in 2007, and was nominated in 2011, 2023, and 2026. Beverly Buttercup started her drag career in 1992 and quickly established herself as one of the most popular acts in Western Sydney. Her accomplishments include winning the ACON Community Service Award in 1998 and World Aid Day Partnership Award in 1999. She’s also a threetime DIVA Award winner. Beverly is now stepping down from her presenter role at
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Photos: via Beverly Buttercup website
89.3FM because she hopes to make way for new LGBTQIA+ voices. “Moving forward, I would love to encourage people from the LGBTQIA+ community and the wider community across Western Sydney, Liverpool and Fairfield who have something to contribute to consider getting involved with 89.3FM 2GLF. “You don’t have to have a radio background. You might have an idea for a program, a passion you’d like to share, music you love, a community organisation you’d like to promote, or simply something you think people would enjoy hearing about. “Anyone can put forward an idea for a program.” She asks that the new generation pitch their radio program ideas to: office@893fm.com.au. Beverly Buttercup says she is looking forward to a long, much-deserved break and spending time with family.
HubARTS REVIEW
Photo: NAZA film poster
NAZA: A FEARLESS DOCUMENTATION OF MODERN GENOCIDE BY JOSH KERWICK ecently, news broke that Google Maps had updated its aerial photographs of Gaza for the first time since 2023. These fresh aerial views don't confirm anything new—Israel’s genocidal campaign on the Gaza Strip is well documented at this point— but comparing the before and after photos paints a haunting picture of the devastation at scale. It’s been easy to think of Palestinian suffering and Israel’s genocidal apparatus in the abstract. That's precisely why NAZA, a stunning documentary from Oscar-winning filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, is so important. It turns an eye
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onto those within the machinery of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) who have helped to cultivate this unspeakable crime against humanity. Put in the simplest terms, NAZA is an act of journalistic bravery. Shot almost entirely on the rooftops of Tel Aviv at night, the film sees director Abraham directly interviewing 24 members of the IDF who have had a direct hand in either enabling or directly perpetrating the genocide in Gaza. Some are those who have bombed hundreds, if not thousands; others are the architects of the AI-based systems that Israeli forces use to track the movements of every
man, woman and child in Gaza. One of the most harrowing scenes comes towards the end of the film, when one of the soldiers freely admits that what Israel is doing is genocide. He admits that he ‘understands’ what the Nazis felt—how they were able to carry out the Holocaust and still return home to normal lives despite the unspeakable violence. “I still think those Nazis are evil,” he confides in the camera, “but what does that mean I am?”
When Abraham asks him directly if he ever considered his actions wrong while he was carrying them out, he admits he did not. Such disturbing honesty is what will ensure that NAZA remains an essential text in the documenting of this modern genocide and place it on the right side of history in the years to come.
NAZA is in Australian cinemas from 15 October and will be available on The Guardian website in late November.
REVIEW
THE LOVE HYPOTHESIS TRUSTS THE FORMULA BY NAOMI LAWRENCE harming and cheesy, The Love Hypothesis is a fun rom-com that delivers more than expected, even in its haste. Directed by Claire Scanlon, the film follows Olive (Lili Reinhart), a PhD student who ends up fake-dating notoriously no-nonsense professor Adam (Tom Bateman), or as his students call him, ‘Dr. Evil’, for their own mutually beneficial reasons. Olive wants to convince her best friend Anh (Rachel Marsh) that she’s moved on from a crush, while Adam needs to convince the university board that he’s got enough personal ties to get his research grant renewed. Thus begins their experiment, and a film chockfull of cliches done well enough. For those unfamiliar, the film is adapted from Ali Hazelwood’s New York Times bestseller, which originally began as
Photo: TMDB
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Star Wars fanfiction—more specifically, a 'Reylo' story centred on Kylo Ren and Rey. Yup, another addition to the growing pantheon of fanficturned-cinema adaptations. And honestly, the result’s not bad. Sure, the brooding professor and awkward sunshine pairing is hardly new, but the film brings enough charm and silliness to keep things entertaining.
Most notably, it centres around Olive and Anh’s friendship in a way that feels genuinely refreshing, and without immediately failing the Bechdel test. It also helps that The Love Hypothesis occasionally goes somewhere a little more interesting than expected, clumsily bringing the difficulties of being a woman in science into focus.
The academia of it all may not exactly hold up to scrutiny, but it does give the film something more to chew on beyond its standard tropes. Overall, it’s most definitely the cast that sells the movie, lending enough depth to the material and keeping the characters from becoming total caricatures. The biggest issue with the film is its pacing. Some of the character development and bigger moments seem to happen off-screen or not at all, leaving the romance feeling rushed and the film overall incomplete. Still, The Love Hypothesis is funny, cute and ridiculously easy to watch—it’s a surprisingly decent and fun rom-com.
The Love Hypothesis is available to stream on Prime Video now. CITY HUB NOVEMBER 2026 21
HubARTS REVIEW
DIGGER: TOM CRUISE-LED ECOSATIRE IS MORE INTRIGUING THAN ENTERTAINING BY JOSH KERWICK bizarre film with all the subtlety of a shovel to the face, Alejandro González Iñárritu’s Digger is nonetheless an utterly fascinating film to behold. It’s an ecosatire in the vein of Dr. Strangelove that doesn’t quite possess that film’s elegance, and Digger almost seems to be satirising itself at times with its unmarketed framing device. It’s still hard for me to say if I liked the film, but it did consistently hold my interest thanks to a delirious (complimentary) Tom Cruise performance and a truly gonzo way of framing its own existence. It’s a deeply uneven work that some will find engaging, and I suspect even more will find frustrating—but either way, your feelings on it are practically guaranteed to be strong. Digger Rockwell (Cruise) is a megalomaniac oil magnate who, after ignoring several warning signs, becomes responsible for an unspeakable ecological disaster. It now falls on him to save the
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Photo: TMDB
world he is ruining, alongside the geriatric President Compson (John Goodman) and Ganesh (Riz Ahmed), a meek scientist in his employ. The heavy-handed commentary is anchored by a remarkably committed performance from Cruise, who swings for
the fences in a bet that mostly pays off. It’s been a while since the man has really thrown himself into a role this challenging, utilising both his natural intensity and surprising penchant for comedy to his advantage across the film’s runtime. Not since Tropic Thunder do I think Cruise has played a character so obviously against his type, and it’s not hard to see he’s having a blast in Digger’s boots. It’s especially fun to see him interact with a well-cast group of buffoons—Goodman’s President Compson is an especially funny scene partner for him, as is the particularly great Ahmed. Despite its myriad flaws, the film nonetheless intrigues enough with the sheer audacity of its existence. Digger may not be a great film, but it is an interesting one overall. So, for that reason alone, it is certainly worth giving it a shot to see how you feel about it.
Digger is in cinemas now.
BRITISH FILM FEST IS BACK, GRITTY, WITTY, & TRUTHFUL AS EVER BY MARK MORELLINI he Russell Hobbs British Film Festival returns this year with a program of 34 of Britain’s finest films, from witty comedies to gritty dramas, showcasing the work of acclaimed and new directors. British cinema tells stories of strong people and their daily lives, portrayed truthfully; in a manner which will stay with viewers long after they leave. “I look for quality films with original stories that I believe will resonate with Australian audiences. It is very exciting being able to showcase the best of contemporary British cinema and discovering new festival favourites,” explained Festival Director, Kim Petalas. Many of Britain’s finest stars will grace the screens at the festival, including Dame Helen Mirren, Sir Ian McKellen, Olivia Colman, Bill Nighy and Saoirse Ronan.
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Moviegoers who enjoy world cinema should attend this film festival, as they will have the opportunity to watch British films months before they hit mainstream cinemas – and some may not reach them at all.
Photo: IMDb
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With so many films on offer Petalas believes there are two films which should be unexpected word-of-mouth hits. “A Talent For Murder starring Helen Mirren is a classy thriller with many twists and very clever dialogue. [And] Saoirse Ronan returns as a primary school teacher who kidnaps her disruptive student in Bad Apples, a dark comedic satirical thriller.”
Colman, who stars in the raunchy and irresistible fable Wicker, is in great demand in films and television dramas. “Olivia is an incredible actress who thrives across all roles, comedy, romance and drama. She has become the face of quality British cinema. She chooses her roles carefully and you can be assured that if Olivia Colman is in the film, you will be in for a treat.”
Savage House: a clever class satire set in 18th century England concerning rebellion and class-climbing chaos. Butterfly Stroke: Judy Davis portrays an ex-swimming champion who seeks assisted dying in Switzerland. The Incomer: a satirical comedy about two siblings who live on a remote and abandoned Scottish Isle whose serenity is threatened. The British Film Festival is on from Oct 28 – Nov 29 at all Palace Cinemas.
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