State government triples its funding for live music venues
(See p.8)
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APOLOGY
City Hub extends an wholehearted apology for the error on our September cover, where the Aboriginal flag was printed upside down.
We acknowledge the harm this error caused, and unreservedly apologise to all Aboriginal peoples – in particular, the Gadigal people, the Traditional Custodians of the land we live and work on, and was pictured on the cover.
We deeply regret this error, and City Hub commits to taking greater care going forward to ensure this mistake does not occur again.
HubNEWS
Frustration as Sydney Metro extension hindered
BY WILL THORPE
The final portion of the Sydney Metro North West & Bankstown Line has hit another obstacle, as it’s revealed that there are insufficient fire hydrants on station platforms.
Running from Sydenham to Bankstown, it was initially intended to carry passengers this year, after the extension from Chatswood opened in August 2024. However, it has been beset by delays and frustrations, including becoming mired in the long-running industrial dispute which gripped the railways.
On 1 September, Sydney Morning Herald reported that Fire and Rescue NSW was concerned about “excessive intervention times” to conflagrations at stations. Up to 211 metres of hose would be necessary to reach the far end of platforms, with the worst case being at Wiley Park.
Stations between Sydenham and Bankstown, which were previously on the suburban system, are expected to reopen for Metro services in mid-to-late 2026.
The final extension utilises the bulk portion of the Bankstown line, which closed for conversion in September last year. The stations which Fire and Rescue NSW are concerned about opened between 1895 and 1938. Fire and Rescue NSW first advised that hydrants be installed during the conversion in 2018.
A typical station platform in Sydney is about 160 metres long. A single hose length is 30 metres.
Speaking to City Hub, a Sydney Metro spokesperson did not directly address the concerns. “Safety is the highest priority of Sydney Metro and we continue to engage with the Office of the
National Safety Regulator and emergency services ahead of opening the Southwest Metro – just as was the case before opening the city section of the M1 Line last year.”
RESIDENTS INCONVENIENCED BY DELAYS
Trains have been replaced by free replacement buses, named Southwest Link, for the duration of the closure. In many cases, these take substantially longer as they wind through the suburban streets.
“The constant disruptions to regular train timetables have also been massively inconvenient, and at times doubled my travel time.”
A Maroubra resident who frequently passes through the area said that the “traffic near those stations” is far greater than when they were open.
“Also, there is constant road work which adds to traffic.”
Since the city entered an infrastructure boom in the early-mid 2010s, Sydneysiders have become accustomed to uncertainty surrounding major projects. Last year, the Minns Government even mulled the cancellation of the underconstruction Sydney Metro West project, before deciding to press ahead.
One Dulwich Hill resident told this masthead that the station being a 10-minute walk away was “a massive part of the reason” for her moving there in the first place.
“The promised Metro opening in first late 2024, then early 2025, and now 2026, would have made my commute to Chatswood to tutor not take over an hour,” she said. “I ended up having to quit that job because the travel time was unsustainable and far too long without the trains running.”
In 2022, it was revealed that the Bankstown line conversion was delayed by a minimum of one year owing to the pandemic, industrial disputation and adverse weather. Before this, the entire Metro project was expected to be completed in 2024.
If Sydneysiders have been frustrated by such impediments, it has not dampened their sentiments: there was widespread jubilation when Sydney Metro City opened last year, which was reaffirmed in August on its first birthday.
Photo: Sydney Metro / Facebook
All charges dropped against Hannah Thomas
BY LYDIA JUPP
Hannah Thomas, who was injured and arrested at a pro-Palestine protest in June, has had all charges against her dropped, and will sue the NSW Police for their actions.
The 35-year-old was one of five protesters arrested at an early morning pro-Palestine protest in June at SEC Plating in Belmore, with lawyers alleging she was punched in the face by a police officer.
Subsequently, Thomas was taken to hospital where she required emergency surgery. She has since undergone another round of surgery, and may permanently lose vision in her right eye.
Outside Bankstown local court on September 9, Thomas’ solicitor Peter O’Brien said they would be filing civil proceedings against the state in the Supreme Court, alleging NSW police pursued a malicious prosecution, and that Thomas was the victim of assault and battery by police, abuse of process and malfeasance in office.
“The charges were clearly unsustainable from the very beginning, and as a result, they’ve now been … withdrawn. And that should have happened probably a long time ago,” he said.
“We expect the police officer… will be charged. Others should certainly be disciplined."
The former Greens candidate was charged with resisting police, failure to comply with a moveon direction, and refusing or failing to comply with a direction to disperse — all of which she pleaded not guilty to.
Arrest reports showed she had been charged using an emergency anti-riot power introduced in the wake of the 2005 Cronulla riots, which requires authorisation from senior police.
This was eventually dropped, and replaced with an additional
charge of refusing or failing to comply with a direction.
CHARGES REMAIN FOR FOUR OTHER PROTESTERS
Thomas said that although she was relieved charges had been dropped, it was not a reflection of justice served.
“Four other protesters from the SEC plating action that morning are still facing unfair charges that should never have been brought,” she said. “They deserve justice as well.”
She also emphasised that none of the police involved in the early morning incident in June had been "held to account for their behaviour".
“The punch I sustained was just one example of police brutality that morning… It took the police two days to charge me, but 73 days later, the male police officer who punched me in the head with enough force to rip open my right eyeball has not been charged, and to the best of my knowledge, he remains in uniform prowling
the streets of western Sydney,” Thomas explained.
“If he was willing to punch me in the face in front of so many witnesses and with people filming, I shudder to think what he is doing when no one’s watching.”
If he was willing to punch me in the face in front of… witnesses, I shudder to think what he is doing when no one’s watching
Speaking to ABC Radio the day after Thomas' arrest, assistant commissioner Brett McFadden said body-worn video provided “no information” that indicated “misconduct on behalf of my officers”.
‘THIS WILL HAPPEN AGAIN AND IT WILL HAPPEN AGAIN’
Speaking to City Hub in July, Greens MP and spokesperson
for Justice Sue Higginson said the violence was representative of wider issues with the anti-protest laws introduced by Premier Chris Minns.
“Police just should not have powers to that extent where they collide with the ultimate right of the freedom to express political communication… They believed, and they acted, on the basis that they could just bust up a peaceful protest, that they could issue a move-on order, and then they could start exerting excessive force,” said Higginson.
“If we… treat it like an isolated incident, this will happen again, and it will happen again.”
Thomas said protests like those outside of SEC Plating would continue as long as the "Albanese government maintains the twoway arms trade” with Israel.
“Weapons are still being made in suburbs across this country," she said. "Weapons that are used by the state of Israel to kill kids in Gaza every single day for more than 700 days.”
Photo: Mick Tsikas / AAP
Soaring incomes of vice-chancellors criticised during job cuts
BY WILL THORPE
The soaring incomes of vice-chancellors at Sydney universities have attracted criticism, especially as they coincide with job cuts.
Professor Andrew Parfitt, the vice-chancellor of UTS, has an annual salary of $935,000. Meanwhile, the university intends to cut up to 400 jobs in an effort to save up to $100 million a year.
During a Senate hearing on 8 September, Parfitt defended the university’s efforts. “In my 30 years in the sector… I have never witnessed such a confluence of challenges currently facing our institutions,” he remarked.
George Williams AO, vicechancellor at Western Sydney University, also fronted questions about job cuts, which he described as a “dreadful
process” of redundancies.
In July, the University Chancellors Council announced that it had written to education minister Jason Clare “to formally propose the development of a new advisory framework” for vice-chancellor remuneration, “to be supported by the Commonwealth Remuneration Tribunal.”
It’s time for a fairer deal for people who do the bulk of the work at universities
The chancellors said that the “proactive” move aimed “to strengthen public confidence in university governance, while preserving the autonomy of university governing bodies.”
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“This is about strengthening public trust through credible, sector-led reform,” stated John Pollaers OAM, chancellor of Melbourne’s Swinburne University of Technology.
VICE-CHANCELLORS’ PAY IS “OUT OF CONTROL”
The NTEU estimates that the average total remuneration package for a vice-chancellor at a public university is just above $1 million.
Meanwhile, it says that it has identified more than $382 million
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in staff wage theft since 2014.
“[Vice-chancellors’ remuneration] is out of control while the sector is plagued by low pay, poor job security, unpaid hours, and employment law contraventions,” opined Jack Thrower, senior economist at the Australia Institute, in February.
“It’s time for a fairer deal for people who do the bulk of the work at universities… and a reduction in the exorbitant salaries of senior management who let these labour conditions continue.”
Photo: Bianca De Marchi / AAP
Greenwich reveals medicinal cannabis script during fight for driver reform
BY LYDIA JUPP
Independent MP Alex Greenwich is calling for reforms for drivers who have been prescribed medical cannabis, discussing his own cannabis prescription in parliament. Greenwich, Legalise Cannabis MP Jeremy Buckingham, Wagga Wagga Independent MP Joe McGirr and Speaker Greg Piper are pushing Labor to introduce exemptions for medical cannabis users from the offence of driving with the presence of the drug in their system.
In a joint letter addressed to Premier Chris Minns and Regional Roads Minister Jenny Aitchison, the MPs argued that medicinal cannabis patients who hold a valid prescription should be exempt from penalty if they are not impaired.
"Like over 100,000 people in NSW, I have a script for medical cannabis. It helps me manage anxiety and insomnia," he told the Legislative Assembly.
"But THC can be detected for days, if not weeks, after it no longer impacts driving."
GOVERNMENT SERIOUSLY CONSIDERING ISSUE
A legislated medical defence for drivers using medically prescribed cannabis was one of the recommendations to come out of the state's drug summit last year. Aitchison said the government was seriously considering the matter, and
would be responding formally at the end of 2025.
"We understand the difficulty that is faced [by] some people who can't drive because they use medicinally prescribed cannabis products that contain THC, she said.
"It is important, though, that we balance support for people who are benefiting from this medicinally prescribed cannabis and community road safety," she said.
Like over 100,000 people in NSW, I have a script for medical cannabis
In a budget estimates inquiry before the summit, the Premier said it was an area of the law that "need[ed] to be looked at" but raised concern there was currently no test for impairment.
This push for reform comes in the wake of a recent inquiry from the Legislative Council into the impacts of the regulatory framework for cannabis, which found current criminal regulation of cannabis is failing to reduce use, criminalising users, and forcing them to access cannabis through illicit markets fuelling organised crime.
"We shouldn't have a situation where people are being forced between choosing to take their prescription or working, or between taking their prescription and going to visit a loved one," said Greenwich.
The revamped Andrew Boy Charlton pool opens
BY WILL THORPE
Harbourside pools and baths are a fabled part of Sydney’s sun-loving culture – and, although they never disappeared, they seem to have entered something of a new era.
As it does annually, the historic Andrew (Boy) Charlton Pool beside the Domain opened on 1 September for the period through to the end of April. This time, however, it has undergone a major refurbishment by the City of Sydney.
Close to 50,000 tiles were laid before the pool was refilled, treated and heated for the open season ahead of it.
Lord Mayor Clover Moore said that the facility is located in a “harsh marine environment” for an outdoor pool, and that “working on a structure suspended above the harbour has been a challenging engineering feat.”
The pool’s gas heating systems were swapped out for “more efficient” electric heat pumps, which the Lord Mayor said “really shifts the dial and gets us closer to our sustainability goals.”
A City of Sydney spokesperson told the City Hub that the pool clocks about 120,000 visits per season, which equates to a little over 495 per day.
CALLAN PARK BATHS ALSO CLOSER TO REALITY
In Rozelle, the Callan Park Tidal Baths are one step closer to reality after the Inner West Council
and the NSW Government recently came to a funding agreement.
Mayor Darcy Byrne said that the baths would be “the next step in the incredible rehabilitation of the Parramatta River, and will attract swimmers and families from all over the Inner West”.
The proposed tidal baths have been made possible by a substantial improvement in the cleanliness of the Parramatta River, which previously had become polluted by industrial refuse.
Working on a structure suspended above the harbour has been a challenging engineering feat
In 2016, the Inner West Courier reported that a number of locations were under review by enthused local councils, including in Abbotsford and Rodd Point. However, this happy turnaround has allowed some unofficial dipping spots to emerge.
Rodd Park, located on the opposite side of Iron Cove to Callan Park, is one example. This little peninsula boasts a small beach on its southern side which is a popular swimming spot among locals, and a smaller one on its northern.
Photo: Bianca de Marchi / AAP
Photo: Lord Mayor Clover Moore / Facebook
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Randwick proposal offers some relief for affordable uni student housing
BY WILL THORPE
Sydney university students are in need of affordable housing – and one major proposal offers a drop in the bucket.
A 15-storey mixed-use development, which would provide 104 dwellings, is envisioned for 16-24 Belmore Road in Randwick. Whilst it would not be mandated as student housing, its progenitors believe that the units would be attractive to students at the nearby University of NSW.
15 percent of the dwellings –16 in total – are proposed to be designated as affordable for the first 15 years.
A raft of housing developments are at various stages of planning or construction across Sydney, spurred by changes to planning rules.
However, the need for affordable student accommodation is a unique issue. Private companies specialising in this lucrative section of the market have become major providers of available stock and have developed new sites in recent years.
However, students are paying substantially more in rent than they were at the start of the 2020s.
UNI CALLS FOR REFORM TO PLANNING LAWS
In February, the Minns Government pledged to redevelop an empty plot of land in Camperdown to build 500 units near the University of Sydney (USYD).
Nicole Gower, USYD Vice President of Operations, said that it is “vital our students can access safe and affordable accommodation near campus, and we’re very concerned by current ongoing housing challenges.”
Gower said that the university has invested $220 million “on building affordable student housing since 2015, and are working to develop a range of further affordable accommodation projects on campus.”
[It is] vital our students can access safe and affordable accommodation near campus
She added that the university had appealed for university-run accommodation to be considered
affordable housing under state planning laws. That “would make it easier for all NSW universities to fast-track student accommodation developments by providing planning control relief, density bonuses and exemptions from development contributions, and allow us to increase affordable local accommodation by at least 20 percent.”
The university owns International House, a large art deco building on City Road which previously accommodated 200 students. Abandoned since 2020, the university says that the building is in dire need of repair, with funding needed.
Sydney University provides 3,577 beds, with a further 2,011 provided by affiliated residential colleges.
NSW Government triples funding for live music venues
BY LYDIA JUPP
Venues across NSW are set to receive millions of dollars in funding from the Minns government, as it continues to work to revive the state's live music scene.
39 venues are set to receive a little over $5 million through the Venue Upgrade Grants, helping with sound proofing, equipment, and professional advice needed to host live music without impacting on their neighbours.
Too many venues are under pressure from ageing infrastructure, noise restrictions and rising costs
It's triple the amount given to venues in the last round of grants, allowing them to expand their offerings and give locals more entertainment options that don’t incur travel costs.
“Too many venues are under pressure from ageing infrastructure, noise restrictions and rising costs," said Minister for Music and the Night-time Economy, John Graham. "We’re supporting them through those challenges so they can keep bringing communities together, backing local music and driving the night-time economy.
“From regional pubs to city bars and community music venues, this funding will improve the safety, sound quality and experience for artists and audiences alike.”
“THE
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A VENUE CLOSING OR STAYING OPEN”
“These upgrades are not just cosmetic; they are the difference between a venue closing or staying open," said Head of Sound NSW, Emily Collins.
"From upgrades to lighting and sound systems, accessibility and energy, to improvements in soundproofing, ventilation and air-conditioning, this program is addressing the real-world challenges faced by venue operators – such as outdated sound systems,
accessibility issues and urgent building upgrades."
Marrickville’s The Red Rattler received funding for soundproofing in last year's grants, providing a significant boost to the communityfocused and funded venue.
“Our neighbours have stopped complaining about noise and we've been receiving positive responses from artists," said Senior Program Manager Kween G. "We built a backstage area using soundproof walls so that noise no longer bleeds into that room.
“Performers are able to prepare for their show beforehand in a quiet space and get on stage and do their thing.”
The funding is part of the government's effort to support the state's live music sector, while also reviving the night-time economy, which is struggling to recover from the impact of lockout laws, COVID-19, and a cost of living crisis.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Photo: John Janson Moore
Council's Callan Park synthetic turf plans face strengthened opposition
BY WILL THORPE
Plans to install synthetic turf at Callan Park are facing strengthened opposition, amidst claims that community concerns have been dismissed.
On 19 August, local resident Louise Appel made her case before the Inner West Council, arguing that the manufactured material is environmentally harmful.
“Since plastic grass sheds tiny blade particles of microplastic throughout its lifetime, in the case of Centenary and Callan Parklands, this would end up in the waterways of Sydney Harbour. That would amount to “incontestable” harm to the marine environment,” Appel told councillors.
“It would be quite scandalous in 2025 to take such a huge body of evidence identifying direct health implications, as well as legislation that protects the health and futures of all Australians, and ignore it in favour of corporate profit.”
Appel has circulated an open letter to all Inner West councillors, as well as Balmain MP Kobi Shetty and environment minister Penny Sharpe.
She alleges that submissions against synthetic turf “have been met primarily with a high level of disrespect from the [Inner West mayor Darcy Byrne]," who City Hub did not receive a response from when contacted for comment.
Appel has trawled through the statutes, and believes that recent changes in the law could help to decide the fate of synthetic turf at Callan Park.
The Product Lifecycle Responsibility Act 2025 seeks to “minimise the impact that products have on human health and the environment” throughout their lifecycle. It institutes an enforceable responsibility on manufacturers of certain goods to ensure that their products are not harmful.
“Dropping tonnes of plastic into landfill,” as happens when synthetic turf is periodically replaced, is suitably harmful in Appel’s mind.
Shetty says that although the Act could theoretically address environmental concerns around artificial grass, “it would require the government to introduce specific regulations to hold synthetic turf producers responsible for the product at its end of life.”
It would be quite scandalous in 2025 to take such a huge body of evidence… and ignore it in favour of corporate profit
A Greater Sydney Parklands spokesperson said that the body “complies with all relevant legislation in the management of our parks.”
COUNCIL DECISION PROCESS
“INAPPROPRIATE”
“It’s really frustrating to see the Mayor rushing a significant decision around the installation of synthetic turf in Callan Park, without appropriate community consultation,” Shetty told City Hub.
She notes that Greater Sydney Parklands will shortly be releasing the draft Plan of Management for Callan Park, which will give residents and park users the opportunity to provide feedback.
“I’ve said from the outset that
games. My kids play soccer too and we know how disappointing it is for them to miss out,” Shetty empathised.
“That said, we can’t ignore the significant health and environmental concerns that come with synthetic turf, particularly in sensitive areas like the waterfront in Callan Park.”
COMMITMENT TO “ALL WEATHER” FIELDS
A Council spokesperson told City Hub that the “greatest threat to the health and well-being of Inner West kids is the inability to participate in sport and exercise on a regular basis.”
“Inner West Council is committed to ensuring our residents can utilise our sporting fields in all weather conditions. With the rapid growth in participation in female sport in the last few years, this has become even more critical.”
it’s inappropriate for Inner West Council to make piecemeal decisions before that consultation has taken place. I know from speaking with residents and the local sporting community that there’s a range of views on the proposal for synthetic turf, and it’s important both Inner West Council and Greater Sydney Parklands take the time to get this decision right.”
“I do appreciate the frustration of families after unprecedented rain has washed out so many
The spokesperson said that Balmain District Football Club and Leichhardt Saints Football Club “provided positive feedback” for the creation of two synthetic fields.
According to the Council spokesperson, the synthetic turf fields “will be delivered using modern technology and cork infill, which has already been successfully implemented at other all-weather surfaces in the Inner West, including at Lambert Park and Tempe Reserve.”
Photo: Callan Park / Facebook
Photo: Balmain & District FC / Facebook
TANYA PLIBERSEK
Our social security system needs to be there for Australians
Robodebt, when the previous Liberal government pursued almost half a million Australians for debts they didn’t owe, was a shameful period in our history.
That’s why we’re acting on recommendations from the Robodebt Royal Commission.
Waiving social security debt for victims of domestic and family violence
We have introduced legislation so that Services Australia can waive social security debts that have been incurred as a result of domestic and family violence.
Need help?
If you have any questions about your social security debt, you can contact Services Australia’s income apportionment line on 1800 560 870 or check Services Australia’s website.
Housing affordability
The Albanese Government is building 55,000 social and affordable homes across the nation. In the Sydney electorate, we’re building 676 such homes. Of these, we’ve already delivered 160 new apartments in Redfern and another 74 in Waterloo.
Additionally, in conjunction with the NSW Government we are refurbishing 40 social homes in Sydney and the inner west.
We are delivering this in addition to:
Services Australia will be able to consider circumstances, such as coercion or financial abuse that may have caused someone to incur a debt with Centrelink.
This follows our election commitment to address financial abuse, so that perpetrators that have caused the debt, not victim-survivors, are accountable.
The legislation will also let Services Australia consider factors like mental health, the impact of natural disasters, and homelessness.
Making
social security debt recovery fairer
For the first time in over 30 years, we are increasing the threshold for waiving small, accidental debts to $250. It will spare around 1.2 million Australians with such debts, significant stress.
Often, the administrative cost of recouping small, accidental debts is higher than the value of the debt itself, making the process of debt recovery uneconomical for taxpayers.
These reforms will also free up Services Australia to uphold the integrity of our system by pursuing significant matters like larger, deliberate debts. And we will be strengthening existing safeguards to ensure the waiver cannot be manipulated.
Building 2,782 affordable rental homes in the Sydney electorate
Delivering 22 new homes in the inner city for women and children experiencing family and domestic violence
5% housing deposits
The Albanese Labor Government is helping more Australians realise their dream of home ownership with our Home Guarantee Scheme. In the Sydney electorate, 314 people bought their first home with a 5 per cent deposit with the help of the scheme so far.
And now we are preparing to help all first home buyers. From 1 October, 2025 there will be no income limits, no caps on places and property price caps will be lifted. In Sydney you will be able to buy a property worth up to $1.5 million with the help of the Home Guarantee Scheme.
The scheme means you can purchase a property with a lower deposit without the requirement of paying lenders’ mortgage insurance meaning you can move into your own home sooner.
Tax help
This year, my electorate office is again providing free assistance to low income earners preparing tax returns. Our volunteer accountant is available, 1pm-4pm on October 10.
Should you wish to book an appointment, or need help with any other federal issue, please contact my office.
COFFIN ED’S NAKED CITY
A BRIEF HISTORY OF AUSTRALIA'S NEO-NASTIES
The recent anti-immigration marches, led by far-right Neo-Nazis including the National Socialist Network, was yet another chapter in the history of ‘neo-nasties’ in this country.
Looking back, there have been three distinct periods in Australia when Nazi ideology has been espoused by a minority.
The first was the pre-WWII movement, largely based in South Australia. The second came in the politically turbulent days of the late 60s and early 70s, with swastika armbands and stormtrooper outfits – what I would call the ‘dress-up’ Nazis. Finally, today: Thomas Sewell and his boys in black, we might like to tag the ‘designer’ Nazis.
Let’s flashback to May of 1939.
A small but active group of Nazi supporters, largely German expats, had gathered in a German Club in Adelaide to celebrate Hitler’s 50th birthday. They sought to spread the doctrine of National Socialism, even establishing a local branch of the Gestapo.
Their targets were fellow Germans in Australia, but they were also keen to attract other converts. Not surprisingly they went very quiet during WWII, with little retribution on the part of the Australian Government when the war had finished.
Not long after the Fuehrer’s birthday bash in 1939, Germany invaded Poland and it was the last time a Nazi flag would fly in Sydney for many years. A large and angry group of demonstrators converged on the German Consulate in Bridge Street, where a huge swastika flag defiantly flew outside the Cliveden building.
The rest is history and it would take another eight decades before the flag and swastika were outlawed in NSW. Introduced in 2022, it made it a criminal offence to knowingly display a Nazi symbol
in public without ‘reasonable excuse’.
In the 1960s, you could pick up a swastika flag or Third Reich regalia at war disposal stores across Australia. Many probable customers can be found in David Harcourt’s book Everybody Wants To Be Fuehrer, about the rise of National Socialism in Australia and New Zealand during the Vietnam War and the accompanying communist backlash.
It’s a compendium of oddbeat and largely obnoxious characters, from Rhodesian-born racist Frank Rosser, to the Napoleonobsessed Arthur Charles Smith and Melbourne Mormon converts Katrina and Francis Young.
Perhaps the best known and
most violent of Harcourt’s Nazis is the notorious Ross May, better known as ‘The Skull’. A confronting figure with his shaven head and dressed as a stormtrooper, he was convicted of numerous assaults. He was fined $400 for scrawling "Kill all Jews" on a Brisbane Jewish memorial and was a constant attention seeker.
At one stage he stood for state Parliament in a Parramatta by-election, pulling in a paltry 33 votes. Harcourt quotes him as saying:
“I’d just walk around colliding with a few of the peace creeps. They sort of had a habit of running into my fist.”
Now in his 80s, May can be seen
in photos wearing Trump shirts, or with Pauline Hanson. There’s also a happy snap of The Skull looking chummy with Australia’s deportment queen, June Daly Watkins. As a former candidate for Fred Nile’s Christian Democratic Party, her political views obviously rang a bell with May.
Like the relatively short lived pre-war Nazis of the Barossa Valley or the dress-up brigade of the 60s and 70s, Thomas Sewell and crew will soon be absorbed by the ether. Inevitably, they will run out of things to hate.
Whilst Sewell makes no secret of his anti-semitism, he knows attacks on the Australian Jewish community will be met with a crushing response. That’s one battle he has chosen to publicly avoid.
Politics aside, the late June Daly Watkins could no doubt teach Sewell some valuable lessons in etiquette. Take away the hate, and ‘neo-nastie’ proselytisers –present or past – do not have any real ideological substance.
To quote a well-worn joke: “What’s the difference between a Nazi and a shopping trolley? A shopping trolley has a mind of its own.”
Photo: Joel Carrett / AAP
Photo: National Archives / Supplied
AT LEICHHARDT’S RENEWED TEATRO
BY NAOMI LAWRENCE
This spooky season, The Addams Family Musical will open at Leichhardt’s revitalised theatre, Teatro at the Italian Forum.
Directed by Andrew Bevis, the Tony-nominated show promises a fresh take on Charles Addams’ eccentric clan, while introducing Sydney audiences to rising local talent.
“I used to watch the TV series when I was a kid,” Bevis recalls. The show’s appeal, he says, is the blend of vaudeville, gothic humour and beloved characters.
“There are nods to Fiddler on the Roof, vaudeville, jazz, rock. The younger characters have more of a pop feel, while Gomez and Morticia sing in those lush, classic styles. It sounds contemporary but it’s rooted in the golden age of Broadway.”
Bevis also stresses that Sydney audiences won’t be seeing the same show from Broadway.
“Now it’s more about family dynamics, like Wednesday keeping her engagement secret, Gomez hiding things from Morticia.
"Even though they’re gothic and unusual, the Addamses are actually very functional, with strong morals. The so-called ‘normal’ family are the ones falling apart.”
WEDNESDAY’S ALL GROWN UP
For Darcy Martin, who plays Wednesday Addams, the timing was “absolutely perfect”.
“I dressed up as Morticia for Halloween, then went and watched the movies and just fell in love with it,” she explains. Unlike the deadpan child
generations of audiences know, Martin’s Wednesday is all grown up. “In the musical, she’s secretly engaged, and her fiancé’s family is coming over,” she reveals to City Hub.
That clash between the Addams’ gothic eccentricities and the Beineckes’ picket fence normalcy drives much of the comedy.
“She’s in love for the first time,” Martin says, before laughingly explaining she’s still VERY Wednesday. “She definitely still sits on the dark side.”
Music, Martin says, gives Wednesday new depth. Her big number, Pulled, sees her wrestle with falling in love with a ‘normal’ boy while literally pulling her brother onto a torture table.
“She’s singing about discovering puppy dogs and Christmas
Eve — things she’d never been excited by before — because of this boy,” Martin explains. “It’s that conflict between her family’s expectations and this new world.”
We’re setting it in a Victorian gothic theatre – I want audiences to feel transported
She also draws inspiration from past performances. “I’ve done a lot of research on every version of Wednesday out there,” Martin says, citing West End performer Carrie Hope
Fletcher as a key influence.
“But it was important to create my own version too — not just copy and paste.”
For audiences familiar with Netflix’s Wednesday, Martin welcomes the comparison. “I love the TV show — and I play cello too, so that was perfect!” she says.
GOTHIC FAMILY, GOTHIC TALE, IN A GOTHIC THEATRE
“We’re setting it in a Victorian gothic theatre,” explains Bevis. “It's like the cast of the show know they're performing the show for the audience like an old Victorian melodrama.”
“I want audiences to feel transported.”
Formerly the Actors Centre drama school, the Teatro has been reborn through a selffunded venture led by Bevis and his partner, choreographer Nathan M. Wright.
Their goal is accessibility: affordable tickets, locally made productions, and opportunities for emerging artists through their THEatreBRIDGE program.
“We truly are like a little family,” Martin says of the Addams Family team. “It’s been so lovely to work with my friends and have that relationship spill onto the stage.”
“I want [audiences] to come out having had a great time together as a family or with their friends,” says Bevis. “We want it to feel like a community.”
Martin agrees. “It’s a hilarious show, it’s silly, but it’s also layered — there’s something for everyone.”
In other words, come for the kooky and the spooky — but stay for the family values.
Photo: Vuk Kahvedzic
HubARTS
SKETCH A beautifully weird & unique kids film (See p.21)
HOW TO PLOT A HIT IN TWO DAYS
BY JOSH KERWICK
Melanie Tait’s How To Plot A Hit In Two Days portrays a fictitious version of A Country Practice’s writers room in 1985, as they deliberate the death of beloved character Molly Jones.
Actress Julia Robertson portrays Sally in the play, a composite character that reflects how the iconic soap opera would consult with professionals on the topics they handled.
Robertson got involved without seeing a script, because she was eager to work with director Lee Lewis. But she admits, her knowledge of A Country Practice was scarce.
“I knew the name… but I had not
seen it at all,” Julia explains. “So I had to go back and look at what it was, and look at what the show meant to Australians at the time.”
“The show was so pivotal in negotiating social issues of the time... They were really on the forefront of making sure people all around Australia were taking care of each other, no matter what their background, and that’s pretty special.”
Besides its huge influence on Australian soap operas, it helps that one of the show’s actresses has been available to Julia to help.
“[Georgie Parker] has stories from every single show she’s done throughout the decades in Australian TV, and we’ve been able
to ask her what it was like being on set at the time.”
It seems as though audiences are resonating with this tale about a hallmark of Australian television, and it has received several rave reviews.
“Of course people who know and love the show are going to have some level of attachment to it," Julia comments. “But so many people have stopped us coming out of the stage door and
said they know nothing about A Country Practice but it’s the best play they’ve seen at the Ensemble all year.
“That’s the mark of a good theatre work: it’s representing a very specific time in history, but still inviting a whole range of audiences in and generating that empathy that theatre does so well.”
How To Plot A Hit In Two Days is playing now at the Ensemble Theatre.
ACTIVE BITCH FACE - YUKI NIVEZ
BY JOSH KERWICK
When Tokyo’s queen of deadpan made her Sydney Fringe Festival debut, she took absolutely no prisoners.
Yuki Nivez brought the laughs with her show Active Bitch
Face, weaving comedy and commentary together in a genuinely entertaining way.
With no more than a hundred people packed into the Newtown Hotel’s intimate Laugh Inn, she came out swinging with jokes about experiences with crossing the language barrier and extremely underwhelming men.
Unlike some bigger-ticket comedy shows, Active Bitch Face is not an ultra-polished hour; if anything, it would feel weird to perform one in such a small venue. Instead, it’s more a collection of great jokes that Yuki has
cultivated over the years.
One of Yuki’s first bits was about how making the mistake between ‘erection’ and ‘election’ can have… disastrous effect. During the joke’s setup, an audience member accidentally ruined the punchline, but Yuki effortlessly turned this into its own really funny bit.
There were definitely audience members that weren’t willing to play the crowdwork game, but the ones that were more than made up for it by playing into her propensity for being entertainingly mean to audience members.
I felt that Yuki struck a great balance between written jokes and crowd work throughout the hour. It’s refreshing to have a comedian willing to balance these two modes of humour effectively — even if some planned crowd interactions didn’t go as planned (like asking
if there were “any straight women in the audience” in Newtown).
But what also made Yuki’s show so fun was the undercurrent of commentary throughout each of the jokes, particularly about sexism. The most compelling stretch was about how her scary ‘samurai’ father would still refuse to talk with her directly during her working holiday in Australia.
While she made the story extremely entertaining, it also speaks to her willingness to speak out against the patriarchal systems of Japan and the world that affect her as an Asian woman in comedy.
It makes Yuki Nivez: Active Bitch Face a highly entertaining comedy show. With a deadpan attitude that’s both funny and ferocious, Yuki’s hour was wellworth catching.
Photo: Brett Boardman / Ensemble Theatre
Photo: Supplied / Alex T Thomas
BRIAN ROBINSON’S ‘UR WAYII (INCOMING TIDE)’ EXHIBITION
BY LYDIA JUPP
The Australian National Maritime Museum has launched a major collaboration with internationally recognised Waiben (Thursday Island) artist, Brian Robinson.
Titled Ur Wayii (Incoming Tide), the new exhibition explores imagery drawn from ancestral iconography of the Torres Strait – or the Zenadth Kes, as it is known to locals – interwoven with references from pop culture and science fiction to create metaphors of colonisation.
Of the Kala Lagaw Ya and Wuthathi language groups of the Torres Strait, Robinson was born and grew up in Waiben, where he was taught cultural knowledge and influenced by local myths and legends.
Now based in Cairns, his work playfully juxtaposes the ancient and modern to create powerful allegories examining the moral and psychological impacts of how the empire has reshaped ideas about Australia’s future.
"My creations are seemingly incongruous concoctions where many motifs and characters are co-opted into the spirit world of the Islander imagination, which are then intertwined with historical narrative, personal history and humour," said Robinson.
The multi-disciplinary exhibition spans printmaking,
sculpture, video, and graphic design, combining traditional knowledge, historical narratives, and a keen engagement with the contemporary globalised world.
"Brian’s art shows the living, evolving, maritime worlds of Zenadth Kes," said Matt Poll, Head of Indigenous Programs at the Museum. "It is not just aesthetically compelling; it is a living document of resilience.
"It celebrates the survival of ancient traditions, demonstrates the power of adaptation, reclaims historical narratives, and asserts a confident, contemporary Zenadth Kes identity.
"Brian’s work is an inspiration to many people today, it shows that, despite historical challenges, ancestral knowledges are an important talisman that can be used by community to thrive, innovate, and tell their own powerful stories to the modern world."
Robinson's work has featured in many exhibitions nationally and overseas, including in Berlin, Noumea, Washington DC and New York City, and is currently being held in major collections across the country, including the National Gallery of Australia, the National Gallery of Victoria, and the National Museum of Australia.
Ur Wayii (Incoming Tide) is open now at the Australian National Maritime Museum.
SYDNEY THEATRE COMPANY'S PLANS TO REVITALISE WALSH BAY DINING SCENE
BY LYDIA JUPP
The Sydney Theatre Company is launching two new dining venues at the Wharf and Roslyn Packer Theatre.
Simply named The Wharf, an elevated sit-down restaurant and bar is the first addition to the refreshed and re-enlivened dining precinct, sitting at the end of the STC's Wharf 4/5 with sweeping views of Sydney Harbour.
The venue will run in partnership with The Fresh Collective, the group responsible for events and catering for Crafted by Matt Moran at the Art Gallery of NSW.
gin, grapefruit and rosemary.
Then in November, the space currently occupied by the Walsh Bay Kitchen will transform into the Folio Bar, an upmarket speakeasy-inspired venue.
Inspired by the theatre bars of New York, Folio Bar aims to reconceptualise the preshow dash for a drink into a key moment of the theatre experience. It will serve signature cocktails based on well-built classics, wine and champagne, and a light menu.
The destination bar will be led by Charlie Ainsbury – awardwinning bartender, and former owner of This Must be the Place.
Sitting within a warehousestyle space inside a repurposed 100-year-old shipping wharf, The Wharf will be open for lunch and dinner, as well as offering private and semi-private spaces for large groups.
The menu will serve simple, yet refined dishes with local produce. On offer are delicacies like Sydney rock oysters, trout dip with laver and Nicola potato crisps, and a Wharf martini of
“We want to create a premier space to meet in this end of town,” said Ainsbury. "Enjoy an excellent martini, or a quick bite to eat before a show, kick on after dinner or build your whole night around stopping by.
"I'm inspired by the institution bars of midtown Manhattan –Bemelmans Bar at The Carlyle, and Sardis which has been at the top of Broadway for over 100 years – places that have become cultural landmarks where art, music and hospitality intersect.
“This is a concept that Sydney is yet to lean into, but feels like a natural fit.”
Bookings for The Wharf are open from September 18, with more details on Folio to be shared soon.
Photo: Marinco Kojdanovski
Photos: Trent van der Jagt
Proposed termination of Strata Scheme No. 20512 being property situated at 135 to 139 Curlewis Street Bondi Beach NSW 2026.
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).
PUBLIC NOTICE BAD//DREEMS CREATE PUNK ROCK MAELSTROM TO REVISIT DEBUT ALBUM
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 16 October 2025, to send particulars of the estate, interest or claim to: Madison Marcus Law Firm, Level 10, 60 Castlereagh Street, Sydney NSW 2000, Attention: David Napoli.
BY ANGUS SHARPE
OPROPOSED DEVELOPMENT AT WATERLOO ESTATE (SOUTH)ABORIGINAL CULTURAL HERITAGE ASSESSMENT
INVITATION TO REGISTER AN INTEREST
Artefact Heritage, on behalf of Stockland (the proponent), is undertaking an Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Assessment (ACHAR) of Waterloo Estate (South) in the suburb of Waterloo. The proposal includes the redevelopment of Waterloo Estate (South) to deliver over 3,000 new apartments consisting of social housing, affordable housing and market apartments. The Secretary’s Environmental Assessment Requirements (SEARs) have not yet been issued for this project, but it is anticipated that this project will be declared a State Significant Development (SSD) under the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979, anticipating SEARs in September 2025. It is anticipated than an ACHAR will be a requirement of the SEARs.
The contact details for the proponent are: Martin Hills Senior Project Manager Stockland Martin.Hills@stockland.com.au
The study area is located within the City of Sydney LGA and within the boundaries of the Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council (LALC). We are inviting registrations of interest in the project from Aboriginal groups and individuals who hold cultural knowledge relevant to determining the significance of Aboriginal objects and/or places in the locality of the project. Please note that the consultation guidelines require us to provide details of Registered Aboriginal Parties to Heritage NSW (formerly Office of Environment and Heritage) and the Metropolitan LALC. In your response could you please advise if you would not like your details to be provided.
Please register your interest in the project by end of day on 9 October 2025, by contacting:
Suite 56, Jones Bay Wharf, 26-32 Pirrama Road, Pyrmont NSW 2009 consultation@artefact.net.au
n September 5, I found myself dazed deep in the subterranean cave of Mary’s Underground. Around me, bodies were crumpled in chairs, gasping over water stations, or swaying in the queue for merch: the aftermath of the maelstrom orchestrated by Adelaide punk rock outfit, Bad//Dreems.
For the first time since forming, Bad//Dreems played the entirety of their revered debut album – Dogs at Bay.
With searing fan favourites such as Cuffed & Collared and Dumb Ideas contrasted with lesser-known acoustic tracks such as Paradise and Blood in My Eyes, the band had expertly shown how far they had come over the last ten years.
After this performance, I stumbled to a table outside the dressing room waiting for guitarist and songwriter, Alex Cameron. The first thing he told me was that he had no idea if the performance had been a success.
Despite the magic laced throughout, the true adoration of the audience could be felt most toward the end of the set with a string of their most popular songs – strangers
united by the ability to belt the same beloved words in unison.
There was a political urgency to these songs not quite as present in their older music. A sign of how the band’s songwriting evolved to represent more than just their own lives – but broader Australians too.
“Australian music is important, because that's the way our stories get told,” said Alex. “It’s great 100,000 people go and watch Taylor Swift, but you still want to be able to come and see different people that you rub shoulders with, and exchange culture on a smaller level... which is what drives us to continue doing it.”
There was a selflessness in this sentiment that I found moving. Since releasing Dogs at Bay, Bad//Dreems had not played their music for glitz and glamour, but to bring a diverse community together under the same Australian punk rock banner.
In the pit of Mary’s Underground, ten years of devotion to this banner had erupted throughout the ecstatic crowd. With my fist in the air, and lyrics on my tongue – it was a privilege to be a part of it.
Photo: Sam Brumby
SKETCH
BY NAOMI LAWRENCE
Grief is a heavy subject for a family adventure, but Sketch takes the plunge and mostly sticks the landing. In his bold feature debut, Seth Worley leans into the chaos of imagination and grief colliding.
After the Wyatt family loses their mother, each member falls into different coping mechanisms. Amber channels her overflowing grief and anger into drawing hilariously grotesque and unsettling monsters.
When those sketches slip into a mysterious pond in the woods, the creatures come alive, throwing the small town into chaos. Suddenly Amber, her Minecraft-consumed brother Jack, and their avoidant yet doing-his-best dad must
confront not only the havoc on their doorstep, but the emotions they’ve been trying to bury.
This might sound like a dozen other grief allegories, but what sets Sketch apart is a staunch commitment to the weirdness of its own idea.
Early on, the pace feels sluggish but the unexpectedly daunting yet lively score keeps it moving. Once it gets going, the film finds a rhythm that balances fantasy, humour and genuine scares that feels refreshingly oldschool for a PG movie.
This is closer to the edge of Bridge to Terabithia, Jumanji or even vintage Goosebumps episodes than the sanitised kids fare that tends to dominate nowadays.
The Wyatts feel easily
recognisable: messy, exasperating, unwittingly funny, and quick to bicker but quicker to defend each other.
Bianca Belle and Kue Lawrence sell the typical sibling dynamic: sharp comic timing, awkward tenderness, and grounded performances make the kids feel both archetypical and distinct. One moment you’re chuckling at their banter, the next you’re struck by the sharper, quieter moments that reveal their pain.
By contrast, the adults, Tony Hale and D'Arcy Carden, fade into the background. The film
clearly belongs to the kids and their misadventure.
A few cringe-worthy moments slip through and the adults never quite land, but the cast’s natural chemistry usually saves the day. Sketch succeeds because it embraces the messiness of real, hand-drawn imagination. Funny, scary, weird and moving, it’s a film that doesn’t talk down to its audience. Sketch insists pain must be faced, and that even monsters can be transformed by love.
1/2
Sketch opens in cinemas on 11 September.
Photo: IMDb
BY JOSH KERWICK
Discarding his usual penchant for psychological filmmaking, Caught Stealing is a surprisingly down-the-middle movie for director Darren Aronofsky. This is a black comedy crime movie about a regular guy getting caught up in New York’s criminal underworld. And I’ll admit, it kinda rocks.
The ever-charming Austin Butler plays Hank Thompson, an affable bartender working in 90s NYC.
He’s got a nice thing going with paramedic Yvonne (Zoë Kravitz) and suppresses his trauma until his punk rocker neighbour Russ (Matt Smith) asks Hank to look after his cat. Because of this, Hank has an encounter with Russian gangsters looking for Russ, and he’s thrown in the deep end of the criminal underworld with concrete
Aronofsky’s prior films, but it’s certainly more ‘fantastical’ and fun, if still quite grounded.
Caught Stealing works in large part because of Butler, who’s continued to cement himself as a bonafide movie star. This film really allows Butler to occupy the screen and deliver his unique brand of dark, brooding charm in a sincerely great performance.
Though there are a few stretches of the film that drag a bit, it mostly succeeds at
CAUGHT STEALING SORRY, BABY
BY JOSH KERWICK
From the very opening moments of Sorry, Baby, it’s obvious that something has happened to Agnes. We’re not sure what or when at first, but it’s immediately apparent in subtle ways.
Eva Victor’s film – which they direct, write and star in – is deeply successful precisely because it has no easy answers. Despite the indescribably terrible thing that has happened to her, life continues for Agnes as a literature professor and those around her. This is a film that delves into what “moving on” means, if anything.
Victor’s slightly heightened script belies a deep understanding of the subject, that’s sure to resonate with people who’ve experienced major trauma, or have known somebody who has.
A lot rests on Victor’s abilities, but the film excels on all fronts.
It’s moving, uncomfortable and funny at different times, creating a simulacrum of what it’s like to live with trauma through its nonlinear narrative structuring and Mia Cioffi Henry’s beautifully cold cinematography.
Despite its dark subject material, it’s capable of finding humour and truth in how inadequate systems are at handling serious matters like assault.
Victor really shines as Agnes, and they’re joined by a cast of great actors that add substantially to the film’s sense of realism.
Naomi Ackie is stellar as Lydie, and the chemistry that she and Victor have as performers makes them really feel like best friends
zipping through its 90s New York setting with a real sense of energy and danger, while chipping away at Hank’s unfairly chiseled facade. I do perhaps wish the film looked a little bit more 90s though. There are plenty of other signifiers of the period, but I found myself a little disappointed with the film’s aesthetic.
Where the film doesn’t disappoint is in its wider cast. Regina King is great as the mysterious Detective Ronan, as is Matt Smith, sporting one of the craziest movie mohawks I’ve ever seen. Liev Schreiber and Vincent D’Onofrio are delightful as Hasidic gangsters, and bad-day-in-NewYork movie royalty Griffin Dunne makes a lot of a little as Hank’s boss.
The film does often feel like a deliberate sidestep, but that’s not a bad thing; any career circumvention that’s this much fun with a great performance from its lead is worthy of praise.
1/2
Caught Stealing is in cinemas now.
that unequivocally support one another.
Other characters in Sorry, Baby have a much smaller role, but are all instrumental. Louis Cancelmi is uncomfortably good as Agnes’ professor and instigator of pain, giving the character a frighteningly realistic view of men who do awful things to women. Lucas Hedges is rather entertaining to watch as neighbour Gavin, and John
Carroll Lynch steals the show with his single scene as sandwich store-owner Pete.
It means that Sorry, Baby is a richly realised work packed with genuine insight and observations on what it is to live with a traumatic event after it happens. It is a particularly strong directorial debut from Eva Victor, that marks them as a voice to watch out for. 1/2
