City Hub FEBRUARY 2021 by Alt Media

F E B R UA RY 2 0 21 C I T Y H U B SY D N E Y. C O M . AU @CityHubSydney

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THE MAIN DRAG IS BACK Oxtravaganza returns for an expanded two week celebration

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CITY HUB FEBRUARY 2021

HubNEWS

Glebe’s public housing at risk (See p. 8)

Kerryn Phelps to run for mayor BY ALLISON HORE ity of Sydney councillor and former Member for Wentworth, Dr. Kerryn Phelps, has announced her intention to run for mayor in this year’s council elections. Speaking to City Hub, Dr. Phelps announced her intention to run for mayor, an ambition which she said was five years in the making and included a “detour” to federal parliament. With current Lord Mayor, Clover Moore, having sat at the helm for almost two decades, it won’t be an easy run but it is a challenge Dr. Phelps is up for. “Our city needs strong, fresh, informed and experienced leadership to take us into the future,” she said. Dr. Phelps was elected to the City of Sydney council in 2016 as part of Clover Moore’s Independents Team. She served as Deputy Lord Mayor until 2017, when she resigned and stepped back from Moore’s team to become independent. She told City Hub she joined the council with “a lot of optimism and enthusiasm to be involved in creating the city of the future” but things did not go smoothly. “Things did not exactly go as planned, and that’s an understatement,” she said. “The incumbent leadership has been there for almost 17 years. Good governance tells us it is just too long, and there is a need to hit the refresh button.”

HubARTS: Circa’s Peepshow ...bulging muscles, skin-tight leotards, exposed breasts and bared buttocks (See p. 20)

Published weekly 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 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 Publisher Assistant: Mal Moody Advertising Managers: Mal Moody 0484 042 615 Advertising: sales@altmedia.net.au News Editor: Allison Hore Contributors: Allison Hore, , Sandra Symons, Mark Kriedemann Cartoonist: Sam Mcnair Arts Editor: Jamie Apps Contributors: Irina Dunn, Madison Behringer, Mark Morellini, Renee Lou Dallow, Rida Babar, Linc Jenkin, Olga Azar & Patrick McKenzie Cover Photo: Robert Knapman. Some of the stars of Oxtravaganza 2021 Designer: Nadia Kalinitcheva Mail: PO Box 843 Broadway 2007 Email: news@altmedia.net.au, arts@altmedia.net.au Ph: 9212 5677 Fax: 9212 5633 Website: cityhubsydney.com.au If you have a story, or any comments you’d like to share with us: news@altmedia.net.au @CityHubSydney

FIGHTING FOR RIGHTS

Dr. Phelps is confident that her skills and “wide experience” makes her “uniquely placed” to take on the role of mayor. “I enjoy working with people to find solutions to complex problems,” she said. “We need to revive the economy and transform how the City is run so that we continue the best of the past, but reimagine a City that works for all Sydneysiders for the future. That will take vision, experience and determination.” In 2018 Dr. Phelps ran for federal parliament in the Wentworth by-election triggered by the resignation from parliament of Malcolm Turnbull. She was the first independent to win the seat, defeating Liberal candidate Dave Sharma. In the following year Phelps

City of Sydney councillor Kerryn Phelps has announced her bid for mayor. Photo: Supplied

was defeated by Sharma in the federal election. Despite her short time in the federal parliament, she said serving the people of Wentworth was “a great privilege” and “a remarkable experience”. For many, Dr. Phelp’s lasting legacy as Member for Wentworth will be the amendments she proposed to the government’s Medevac legislation.

Sydney deserves a Lord

Mayor who really listens to the community’ The Liberal government opposed Phelps’ amendments, but they were able to pass the parliament with the support of the Labor Party, Greens and most of the other crossbenchers in the House. Dr. Phelps said working with people across the political spectrum to push for those changes was a source of pride. “I had the opportunity to work with a wide range of people from different political perspectives as we created the Medevac legislation and saw it pass both Houses of Parliament by one vote,” she explained. “I know it saved lives. In fact, just today I received a message of thanks from one of the refugees who was rescued.”

A VISION FOR SYDNEY

The true test for whoever comes out victorious in the September election will be how they navigate the city’s post-COVID economic recovery. Being

a doctor, Phelps said she is “optimistic for the future” but stresses the city will need to navigate carefully through the coming years as COVID-19 will likely still be around for some time yet. “Phase one is to survive, phase two will be to revive and phase three will be to thrive,” she said. “Community wellbeing, both financially and in terms of physical and psychosocial wellbeing will need to be considered in all decisions.” Looking beyond the pandemic, Dr. Phelps promises to run a transparent council where the unique skill sets of every elected councillor is valued, “not just the ones elected on a particular ticket or with a particular political affiliation” and community consultation is at the forefront of every decision. She also highlighted the need for budget transparency. Dr. Phelps said she would be releasing detailed policy statements across a range of priority policy areas throughout the coming months in the lead up to the election. “Sydney deserves a Lord Mayor who really listens to the community and truly understands the problems people face and who has the determination, the courage and the strength to face the challenging times ahead and to restore the city we love,” she said. Local government elections in NSW are held every 4 years but due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic the 2020 elections were postponed. The City of Sydney council election will be held on Saturday 4 September 2021. CITY HUB FEBRUARY 2021

HubNEWS

Defiant Invasion Day protesters gather BY ALLISON HORE espite being threatened by fines and arrests, thousands of protesters turned up in The Domain for an unauthorised Invasion Day rally. Undeterred by COVID-19 public health orders restricting the number of people allowed to attend protest gatherings and police threats to enforce said restrictions, Sydney’s annual Invasion Day protest went ahead with a large showing. The day before the protest, NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Mick Willing made it clear the protest was not authorised and warned attendees that officers would be enforcing the public health orders. Protest organisers did not back down and told allies to come along anyway. “The stand from the NSW police may be a little intimidating, but I suppose if people put themselves in the shoes of a black person that lives in the colony every single day this is just what we face,” protest organiser Tameeka Tighe said in an interview on Triple J the night before the protest. As promised the protest went ahead

A speaker addresses the crowd at the Domain. Photo: Allison Hore

and before the protest’s 9am start time a large group of people were already gathering in the Domain.

If people put themselves in

the shoes of a black person [...] this is just what we face Faced with an ever growing crowd, police negotiated with organisers to allow protesters to stay in the Domain. The attendees, which numbered up to

3,000, were allowed to stay and listen to the speeches provided they split up into socially distanced groups of less than 500 people. As a trade off, rally organisers agreed not to go ahead with the planned march to Prince Alfred Park.

ARRESTS MADE

Despite the protest being peaceful, a number of arrests were made on the day.

During the Djarrbarrgalli gathering one 18-year-old man was arrested for breaching the peace. Legal observers on the day told City Hub they believed the man was a counter protester and he was spotted shouting racial slurs. NSW Police confirmed the man was not part of the Invasion Day gathering and said no other issues arose at the main protest. Following the crowd dispersing from the Domain, a clash between police and protesters occurred when a small contingent moved to nearby Hyde Park to attempt a march. Four protesters were arrested during the confrontation. NSW police say two of the people they will be charged with COVID-19 breaches, one will be charged with hindering police and another will be charged with assaulting an officer. Overall Commissioner Willing said he was “pleased” with how the protest turned out and he thanked organisers for their efforts in ensuring the morning went ahead in a COVID-19 safe way. “I think at the end of the day, people were able to express their views, get in and out of that protest zone as safely as possible and move on,” he told reporters.

Waverley Council Update Mayor’s Message Bondi Pavilion commercial tenancies Waverley Council is seeking to appoint a vibrant mix of commercial tenants to operate from the iconic Bondi Pavilion when the building reopens either later this year or early next year. Expressions of interest (EOI) open on 9 February for a retail tenancy (shop 2) and food and beverage operator (shop 3) on the ground floor at the northern end of the building. We want to attract providers who will relish being part of the fabric of a heritage building and whose offerings compliment the needs of people who live, work and visit Bondi. To view the tender documentation, and to apply,

and Randwick Councils’ award-winning Eastern Suburbs Electric Vehicle Charging Network. The public charging stations are run on 100% renewable energy and are compatible with all models of EVs. So far, the network has provided more than 2000 hours of charge and distributed more than 14,000 kWh of renewable electricity to EV motorists across seven locations. Express your interest for unique retail leasing opportunities in Bondi Pavilion from 9 February 2021.

visit tenderlink.com/waverley once the EOI goes live on 9 February. It closes 3 March.

Spring Street electric vehicle station now open Electric vehicle owners now have a new place to charge their vehicles in the Bondi Junction commercial centre with the installation of an on-street public electric vehicle charging station outside the Mill Hill Community Centre in Spring Street. The charging station is the eighth one to be installed in Sydney’s east by Waverley, Woollahra

Waverley Customer Service Centre: 55 Spring Street, Bondi Junction Ph: 9083 8000 | waverley.nsw.gov.au | Stay in touch: waverley.nsw.gov.au/subscribe

CITY HUB FEBRUARY 2021

Our newest citizens I had the absolute pleasure of formally presiding over our Australia Day citizenship ceremonies at Waverley Park where around 90 people from more than 25 countries took the pledge to become Australian citizens. The ceremony marked a new chapter in the lives of these migrants who from now onwards are formally identified with our country, our people and our history. I am honoured that these citizens chose Waverley to take the pledge. Our community welcomes you! Paula Masselos, Mayor of Waverley

CITY HUB FEBRUARY 2021

HubNEWS

HIV warning issued for Bondi “wellness centre”

TANYA PLIBERSEK FEDERAL MEMBER FOR SYDNEY

HERE TO HELP

The Detoxologie “wellness centre” in Bondi Junction. Photo: Honee/Detoxologie

As your local representative, I can assist with enquiries or problems you have with Federal Government departments and services like Centrelink, immigration, superannuation, Child Support payments, Medicare, the Pharmaceutical Benefit Scheme (PBS), Veterans’ Affairs, the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), the National Broadband Network (NBN), universities, employment, training, Commonwealth funding and grants.

STAYING IN TOUCH To keep up to date with my activities (incuding my mobile offices), issues and events - both locally and nationally, please subscribe to my eNews at tanyaplibersek.com.

CONGRATULATORY MESSAGES My office can arrange messages of congratulations for people who live in my electorate and are celebrating their golden (50th) and diamond (60th) wedding anniversaries; and 90th and subsequent birthdays. Please allow for 6-8 weeks for congratulatory messages from dignatories.

JUSTICE OF THE PEACE My office offers Justice of the Peace (JP) services on Mondays (2pm-4.30pm); Tuesdays (10am-1pm); and Thursdays (2pm-4.30pm). Please contact my office to make an appointment.

TANYA PLIBERSEK MP 1A Great Buckingham St Redfern NSW 2016 TanyaPlibersek.com to Help 2020 V1.indd 12021 HUB FEBRUARY 6 SSO HereCITY

02 9379 0700

Tanya.Plibersek.MP@aph.gov.au

BY ALLISON HORE SW Health is urging anyone who underwent a procedure at a Bondi Junction wellness clinic to get tested for bloodborne infections like HIV after the clinic’s practitioners were found to have little knowledge of infection control. Clients at the now-closed Detoxologie clinic at Eastgate Shopping Centre in Bondi Junction are being warned HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C may have spread from one patient to another due to its infection control breaches. On it’s website, which has been taken down, the so-called “wellness centre” claims to be able to “help you to cleanse and restore your digestion, re-balance your body, rejuvenate your mind and heal.” But the clinic seemed to be doing more harm than healing. In early December 2020, two of the clinic’s clients were hospitalised after receiving allegedly contaminated intravenous infusions at Detoxologie. Upon investigation by NSW Health, the clinic was shut down with inspectors saying hygiene practices at the clinic were poor and colonic irrigation devices were not sterilised between uses. Nonsterile equipment was also used for a number of skin penetrating procedures including facial micro-needling, blood testing for food allergies and intravenous vitamin infusion. While the clinic’s practitioner, Fay Fain, claimed to be a registered nurse, however the Health Care Complaints Commission (HCCC) say “there is no evidence of her ever being registered as a nurse in Australia.

is at “a low risk” of bloodborne viruses including hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV. Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant said Detoxologie clients should talk to their GPs and arrange a blood borne virus test “as soon as possible”.

RISK OF HIV AND HEPATITIS

As of February 1, Ms. Fain has been issued a prohibition order from providing any health services.

NSW Health say anyone who received a skin penetrating procedure at the centre 28/09/2020 1:23:20 PM

No infections as a result of procedures at Detoxologie have been identified to date, however NSW Health is urging former clients to play it safe and get tested “as a precaution” considering signs of these infections can sometimes take years to show. “We advise that it is beneficial for everyone to know whether or not they are infected with these viruses as there are now effective treatments available to prevent long-term complications,” they said.

It is beneficial for everyone to know whether or not they are infected NSW Health say they have attempted to contact all customers on the centre’s database, however, they cannot be sure business records were complete or contact details were recorded correctly This isn’t the first time the clinic has been at the centre of controversy. In September last year the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) issued the company with three infringement notices totalling almost $40,000 for advertising unapproved health devices and misleading advertising claiming they were TGA approved. The TGA does not regulate or approve clinics or treatments.

HubNEWS

The fight for Franklyn Street

Emily speaks to the crowd in Glebe. Photo: Allison Hore

BY ALLISON HORE ose has lived in her public housing unit in Glebe for the past two decades. One day she went outside and found an A4 flyer laying in the street showing concept art for a proposed new development on the site of her home. That’s the first time Rose heard about the government’s plans to bulldoze her estate on Franklyn Street in Glebe, and the start of what has already been an exhausting fight for the building’s future. Looming over Franklyn Street is the wrecking ball. In a plan which the NSW Government says will deliver “more social housing, a better social housing experience, and more support for social housing residents,” the low-rise public housing estate on Franklyn Street is set to be torn down to make way for three highrise mixed use buildings. The renewal plans were announced in November last year alongside plans to redevelop a second public housing estate on Explorer Street in Eveleigh. NSW Minister for Water, Property and Housing, Melinda Pavey said the two new projects would bring the total number of new homes in the City of Sydney to around 4,250, of which around 1,260 will be social. She added this would mean a 38 percent increase in social homes across the Sydney local government area. “Housing is key to the economic

recovery of NSW with these five projects creating around 9,400 direct and indirect jobs over the lifespan of the projects,” Ms. Pavey said. “These two new renewals will not only increase new housing supply, but provide more and better open space and better connectivity to essential services such as shops, transport, jobs, parks and schools – which is emblematic of the work the Government is doing.” But Rose told City Hub that Franklyn Street tenants, some of whom had been in the block for decades, had been left in the dark about the plans. “How they informed us they were doing this, they did a mock up of the area as architect designs of cafes and umbrellas all along there,” she said, gesturing towards where the tenants’ cars are parked in front of ground floor courtyards. “They hadn’t told us they were planning to knock it down. I saw an image of my house turned into a cafe on a piece of paper on the ground.”

RESIDENTS RISE UP

Rose, who has chronic pain, moved into the Franklyn Street estate in the year of the Sydney 2000 Olympics. She said because of her disability and a previous tenancy which had gone wrong she was “extremely grateful” to be offered a place in Franklyn Street. She is one of many public housing

residents and advocates who gathered in Minogue Reserve in Glebe on Saturday to draw attention to the government’s plans and to call for the houses to be saved. The rally was planned by advocacy group Hands Off Glebe. Speaking at the protest was another Franklyn Street resident, Emily. “Many of us have lived in the building since it was constructed in the late 80s, some of us have been rehoused already from Miller’s Point and from Cowper Street, they don’t want to have to move again,” she told the hundred-strong crowd.

 They hadn’t told us they were planning to knock it down Emily says she would like to see the government investing money to refurbish the neglected estate, rather than demolishing the building to “squeeze” residents into “one size fits all apartments with no outdoor space, less sunlight, and barren corridors.” “This will not be a vibrant, mixed use community- but individuals isolated in flats with empty soulless corridors,” she said. “The government says it will invest 1.9 billion on the properties here and in South Eveleigh. Good, but invest that money in refurbishing and protecting public housing.”

MORE DWELLINGS, FEWER PEOPLE

The Franklyn Street public housing estate was developed in the 1980s and is currently made up of 108 social housing dwellings across a series of 2 and 3 storey townhouses. Under the renewal proposal all of these buildings will be demolished. In their place will be 3 high-rise blocks broken up with a network of laneways. The new development will include around 425 dwellings in total. But only 130 of those will be set aside for social housing. While that’s an additional 22 dwellings, Member for Balmain, Jamie Parker, says the claim this will ease the current public housing waitlist is “bullshit”. “What they don’t tell you is the 108 properties there have 254 bedrooms, and the 130 houses they’re going to build are almost exclusively 1 bedroom,” he told the crowd. “The total amount of people we can house is going to be cut dramatically.” At the end of June 2019 there were over 50,000 people on the waiting list for public housing in NSW. With the COVID-19 pandemic hitting a lot of households hard economically, and the extra jobseeker subsidies set to end, this waitlist is only expected to grow. Some families living in Franklyn Street may not be able to return to Glebe when the new buildings are complete because the new apartments may not be large enough to house them. (Continued on page 8) CITY HUB FEBRUARY 2021

HubNEWS

The fight for Franklyn Street

Protesters march down Franklyn Street. Photo: Allison Hore

“In one of the richest countries in the world, in one of the richest times in history, if we can’t house people we don’t deserve to call ourselves a civilised country,” said Mr. Parker. City of Sydney councillor and former member for Wentworth, Dr. Kerryn Phelps, also attended the rally. As a doctor, Phelps said she knows “the stories of people who have fallen on hard times, who are not able to find accommodation on the private market.” “Social housing is an important part of a healthy, vibrant community. To destroy that social housing here in Glebe is to destroy the character of Glebe itself,” she said.

“DECONCENTRATING DISADVANTAGE”

The fact 70 percent of dwellings in the new development will be privately owned doesn’t sit well with residents or their advocates either. Shelter NSW, an independent, nonprofit organisation which advocates for better housing outcomes, said they were concerned about how the “70:30” ratio seems to be applied universally across the state’s new public housing developments. They said the blanket application of this ratio ignores the specific needs of individual communities. “We are concerned that what started as a ‘rule-of-thumb’ has become orthodoxyeffectively acting as a cap on the NSW Government’s ambition for increasing the stock of social housing dwellings,” Shelter said in their submission to the government. “How can we be assured that 130 dwellings proposed at Franklyn Street is enough to justify the effective 8

CITY HUB FEBRUARY 2021

privatisation of what is currently public land used solely for social housing?” Mr. Parker shares these concerns. He said the promise of a greater number of dwellings was just a front for the government’s real intention to privatise the majority of the development.

To destroy that social housing here in Glebe is to destroy the character of Glebe itself

(Continued from the page 7) streets and spaces, with tree cover and colourful landscaping. The 425 dwellings would be split across three “neighbourhood scale blocks” with communal open spaces within the interior of each block. Public art, seating and paved areas will fill the streets around the buildings. But Rose told City Hub the new building amenities and public spaces being touted by the NSW government offer little comfort to the Franklyn Street residents. She said the things that are being offered are either only necessary because of the nature of the new building, or things the community already has. “Why are they offering us lifts? Because they’re knocking down low rise and putting in high rise,” she said. “They would tell us things like, we’re going to put parks in, we’re going to create community. And my neighbour Edwina said ‘We have a park, we have a community, don’t tell us you’re going to give us what we already have’.”

A HOME WORTH FIGHTING FOR

At the moment Rose lives in a ground floor apartment with its own private garden. For Rose, who says she “lives with pain every single day” her garden is therapeutic. The idea of losing it is heartbreaking. “It’s my kind of version of Wendy Whitely’s pilgrimage,” she told City Hub.

of residents before mid to late 2022 at the earliest. They said all residents will be given at least 6 months notice before they are made to leave and, should the proposal be approved, they will be supported through the relocation process. But even in the early stages the lack of communication from the government and the planning team is already beginning to frustrate residents. “When they did the planning, there was a zoom meeting. They assumed everyone could speak English, everyone had a computer, we were only allowed to write questions, we weren’t allowed to talk,” Rose said. “And that was the only information that we got.” The government maintains that residents have all been contacted by the project team and have been provided the opportunity to give feedback on the preliminary plans. “All local residents of the Franklyn Street social housing estate have been directly contacted and offered an opportunity to discuss the project with the project team,” they said. Hands Off Glebe encourages people who are concerned about the issue to reach out to Minister Pavey with their opposition. Businesses in Glebe can get behind the campaign by putting up posters in their windows. The residents of Franklyn Street aren’t

“They know that they can’t sell whole suburbs like they used to so they have to put up a bullshit facade that says ‘we’re actually building more public housing’,” he said. “Don’t let them get away with it, it’s a lie.” But the NSW Government says the rationale for the mixed public and private developments is to “deconcentrate disadvantage.” Minister Pavey said the move will lead to better outcomes for public housing residents living in the estate. “By deconcentrating disadvantage, we can breathe new life into local economies and deliver more jobs, provide better connections to education outcomes and improve amenities for all residents,” she said.

AMBITIOUS PLANS

The NSW government’s plans for Franklyn street promise to completely transform the estate into a modern, green community. Included in the plans are shared

Rose (left) and other Franklyn Street tenants in front of the block. Photo: Allison Hore

“And it broke my heart when they told me [it would be demolished], I stopped gardening in the pandemic. Because they’re going to bulldoze it. They’re just going to bulldoze everything.” “It’s about money, it’s about developers, it’s about picking people off.” The NSW Government says the planning process will take up to two years and there will be no relocation

giving in and will continue to campaign to save their homes from the bulldozer. With such a large showing to the rally this weekend, they are optimistic about their voices being heard. “We don’t need more desolate wind tunnels in Glebe,” said Emily. “We love our homes, we live in a strong community which is worth keeping and fighting for.”

HubNEWS

School solar panels “a no-brainer” A PRACTICAL SOLUTION

Solar Our Schools campaigners stand outside the Sydney Opera House. Photo: Facebook/AP4CA

BY ALLISON HORE head of the deadline for public submissions for the next federal budget, a grassroots movement of Aussie parents is calling on the government to prioritise funding for solar panels on every school and early childhood education centre. The group, Australian Parents For Climate Action (AP4CA), say supporting their Solar Our Schools is “a no-brainer.” “If every school in Australia had the money and ability to install enough solar

and storage to be fully renewablespowered, they would save thousands of dollars that could be put towards teachers and better educational resources,” said Suzie Brown, the National Director of AP4CA. By having solar panels installed, schools can save between $12,700 – $114,000 a year, says AP4CA. The call follows an open letter to the Prime Minister highlighting the “obvious benefits” of solar panels in schools which was signed by more than 11,000 parents.

One Clovelly mum who has got on board with the Solar Our Schools campaign is Amanda Collier. She told City Hub a national solar panel scheme would help make the “inevitable” transition to solar fair. “It means no school is going to miss out, and that it’s going to be an equitable transition to solar,” she said. She said her 8 year old daughter already knows a little bit about climate change from hearing things at school and in the media. She thinks a campaign like Solar Our Schools offers a practical solution, and is something parents can get involved in with their kids. “At this age children are already

 It means no school is

going to miss out

learning that the world is getting warmer, and what they’re hearing is quite negative. I wonder how that’s impacting them,” she told City Hub. “When you’re feeling kind of helpless just to be able to do something is really empowering.”

Almost 5,000 schools had solar panels installed under the federal government’s National Solar Schools Program (NSSP) which ran until mid 2013. However, many of the solar systems installed are limited compared in their output to the technology available today. While the federal government lags on solar panels for schools some local councils are taking the matter upon themselves. The Solar My School program was launched in 2016 by the Waverley Council alongside the Randiwck and Woollahra councils. The council-run initiative provides guidance to primary and secondary schools on sourcing, funding and installing solar panels. Since its launch, 11 councils across the Sydney basin have gotten behind the program. Ms. Brown said supporting the installation of solar panels in school should not be a partisan issue and noted the 14,000 members of AP4CA come from all across the political spectrum. “Regardless of political affiliations, there is everything to gain by supporting this campaign and nothing to lose,” she said.

Safe and Livable Public Housing in our City Sydney is a wonderful place to live and we all know that our hot and often humid climate means that living here comes with a certain level of interaction with rats and cockroaches. But that doesn’t mean that any resident of our city should be forced to live in vermin infested properties without any real means of effective management. This is the situation faced by thousands of residents in public housing precincts across our city. In these areas, where the landlord is the NSW Liberal/National Government, residents are told that it is their personal responsibility to deal with vermin, despite living in high rise apartment buildings that are infested from top to bottom. How effective can one person’s response ever be if the problem goes so far beyond their own unit?

Even if it was possible, how can people living on a pension or disability payment - struggling to make ends meet - afford the cost associated @jennyleong.newtown

with managing this.

It is clear that dealing with large scale infestations requires a large scale, coordinated response. That is why it is so unacceptable that the NSW Liberal/ National Government refuses to take responsibility for this problem, and instead requires public housing tenants to pay for and implement pest control that they know will not even begin to be effective. Access to safe and livable housing is a basic human right. It is absolutely unacceptable that our Government is actively choosing to shirk this responsibility by refusing to implement effective pest control.

This week in the NSW Parliament, we asked the Premier to explain how her government can justify such a position, and to commit to an urgent roll out of wide scale pest control in public housing properties across NSW. You can see the question and the @jennyleong

Premier’s response by following us on Facebook - just scan the code below.

This is a problem that can be solved, it is a disgrace that the Liberal/National Government is choosing not to uphold its responsibility as a landlord to some of the most vulnerable people in our city. No-one should have to live in a home infested with rats or cockroaches, not our elderly, not young children, not anyone. It is unacceptable and we will continue to pressure them to take urgent action on this issue until it is resolved.

If you live in public housing and have a problem with vermin, report it to the maintenance hotline and let us know. Jenny Leong MP Greens Member for Newtown

@jennyleong.newtown

CITY HUB FEBRUARY 2021

HubNEWS

Green grants to boost recycling infrastructure

BY ALLISON HORE n a joint effort the NSW and Federal governments have announced a mammoth $35 million in grants supporting the remanufacture of recyclable goods. The grants are part of the Remanufacture NSW Fund, a joint initiative between the NSW and Federal governments which was created in response to Council of Australian Governments’ ban on overseas waste export. NSW Minister for Energy and the Environment, Matt Kean, said the grant money will prioritise new sorting technologies and materials recovery projects which boost the country’s ability to process mixed plastics, glass, paper and tyres. “We know the people of NSW are keen recyclers, and this new program is all about supporting our waste industry to get more innovative large-scale projects that divert plastic, glass, paper and tyres from landfill, off the ground,” he said. Grants of between $100,000 and $5 million will be dished out to fund eligible infrastructure projects, while eligible trial projects will receive between $50,000 and $1 million. Applications for grants

New Offer

Councils across the state may apply for the Remanufacture NSW Fund grants. Photo: Twitter/ NSW EPA

are open to companies, government bodies, NGOs and research institutes as well as local councils.

COMMUNITIES “SHOULD COME FIRST”

City of Sydney councillor and president of Local Government NSW (LGNSW), Linda Scott, said the funding announcement was “a significant step forward in putting recycling where it needs to be.” She said she hopes projects which benefit local communities are at “the front of the line” for funding consideration.

“We can no longer export our waste overseas, and with dwindling landfill on our own shores, we need clever recycling solutions that turn waste into a reusable product,” she said.

We are literally throwing

out hundreds of millions of dollars

“We are literally throwing out hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of reusable product and we need to turn that around.”

CITY HUB FEBRUARY 2021

Applications for the grants will be open until the end of March.

To help enliven Sydney, we want to help hospitality businesses expand outdoors. Cafes, bars, restaurants and theatres can now apply to use on-street space for outdoor dining. It’s free to apply. And free to use the space. Tell your favourite venues about this opportunity. Find out more: city.sydney/outdoordining

LGNSW have been advocating for further funding for recycling programs for years. In 2018, the group launched the Save Our Recycling campaign urging the NSW government to fund councils to develop plans and build infrastructure for recycling. Ms. Scott said the grants would not only be good for the environment and help reduce waste across the state, it would also assist in NSW’s post COVID-19 economic recovery. “This will not only preserve our environment but boost our economy and create new jobs,” she said. Assistant Minister for Waste Reduction and Environmental Management, Trevor Evans, said the grants would play a key role in improving the country’s recycling technology. He said the government “must use the Fund to harness the latest science so we recycle more and then remanufacture those resources into valuable new products.” “Recycling is becoming a boom industry for Australia by increasing both its wealth and jobs. Recycling creates nine jobs for every 10,000 tonnes of material recycled, compared to only three if that material ends up in landfill,” he said.

HubNEWS

The gentrification of the jungle F BY MARK KRIEDEMANN rom March 8, Kings Cross will return to opening hours and service last seen 6 years ago when the lockout laws came into effect. Under the lockout laws venues serving alcohol had to close their doors to patrons at 1:30 am, and last drinks at bars were 3am. With the lifting of these laws, patrons can be accepted after 1:30 am, and the last drinks cutoff will be moved to 3:30 am.

MEMORIES OF WHAT WAS

The manager of the Bourbon Hotel (one of the businesses that survived

the lockout), Nick Porter told City Hub his memory of those times. “I remember being early 20’s, and The

 I remember being early 20’s, and The Cross was just on fire At the time of their implementation, Kings Cross had been recently marred by the deaths of Thomas Kelly and Daniel Christie in one-punch attacks. The laws were set in place by the O’Farrell NSW government with the aim to “make a significant difference in tackling drug-and alcohol-fuelled violence on our streets.”

Llankelly Place in Kings Cross. Photo: Mark Kreidemann

Cross was just on fire. 7 Days a week, hustling and bustling.” Another veteran of business in Kings Cross, former DJ John Carroll, had similar impressions. “I spent 6 years doing what we had, called car-wash disco, at a club that eventually became The Tunnel. And we had the backpacker market, and we absolutely smashed it”. However, In the time since the lockout laws were introduced, there has been a noticeable shift in the culture and fortunes of Kings Cross. Much of this shift is connected to the types of development that’s taken place in response to, “different demographics”, as Mr. Carroll explains. “The people who are going to move in, they’ll have different interests because they’re an older age-group”. Development has occurred on multiple levels, as a result of the interconnectedness of the businesses and property lot owners that were joined in catering to the previous interests in Kings Cross. (Continued on page 12)

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HubNEWS

The gentrification of the jungle

(Continued from the page 11)

This feeling is compounded by the feeling the people and businesses of Kings Cross were not the ones who were responsible for the culture that led to the events that motivated the lockout laws, as Mr. Carroll explains. “A lot of trouble that was in the cross was coming from outside. Okay, both of those murders, those boys were from the western suburbs. They were the ones that came in with the attitude”.

MOVING FORWARD The iconic coca-cola sign in Kings Cross. Photo: Mark Kreidemann

A DOMINO EFFECT

Khae Aoun, owner of the Kings Cross Distillery, one of the newer businesses, told City Hub a “domino effect” has forced old property owners and businesses out of the area while making way for new ones. “The business owner wasn’t making the money, the landlord wasn’t getting the rent as well. So that was a domino effect,” he said. “And that’s when my wife and I purchased the property, but with the view that there was always going to be potential growth in the area, and that the lockout was going to be open again”

This kind of impact has been felt very broadly. As Mr. Carroll explained, it affected “everyone from delivery people. It wasn’t just the pubs and clubs, it was also all the takeaway places, all the tiny cafes, transport, taxis, you name it. Everyone got hit”. The period of transition has come with a lot of pain. Adding to the pain is a sense of unfairness. As Nick Porter from the Bourbon Hotel put it, “the implementation of the lockout laws, it was a head-scratch. Kings Cross was smashed with lockout laws... We’ve done our time in purgatory”.

Moving on has been difficult, even for businesses such as the Kings Cross Distillery that have sought to capitalise on the shifted culture in Kings Cross. Nonetheless, there is optimism about the Cross’s future. Mr. Porter said the developments have been “very welcome for a lot of business owners… there’s been focusing on fine-dining… all the riff-raff have moved out into more suburban areas”. Therefore, there is reason for Kings Cross businesses to agree with the statement from NSW Premier, Gladys Berejiklian, “the precinct is now well positioned to continue to evolve into a vibrant lifestyle and cultural destination with a diverse mix of small bars, live music venues and restaurants”.

Katherine O’Regan, Executive Director of the Sydney Business Chamber, also celebrated the lifting of the lockdown laws in a changed Kings Cross, explaining “this is a great opportunity to realise the full potential of Kings Cross as a diverse, inclusive and economically valuable addition to the city as a place not simply centred around late night drinking”. With the movement away from this “late night drinking”, the lifting of the lockout restrictions has a degree of irrelevancy. The culture of The Cross has shifted in a way that’s attracting people to daytime venues rather than catering for a vibrant nightlife. As Mr. Aoun says, “I don’t see much nightlife. Yes, you’ve got the Potts Point Hotel. But besides that really, all the nightclubs, they’ve all disappeared”. However, owners and managers like Mr. Aoun and Mr. Porter still see a future for Kings Cross with a lot of promise. Looking into the next five years, Mr. Porter is confident that there will be many fine things for Kings Cross, and he doesn’t “see it coming back to what it was. The developers and politicians won’t let that happen again”.

TELSTRA IS PLANNING TO REMOVE A PAYPHONE

It is proposed that a coin and card payphone be removed from: Outside 37 Cook Road corner Mitchell Street, Centennial Park NSW 2021 (Payphone ID: 02936128X2)

It is proposed that a coin and card payphone be removed from: Outside 2 Onslow Street near Old South Head Road, Rose Bay. NSW 2029 (Payphone ID: 02937110X2)

The next nearest coin and card payphone is located: Outside 457 Oxford Street, Paddington NSW 2021 and is approximately 385 metres away from the payphone that is proposed to be removed. (Payphone ID: 02936116X2)

The next nearest coin and card payphone is located: Outside 505 Old South Head Road, Rose Bay. NSW 2029 and is approximately 186 metres away from the payphone that is proposed to be removed. (Payphone ID: 02937105X2)

Reference Number 44631

Reference Number 44632

Telstra intends making a final decision on this proposal by:

30th March 2021

To assist us in making a final decision, we invite your comments on this proposal. Please send us your comments in writing to:

Telstra Payphone Siting Manager Locked Bag 4850 Melbourne Vic 3001 or by calling us on 1800 011 433 selection Option 2 or by email to Payphones@team.telstra.com

For more information on payphone services (including, any applicable payphone consultation document) see: https://www.telstra.com.au/consumer-advice/payphones

CITY HUB FEBRUARY 2021

HubNEWS

Dive into Zetland A BY ALLISON HORE new hundred million dollar aquatic center has opened in Zetland after being delayed for almost a year. On February 1, the City of Sydney officially opened the $106.5 million Gunyama Park Aquatic and Recreation Centre. City of Sydney Mayor Clover Moore said the facility is the “largest pool complex built in Sydney since the 2000 Olympics.” The aquatic center includes a 50m pool for recreation inspired by Sydney’s popular ocean pools, a 25m pool with the third largest moveable pool floor in the world, a kids’ water playground, a hydrotherapy pool, gym, creche, café and a sports field. In a tribute to Green Square’s indigenous history, a bronze sculpture modelled on handheld water carriers once used by Aboriginal people is the central artistic feature of the complex. “The jewel of the complex is the 50m outdoor lap pool. Its unusual shape inspired by Sydney’s coastline edge allows swimmers to walk and paddle in or sit for a breather on the shoreline,” Ms. Moore told journalists at the opening. “From children splashing and serious

swimmers improving their lap times to gym-lovers and sports teams on the field, this terrific centre has something for everyone.” The aquatic center is the sixth swim facility in the City of Sydney, and by far the largest. “Our new aquatic centre is not only beautiful and fun, it’s the first in Australia to achieve a five-star sustainability rating. It also features a full array of accessibility features, so it’s a place for everyone to enjoy,” said Ms. Moore.

 It’s a place for everyone

to enjoy

Some of the features in the building’s design which contributed the aquatic center’s five-star sustainability rating include rooftop solar panels and cogeneration systems to produce the electricity needed to operate the center. Heat, produced as a byproduct of the energy production process, will keep the pools warm. The aquatic center will also be water conscious- the City of Sydney said. Water from the Green Square urban water

Lord Mayor Clover Moore at the new pool in Zetland. Photo: supplied

recycling center will be used to flush toilets in the bathrooms and to irrigate the surrounding parklands.

BUDGET BLOWOUT AND DELAYS

The aquatic centre’s much-hyped opening was 8 months later than the City of Sydney had originally planned. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic caused some delays to works and the delivery of equipment, but it was the discovery of unexpected concrete structures and underground utilities during construction which threw a bigger spanner in the works.

The City of Sydney has also come under criticism for the costs of the project. Originally, the council conservatively estimated the project would cost $50 million. But in January 2018, construction company CPB Contractors signed an $84 million contract to build the facility- already well over the estimate even before the unforeseen delays occurred. In October last year, the Inner West council opened the nearby Ashfield aquatic center which set ratepayers back $44.7 million.

Suspended Figures (detail) by Prudence Stent & Honey Long. CITY HUB FEBRUARY 2021

HubNEWS

Media diversity under investigation

A senate inquiry into media diversity is ongoing, with Murdoch’s ownership being called into question. Photo: Various

BY ALLISON HORE as your local newspaper shut down or ceased print? Is a Murdoch rag the only print publication you can get your hands on? Or are you just a news junkie who loves your local paper? Activist group GetUp! would like to hear from you for a report they are putting together to submit before a senate inquiry into Australia’s state of play when it comes to media diversity. Following the popularity of former prime minister Kevin Rudd’s petition for a royal

commission into Murdoch media which was signed by over 500,000 people, Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young established an inquiry into media diversity in Australia. The senate inquiry will examine the state of media diversity, independence and reliability in Australia and the impact this has on the impact that this has on public interest journalism and democracy. GetUp! says the inquiry is a good opportunity to make change in terms of Australia’s media ownership, but say

PROPOSAL TO UPGRADE TELSTRA MOBILE PHONE BASE STATION LOCATED AT THE ROCKS

it can only really be effective if all the relevant voices are heard. “The Murdoch Press is increasing its power over our media, aided by weak ownership laws and a complicit Coalition,” they said. “The Senate Inquiry into media diversity is a critical opportunity to change that. But only if they have the facts.” In an effort to make the voices of members of the community heard, GetUp! is asking people to share their personal stories of how they have been affected by the changing media environment.

 The Murdoch Press is

increasing its power over our media The call out for stories comes as part of a report GetUp! are working on which will be submitted before the parliamentary inquiry. Over 5,000 Australians donated to fund the investigation. Expert researchers will examine decades of media ownership records and distribution data.

A FEW BIG PLAYERS

Ownership of print newspapers in Australia is highly concentrated. NewsCorp accounts for 52 percent of all Australia’s newspapers. This is an issue as it means small newspapers are often bought and sold off or merged with shareholders in mind rather than the need for community news. It also means local news often goes unreported. In 2018, major newspapers published 28 percent fewer articles on local government and 40 percent fewer articles on local court cases compared to 2008. COVID-19 has also taken a toll. Last year News Corp ceased printing over 100 of their regional and community titles, citing the pandemic as the main reason. 14 papers were given the axe completely while others were transformed into digital only mastheads behind paywalls. NewsLocal titles in Sydney, including the Central Sydney and Inner West Courier, were among those which became digital only. In their submission before the inquiry NewsCorp said they “welcomed” the investigation.

PROPOSAL TO UPGRADE MOBILE PHONE BASE STATION LOCATED AT EASTGARDENS

Telstra plans to upgrade an existing telecommunications facility located at 35-75 Harrington Street, The Rocks, NSW 2000 (Lot 1 on DP775889) www.rfnsa.com.au/2000027

Telstra plans to upgrade an existing telecommunications facility located at Westfield Eastgardens described as 152 Bunnerong Road, Eastgardens NSW 2036 (Lot 1 DP1058663), www.rfnsa.com.au/2035004

1. Telstra are currently upgrading existing mobile network facilities to allow for the introduction of 5G to Telstra’s network. As part of this network upgrade, Telstra proposes the installation of LTE2100(4G) and NR3500 (5G) technologies at The Rocks locality and surrounds. Proposed works at the above site will involve the removal of six (6) existing panel antennas with the installation of three (3) 5G AIR6488 and three (3) RV4PX306R panel antennas (each no more than 2.8m long), the removal of six (6) remote radio units (RRUs) with the installation of three (3) RRUs and the removal and installation of associated ancillary equipment including but not limited to an extension to the existing shroud structure, mounts and feeder cables. All internal equipment to be housed within the existing equipment shelter located on the building rooftop

1. Telstra are currently upgrading existing mobile network facilities to allow for the introduction of 5G to Telstra’s network. As part of this network upgrade, Telstra proposes the installation of WCDMA850, LTE700, LTE1800, LTE2100, LTE2600, NR3500 (3G, 4G and 5G) technologies at the Eastgardens locality and surrounds. Proposed works at the above site will involve the installation of three (3) Tongyu T2004L6R021 and three (3) 5G AIR6488 panel antennas (each no more than 2.8m long), the installation of six (6) remote radio units, the installation of two (2) outdoor units and the installation of associated ancillary equipment. All internal equipment will be housed within the equipment shelter located on the building rooftop

2. Telstra regards the proposed installation as exempt development under the State Environmental Planning Policy (Infrastructure) 2007 Part 1 – Exempt Development based on the above description 3. In accordance with Section 7 of C564:2020 Mobile Phone Base Station Deployment Code, we invite you to provide feedback about the proposal. Further information and/or written submissions should be directed to Didier Ah-Sue, Aurecon Australasia via email to: Didier.ahsue@aurecongroup.com or via post to: Didier Ah-Sue, Aurecon Australasia Level 5, 863 Hay Street, PERTH WA 6000 by 5pm on 25 February 2021. 14

CITY HUB FEBRUARY 2021

2. Telstra regards the proposed installation as a Low-impact Facility under the Telecommunications (Low-impact Facilities) Determination 2018 (“The Determination”) based on the above description 3. In accordance with Section 7 of C564:2020 Mobile Phone Base Station Deployment Code, we invite you to provide feedback about the proposal. Further information and or written submissions should be directed to Didier Ah-Sue, Aurecon Australasia via email to: Didier.ahsue@aurecongroup.com or via post to: Didier Ah-Sue, Aurecon Australasia Level 5, 863 Hay Street, PERTH WA 6000 by 5pm on 25 February 2021.

HubNEWS

Sydney Burmese community rally against coup BY ALLISON HORE ith just a day’s notice, hundreds of members of Sydney’s Burmese community gathered at Martin Place on Wednesday to raise awareness about the unfolding coup in Myanmar. On Monday, Myanmar’s military detained Aung San Suu Kyi, the democratically elected civilian leader, and declared a year long state of emergency in a television announcement. Other top government officials and members of Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) party were also taken into military custody. The NLD won the November 2020 election with 83 percent of the vote. However, following the election the political arm of the country’s military claimed the elections were fraudulent. Foreign observers and the country’s electoral commission determined there had been no significant problems. Supporters of the NLD have staged protests around the world. Including the one in Martin Place this week. Jamie Parker, Greens member for Balmain, was one of the founding members of the Australian Coalition for

Democracy in Burma. He visited Burma in 2015 to act as an unofficial election monitor during the country’s first “free and fair” election in 25 years. Speaking at Wednesday’s rally Mr. Parker said it was important Burmese communities around the world gather to “speak up for those people in Myanmar who can’t speak” and to “protest for those people who are in fear for their lives.”

People [...] will see that the world cares “People, whether they’re in Yangon or whether they’re in Mandalay, will see that the world cares,” Mr. Parker told City Hub. “Second we’re saying to our government that we need targeted sanctions against the military, against their economic entities and against their private interests.”

AUSTRALIA’S ROLE

Australian Defence Force troops have provided training, assistance and English lessons to members of Myanmar’s

A Burmese activist addresses the crowd at Martin Place. Photo: Allison Hore

military for several years. Documents show Australia has spent $1.5 million on the country’s armed forces over the past 5 years. “We know the leaders of the military have family here, have property here and have assets. They should be seized and we shouldn’t be releasing any of those assets until they’ve released the people of Myanmar,” Mr. Parker said. “We should be supporting democracies not undermining them.”

After the 2015 election in Myanmar, the Australian Coalition for Democracy in Burma wrapped up their work and donated the money they had left. Given recent events, Mr. Parker says the group will be coming back together. “It’s an amazing feeling when you finish a campaign and you close, this was a successful end to our campaign, but we will be sadly having to be reconstituting to press again for similar things,” he said.

PROPOSAL TO UPGRADE OPTUS MOBILE PHONE BASE STATION WITH 5G AT THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS

PROPOSAL TO UPGRADE OPTUS AND VODAFONE MOBILE PHONE BASE STATION WITH 5G AT THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS 1.

4. 5. 6.

Rooftop Facility, 209-211 Harris Street, Pyrmont NSW 2009 Optus Vodafone Ref: S0969, www.rfnsa.com.au/2009003 The proposed facility consists of the addition of new 5G equipment and associated works as follows: • Installation of three (3) new 5G panel antennas (0.81m long) • Installation of three (3) new 5G panel antennas (0.75m long) • Replacement of three (3) existing 4G panel antennas (2.68m long) with three new 4G panel antennas (2.1m long) • Replacement of three (3) existing 4G panel antennas (2.68m long) with three new 4G panel antennas (1.83m long) • New ancillary equipment including remote radio units, cabling and antenna mounts • Reconfiguration of existing equipment on the facility and within the equipment shelter • The antennas are at rooftop level and there is a slight increase in the overall scale of the facility Rooftop Facility, 48 Chippen Street, Chippendale NSW 2008 Optus Vodafone Ref: S2145, www.rfnsa.com.au/2008003 The proposed facility consists of the addition of new 5G equipment and associated works as follows: • Installation of three (3) new 5G panel antennas (0.75m long) • Installation of three (3) new 5G panel antennas (1.35m long) • Replacement of three (3) existing 4G panel antennas (2.69m long) with three new 4G panel antennas (2.1m long) • Replacement of three (3) existing 4G panel antennas (2.68m long) with three new 4G panel antennas (1.5m long) • New ancillary equipment including remote radio units, cabling and antenna mounts • Reconfiguration of existing equipment on the facility and within the equipment shelter • The antennas are at rooftop level and there is a slight increase in the overall scale of the facility Rooftop Facility, 134-138 William Street, Wooloomooloo NSW 2011 Optus Vodafone Ref: S8901, www.rfnsa.com.au/2011002 The proposed facility consists of the addition of new 5G equipment and associated works as follows: • Installation of three (3) new 5G panel antennas (0.75m long) • Installation of three (3) new 5G panel antennas (1.35m long) • Replacement of three (3) existing 4G panel antennas (2.53m long) with three new 4G panel antennas (1.83m long) • Replacement of three (3) existing 4G panel antennas (2.53m long) with three new 4G panel antennas (2.78m long) • New ancillary equipment including remote radio units, cabling and antenna mounts • Reconfiguration of existing equipment on the facility and within the equipment shelter Optus and Vodafone regard the proposed installations as Exempt Development in accordance with State Environmental Planning Policy (Infrastructure) 2007 based on the description above Notification is being undertaken in accordance with Section 7 of Industry Code C564:2020 Mobile Phone Base Station Deployment Members of the public may obtain further information on the proposed work, and we invite you to provide written comments about the proposal. Further information and/or comments should be directed to Optus’ representative c/- James McIver, Catalyst ONE Pty Ltd; phone: 02 4022 9533; email: consultation@catalystone.com.au and post: PO Box 1119, Crows Nest NSW 1585 by 26 February 2021.

Existing Facility (Level 10), 1-19 Oxford Street, Rooftop Facility, Lakes Business Park, Building 2, Surry Hills NSW 2010 2-26 Lord Street, Botany NSW 2019 Optus Ref: S0209, www.rfnsa.com.au/2010024 Optus Ref: S0490, www.rfnsa.com.au/2019001 1. The proposed facility consists of the addition of new 5G 3. The proposed facility consists of the addition of new 5G equipment and associated works as follows: equipment and associated works as follows: • Installation of three (3) new 5G panel antennas (0.81m in length) • Installation of three (3) new 5G panel antennas (0.59m long) • Replacement of three (3) existing 4G panel antennas (2.68m • New ancillary equipment including remote radio units, cabling long) with three new 4G panel antennas (1.5m long) and antenna mounts • New ancillary equipment including remote radio units, cabling • Reconfiguration of existing equipment on the facility and within and antenna mounts the equipment shelter • Reconfiguration of existing equipment on the facility and within • The antennas are at rooftop level and there is a slight increase in the equipment shelter; the antennas are at level 10 plant room the overall scale of the facility • Optus regards the proposed installation as a low-impact facility in • Optus regards the proposed installation as Exempt Development accordance with the Telecommunications (Low-impact Facilities) in accordance with State Environmental Planning Policy Determination 2018 based on the description above (Infrastructure) 2007 based on the description above Existing Monopole, 19 Harris Street, Pyrmont NSW 2009 Rooftop Facility, 65-71 Belmore Road, Optus Ref: S5576, www.rfnsa.com.au/2009001 Randwick NSW 2031 Optus Ref: S0041, www.rfnsa.com.au/2031005 2. The proposed facility consists of the addition of new 5G equipment and associated works as follows: 4. The proposed facility consists of the addition of new 5G • Installation of three (3) new 5G panel antennas (0.59m long) equipment and associated works as follows: • Installation of three (3) new 5G panel antennas (0.81m long) • Installation of three (3) new 5G panel antennas (0.59m long) • Installation of one (1) new 4G panel antenna (2.69 m long) • Installation of three (3) new 5G panel antennas (0.81m long) • Replacement of two (2) existing 4G panel antennas (2.53m long) • Provision for three (3) future panel antennas (up to 1.5m long) with two new 4G panel antennas (2.69m long) • New ancillary equipment including remote radio units, cabling • Provision for three (3) future panel antennas (up to 1.5m long) and antenna mounts • New ancillary equipment including remote radio units, cabling • Reconfiguration of existing equipment on the facility and within and antenna mounts the equipment shelter • Reconfiguration of existing equipment on the facility and within • The antennas are at rooftop level and there is a slight increase in the equipment shelter the overall scale of the facility • The antennas are at rooftop level and there is a slight increase in the overall scale of the facility • Optus regards the proposed installation as Exempt Development • Optus regards the proposed installation as a low-impact facility in in accordance with State Environmental Planning Policy accordance with the Telecommunications (Low-impact Facilities) (Infrastructure) 2007 based on the description above Determination 2018 based on the description above 5. Notification is being undertaken in accordance with Section 7 of Industry Code C564:2020 Mobile Phone Base Station Deployment. 6. Members of the public may obtain further information on the proposed work, and we invite you to provide written comments about the proposal. Further information and/or comments should be directed to Optus’ representative c/- James McIver, Catalyst ONE Pty Ltd; phone: 02 4022 9533; email: consultation@catalystone.com.au and post: PO Box 1119, Crows Nest NSW 1585 by 26 February 2021. CITY HUB FEBRUARY 2021

HubNEWS

Calls for Australian commitment to anti-nuclear treaty The protest at Martin Place was organised by the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), a coalition of non-governmental organisations which campaigns for nuclear disarmament in more than one hundred countries.

It’s high time the Australian government [...] got on the right side of history

A seven meter tall inflatable nuclear missile was erected in Martin Place. Photo: Michelle Haywood

BY ALLISON HORE seven meter tall inflatable nuclear missile was erected in Martin Place to recognise a significant milestone in the campaign to abolish anti-nuclear weapons. It was just one of many actions around Australia in celebration of the the 2017 UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) coming into international law. The TPNW is significant as it is the first treaty to comprehensively ban nuclear weapons

on humanitarian grounds. So far, 86 states have signed it and now 51 countries have ratified it. Entry into force of the treaty is significant as it sets the standard that nuclear weapons are illegal and illegitimate for all states. But the protest wasn’t just a celebration of the milestone, it was also a call to action. Despite the nation’s commitments under the 1970 nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, Australia isn’t one of the 51 countries who have signed or ratified the treaty.

PROPOSAL TO UPGRADE EXISTING MOBILE PHONE BASE STATION WITH 5G AT THE FOLLOWING LOCATION 56-58 Albion Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010 www.rfnsa.com.au/2010026 The proposed upgrade to the existing facility consists of the following works; • Installation of nine (9) new 5G panel antennas (each no longer than 0.81m) • Replacement of three (3) panel antennas (2.69m long) • Installation of associated ancillary equipment including new antenna mounts, twenty-one (21) new Remote Radio Units and two (2) new GPS antennas • Reconfiguration of existing equipment on the facility and within the equipment shelter, including removal of existing Remote Radio Units and a GPS antenna. Optus and Vodafone regard the proposed installation as an Exempt Development in accordance with the State Environmental Planning Policy (Infrastructure) 2007 based on the description above. In accordance with Section 7 of C564:2020 Mobile Phone Base Station Deployment Code, we invite you to provide feedback about the proposal. Further information and/or comments should be directed to: BMM Group, 1300 260 834, submissions@bmmgroup.com.au by 26 February 2021. Further information may also be obtained from the website provided above. 16

CITY HUB FEBRUARY 2021

“The Morrison government claims to be in favour of disarmament but refuses to support this treaty,” said Gem Romuld, the Director of ICAN Australia. “It’s high time the Australian government followed New Zealand and most other countries in our region and got on the right side of history.”

WEAPONS TESTING IN AUSTRALIA

The treaty would be especially important for Australia, given the nation’s long history as a site for weapons testing, as it is the first to promise assistance for the victims of atomic bombs and nuclear weapons testing.

Despite the treaty’s international significance there is still a way to go before the world commits to going nuclear-free. None of the world’s 9 nuclear powersthe USA, China, Russia, France, the UK, India, Pakistan, Israel and North Korea- have signed or ratified the treaty. Countries who rely on other nations’ weapons for their security, including Australia, are also yet to commit. ICAN encourages people who are concerned about Australia’s lack of commitment to the treaty to write to their local members and ask them to show their support for it. So far 88 Federal MPs and Senators from across the political spectrum have gotten on board the campaign for Australia to join the treaty. Member for Sydney Tanya Plibersek and Labor leader Anthony Albanese, who have committed to ratifying the treaty in parliament, are among them. In NSW, 25 members of parliament and legislative council members back the ban. They include Independent Alex Greenwich and Jamie Parker and Jenny Leong of the Greens.

PROPOSAL TO UPGRADE MOBILE PHONE BASE STATION LOCATED AT POTTS POINT Telstra plans to upgrade an existing telecommunications facility located at 204-212 VICTORIA STREET, POTTS POINT NSW 2011 (CP/-/SP21251) www.rfnsa.com.au/2011007 1. Telstra are currently upgrading existing mobile network facilities to allow for the introduction of 5G to Telstra’s network. As part of this network upgrade, Telstra proposes the installation of LTE2600 (4G), LTE1800 (4G), LTE 2100 (4G), LTE700 (4G), NR850 (5G) and NR3500 (5G) technologies at Potts Point. Proposed works at the above site will involve the installation of six (9) new panel antennas including six (6) new panel antennas (each no more than 2.8m in length) and three (3) new 5G AIR antennas, six (6) new tower mounted amplifiers (TMAs), six (6) new remote radio units (RRUs), two (2) new outdoor units (ODUs) and associated ancillary equipment. All internal equipment will be housed within the proposed ODUs located at the base of the facility 2. Telstra regards the proposed installation as a Low-impact Facility under the Telecommunications (Low-impact Facilities) Determination 2018 (“The Determination”) based on the above description 3. In accordance with Section 7 of C564:2020 Mobile Phone Base Station Deployment Code, we invite you to provide feedback about the proposal. Further information and/or written submissions should be directed to Max Peel, Aurecon Australasia via email to: max.peel@aurecongroup.com or via post to: Max Peel, Aurecon Pty Ltd, Locked Bag 331, Brisbane QLD 4001 by 5pm on 25 February 2021.

HubNEWS

Opinion

It’s a beautiful day in the neighbourhood

BY SANDRA SYMONS t is a lovely evening in the inner city. It is the violet hour. Wayward frangipani blooms still litter the pavement, murraya crowds the iron fence railings, leptospermum lends the air a soft suggestion of lemons. But stop. Listen. Blot out the sounds of passing cars and passers-by, the sounds of people preparing dinner, the sounds of the television and conversation drifting out of open living room windows. Tune into ground level. And there you have it. A melodious piping, a lovely high song from a myriad tiny frogs. They don’t live in water, they live in the damp undergrowth. I have been listening to this lovely song for years. It is part of my domestic domain. I live in a 120-year-old Victorian terrace with a courtyard jungle. The frogs are part of that lush jungle. And I am just hearing their song for the first time in a long time. Five years ago I left my job to live with and look after my mother, then well into her 90s and a widow. My mother’s house is in a garden suburb north of the harbour. There the gardens are fairly large, the streets lined with wide grassy verges with many trees and shrubs. It is bordered by a national park. I got used to hearing magpies, butcher birds, kookaburras, cockatoos, lorikeets, channel-billed cuckoos during the day, possums, flying foxes, powerful owls, boobooks, tawny frogmouths at night. Some of them I do hear in my inner city neighbourhood, being that it is close to a large park. But in all the time I lived with

my mother, I never heard the piping song of the little frogs.

REDISCOVERING HOME

Now, living back in my terrace house, I am acutely aware of the concentrated sounds and smells of home. But what is home? Neighbourhood? Community? As I look around my house, I recognise that ‘home’ is a repository of my memories, an accumulation of objects and furniture, chosen and bestowed over time, a place of conception and birth, of children walking, talking, going to school, of fights and fears, love and longing. All marked in the fabric of the place. What is so important about my rediscovery of my home is that it is allowing me to re-organise and re-establish my life in this time of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is a sanctuary. Acclaimed architect Leonidas Trampoukis, of LOT design, sums it up – the meaning of ‘home’ is about belonging somewhere not only in physical terms but also in terms of being comfortable, of enjoying small things that offer inspiration and peace. To me, neighbourhood is defined by physical boundaries and place marks. I see again the robinias outside the café and pub I used to frequent with my partner and children, the golden green leaves rippling in the breeze directly off the harbour. I walk past the playing fields in the park that still echo with sounds of my children’s hockey and softball, football and cricket games. I hear the calls of the

coots, wood ducks, swamp hens, swans and geese on the ponds, the whistling cry of the yellow-tailed black cockatoos in the radiata pine thickets. Each day now I drift past the heritage sandstone walls of imposing government buildings, their self-important lines softened by lines of jacarandas. I love the wandering lanes that reveal backyard secrets of the expansive terraces with their Juliet balconies and crows nest attics. And always there are, and have always been, the art galleries, design studios, antique shops, fashion boutiques, hair salons, patisseries, cafes and delis and little pubs, all jostling elbows for attention. This neighbourhood is once again providing me with the robust skeleton of my home turf. I know a neighbourhood may have fuzzy boundaries and I notice the subtle differences between one side of the street and the other. In fact, the border between two suburbs in my municipality runs down the middle of my street. On one side, grand mid19th century sandstone villas with stable blocks at the back and spacious gardens, on the other side two storey Victorian terraces with front verandah and balcony on the street and small yard at the back. The grand villas stand on a high ridge surrounded by various incarnations of the two, three and four storey terraces, tiny single storey cottages, modest bald-faced terraces of apparent neglect that make up the diverse interests and lifestyles in the neighbourhood’s different zones. Such a mix is not obvious in my mother’s more homogenous neighbourhood.

CREATING COMMUNITY Community is another component of home. It is composed of residents, more importantly one’s neighbours, and those in the shops, cafes and markets. Although I had been away for years, the owner of my corner café greeted me with “Oh hello, have you been on holidays?” as he got on with my order. I had slipped back into the community so easily. It may be profoundly familiar but the nice thing is that I am noticing its special features as much as I would an unfamiliar place. This all reminds me of the CanadianUS children’s television show ‘Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood’, that aired 1968 to 2001, and if you are not familiar with the show, you will know about Tom Hanks playing the role of Mister Roberts in the film released last year, ‘A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood’. Mister Rogers sings the opening song that goes like this, “It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood A beautiful day for a neighbor Could you be mine? Would you be mine? “I have always wanted to have a neighbor just like you I have always wanted to live in a neighborhood with you. “Let’s make the most of this beautiful day Since we are together, might as well say Would you be my, could you be my Won’t you be my neighbor?” And the answer, Mister Rogers, is yes! CITY HUB FEBRUARY 2021

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Forget sheep, count kangaroos BY ALLISON HORE he Animal Justice party has launched a Summer Kangaroo Count project they hope will convince the NSW government to kill the kangaroo cull. The citizen science initiative was launched by NSW Legislative Council member, Mark Pearson, in response to concerns about the sustainability of kangaroo populations. Beginning in December, the Summer Kangaroo Count has received over 400 responses so far.

for all that we have a problem on our hands that needs addressing now,” he said.

 The stark reality is, we have no idea how many kangaroos are left

The Animal Justice Party are asking people around Australia to record the number of dead and live kangaroos they spot around their homes or on the road, and fill in an online form with the information. Mr. Pearson said despite the kangaroo being one of Australia’s most iconic animals, there is no accurate estimate of their population.

KILL THE CULL

The Animal Justice party, along with other animal rights groups, are calling on a moratorium on the killing of kangaroos. They say the habitat destruction and loss of life during the bushfires leaves the nation’s kangaroo population vulnerable, and there’s no reason for the culling. More than 1,000 people have signed a petition in support. Protesters draw awareness to the kangaroo cull at Sydney’s Town Hall. Photo: Supplied/Animal Justice Party

“The stark reality is, we have no idea how many kangaroos are left, and yet the NSW Government continues to allow the slaughter of kangaroos for products like meat and shoes,” Mr. Pearson said. The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) estimates over 3 billion animals were killed in the Black Summer bushfires in what they called one of the “worst wildlife disasters in modern history.” Kangaroos and wallabies accounted for 5 million of those animals which were killed.

The kangaroo count project is open for anyone, anywhere in Australia “whether they’re staying home or able to get out on the road.” Mr. Pearson hopes the information gathered by kangaroo counters will help convince NSW parliamentarians to consider the plight of the iconic marsupial. “The aim of the project is to gather as much anecdotal evidence about kangaroo populations as possible, so we can take that to ministers in NSW Parliament and convince them once and

The NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment (DPIE) say the reason for culling kangaroos is “conservation”. They “work to ensure individual kangaroos are harvested in a humane way, and kangaroo populations remain ecologically sustainable”. According to the NSW Government’s estimates 2019 there are more than 14 million kangaroos and wallaroos across the state. The quota for kangaroo killings at the time was around 2 million, or approximately 15 percent of the total population. However, upon review the kill quota was dropped to 1.5 million in the 2020 population management plan.

COFFIN ED’S NAKED CITY

HEALTHY SYDNEY COMES SECOND BEST!

ow, Sydneysiders will be overjoyed to hear that we have recently been announced the second healthiest city in the world. Widely reported across Australian media, the Healthy Cities Lifestyle Report for 2021 supposedly analysed factors such as hours of sunshine, annual average hours worked and the amount of outdoor activities available in their grading of some 44 global cities. Amsterdam took the top spot and bad luck Melbourne - bleak city came in well below Sydney at 11th on the list. Surprisingly the very hip New York came in at 42nd with Moscow and Mexico City bringing up the rear. So just who took time to collect the data and compile what was trumpeted as a fairly definitive list? Was it a project of the World Health Organisation or some branch of the United Nations? What most of the news outlets here failed to tell you was that the report was actually initiated by Lenstore, an online retailer of contact lenses based in the UK. Just what their motivation was in undertaking the study I’m not sure, and let’s give them the benefit of the doubt 18

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by assuming it was purely academic. However, any report like this needs to be taken with a huge grain of salt and a big dose of cynicism. Have a look at their full index and you will see that some of the factors included the cost of a monthly gym membership, the price of bottled water and so called levels of happiness. Just how you ascertain people’s level of happiness is a bit of a mystery and you would assume that would involve questioning thousands to get a reliable sample. Maybe starting with a vox pop in the Pitt Street Mall – “Excuse me sir, can you tell me how happy you are feeling

today?” And the answer, “f&4@ off, I’m having a shit awful day.” Then again you could pose the question at one of those big outdoor music festivals and given the chemical intake of many of the patrons, you might get an entirely different response. Maybe with the next Australian census looming in August that’s a question that needs to be included – “How would you rate your general level of happiness? (a) Exuberant (b) Extremely Content (c) So So (d) Down In The Dumps.” Surprisingly the Healthy Cities Lifestyle Report chose to totally ignore the current pandemic, failing to award brownie

points to those cities with the least number of COVID-19 cases. It seems the price of bottled water and the cost of a gym membership were greater indicators than the number of citizens fighting for their lives on a respirator. Melbourne has been regularly nominated as the most liveable city in the world by the Economist Intelligence Unit but it seems Sydney is a healthier place to reside, if you trust the Lenstore report. When it comes to COVID-19 cases, Amsterdam has a helluva lot more than Sydney so who wants to believe these click bait appraisals. The internet is now littered with spurious lists where just about everything and anything is graded from one to 10 or more. The 10 best ways to toast a cheese sandwich or 40 great things to do in Dubbo after dark. Just who the arbiters are who devise these lists is often undisclosed but numerous news sites are more than happy to repeat their findings as gospel. The only judgement I would make on the Lenstore list is that Moscow, in the current climate, deserves to be right at the bottom. Its prisons are overflowing with Navalny protestors, Putin has done a lousy job in combating COVID-19 and the price of butilirovannaya voda (i.e. bottled water) – outrageous!

COVID CAN’T KEEP DARLO DOWNOXTRAVAGANZA’S BACK AND BIGGER THAN EVER Oxtravaganza returns for an expanded two week celebration promos in Shop Till U Drop, with plenty of entertainment including vibrator races, wrestling demonstrations, and the naked barber cutting hair on the street. Or you can join in on Meet Me On Stanley, where you can take part in some art walks in the afternoon before cashing in on the special drink and meal deals later in the evening. Meanwhile, there’ll be Drag Queen Story Time for families in the morning, the Miss Oxford St Pageant for up and coming drag queens, and Lifesavers With Pride doing a car windscreen wash along Foley Street with some cheeky entertainment and a bit of eye candy. The rest of the fortnight will see events like Darlings And Dissidents, a QR code led

Photo: Robert Knapman

BY LYDIA JUPP OVID may have taken our usual Mardi Gras celebrations from us, but it certainly won’t be taking Oxford Street. Oxtravaganza is back for a fifth year, and it’s bigger and better than ever. The event usually only runs for one day during the lead up to Mardi Gras, but this year the festivities stretch out for a whole two weeks, bringing us drag and cabaret shows, art walks, and the best of local pubs, restaurants and retail. But it’s not just limited to Oxford Street. There’ll be Oxtravaganza events branching out across Bourke, Stanley, Foley and William Streets as well- a true celebration of everything that makes Darlo, Darlo. “This year, there’s no parade on Oxford St, no international tourists, probably minimal interstate tourists, and no big name acts coming to town,” says Festival Director Lorraine Lock. “But we see this as an opportunity - lets employ local performers, we’ve got plenty. Let’s get locals to come out and support local business - see a show, have a beer, buy some sequins. And let’s own Oxford St and

show what we can do in a big practice run for 2023 when we host World Pride and the eyes of the world are upon us.” Starting on Feb 19, Oxford Street will be buzzing with dozens of different events, all spaced out over two weeks to ensure as much social distancing as possible. Saturday Feb 27 will be a highlight of the fortnight, with enough to keep you busy all day long. Stores along Oxford Street will be offering discounts and in-store

at Ching-a-lings. Their theme each month is draw, drink, discuss - getting creative having a drink and in-depth discussion sounds like a lot of fun!” Although COVID has changed our usual Mardi Gras parties and parades, Oxtravaganza has actually benefitted. Organisers decided to stretch the event over two weeks to ensure everyone was COVD safe, rather than pack everything into one day like they have in previous years. The response from the community has also been very good, Lock says she imagines they’ll keep the two weeks even after the pandemic has passed. Things will still be very COVIDsafe, even with the low numbers New South Wales Photo: Robert Knapman

Photo: Robert Knapman

art walk along Oxford Street where you can learn about the rich local personalities and histories of the area, a photography exhibition along the Rainbow Crossing, and the Oxtravaganza Lounge at Stonewall with shows, writer’s talks, drag, DJs, live music, and more. “I’m excited to see some of the shows at the Oxtravaganza Lounge– there’s so much new and exciting talent around. Cabaret Oxtravaganza and Bona Varda will sell out fast!” Lock said. “I want to try an art class with Queer Lyfe

has been recording in the last few weeks. Every venue taking part will have a COVIDsafe plan and sell tickets where possible to ensure numbers are compliant with government restrictions. Live shows are currently restricted to one person per 4 square meters, but as long as numbers stay down, it’s likely the government ease those restrictions very soon. Even with over 100 businesses participating, Lock is confident that everyone will do the things needed to keep the community safe. “I’ve found everyone is very aware of their COVID responsibilities - we all know that we have to have each other’s back and we will do the right thing.”

Feb 19-Mar 7. Various Venues around Oxford St & Darlinghurst. For more info head to: www.oxtravaganza.com CITY HUB FEBRUARY 2021

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BOYSCLUB: It’s not just about girls to the front anymore (See p.22)

TURNER’S TURN T

REVIEW

CIRCA’S PEEPSHOW

REVIEW

he promotional materials for Circa’s Peepshow promise a steamy, burlesque night at the Sydney Opera House. What Circa, the world renowned, Brisbane based performance company, delivers is somewhat less risqué. Seven talented, and incredibly flexible performers dangle, contort and hurl themselves across the stage with breathtaking grace. Under the masterful direction of Yaron Lifschitz the company

Geraldine Turner. Photo: Kurt Sneddon

one of those, not to be missed, experiences as Turner’s boundless energy and enthusiasm takes her audience on a journey into showbiz pizzaz. “A show should have the power to transform you life,” philosophised Turner. Musical audiences may have changed due to their affiliation with Disney and singing cartoon characters, but Turner, has not. She is without doubt, the real deal. So prepare to be transformed. (RLD) Feb 15. Glen St Theatre, Cnr Glen St and Blackbutts Road, Belrose. $27-$30+b.f. Tickets & Info: www.glenstreet.com.au

JAMES GALEA’S BEST TRICK EVER

n James Galea’s BEST TRICK EVER, veteran Las Vegas showman and Melbourne International Comedy Festival performer James Galea presents a magical variety show that is equal parts dazzling and hilarious. Stepping into the Sydney Opera House’s intimate Studio space, audience members are met with a stage arranged to look like Galea’s lavish living room, featuring some distinctly magical furnishings. After Galea performs an animated musical number at a convenientlyplaced grand piano, his ensemble of magical friends take the stage 20

merges traditional circus acts (think trapeze, strong men and contortionists) with the techniques of modern dance and performance art. The hybrid art form is impressive, and captivating but decidedly unerotic. While the stage is minimalist, the lighting fills the void. The music is a mesmerising mix of alternative pop, discordant string ensembles and traditional jazz which adeptly weaves together differing moods. It is the sort of score you would expect to find at a modern dance performance in a world class entertainment venue if not at a modern-day burlesque show. The scantily clad company of three men and four women teases the audience’s expectations with bulging muscles, skintight leotards, exposed breasts and bared buttocks. But sexual tension quickly morphs into sexual innuendos and comedic gags. In the end what Circa delivers is more suited for general family viewing than what one might expect to see in a sticky, steamy oldfashioned peepshow. (LG) Until Feb 14. Sydney Opera House, Bennelong Point, Syd. $49-$79+b.f. Tickets & Info: www.sydneyoperahouse.com

urner’s Turn is a cabaret show created by Australian icon, Geraldine Turner, in which she sings many of her musical numbers and tells great stories about her life on the stage. Turner is one of Australia’s brightest stars both on stage and on screen. A grand dame of theatre musicals, including, Oliver, Chicago, Anything Goes and many many more, Turner is also the winner of The Australian Order Of Merit for her services to the theatre. Her film career is equally as impressive with roles in, Summerfield, Careful, He Might Hear You and more recently a role in the TV series, House Husbands. It is theatre, however, that stole her heart from a very early age and her love of the stage has never waned. Included in her repertoire are Sondheim musicals Into The Woods and Sweeney Todd. In fact Turner was the first person in the world to record The Stephen Sondheim Song Book. In explaining her love of musical theatre Turner stated that, “When singing a song you have to be in the moment, you have to connect with an audience or else it is not authentic. Theatre is a form of nurturing for both audience and performers.” Turner’s Turn, promises to be

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one-by-one to demonstrate their ‘best trick ever.’ Among them are unusualist Raymond Crowe, former America’s Got Talent semi-finalist Dom Chambers, escapologist Helen Coghlan, and Rubik’s Cube master Vincent Kuo, who all show off their eclectic talents and unique tricks. Highlights included Crowe’s miming featuring a recurring gag with a can of disinfectant spray and his intricate shadow puppetry. Particularly entertaining was Chambers’ signature beer act, in which glasses of beer seemed to miraculously emerge from his

shirtsleeves and an empty paper bag, among other places. Galea also showcases his talents with card magic – viewable for the entire audience thanks to a camera streaming the footage to a screen above the stage. The comedic energy of all five performers allowed them to build a delightful rapport with the audience, and kept everyone laughing and clapping throughout. (PM) Until Feb 14. Sydney Opera House, Bennelong Point, Sydney. $49-$85+b.f. Tickets & Info: www.sydneyoperahouse.com

Photo: Prudence Upton

ERNANI

FANGIRLS

REVIEW

t is not surprising that Verdi’s fifth opera, Ernani, is rarely produced and that this is its first visit to Opera Australia. The tortured story of the love quadrangle is one of the silliest librettos produced by Verdi’s librettist Francesco Maria Piave, but despite this, Verdi’s glorious music and the splendid performers of this production nonetheless make this a gratifying and sensuous evening. Natalie Aroyan plays Elvira, the young woman unfortunate enough to attract the attentions of three suitors, only one of whom she loves. That is Ernani (Diego Torre), former nobleman turned outlaw, who is planning to kill the king of Spain, Don Carlo (Vladimir Stoyanov), another of Elvira’s suitors. However, Elvira’s uncle and guardian Don Ruy Gomez de Silva (Vitalij Kowaljow) has plans to make the lovely Elvira his own. More silliness follows that ends with Ernani taking his own life as a result of a pledge he makes with Silva.

REVIEW

Director Sven-Eric Bechtolf tackles the ludicrous story by “imagining a 19thcentury theatre putting on the show. It’s an excuse to embrace the melodrama, and allows for lavish period costumes, masks and headdresses.’ The singing, music, and costumes were indeed all fabulous and the melodrama was entirely appropriate in context. (ID) Until Feb 13. Sydney Opera House, Bennelong Point, Syd. $45-$369+b.f. Tickets & Info: www.opera.org.au

udging by the audience reaction, Yve Blake’s revision of Fangirls is going to be another big hit. The story of three school-age friends who all fall in love with a boyband idol is not for everyone above the age of, say, 40 years old. The first half is full on, with intensely loud music, blurred lyrics, and epilepsy inducing flashing lights accompanying juvenile antics. And indeed, this play holds love up to the spotlight – the love of the girls for their boyband hero, full of the flush of uncontrollable and dangerous hormones, the selfless love of Edna’s mother for her daughter, and the loyal love of the friends towards one another. The first half lacks the lyricism and subtlety of the second, but on the whole the energy of the dancers and the fabulous choreography lift the musical out of the ordinary and point the way for a wonderful new talent on the Australian musical theatre scene. (ID)

Photo: Brett Boardman

Until Feb 20. Seymour Centre, Cnr of City Rd &, Cleveland St, Chippendale. $38-$84+b.f. Tickets & Info: www.belvoir.com.au

TIN SHEDS - THRESHOLDS

he Tin Sheds Gallery in Darlington is currently playing host to an exhibition of collaborative work produced by local artists Julia Davis and Lisa Jones. Their works, entitled Thresholds, explore the ideas of transience and place through large-scale drawings , photographs and video installations. Thresholds invites visitors to Tin Sheds to reimagine the built environment which resides underneath Sydney’s CBD while also contemplating the passage of time. Curator, Claire Taylor explains that the installation is created to be an immersive experience for viewers.

“The installation draws the viewer into an enveloping darkness from which details of tunnels and chambers beneath the city are glimpsed in torchlight,” she said. “The imagery reveals ethereal spaces that exist just beyond the brightly-lit, bustling, familiar city, providing visitors with an opportunity to slow down, reflect and be immersed within a subterranean landscape where there is a very different sense of time.” All the imagery and audio in the multichannel video installation are from site recordings the artists made between 2016 and 2019 in disused tunnels that connect to St. James

station, where Julia Davis and Lisa Jones worked in torchlight with architectural photographer Richard Glover and sound engineer Derek Allan. Thresholds reveals material histories of abandoned infrastructure sites. Once vital to the evolving city, successively repurposed and now uninhabited, these sites appear in a state of suspended animation, as if waiting for the next phase of redevelopment. Until Feb 19. Tin Sheds Gallery, 148 City Rd, Darlington. Tickets & Info: www.sydney.edu.au/tin-sheds

DANIEL O’TOOLE - DELIQUESCENT LIGHT M

elbourne-based multimedia artist Daniel O’Toole is currently displaying his new exhibition, Deliquescent Light, at Curatorial+Co in Redfern. For Deliquescent Light, O’Toole immerses audiences in a field of colour and sound, with 13 paintings, three video works and a custom created soundtrack informed by synaesthesia to enhance the exhibition and the way the audience experiences colour. Daniel O’Toole works across a variety of media including painting, video,

sound and installation. Previously a prolific street artist, O’Toole has moved to focus on this new series of video works and paintings that draw heavily on music, visualising the experience of listening. The sonic addition has been designed to complement the works, drawing the audience’s attention to the passage of time and slowing down the experience of how light behaves, noticing the refraction events taking place and how the colour hues shift while navigating the space within O’Toole’s paintings.

“There’s something incredibly unique and exciting about Daniel O’Toole’s new work, offering a glimpse inside his mind during the creation process as he visualises sound and light through colour. Audiences will be intrigued and delighted by how Daniel’s work engages all of our senses,” said Curatorial+Co Founder & Director Sophie Vander. Until Feb 20. Curatorial+Co, Studio 1/175 Cleveland St, Redfern. Info: www.curatorialandco.com CITY HUB FEBRUARY 2021

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BOYSCLUB RUBY’S SUMMER SOCIAL

BY JAMIE APPS usic has always, and will continue, to have a message behind it. Whether that message is politically or emotionally charged or is simply a message of enjoyment it all comes down to the lived experiences of those musicians creating it. For all-female punk rockers Boysclub their message came from years of experiencing the ‘boysclub’ that is the modern music industry. The experiences of drummer Skarlett Saramore over the past 18 years were so profound that the idea for using ‘boysclub’ as the name for her new band in 2020 was unquestionable. Since settling on the name Skarlett and her bandmates; Sera Doll (vocals/ guitar), Lou Harbridge (bass), and Kristen Adams (guitar) have been hard at work establishing their voice in rather unorthodox way. In the past with all of their previous bands these ladies would typically have established themselves via live performances followed by recording then releasing music and music videos. However, due to the arrival of COVID-19 to our shores that have had to shuffle this timeline and instead begin by unleashing their unique brand of recorded music onto the world. “We’d all been friends for 8-10 years prior to forming the band,” explained Saramore. “We were all in seperate bands but knew we wanted to play

BY JAMIE APPS ver the course of the last 12 months the live entertainment industry has had to rapidly evolve and innovate in order to find a means to simply be able to perform. One area in particular which has shown promise is with outdoor performance spaces, and Sydney now has a new one to utilise. For this latest outdoor venue SIMA have partnered with the team behind 107 Projects to open a new outdoor performance space at the Joynton Avenue Creative Centre in Zetland. This new pop-up live music club will now play host to a series of unique fortnightly summer events on Friday evenings. Known as Ruby’s, after the legendary matron of the site’s former Royal South Sydney Hospital Ruby Grant, the venue will play host to Sydney’s up and coming young bands and festival favourites, spanning a variety of genres from reggae groove, through New Orleans funk to gypsy swing. Speaking with City Hub trumpeter for Crawfish Po’Boys Eamon Dilworth was incredibly appreciative to have this opportunity to get back onto the stage after an extended forced hiatus. “We’re very much appreciative to have gigs in the diary again... Back in April and May I had 30 gigs booked around Australia and New Zealand but those all got wiped out and we stopped for essentially seven months, which was wild.” On the plus side though the break allowed Dilworth to take some time to reconnect with “normal life” and prepare to become a father for the first time. “I’ve been a touring musician playing for both my own band and some bigger names for eight years, so this was

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a chance to take a break,” Dilworth explained. “Being a musician is so amazing, because you get so many opportunities to travel and experience the high of performing live. The tradeoff though is that it’s really hard to be balanced, have a family and community. I feel like I’ve finally got a bit of that balance.” However, as Dilworth then prepared to return to the stage there were some nerves as he contemplated whether not he had become overly accustomed with “normal life.” “The nerves for me were more so the thought that I’d become comfortable in this so called ‘normal life’ outside of live shows. I thought maybe I don’t miss my weekends of going out late and travelling around the country to play music but once I started playing I realised ‘oh no, I really did miss this.’” For the Crawfish Po’Boys show on March 12 Dilworth said that “as much as it’s a jazz focused gig I like to call it social music.” An atmosphere which he feels will only be complimented by the outdoor setting. “The outdoor component enhances that because there can be more of a coming together and make it a more community oriented thing where people can kind of hang out.” In terms of the music the audience can expect Dilworth said, “We play the music of New Orleans, which for me is all about singalongs - it’s folk music. A lot of these songs that we play everyone knows them but don’t really know when they learnt them. These songs are simply in the fabric of people’s minds, almost in their subconscious.” Every fortnight from Feb 12-Mar 26. Ruby’s Summer Socials, 3a Joynton Ave, Zetland. $10-$15+b.f. Tickets & Info: www.eventbrite.com.au

together someday. So when COVID happened I knew we either started something now to keep us going or we never would. “ From there Boysclub came together for a series of “jam sessions” which ultimately churned out “about 20 songs.” By taking this approach the band had no pre-conceived notions about how it should sound but rather it was simply a group of friends coming together to play the music they loved. This has meant that Boysclub developed a very unique sound of their own, which blends elements from PJ Harvey, L7, The Distillers, Hole, Rancid, Bad Religion, and Pennywise. To have an all-female and producing music with this sound is somewhat unique, but an approach which Saramore said “needed to be done.” “I’ve always written about changing the world but also always knew I needed a band where we could reach a bigger audience to create more awareness. For me I knew if I was going to do that I needed to do that with women. It’s not just about girls to the front anymore. It’s about good people to the front for us. That is our mission and goal. We’re here to make a statement and talk about every hard topic that other bands don’t want to talk about.” Feb 21. Frankie’s Pizza, 50 Hunter St, Syd. FREE. Tickets & Info: www.facebook.com

LUCA BRASI - EVERYTHING IS TENUOUS

uca Brasi fans can rejoice as the band returns with their fifth album, Everything Is Tenuous. Spurred on by friends amidst the height of the COVID lockdown the band have returned with a renewed vigour and creative spark with this new album. Once again the band deliver a pop-punk/ pop-rock showcase filled with beautiful melodies and potent, emotional lyricism. Already the band have unleashed three incredible singles into the world - Tangled;

Content, Sefish Love, and Dying To Feel - all of which highlight the band’s ability to fuse beautiful melodies with melancholic stories. Throughout the full record Luca Brasi contend with themes of loss, regret, burnout and the need to appreciate fleeting moments of life. This is a record which will appeal to a very wide range of music lovers from pop fans right through to more ardent rock lovers. (JA) WWW1/2

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ESCAPE FROM EXTINCTION T his prize-winning documentary from American Humane, the United States’ first national humane organisation, opens with some dire statistics: The planet is entering its sixth mass extinction event. The United Nations says that one million species of the eight million on earth face the risk of extinction. Narrated by Academy Award-winning actress Dame Helen Mirren, this remarkable documentary collects evidence worldwide to support its case that it’s not too late to prevent the extinction of many species if we begin now. Threats like illegal trade, pollution, deforestation, over-population and global warming can all be curtailed with a determination to act.

The documentary presents some fascinating evidence from scientists and conservation organisations on the work that has been and is being done to preserve species such as the Whooping Crane, Californian Condor, Grey Wolf and Bald Eagle and many others. The documentary emphasises the essential work done by zoos in preserving and protecting species in the face of opposition from Animal Rights Activists. This work is especially important considering that humans have interfered with the process of natural selection. Just one quibble. It is a shame not more attention was paid to Australia, which has experienced the greatest mammal extinction of any country in modern times. (ID) WWWW

THE LITTLE THINGS

n impressive cast lead by three Academy Award-winning actors is unfortunately not enough to save Writer/Director John Lee Hancock’s crime thriller The Little Things from its confused direction and hackneyed use of metaphor – despite a suitably brooding atmosphere. The premise is classic: Disgraced and exiled former L.A. detective John ‘Deke’ Deacon (Denzel Washington) returns to town and teams up with hotshot cop Jim Baxter (Rami Malek) to investigate a string of murders that bear a striking similarity to the unsolved case that drove Deke away years ago.

As their odyssey of gruesome crime scenes and Deke’s overstated obsession with fine details – hence ‘the little things’ – leads the pair to discover that they have more in common than they thought, they encounter prime suspect and all-round weirdo Albert Sparma (a suitably-cast Jared Leto). The Little Things is visually enthralling, and makes some admirable attempts to subvert tropes of the procedural crime thriller but, in doing so, doesn’t quite become the psychodrama about obsession and the trauma of police work it seems to be gesturing towards. (PM) WW1/2

JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL 2021

he Jewish Film Festival returns to the big screen this year, with a program that includes Australian premieres of 50 films and three series from 19 countries, split equally between Israeli and diaspora productions. “From deeply personal documentaries on the trailblazers who changed the world, to touching true stories illuminating the untold stories from our history as well as some truly impressive star-studded films, JIFF 2021 will reach all ages across the full spectrum of politics and religion,” explained Artistic Director, Eddie Tamir. A documentary that should intrigue audiences is Holy Silence which explores whether the church could have done more to save the Jews during the holocaust. Did the Catholic Church fail the Catholic principle of love and mercy? Does silence encourage the tormentor and not the tormented? The late Jewish film director/producer Alan Pakula who was behind some of

Holy Silence. Photo: Phil Miller

HOT PICKS THE SHEPHERD – (HUNGARY): An old shepherd whose daughter was murdered by Nazis decides to hide Jews in his home with shattering consequences. Highly graphic violence and disturbing scenes. A STARRY SKY ABOVE THE ROMAN GHETTO – (ITALY): When a teenager discovers a photograph of a Jewish girl and accompanying letter from WWII hidden under the lining of an old suitcase, she decides she must learn of the girl’s fate.

Hollywood’s most highly acclaimed films including To Kill A Mockingbird, All The President’s Men, and Sophie’s Choice, is under the spotlight in the insightful documentary, Alan Pakula: Going For

Truth. Through interviews with many film stars including Jane Fonda, Dustin Hoffman, and Julia Roberts, audiences will learn why this filmmaker was so highly respected. (MMo)

WHEN HITLER STOLE PINK RABBIT – (GERMAN): An absorbing and awardwinning drama that follows the plight of a Jewish family who leaves Berlin and travels to Zurich, Paris, and finally London to escape persecution from the Nazis.

Feb 17–Mar 24. Ritz Cinemas, 45 St Pauls St, Randwick. $22-$175+b.f. Tickets & Info. www.jiff.com.au CITY HUB FEBRUARY 2021

CITY HUB FEBRUARY 2021