City Hub 15 November 2018

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city hub 15 NOVEMBER 2018

Another Day, Another Powerhouse CEO

By Kylie Winkworth After an international search for the next CEO of the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences (MAAS), the government has appointed Lisa Havilah, current director of Carriageworks.

Tasked with the controversial closure of the Powerhouse and establishment of the New Museum Western Sydney (NMWS), she will start at the museum in January.

Announcing the new CEO, Arts Minister Don Harwin lauded Havilah’s experience: “With eight years at Carriageworks, six years of experience at Campbelltown Arts Centre and six years at Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre, Lisa understands Western Sydney and [its] vibrant arts and culture.”

Havilah is highly regarded for her work at Carriageworks, combining an adventurous multi-arts program with commercial events, and growing visitor numbers and income.

The government’s plan is to recycle bits of the Powerhouse into a STEM or STEAM museum (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics), so that it can sell the museum’s Ultimo site.

Havilah is on record as a supporter of the Powerhouse’s sale to developers.

She will lead a senior management team at MAAS largely drawn from regional galleries, strong on contemporary art but short on science and collection experience.

The new executive will be the face of museum demolition, closing the Powerhouse, managing the end of Australia’s only museum of applied arts and sciences, handing the Powerhouse’s land and buildings to developers, moving the collection into inferior storage, and building a smaller less accessible museum on a flood prone riverbank.

The Parramatta community has said this is the wrong museum on the wrong site, but this scheme is not about meeting their cultural aspirations.

Parramatta will get what the government says it’s getting.

The government’s new pick for CEO will have to deliver all this with no increase in staff and ongoing cuts to the museum’s budget.

Perhaps this ugly set of challenges was a turn-

A new CEO takes on the poison chalice of the Powerhouse Museum legacy. Photo: John Moyle

off for applicants with museum experience, even with a salary package of more than $400,000.

Museum experts can see that the whole scheme is under-funded, under-resourced and missing grassroots community passion.

The Final Business Case papers released to the Legislative Council’s museum inquiry reveal an absurdly complicated set of interlocking projects.

First there’s the closure of the Powerhouse and removal of the museum’s massive collections which will be a high risk logistical and engineering nightmare, requiring parts of the building to be demolished.

Then there’s a big job emptying and rebuilding the stores at Castle Hill to take the 240,000 exPowerhouse objects from Ultimo.

The museum is already shopping its Very Large Objects (VLO) around to volunteer museums to

see if they have a spare shed for a VLO, because there’s no room for these objects at Castle Hill.

This part of the collection move was not costed in the project budget.

Few of these objects will be displayed in the smaller NMWS, which will not have the Powerhouse’s grand volumes.

Then there’s the design and construction of the NMWS, and the research and design of the STEAM exhibitions.

And if the CEO has any time left, there is work on the ‘Ultimo Presence’ and the mooted fashion and design display at the bottom of a residential tower on the Powerhouse site.

All of these complicated projects will be overseen by a government committee focussed on costs and lacking any museum skills.

Yes Virginia, it would be cheaper and simpler

to keep the Powerhouse and build a new museum at Parramatta, ideally one that the community actually wants.

But the central aim of the government’s scheme was always about ‘releasing’ the museum’s land to developers.

Shipping the Powerhouse collections to Parramatta, Castle Hill and anywhere else is just a consequence of a developer-driven plan to get the Powerhouse’s Ultimo land.

The break-up of the museum’s historic collections is already underway.

The Powerhouse Museum took ten years to develop and team of more than 400 people.

The government promises, to the sound of hollow laughter from museum experts, the NMWS will open in 2023.

In 2015 Mike Baird declared that the NMWS would be open before the next election.

The whole project has always been long on spin and groundless promises.

Lisa Havilah will be the fourth director of MAAS in less than six years; an unprecedented turnover in the museum industry.

The latest Public Service Commission survey of MAAS employees reads like a vote of no confidence in the management.

Just 16% of the staff agrees that the museum is effectively managing change.

Only 19% think the museum’s senior leaders effectively lead and manage change.

And just 23% agree that the senior managers model the values of the museum.

We are all invested in the success of the new MAAS CEO. After all, it is our museum.

It belongs to the people of NSW, not just Western Sydney.

Lisa Havilah will take charge of one of Australia’s most significant collections, endowed by generations of donors over nearly 135 years.

Let’s hope she can keep it together.

Having driven the museum into the ground with cuts and controversy, the government could give her a fair chance of success by restoring the museum’s budget and staff numbers.

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By Vanessa Lim About 40 per cent of people in Sydney are now renting according to a 2018 study by the Committee for Sydney.

The figure rises to over 50 per cent for people living near the heart of Sydney sparking concerns about housing affordability.

Karen Walsh, the CEO of Shelter NSW said, “There’s nothing inherently wrong with renting, it’s an option you choose but it has become increasingly obviously that for some it is not a choice.”

“It really shows that home ownership has become out of reach. This is especially true for the young generation and even for young people who have got good jobs.”

A spokesperson from the NSW Department of Planning and Environment said, “The NSW Government is working to improve housing affordability across NSW by increasing housing supply, speeding up approvals and offering stamp duty relief to first home buyers.”

“Our $4.3 billion Housing Affordability package announced on 1 June last year is designed to make it easier for people to own their own home, including cutting and reducing stamp duty.”

But increasing the supply of housing has not fixed the issue of affordability for renters like Mitchell James from Ashfield.

Mr James said, “The rent is about $330 per week but they’re increasing it in January so I’m moving again.”

Mr James said moving further away from the centre of Sydney would be his only option, doubling his travel time.

“It’s looking like I will be moving pretty far away, maybe the Fairfield area, but it’s the only

Tenant Mitchell James has lived in the Inner West for 11 months.

Photo: Vanessa Lim

area I can afford without putting a lot of strain on myself.”

“It’s hard to keep up with [rent increases] but mostly because everything is centralised around the CBD – Sydney infrastructure is also very poor.”

Karen Walsh agreed that travel was an issue for people seeking more affordable homes away from the CBD. “If you move further away from work, you’re spending more time on travel and you’re also spending more money on travel.

So, it’s a cost on your family, quality of life and other important things.”

The problems for renters in NSW extend to the tenancy laws.

While there has been recent legislative reform

to ensure rental properties are maintained to a certain standard, there has been no change to the ‘no grounds’ eviction path for landlords.

Karen Walsh said, “The issue with renting in NSW is that rental legislation favours the landlord, it does not favour the tenant.”

“More and more people are going to be leasing a property, unsure if their landlords will evict them in 90 days if they want their property back, or if they want to increase the rent.”

For young adults like Mitchell James who will seek to own his own home in the future, it won’t be as easy as simply buying into the market.

“I’ll have to buy a property ages away with work over [near the CBD], then slowly creep my way into the market, this is going to happen for most people.” city hub 15 NOVEMBER 2018

3

Opinion

Marks Park marks a tragic era

By Michael Hitch Waverley Council and LGBTQI health organisation ACON have joined forces to endorse Tamarama’s Marks Park as the site for a memorial commemorating those killed in historic homophobic attacks.

As part of the Bondi Memorial Project, Waverley Council and ACON have partnered to commission and install a memorial art piece in Marks Park to acknowledge the gay men targeted in homophobic attacks from the 1970s to 1990s.

Waverley Council has committed $100,000 in its Capital Works Program for 2018/19 to the commissioning of the memorial art work, which will honour those who were assaulted and murdered along the coastal walk from Bondi to Tamarama, including Marks Park.

Waverley Mayor, John Wakefield said that the Marks Park location was selected by ACON due to its historic significance and beautiful scenery.

Mr Wakefield also said that the memorial could potentially contain names of the victims but insisted that careful thought and consideration needed to go into the process to ensure a sensitive result.

“It overviews the water and looks towards the cemetery and it is in the location of the bashings and the deaths. There’s clearly a number of different angles of memory and honour involved in this,” he said.

“It’ll be a memorial. It will have, I dare say, the names of those who were the victims and general comments about regrets and sadness.

“A memorial is not just something you shove somewhere, it’s a dedicated piece of land. It becomes registered as a place where these horrors took place, it’s not just like putting up a poster.”

Marks Park is situated south of Bondi and was a renowned gay beat - a place where gay men went to have discreet sex in the days before the internet

have donated $64,000 to the Bondi Memorial Project after reaching a settlement with the online printing company which sent them religious pamphlets instead of the programs they had ordered for their wedding.

The couple said that their reason for donating was to show solidarity with the survivors and victims from their community.

“Without the progress our community has made we would not have found ourselves in a position to be able to marry,” Mr Borg said.

We’re very grateful to all those who’ve been brave enough to stand up and fight for our rights and we wanted to use our story as a way to give back to the community.

“This memorial and our personal story both mark the progress we’ve made as a community but serve as a reminder that challenges remain. We hope the memorial will stand as a symbol of hope, progress, encouragement and respect,” Mr Heasley said.

The couple said that they also decided to donate to the project because of personal connections they ACON and Waverley Council join forces to commemorate gay hate crimes. Photo: State Library of NSW both have to Bondi and the Waverley area. made hook-ups easier - as well as an event space LGBTQI people to live and they contribute to “I brought Andrew to Bondi for our first date, that was notoriously used by LGBTQI people for general civic life there through their art, businesses, and I’ve always felt a deep connection to Bondi Mardi Gras after parties. culture and of course through their history,” he and Marks Park,” The Waverley area has been heavily influenced said.

“I grew up in the US but visited Marks Park for

by LGBTQI culture since the 1980s with many “Marks Park has been a community hub for the first time when I was 12 years old. I bought a moving to the previously working-class region for many years. After Mardi Gras it was a really surfboard sticker as a souvenir that day, and every the attractive beaches and the outdoor lifestyle. popular destination, people would go to the park time I walked into my bedroom growing up I saw The area’s cafés, boutiques and restaurants after the parade and hang out with other friends, a smiling stick-figure surfer dude and the words attracted large LGBTQI crowds, while the iconic play music and watch the sun come up as a “Bondi Beach”.

Bondi Theatre further developed the area’s community.

“When I moved here about 4 years ago, I stayed blossoming queer art scene.

“What you then had was a mix of more in short-term accommodations in Tamarama and ACON’s historical violence and memorial ‘traditional’ residents, then you had a probable Bondi, and I’d often sit near or jog through Marks project manager, Michael Atkinson said that gay clash of culture because you had gay and lesbian Park to reflect, soul-search and seek wisdom from culture has a large historical presence in Marks people moving into the area, so different values, the surrounding natural beauty. So even though Park and that LGBTQI people make an enormous lifestyle etc. Because of that we were more visible I grew up in small-town US, I’ve always felt very contribution to Bondi’s current atmosphere. and easier targets for violence and harassment.” personally connected to this special spot and a part “Today Bondi is a popular place for many Local couple Stephen Heasley and Andrew Borg of the extended Waverley community.”

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5

Opinion

No reprieve for the Inner West

By Peter Hehir In spite of huge resident opposition, in just a few days – while the bulk of the NSW population embraces holiday mode, the black shirts who form the NSW Government, will seal the fate of the Inner West.

The Minister for Planning will again scrawl an illegible signature across the bottom of a document that legitimises Stage 3 B of WestConnex and delivers a huge cash cow to the tollroad operator – and at the same time condemns many of the citizens of the Inner West to an unnecessary, agonising and painful death.

With the flourish of a pen the Rozelle Interchange and the Iron Cove Tunnel – aka Stage 3 B of WestConnex, will become law. Transurban will become the co-owner/operator of Australia’s largest and the most complex road tunnel network ever attempted anywhere in the world; and construction on the Western Harbour Tunnel will then commence long before it is even approved!

After a bitter campaign against idiocy, greed, usury and corruption lasting some fifty years, the writing is finally on the wall; and the words are written in sanguine red. The blood of the unborn, the young, the elderly and of a great many of those who live and work within a couple of kilometres of the tunnel portals and their lethal, unfiltered exhaust stacks – is on their hands.

Rozelle and Lilyfield will ultimately be honeycombed with tunnels, in places three layers deep and four massive exhaust stacks will belch out hundreds of tonnes of carcinogenic diesel exhaust each and every year.

And people will die.

There is no justification for these tunnels, or the tollroads. At least a dozen cities are now demolishing their radial freeways, because they’ve been shown to be totally unworkable. They don’t decrease traffic, they guarantee greater volumes

Glad the Impaler’s NSW Goverment rakes over the bones of democracy. Photo: Alec Smart

through induced demand. LA is the classic example with 6 hour morning and evening rush hours.

The bottlenecks at White Bay, the Anzac and Iron Cove bridges will worsen. It’ll be even more difficult to enter and leave the Balmain peninsula.

Morning and evening peak hour gridlock will be extended on Victoria and Parramatta Roads.

King Street Newtown will also be at a standstill for much longer periods.

Pollution hotspots in the vicinity of the portals in St Peters, Haberfield and Rozelle will ensure cancer clusters will develop, just as they did downwind of the plume in Turrella, once the M5 East tunnel and its exhaust stack became operational.

And the denial process will begin again; just as it did there.

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said that the 40% increase in lung cancers in those residing downwind of the Turrella plume was probably due to the proximity to the airport, or it might have been due to the port. But none of the adjacent suburbs showed this alarming increase. In fact the incidence of lung cancers in these suburbs actually fell in line with the State-wide trend, showing a 9% decrease.

They grudgingly admitted that it might also have been due to the plume – but we really can’t be sure. There have been no follow up studies.

Could this be because they already knew the answer? Pollution kills. And concentrations of carcinogenic pollution kill concentrations of people.

Make no mistake; both major parties are complicit in this radial tollway tunnel euphoria and the misery that follows; both are hooked on donations from the tollway and developer

lobbies, their judgement bought and paid for.

And both parties will ultimately be held legally accountable.

The two parties – formed to foster the interests of both capital and labour are bitter about losing political ground in the Inner West. An intelligent, enlightened and informed electorate recognised that neither party could demonstrate a shred of anything even remotely resembling a social or environmental conscience and so turned against them in droves.

The great male moving right show has been on the march here since the seventies, with politicians on both sides of the fence distancing themselves from their base and their core values. This breach of trust could not go unpunished; so it is hardly surprising that their constituents went searching for a political alternative.

The heartland of Labor had had enough, electing two Greens in Balmain and Newtown in a geographic area that lays claim to be the birthplace of the Labor movement. As a past secretary and president of the Rozelle Branch of the ALP, I’m appalled at what the ALP has become. The NSW Branch has finally admitted what we knew all along; that they support WestConnex – clearly demonstrating that myopia, self-interest and feeble mindedness isn’t just restricted to the Neocons.

After 3 years of sitting on the fence with their heads buried in the sand – or more accurately inserted in an unmentionable part of their anatomy, they’ve finally fessed up. But even then they couldn’t tell the whole truth, omitting that ALP support goes back to at least 2010.

The Inner West electorate will get to vent their spleen in March; releasing their anger at being so cynically punished for turning their backs on the major parties.

And I for one hope voters really let fly with a vengeance.

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city hub 15 NOVEMBER 2018

7

Car shares slice up the parking pie

by John Moyle The car sharing model has been around in Australia since two friends in Newtown came up with the idea for GoGet cars, which is undoubtedly now the largest car share company in Sydney.

Since its inception in 2003, GoGet now has over 2,700 cars and 100,000 members in its network across Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Canberra and Adelaide, all living without a car of their own but having the right to access a car by the hour or day as they need it.

The company claims each GoGet car removes 12 individually owned cars off the road, and argues this improves local parking, which in the inner city and CBD is at a premium.

The company also claims a benefit to cost ratio of 6:1 for the community, way above that of traditional transport options.

GoGet, and two other entrants to the market, Car Next Door and Flexicar have been wholeheartedly embraced by the City of Sydney which now dedicates 779 car share spaces across its local area.

In 2016 City of Sydney said that car shares had over 21,000 resident members and over 7,500 business members using the services.

The car share companies pay the City of Sydney $166 annually per space.

From being disruptors before the word was part of the lexicon, car shares should be riding on a high, but in recent months there has been a concerted backlash played out in the media.

What went wrong?

Since car shares were first adopted by the City of Sydney in 2007, Darlinghurst resident Robyn Hall has been waging a war against the encroachments of car shares on parking spaces in her locality.

“In 2007 when car sharing first started I was at a meeting at Kings Cross Police station and I gave my

GoGet is largest of the three car share companies servicing Sydney CBD. Photo: John Moyle

opinion which was “if it didn’t take up the community car spaces that was fine, and I was told by John McInerney (then planner at the City of Sydney) that there would be only two,” Ms Hall said.

“Now there are about 70 or more public street spaces being used by car shares in the area and people coming here to do business, visit or shop just cannot find parking.”

“We hear that complaint a lot, all car share businesses face this from what we think are a very vocal minority,” Kate Trumbull, spokesperson, Car Next Door said.

Car Next Door is another Australian company with one difference to GoGet, it does not own cars but uses those owned by its members.

“People get upset because the car share space

is reserved and theirs aren’t, so when they see an empty space and they are not allowed to park in it, it creates frustration, whereas our model is free floating where the cars fit into the mix.”

Waverley Council has just dedicated four car spots to Car Next Door, where the company has been operating a peer-to-peer service for a number of years.

Christine Forster is a City of Sydney Councillor who has lived in Surry Hills and Potts Point and takes issue with the car share model.

“I am not opposed to car shares, but I am very much against what I see as the City of Sydney selling the residents short,” Cr Forster said.

“On-street parking is an extremely scarce resource and the rate payers don’t get a return on the rent from these car share companies.

“The other aspect is that there is zero consultation with the community where they want to put a new car share space.”

A City of Sydney document covering car shares states “The City will consult with residents and businesses in the immediate vicinity of a proposed on-street space.

“Proposals to allocate on-street car share spaces will be considered by the Local Pedestrian Cycling and Traffic Calming Committee.”

Robyn Hall says there has been no consultation in her area and claims increases in allocated spaces are causing problems in her community.

“Parking is shocking around St Vincents Hospital and there are about 10 or 12 car share spaces just sitting there, and people needing those spaces can’t access street parking.”

Ms Hall adds “tradespeople do not want to visit to do repairs and some residents need to purchase a book of day pass permits for $50”.

“GoGet takes an average of 12 vehicles off the road for every GoGet car, freeing up an estimated 100 kilometres of parking on the streets,” Jonathan Englert, head of communications, GoGet Carshare said.

It’s evident that car shares are here to stay, and as densities increase in the inner city, it may become the preferred mode of transport other of public transport options, which are often inadequate.

The City of Sydney says that there is an average of 40 members per on-street space and that these spaces constitute around 1.6 per cent of the City’s non-CBD general street parking.

With transport accounting for 12 per cent of greenhouse emissions in the city, City of Sydney says car shares are contributing to its target reduction of greenhouse gases by 70 per cent.

As the uptake in car shares grows, so must community consultation.

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9

Late night Sydney loosens its bonds

City of Sydney set to establish a 24 hour precinct. Photo: City of Sydney

By Sarah McLenaghan Since the inception of the NSW lockout laws in 2014 there have been growing calls for a revitalisation of Sydney’s nightlife.

Last week, City of Sydney responded to these demands with a proposal for some of the most drastic changes to City planning and development across Sydney in decades.

Lord Mayor Clover Moore said: “More than 10,000 people gave us their feedback and the overwhelming majority said they want Sydney to have a diverse and exciting night-time economy with events and activities for people of all ages and interests.

“What they do not want is a city that is unsafe or that shuts down as soon as the sun goes down.”

The changes form part of the City of Sydney’s draft late night development control plan which took on feedback from a review of the planning controls that determine where and when nighttime activity can take place in Sydney.

An overwhelming 95% of responses were in favour of later hours, more diverse late night activity, and nightlife options closer to home.

One of the major changes this plan proposes is the establishment of a 24 hour city centre. This will be a zone stretching from Darling Harbour in the west to Hyde Park in the east and Central Station in the south, where businesses can trade 24 hours a day.

“This is important because Sydney’s night-time economy is critical to our city’s future, employing over 35,000 people and worth more than $4 billion to the NSW economy each year,” said Lord Mayor.

The plan would also allow shops, businesses and low-impact food and drink venues on high streets to trade until 2am, provided that entry and exit to the venue was from a main street.

While lockout laws will continue to apply, Kings Cross will benefit from a minor extension of the Kings Cross local centre area to include the west side of Llankelly Place north to Orwell Street, which is currently excluded from the late-night trading area.

Sydney Business Chamber Executive Director, Patricia Forsythe, is optimistic about the impact this proposal could have on businesses across the region.

“Business has not had flexibility to make changes because of the controls around how they’re allowed to operate. So, you take the example of a major event like Vivid where there’s very different numbers of people on the street each night.

“Business has not been able to take real advantage of that simply because of the regulations under which they operate.”

Forsythe believes the proposal will help eliminate this issue: “What the city is doing is putting a lot of responsibility back on business 10

city hub 15 NOVEMBER 2018

to determine what’s in their best interest and it doesn’t mean all businesses open all of the time, but it does mean that they can be flexible and respond to changes.”

However, City of Sydney Councillor and small business proponent Angela Vithoulkas says that the premise of extended late night cultural and entertainment precincts is a good one in theory, but less ideal in practice.

“The proposal aims to revitalise the city precinct with 24-hour trading, however this is off the back of consumer polling and not small business surveys.”

Ms Vithoulkas raised concerns over the potential for the change to open the door for landlords to enforce 24-hour trading as part of a tenant’s lease which will be unsustainable for small businesses.

“Many small businesses will be unable to meet the requirements of a 24-hour city, with penalty rates and staff costs alone enough to cause serious damage to profitability.

“As some small business owners have stated, people generally aren’t in the market for books and shoes at 3am.”

A spokesperson for the Lord Mayor assured that any such concerns would be considered through the Council’s extensive consultation process for the draft plan.

This will involve considerable consultation with the experts in the Nightlife and Creative Sector Advisory Panel, before a public exhibition for community feedback.

Besides the establishment of a 24 hour precinct, the proposal will see the development of new late-night trading areas in some of the city’s fastestgrowing neighbourhoods, such as Barangaroo and Green Square and a new cultural precinct in an industrial part of Alexandria.

Ms Forsythe said that the adaptive reuse of existing buildings in Alexandria was a terrific concept.

“It still allows a little bit of the authentic history of the city but does show people that there are a variety of uses for buildings that can meet the standards and can meet community needs.”

Sydney’s entertainment industry will also benefit from the provision of an additional trading hour at closing time for all dedicated performance venues.

CEO of Sydney Fringe Festival and co-chair of the City’s nightlife and creative sector advisory panel, Kerri Glasscock, welcomed the proposals: “It’s wonderful to see a local council proposing changes that actively encourage diverse and unique offerings not only in the CBD but on our village high streets.

“Sydney is an incredible city, filled with wonderful voices, and it is imperative we enable it to reach its potential as one of the great cities of the world through supportive policy like this.”

Skate park plans shredded and reborn

By Michael Hitch After six years of debate, dispute and foiled plans, the Inner West Council has finally committed to build a skate park in Leichhardt.

Council will proceed to undertake community engagement for the development of the skate park near Leichhardt Oval, after years of previously unsuccessful attempts to develop the facility in Rozelle.

Four separate sites in Callan Park were originally considered for the development, but due to heritage infringements and a lack of surveillance, were eventually discarded.

Independent Councillor, John Stamolis welcomed the announcement and said that a commitment to a different location was long overdue.

“Council have now finally made a decision to deliver a skate park for the people and that commitment has finally been made after more than six years,” he said.

“We’ve exhausted every opportunity in Callan Park and it is an area of state significance. It is an area of tremendous heritage significance and we just continued to eye off location after location after location.

“It’s like going to the Botanic Gardens and saying, ‘surely they could put a basketball court in there’…well no, they can’t because it’s called an area of state significance, an area of great heritage.

Cr Stamolis continued “We were continuing to drag skate board users through this unnecessary process knowing the whole time it was going to have to jump these big hurdles…and that’s why it took six years.

split between people who wanted to see the skate park built and the people who wanted to keep it as quite a passive space,” she said.

“Callan Park is already complicated enough with state significance, it is really important and really one of two significant open spaces that we’ve got in the Inner West.

“So, it is important to preserve the values there but we’re going to see more and more of this as our population continues to grow in the Inner West.”

Cr Lockie said in the future there would be a lot of competition for the very few open areas of green space left and that the community would have to find a way to balance the need for recreational space as well as open areas.

“We’re far behind in providing open space and green space that is actually needed in the area which puts into stark perspective why we have these kinds of clashes whenever something like this is proposed.”

Cr Lockie said determining the accessibility of the new site through community consultations would be key to determining its effectiveness.

“It’s very early stages but the next step is to actually go through that process of consulting the community, developing plans for how it [the skate park] would work on that site,” she said.

“One of the bigger issues that will be closely looked into is how accessible is that area going to be? It’s not close to any train stations, it’s further away from the main roads where the buses would come in…but then again these are not impossible things to get over.”

Trent Evans, one of the founders of the Sydney

Inner West Council now punching air for Leichhardt Oval skate park. Photo: Michael Hitch

“It serves to make interesting election brochures and it’s easy to campaign on but no, we should’ve stopped pretty well after the first attempt and said right, we understand, but we didn’t stop.”

The newly proposed site is adjacent to Leichhardt Oval number three, which sits near the Aquatic Centre, the Glover Street fields and the Rowing Club.

While the Leichhardt Oval site is situated closer to other community spaces and does not share the same heritage obstacles as the previous Callan Park locations, the limited public transport to and from the area has been flagged as a potential issue.

It is expected that many of the park’s users will be reliant on public transport due to their age as well as their need to transport objects such as bikes and skateboards.

Independent Councillor, Pauline Lockie said that she was happy to hear that Council was moving away from the complicated and divisive Callan Park sites but warned that open spaces such as Callan Park will eventually disappear.

“The Callan Park location always created a real

Skateboard Association said that accessibility is paramount when developing and constructing a skate park facility.

“A good space will have shade, some sort of water facility, it’ll have ramps and objects that are good for beginners, good for intermediate and really good for all ages and groups,” he said.

“It’ll have good public transport as well, so it can cater to everyone, from a three-year old to a sixty-year-old.”

Cr Stamolis said that while accessibility to the oval via public transport was a, the current accessibility of the area would be sufficient for the meantime and that skate park users would have to make do, potentially walking a few blocks to the facility from the nearest bus stop.

“I’m not going to refute that a high percentage of people will be using transport to get there [but] it’s still a highly used area by sports users, rowing clubs, the aquatic centre.

“The kids already get to the sports themselves down in those locations without parents, particularly during school holidays.”

FEATURE

A New Generation Of Laughter

By Jamie Apps With comedy festivals continuing to multiply and grow in size City Hub spoke to two of the world’s leading comics, America’s Iliza Shlesinger and Australia’s own Tommy Little, to gain a greater understanding of the contributing factors behind the phenomenon.

Unexpectedly both comics had two very different opinions on the matter.

According to Shlesinger the rise and committed focus to stand-up comedy specials on Netflix is the major factor she believes is creating a resurgence in the popularity of comedy.

“Netflix has been instrumental, and in some cases the driving force behind a lot of people’s careers. Netflix has been a game changer, they’re doing for stand-up right now what the Tonight Show did in the 70s & 80s.” said Shlesinger.

For Little though a wider global context is required to fully understand what is happening within the comedy world. Comedy has seen a surge in popularity because, “the world is shit!” Little proclaimed before clarifying further, “When the world is shit people need comedy to escape from some of the awful things they see. The ability to sit back have a laugh and escape the world, your phone and personal life for an hour or so is becoming more and more precious.”

Both comics will be capitalising on the resurgence, regardless of the reasoning behind it, in the coming weeks as part of the Just For Laughs comedy festival.

Shlesinger will be performing her own solo show, Elder Millennial, over consecutive nights at the City Recital Hall. Elder Millennial is in itself a show which gained acclaim via the Netflix comedy special platform with

Iliza Shlesinger. Photo: Supplied

Tommy Little. Photo: Supplied

Shlesinger dismantling the culture, fashion and trends of the late 1990s/early 2000s.

“For my money the late 90s/early 00s had some of the worst fashion and some of the weirdest stuff was going on in pop-culture,” recalled Shlesinger. “So as a 35 year old elder millennial with people around my age we are now just getting to the age where nostalgia is warranted.”

Conversely Little will be playing host for a run of festival showcase events at the Sydney Opera House.

“This will be my fourth time hosting… it’s basically me bringing on the best comedians from around the world. It’s the best sample bag of comedy you’ll ever see, you’ll see six of the best comedians from around the world for the price you’d usually pay to see one.”

Despite incredibly busy schedules for both comics, we spoke with Shlesinger from the set of her upcoming movie Wonderland and with Tommy juggling commitments for radio and television alongside his comedy, they are both beyond excited for the upcoming run of shows in Sydney.

“I’m super excited because I haven’t been to Australia for many years and I’ve been dying to get back,” said Shlesinger. “The outpouring of love from fans from Australia has been overwhelming, so I can’t wait to get drunk with some party goblins down under.”

“Comedy is a small industry… we’re all friends on these types of gigs so there’s a reunion type atmosphere. There’s a lot [of comics] that are doing the show that I can’t mention but I’m very excited to be working with, and then there are some of my best mates from right around Australia, such as Peter Hellier, Nazeem Hussain and a bunch of other homegrown heroes.” said Little.

So whether you’ve only recently discovered comedy off the back of platforms like Netflix, are a long time comedy aficionado or simply need an excuse to forget the world for an hour or two then Just For Laughs 2018 is exactly what you need. As Little put it so succinctly, “put on a collared shirt and just get amongst it!”

Just For Laughs Australia: LIVE Nov 22-24. Sydney Opera House, Bennelong Point, Sydney. $20-$37.90+b.f.

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Ever been so desperate for love in your life that you’ve wished for that special person while blowing out the candles on your birthday cake?

That’s what Robert (Brendan Paul) did on his 35th birthday in this modern and very funny musical which explores the pros and cons of marriage and everything associated with relationships.

“This is a concept musical – a musical which doesn’t so much deal with the story but with an idea and in this musical it’s about relationships, the struggle in finding a partner and marriage,” explained music director Antonio Fernandez. ”It’s about a man’s internal journey and how he discovers that what he actually needs is someone to take care of.

It’s very honest and it doesn’t take sides – relationships aren’t a

world of black and white but a whole lot of greys.”

There are six musicians in the band and Fernandez said he’s very proud of what has been achieved musically. “We’re going for the

Jazz clap type sound because the score was written in the 70s and it reflects that very iconic sound.

Part of the challenge was getting rid of the very heavy 70s sound and making it sound more

The Overcoat: A Musical

The Seymour Centre will host a wild party for two weeks, beginning today. Based on the 1928 poem by Joseph Moncure March and directed by Alexander Andrews, The Wild Party follows Queenie and her lover, Burrs as they host a fantastical evening. As the night progresses, tension rises when Queenie’s best friend and rival brings an enigmatic man who catches Queenie’s eye.

“Audiences can expect to see something that hasn’t been offered in Australian musical theatre before,” says Samuel Skuthorp, who plays Oscar, one of the party’s mysterious guests.

“The era is all about excess and hedonism and that 1920s luxury is a fascinating thing to watch and compare to 2018 because it’s all still happening today.

You watch these characters in this time period where awful things are happening but people turn a blind eye.”

The Wild Party is presented by Little Triangle, who aim to present underperformed theatrical productions at a low price point to diversify the theatregoing audience base.

“Little Triangle are so important because they are making bold choices and selecting shows that are rarely being chosen,” says Skuthorp. “These shows are rare gems that are thought-provoking and interesting, which I think Australian audiences want more of.” (ES) Until Nov 24.The Seymour Centre, City Rd & Cleveland St, Chippendale. $35-$45+b.f.

Tickets & Info: www.seymourcentre.com

Three talented siblings have made the leap from their family business at the Fish Market to the Belvoir stage with their musical interpretation of The Overcoat, a short story by 19th century Russian writer Nikolai Gogol.

“Working at the markets, we were exposed to an environment full of natural performers and storytellers,” Constantine Costi says mischievously.

Rosemarie Costi adds, “As children, we all became obsessed with putting on and being in our own shows, but it wasn’t until later that we found what our different areas of focus would be.”

They all studied, with Michael Costi getting a law degree from UTS before completing the NIDA Playwriting Masters course.

Constantine graduated from the NIDA Directing Course before working for

Over the course of your life, whether you’re an older sibling, a parent, or a babysitter, you’ve probably been forced to sit through a few hours of mindless, unimaginative children’s entertainment.

You’ve likely spent what feels like an eternity in a state of mind numbing boredom as your children or siblings are delighted by a talking animal or an inanimate object.You are not alone and your situation is not without a solution.A solution with whiskers and a red and white top hat.

Yes, your prayers have been answered.

Suessical Jr., a play based on the stories of beloved children’s author Dr. Seuss, is coming to the Lane Cove Theatre Company. Directed by Trent Gardiner, the play promises to have something to offer for both children and adults.

“While the show is aimed primarily at a children’s audience I think there are so many

a&e

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Michael McPhee, Heather Campbell.

Photo: Clare Hawley

Company

Georgina Walker as Queenie. Photo: Blake Condon

The Wild Party

city hub 15 NOVEMBER 2018

12 STAGE 14 SCENE 15 Sounds 15 SCREEN

companies like Opera Australia and the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra, and Rosemarie studied a Bachelor of Music majoring in voice performance and jazz.

Constantine is a fan of Russian literature.

“There is something so inherently theatrical about the 19th century Russian writers. In Gogol, there is a sense of the surreal that masks great tragedy in characters who face incredible odds in their everyday struggles.”

Michael says,“Our adaptation plays with musicality in dark and light ways that are surprising and reflect both the comedy and hopelessness of Nikolai’s quest to buy a new coat.”

Rosemarie says Gogol’s story has musical qualities.

“The way Gogol suddenly changes direction in his storytelling is similar to freeform jazz. The

Seussical Jr.

levels to it that would appeal to people of all ages. The values explored, the varied music and the wonderful characters appeal to small and big kids alike!” said Gardiner.

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

atemporal so that we could present the production for today’s society.”

Fernandez described this show as iconic.

“It’s one of those pieces of repertoire that everybody loves. It’s not a commercial sounding show and there are no pop ballads. It’s one of the jewels of the crown of musical theatre. It covers a very broad spectrum, especially when we talk about relationships which are something really close to us.The show is written for anyone who has an interest in understanding the complicated world of love, being in a relationship and finding company.”

(MMo) Until Dec 1. Limelight on Oxford, 231 Oxford St, Darlinghurst. $32-$45+b.f.

Tickets & Info: www.limelightonoxford.com.au

words have a frenetic pace and are so beautifully detailed you can almost hear the sounds of the chaotic streets of Saint Petersburg.” (ID) Until Dec 1. Belvoir Downstairs Theatre, 25 Belvoir St, Surry Hills. $20-$25+b.f.

Tickets & Info: www.belvoir.com.au

Touching on a wide variety of themes, Gardiner believes that Seussical Jr. will not only entertain both children and adults, it’ll make them think too.

“From the opening number, through all of JoJo’s adventures, to the final moments of the show, this musical encourages everyone to use imaginations and be willing to think new and big things… [the] story reminds us that every person is important.”

Seussical Jr. will tug at your heartstrings and challenge your mind. This is not your average children’s play. (GM) Nov 16 – Dec 1. St Aidan’s Performance Space, 1 Christina St, Longueville, $17-$27+b.f.,Tickets & Info: www.lanecovetheatrecompany.com

Contributors: Emily Shen, Irina Dunn, Jade Morellini, Mark Morellini, Mel Somerville, Olga Azar, Rita Bratovich, Sarah Pritchard, Shon Ho, Riley Hooper, Erika Echternach & Lili Sekkai, Joseph Rana, John Moyle, Angela Stevens, Will Fournier, Gabe Merkel & Lanie Tindale.

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Yellow, Yellow, Sometimes Blue This unusual, somewhat poetic title refers to two contrasting colours that each evoke contrasting emotions.

It perfectly encapsulates the mood of this new work by Noelle Janaczewska which is based loosely on the lives of Australian modernist artists, Margo and Gerald Lewers.

“Yellow is often a colour we associate with happiness or with joy, with sunshine,” explains Janaczewska.“Blue has the counterpoint… feeling ‘blue’, sad, low, feeling melancholy.”

The Lewers owned a homestead on the Nepean River in Penrith during the 1950s. It was a hub for modernist artists from all over the globe to meet and exchange ideas…and more.

“They were known for having pretty lively parties. Great parties!” says Janaczewska. Her play is set in the home of

the Lewers but they are not actual characters in it.

Instead, it centres on two domestic employees: Iris, a 20 year old woman who aspires to be an artist but has no idea how; and Leo, a young Hungarian migrant who fled the war and is finding his way in this strange new country.

All the action takes place in the kitchen of the Lewers’ home, with Iris and Leo preparing platters and delivering them to a party offstage.

“It’s busy, they’re in a small kitchen, there’s a lot of bustle, there’s a bit of pressure to get the food out, to get it prepared.There’s the odd accident that happens,” says Janaczewska.The food itself is a feature. Janaczewska researched Australian cookbooks and social etiquette of the 1950s and has used recipes and serving suggestions to add some vintage chic to the food props.

“The whole play is sort of ‘art meets food or food meets art’,” she says.

There are only two characters in the play, however there is also a musician on stage playing live as if a hired entertainer for the party.

It’s lively and humorous as well as enlightening.

Asked about the audience appeal, Janaczewska says, “I hope it will be people who are interested in new writing and new theatre. I hope it will be people who live in the area as well, who are interested in its culture and history.” (RB) Until Nov 24. Allan Mulins Studio, Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre, 597 High St, Penrith. $30-$55+b.f.

Tickets & Info: www.thejoan.com.au

THE NAKED CITY

RETURN OF THE DINKUM POLITIK

With Coffin Ed Every political leader likes to have their own public persona. Kevin Rudd was happy to work his nerdish, studious appearance, giving the impression that every word he spoke was backed by meticulous research.

Julia Gillard portrayed herself as a leader under siege but with the combative skills to fend off any attackers.Tony Abbott cultivated what he saw as the common touch, not afraid to pander to the lowest common denominator with statements like “climate change is bullshit.” Malcolm Turnbull saw himself as a modern day, tech savvy statesman and then there’s Scott Morrison.

It’s early days yet but the accidental Prime Minister has slipped comfortably into a wardrobe of baseball caps and an affection for all things old school Aussie – like dripping grease down your sleeve at a sausage sizzle or beery banter with your mates at the local pub. Who’s to say this is not working for ScoMo and maybe it’s a portent of the way all politicians will campaign in future months.

After all the last thing we want here is American style razzmatazz and Trump style Nuremberg rallies when it comes to our State and Federal elections. Focus groups, robocalls and those annoying attack ads could also be dumped if all parties agree to embrace a truly dinkum style of campaigning. Paramount to this new paradigm of grass roots truly antipodean electioneering would be the resurrection of a number of iconic artefacts of classic Australiana.

For starters all campaigning politicians would be encouraged to wear the ‘traditional’ corkscrew hat,

Submerge

regardless of whether they were in a rural or urban environment.The accompanying t-shirt,“NO FLIES ON ME”, would be optional but footwear would be solely restricted to thongs of Uggs.

Handshakes would still be acceptable although the kangaroo paw back scratcher, a favourite of souvenir shops in the 60s, would be put to good use. Naturally it would provide TV crews with the perfect visual metaphor with candidates out scratching voters’ backs from one end of their electorate to the other.

For the countless photo ops, a musical accompaniment on the largerphone or wobble board would not be out of place with a selection

city hub 15 NOVEMBER 2018

sardine sandwiches and bags of broken biscuits – the more obscure and puzzling the better.

Finally it would be great to see all participating political parties launch their election campaign from a destination that just wreaks Great Southern Land – somewhere like Humpybong, Gulargambone, Grong Grong or Yorkeys Knob – names that just roll off the broad Australian tongue. The only exception might be One Nation, and in their case Victoria’s scenic Mount Buggery would be the perfect launch platform for one of their newer candidates (like Mark Latham for example) - with many Australians wishing the party would go to ‘Buggery’!

Gabbi Lancaster - Topaz Gabbi Lancaster is an inspiring artist full of the good vibes with her art centred on sharing tenderness and the power of healing. She does this through concentrating on peaceful themes such as light reflecting on water.

Gabbi said, “Watching light change is meditative.

Also water is healing and connective. Just listening to the whispers of the water repairs people.”

She also uses memory photographs to capture time change. In this fast paced world time is something we don’t have enough of.We don’t have time to get everything done. So why not just take the time to watch time change in a series of photos?

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of 70s pub rock favourites. Every politician loves a group of nodding heads behind them when they face the media but let’s dress those sycophants appropriately – in koala suits like the old Wilderness Society collectors.

And speaking of Australian fauna, part of the campaign bus could contain an all Aussie petting zoo stocked with an assortment of cuddly critters like possums, quokkas and wombats.The bus itself could be decorated not with the candidate’s name but with motifs that evoke the spirit and nostalgia of old school Australiana – like plates of Iced Vo Vos, flannelette pyjamas, tourist boomerangs made in China, sheep skin car seat covers, Choo Choo Bars,

Essentially this is the message that Gabbi wants to get across in her new exhibition Topaz.

An exhibition which reflects Gabbi’s deep commune with ... ‘ healing nature’ which she observes every day walking along the coast, sitting by rock pools or just working in the garden.

Gabbi says that the sound of trees helps her block out the constant chatter of technology and negate the self doubt that can creep up on all of us.

Also on exhibit are her paintings of embracing figures sharing intimate moments bathed in love which is about re-establishing the need for tenderness in all our relationships. Her process is

layer upon layer of paint applied and then peeled away, like peeling an onion , to reveal the truth of an artwork.

“Sometimes I have to let go of what I thought something was. Otherwise it’s a struggle and I don’t like to see the struggle in my paintings,” she explained.

Gabbi will be including workshops too on life drawing of art models and dancers using different pieces of music to motivate and inspire. (RD) Until Nov 25. ARO Gallery, 51 William St, Darlinghurst, Sydney.

Didirri

By Jamie Apps In just a year singer songwriter Didirri has burst onto the scene in a very big way, thanks in large part to the unique discovery opportunity provided to Australian artists by triple j’s Unearthed program.

Before uploading his breakout track Blind You to Unearthed Didirri had no real expectations, despite committing fully to focusing on music as his nine to five vocation.

“I put the track on Unearthed at the recommendation of a friend… I hadn’t even put any songs out before that, so the response was crazy,” Didirri explained.

The fact that an avenue like Unearthed exists for new artists is something Didirri said he was very thankful for because, “it is a a very unique opportunity which doesn’t happen with any other radio stations around the world.”

Unearthed is such a unique platform in that all of the songs uploaded to the platform are reviewed by a member of the triple j team, which

creates a swath of opportunities for discovery and radio play. By curating the platform in this way the best songs are able to reach a wider audience and allow for positive responses, as seen with Didirri’s work.

To have such a positive response was very fortunate timing as Didirri had previously committed to focusing solely on music, with no plan B. “I think if you have a plan B you probably don’t believe in plan A. So I told myself I wanted to do music

nine to five and I thought that would just be me booking a lot of cafe shows but then things took off and now I’m touring the world.”

During the year since uploading Blind You to Unearthed Didirri has sold out two Australian tours, played around the world at festivals such as BIGSOUND and SXSW, and performed alongside artists such as Vance Joy. With such a packed schedule he hasn’t really had a chance to step back and soak it all in.

Strange Tenants Militant Style

“There have been small moments of reflection along the way but I’m looking forward to being able to look back on this year properly with family and friends over Christmas,” he said.

The opportunity to perform on the same lineup as Vance Joy in Melbourne was one moment which did stand out in Didirri’s memory though.

“Playing at Rod Laver with Vance Joy was huge because I used to busk out the front of Rod Laver so it still hasn’t quite settled in that I played on the stage there.”

As Didirri prepared for tonight’s Sydney show he told City Hub that fans can expect a show which is more than a simple recreation of his EP, Measurements.

“I like keeping the recordings and live show two seperate beasts,” he explained, “The record is an intimate detailed experience whereas the live show is a bit more raw and expressive.”

Nov 15. Oxford Art Factory, 38-46 Oxford St, Darlinghurst. $28.99+b.f.Tickets & Info: www.oxfordartfactory.com

Just in time for their national tour, Strange Tenants are set to release their latest album Militant Style. As the group’s eighth album together, Militant Style enables Strange Tenants’ years of musical experience to shine through.

Militant Style is the epitome of classic ska/ reggae. The album as a whole offers a unique blend of sounds and instruments, with each individual song having a slightly different vibe.

The single Love Is Blind has already gained traction after being dropped in anticipation of Strange Tenants’ tour. Other highlights of the new album are Governments Around the World and We Are the Firm – only Strange Tenants could make political messages sound so upbeat and enthralling.

Produced by the Grammy Award winning engineer Roger Lomas of the UK, Militant Style should certainly be the next album on the list of any ska/reggae music lover. (EE) WWW

The Girl In The Spider’s Web but alas, it does not. Instead, it is centred around the impossibly high stakes theft of a computer program that can commandeer the world’s nuclear weapons, and a sub-plot that introduces a never-before mentioned sister and new backstory.

While the action is fast, continuous and full of nifty stunts, the storyline is devoid of shape, emotional connection, and suspense. It’s easy to watch but hard to care about.

The journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Sverrir Gudnason) who was central to the original Stieg Larsson narrative, wanders around aimlessly looking for relevance. Similiarly, Lakeith Stanfield’s character, Edwin Needham, a US secret agent, is so incongruous he seems to have stumbled into the wrong film.

Only the gloomy Swedish setting adheres to the authentic gritty noir that branded this franchise.

With all that said, it is still entertaining, but may be more pleasing to non Larsson fans. (RB)

The opening scenes, which are featured in the trailer, show Lisbeth Salander (Claire Foy) exacting her personal brand of justice on a wife and prostitute beating, philandering wealthy businessman. It falsely suggests that the plot will evolve from this act of feminist based vigilantism, WWW

The Old Man And The Gun Finally, after 58 years in the limelight, Hollywood legend Robert Redford fades off into the sunset, leaving fans with this small crime comedy which is an appropriate and respectable farewell.

Set in the early 1980s and based on ‘mostly true events’ the film centers on aging career criminal and prison escape artist Forrest Tucker, who reportedly escaped from jail 16 times and robbed banks not for monetary gains, but because he enjoyed doing the bad deed. Together with his elderly two mates they were known as the ‘over the hill gang’ and were more experienced at robbing banks than the detectives were in catching them.

A new criminal emerged. He was charming, funny, calm and described by one of the bank tellers he robbed as “very polite, he seemed like a fine enough gentleman”.

Redford adds class to the role and shares a likable chemistry with Sissy Spacek who plays his love interest. Audiences will warm to Redford’s

portrayal of Tucker, whose crimes are seemingly downsized and possibly glorified.

Was he a bad guy? Could he shake the urge to continue robbing banks? Audiences will enjoy the humorous and addictive ride and secretly hope that he doesn’t get caught. (MMo) WWW1/2

Japanese Film Festival 2018 Film Festival-attendees have warmed to the Japanese Film Festival now in its 22nd year in Australia, which boasts an exhilarating program consisting of 30 feature films and one documentary.

“We program to show the contemporary Japanese cinema for an Australian audience and now that we’re in our 22nd year we’ve matured our programming to deliver the stable box office hits, but we also take a lot of risks with our programming so we have some unusual titles including a five hour film and a zombie film on our opening night which breaks all the rules in festival programming,” explained festival programmer Alison Groves.

Emerging directors and directors who are yet to reach notoriety with Australian audiences are brought to the festival along with other guests who participate in Q&A’s which is always a highlight of the festival experience.

“The festival aims to profile not only the well-known

hits from Japanese film of the last year, but also unearth the lesser known corners of the film industry which may not receive the attention which we think they deserve.”

One Cut Of The Dead is the opening night zombie film which was produced on a skeleton budget as a pilot and initially only intended to be seen by a very small industry audience with the view of receiving funding for a larger full-scale production.

“The creativity that has gone into leveraging such a minuscule budget into a very clever, plot-twisting, genre-destroying, comedic and wacky zombie film is brilliant. Rated 100% on Rotten Tomatoes this has been a hit at many film festivals.”

Groves said that everybody should come along and watch a few Japanese films at this festival.“There is such a diverse spectrum of stories that I really do believe there is a film for every taste. Beyond the world of anime and samurai films, Japanese cinema

Colour Me True

culture is very diverse and sophisticated.There are pockets of genre strength which are just brilliant and unrivaled through high-level storytelling and superb acting.” (MMo)

Until Nov 25.

Event Cinemas George Street. $18.50-$75 (5 film pass). Tickets & Info: www.japanesefilmfestival.net city hub 15 NOVEMBER 2018

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