City Hub 16 April 2020

@CityHubSydney

C I T Y H U B SY D N E Y. C O M . AU A P R I L 16 , 2 0 2 0

FREE

Despite social distancing Alexandria is still filled with determined Page 1-2 business owners looking to satisfy the community’s needs

BY JAMIE APPS hile it might be nice to live without the hustle and bustle of everyday life, working and living at home in isolation does have its drawbacks. For local business in particular there has been a significant downturn in activity, but Alexandria is still filled with determined owners looking to satisfy the community’s needs.

City Hub has gathered together a list of the best options for Alexandria locals to remain safe and healthy during social distancing.

W

The Grounds Of Alexandria - One of the most popular Instagram destinations in Sydney has really felt the pinch of social distancing. They are however still open and making some of the best food in town and delivering right to you.

Whether it’s a Ready Made Meal or Grocery Box they have Alexandria residents covered. (Free shipping for orders over $50) Info: www.thegrounds.com.au

The Hardware Store - While we’re all stuck in isolation now might be a perfect time to complete those small home repair/improvement jobs that have been stacking up. Thankfully The Hardware Store in Alexandria is open and ready to give you advice and all of the supplies you’ll need, they even offer home delivery!

Info: www.thehardwarestore.com.au Australian Meat Emporium - Rather than heading down to the big supermarket chains why not get top quality, fresh meat delivered right to your doorstep.

The Australian Meat Emporium’s highly skilled butchers can even tailor the cuts of meat to your exact specifications and needs.

Info: www.meatemporium.com.au Alexandria Tiles - Now that you’re stuck at home all day have you noticed your bathroom or kitchen tiles are in need of repair or replacement? If so, look no further than Alexandria Tiles. They have a wide selection of premium products and styles.

Info: www.alexandriatiles.com.au

Bread & Circus - Whether it’s breakfast, lunch or dinner that you’re craving Bread & Circus have you covered. With their wide selection healthy and delicious whole foods there is no excuse for eating poorly while in isolation.

Info: www.breadandcircus.com.au Canalside Interiors - They say change is a good as a holiday, and boy do we all need one of those right now.

Perhaps the easiest way to freshen up our surroundings is with some new furniture. Luckily Canalside Interiors showroom is still open, albeit by appointment only, so you can head down pickup some new items and quickly be living amongst new and fresh surrounds.

Info: www.canalside.com.au Rocks Brewing Company - In these unusual and trying times we could all use a nice cold beer. If you live in Alexandria a fresh, locally made beer is just a short stroll away. Head on into Rocks Brewing Co and grab a fresh brew straight from the tap, or alternatively they can deliver if your order is $50 or more.

Info: www.rocksbrewing.com/food/ Continued on the page 2

LOCAL CATERING COMPANY AND CAFE TURNED DELIVERY ● Fresh produce boxes that are customisable ● Chef cooked, healthy ready meals to heat and eat ● Pick your own pantry goods, wine, fresh coffee milk and even playdough for the kids

Easy to order www.chomplife.com.au

QUALITY FOOD

DELIVERED

ABUNDANT ALEXANDRIA

(Continuing from the cover)

Photo: Supplied

Richardson & Wrench (Mark Dawes) - One of the few reasons we’re allowed to leave our homes is to move house. If you’re in the market for a new home Mark Dawes and the team at Richardson & Wrench Alexandria should be your first port of call.

Info: www.rwaw.com.au Yum Yai-Thai - Just a few clicks of your mouse or keyboard and you can have hot, fresh food on your doorstep in no time. Get the authentic Thai cuisine you’ve been craving; get Yum Yai-Thai tonight!

Info: www.yumyaithai.com.au City Ford Sydney- Is remaining open during this challenging time to service their customers in the most hygienic, professional way whether it be finding your perfect new vehicle or servicing your current one. Offering pick-up and drop-off options for vehicle servicing and Test Drives directly from your home, City Ford Sydney remain here to support their valued customers.

Info: www.cityford.com.au

Chomp Life - Have you been struggling to find fresh fruit, veg and staples at your local supermarket? Fear no more because the team at Chomp Life are now using their produce supplier connections to put together daily fresh fruit, veg and chef prepared ready-to-eat meal boxes.

With their daily delivery service everyone is catered for and can stock up on some healthy, nutritious meals and a bottle of wine to top it off. No more having to choose between pizza or other fast food options. Quality food, delivered.

Info: www.chomplife.com.au

Photo: Supplied

Copper Mill and grab a takeaway. While you’re there give a local business some extra support and pick up some breakfast, who doesn’t miss a top notch Avacado Toast for brunch?

Info: www.thecoppermill.com.au

Sydney Brew.

Photo Supplied

The Copper Mill - Many of us are missing our morning coffee from the local cafe now that we’re locked indoors.

Alexandria residents though can still pop into The

Alexandria Tiles. Photo Supplied

FULLY LICENSED Pizzeria & restaurant Alberto’s Pizzeria Restaurant was established 38 years ago and has been successfully catering to the locals of the Inner West ever since. Quality food, huge servings and a wide selection make Albertos a must-dine experience.

 GENEROUS TOPPINGS  PROMPT SERVICE  UNBEATABLE VALUE FOR MONEY

TA pAS AL

CI

SpE

Buy ANy

2

pASTA AND GET

1 LARGE DRINK

ORDER ONLINE

38 Parramatta Rd Stanmore 2048 P: (02) 9565 1275 E: info@annandaleinteriors.com www.annandaleinteriors.com.au

•

2

CITY HUB 16 APRIL 2020

FOR

FREE

OPEN 7 DAYS

5:30pm till late

zA

pIz

SpE

C

IAL

Buy ANy

2

GOuRMET OR EXOTIC pIzzA AND GET

3

d GARLIC OR MARGARITA OF THE SAME SIzE THE

FREE

FOR (Offer expires 31.05.2020)

 02 9519 4262 • 589 King street neWtOWn orders@albertospizza.com.au • www.albertospizza.com.au

HubNEWS

Powerhouse crate grates (See p.4)

Rich -v- poor policing W HubARTS: Vivarium With social distancing regulations Wighton needed to find an innovative way to launch Good Guy. (See p. 7)

Published weekly and freely available Sydney-wide.

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.

BY ALEC SMART hen it comes to policing Covid-19 restrictions, Sydney appears to be divided by its economic regions. In Sydney’s lower socio-economic neighbourhoods, reports emerge of NSW Police overenthusiastically enforcing Covid-19 restrictions.

These include: preventing elderly people from resting on park benches while undertaking much-needed exercise; homeless people forcibly moved on – with nowhere to go; a supplier delivering urgently-needed stock to a client still trading told he shouldn’t do it again; cars driving into McDonalds to collect takeaway meals issued with multiple $1000 fines if there are more than two occupants; and parks cleared of walkers.

And yet, across the Anzac and Harbour bridges it appears a different set of laws are in place, including Covid-19 hotspots on the Northern Beaches and Ryde.

In the parks of more affluent suburbs, like Premier Gladys Berejiklian’s constituency

Activities such as kite flying is permissible in parks in more affluent neighbourhoods, but punished in lower-income districts. Photo: Rene Vincit/Unsplash

of Willoughby, people are not only sitting on benches and socialising, but pursuing activities that police patrols in the aforementioned ‘poorer’ suburbs are rigorously preventing.

These include: flying kites, throwing frisbees, kicking footballs, hitting tennis balls, surfing, swimming in the sea and riding in dinghies.

Group Editor & Publisher: Lawrence Gibbons News Editor: Alec Smart Contributors: Alec Smart, Merrill Witt, Allison Hore, Kylie Winkworth, John Moyle Cartoonist: Sam Mcnair Arts Editor: Jamie Apps Contributors: Erika Echternach, Irina Dunn, Madison Behringer, Mark Morellini, Olga Azar, Renee Lou Dallow, Rita Bratovich, Olga Sedneva Advertising Manager: Georgina Pengelly Designer: Nadia Kalinitcheva Advertising: sales@altmedia.net.au 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

Are they permissible if one crosses Sydney Harbour or Parramatta River, but not if one remains in, say, Newtown, Kings Cross, Redfern, Darlinghurst, Coogee or Bondi?

Since March 17, police have issued 38 Court Attendance Notices, and 295 fines for breaches of the Public Health Act, including people attending private parties.

Accelerated building work

ABN 52 600 903 348

Cover Photo: Supplied

One in four people who lodge racial discrimination complaints say attacks were Covid-19 related.

However, most attacks go unreported. Photo: Thiszun/Pexels

BY MERRILL WITT f you know a little about the history of China, you may have been bemused to read that Tom Forrest, CEO of Urban Taskforce, described recent planning system reforms as “a great leap forward for jobs, housing supply and the NSW economy.”

The “Great Leap Forward” was the infamous moniker for Chairman Mao Zedong’s ambitious suite of ill-conceived economic and social policies designed to transform Chinese society. It contributed

I

Opinion

to the horrific loss of 20 million lives from starvation between 1959 and 1962.

Forrest is now advocating for a reinterpretation of the “public interest imperative” test in the state’s governing planning legislation, the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979, (EP&A Act), so that “the economic imperative” is clearly spelled out as “the overwhelming objective.”

Forrest revealed 76 proposals Urban Taskforce submitted to Treasury, which

Opinion

“range from immediately shovel-ready projects simply waiting on hoarding approvals from RMS or Parramatta Light Rail, to projects which have been frustrated by the Government’s onagain, off-again approach to significant transport corridor development (CrowsNest to South St Leonards, Sydenham to Bankstown, Parramatta Road) and the tools-down approach to applications for the rezoning of land everywhere from Wilton to Pittwater; from Sutherland to the Hunter Valley.”

The Minister for Planning and Public Spaces, Rob Stokes, has now set in motion new planning reforms, aided and abetted by COVID-19 emergency legislation that gives him the green light to do just about anything.

These include fast-track assessments of State Significant Developments, rezonings and development applications (DAs), with more decisions to be made by the Minister if required.

Only time will tell whether the fasttracking of development approvals for some of the state’s biggest projects and rezoning proposals won’t have unforeseen and potentially disastrous consequences.

CITY HUB 16 APRIL 2020

3

HubNEWS

Opinion

Powerhouse crate grates

Darling Harbour doubts

Powerhouse Museum is being relocated to Parramatta to a building resembling 2 milk crates.

Heritage-listed Willow Grove (inset) will be demolished.

Mirvac’s proposal for their new tower over Darling Harbour. Photo: Supplied

BY KYLIE WINKWORTH ears of crippling drought, devastating fires, and a pandemic with no end in sight. Any one of these disasters should give the NSW Government pause to review its unpopular, destructive and absurdly expensive scheme to demolish the Powerhouse Museum, and build something half the size at Parramatta.

The government says it’s ‘the new Powerhouse’. To the rest of us, this is the building resembling two abandoned milk crates on the banks of the Parramatta River. Whatever it is, it’s not the real Powerhouse, and it’s not a museum.

When it comes to community opinion on this project, the Premier has a tin ear. If she’s listening to anyone it’s the business and developer lobby.

The government is moving the name to Parramatta, perhaps some trophy objects, but not the actual museum.

Y

All the important decisions have long been set in concrete. The Powerhouse Museum will be demolished. The ‘design excellence’ milk crates will go up on the riverbank.

The Powerhouse to Parramatta scheme was never about building a new museum for western Sydney. This project has always been a front for a monstrous property play, so developers can get their hands on the Powerhouse Museum’s land at Ultimo.

The NSW Government claims this is the biggest cultural investment since the Sydney Opera House. Showing staggering hubris, the Premier is blowing $1.5b of our money on the project, plundering a museum that has been in Ultimo since 1893. And now, under cover of Covid-19, the project will be rammed through with complete indifference to community opinion.

BY ALLISON HORE

N

ew plans for the Harbourside Shopping Centre site will bring Darling Harbour’s skylines to new heights, although not as high as previously proposed. Property developer, Mirvac, will demolish the 30-year-old shopping complex to make way for a new mixed-use development, which will include a new shopping complex and a 153-metre tower containing 357 apartments.

Mirvac has owned the property since 2013. Their proposal for the tower and shopping complex was first put forward in 2016 and attracted criticism around its design, height, heritage impacts, and issues regarding pedestrian flow and public space. After extensive reworking to address these concerns, the amended plan for the project has been made public.

However, to accommodate the floorspace from the tower’s height reduction, its footprint increased in width. There are concerns regarding the impact of the development on pedestrian movement and public space.

Developments in Darling Harbour are considered a State Significant Development, meaning the proposal is assessed by the Department of Planning and Environment rather than the local council. To make way for the construction the developers will need to get approval for the demolition of the Harbourside Shopping Centre, pedestrian bridge link across Darling Drive, and the skeleton of the obsolete monorail line.

The amended proposal will be on exhibition and open to submissions until 29 April. Submissions can be made through NSW Govt’s Major Projects planning portal.

Refugees vulnerable

BY JOHN MOYLE here is nothing like a pandemic to make us focus on our very survival but that often comes at the cost of those such as refugees and asylum seekers, who have no voices in the community.

Since the Federal Government introduced Operation Sovereign Borders in September 2013, any person attempting to enter Australia by boat was turned back to their country of departure or sent into offshore detention centres, such as Christmas Island, Papua New Guinea (PNG) or Nauru Island.

A recent joint press release from Doctors for Refugees and members of the Australian OPCAT Network (Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment) highlighted the dangers that COVID-19

T

4

CITY HUB 16 APRIL 2020

presented to over 1440 refugees currently in detention on the mainland, PNG, Nauru and Christmas Island.

“In the onshore detention centres there are around 1400 people scattered around the country, with Villawood being one of the largest centres with around 450 people,” Dr Barri Phatarfod, Doctors4Refugees said. “Manus and Nauru have about 250 people and this is an enormous amount of detention for what is a very small problem. In Villawood there may be up to 12 bunks in a room and they all share common areas.”

This is in direct contrast to the advice of all Australian health departments which unanimously call for social distancing and access to sanitiser and frequent hand washing.

“In the centres there is a lack of clean water and many people do not have

Australia holds over 1440 refugees in detention centres, closely confined and at risk of Covid-19.

Photo: Pxfuels

soap which if they want it they have to put a request in writing and wait for 14

days and right now a lot can happen in that time,” Dr Phatarfod said.

HubNEWS

Yarra Bay cruise ship terminal postponed

NSW Government has postponed their plan for a third cruise ship terminal in Botany Bay due to the Covid-19 crisis. Photo: Alec Smart

BY ALEC SMART he NSW Government has postponed their plan for a third cruise ship terminal in Botany Bay. The $550 million construction project, as yet awaiting a decision on the two proposed sites of Yarra Bay cove or Molineaux Point alongside, is now suspended for 18 months.

NSW Transport and Ports Minister Andrew Constance

T

announced the deferment, conceding the Covid-19 crisis contributed to the delay.

The decision to postpone was welcomed by opponents, who hope the cruise ship industry – perhaps fatally torpedoed by the revelation its vessels incubate and spread the noxious coronavirus, which has contributed to hundreds of passenger deaths worldwide – will relinquish pressure on the

Coastal walk closed

NSW Govt to develop the site.

Maria Poulos from the Save Yarra Bay Coalition told City Hub, “No responsible Government would proceed with a plan to build a costly and unnecessary cruise terminal at a time of crisis and when the global cruise industry is on the brink of collapse.”

The share prices of the world’s three largest cruise liner companies, Royal Caribbean, Carnival and Norwegian, have plunged more than 70 per cent since the coronavirus pandemic took hold at the start of 2020.

Much of Yarra Bay is only a few metres deep, so substantial dredging will be needed to accommodate large vessels, stirring up contaminated sediment from decades of poor waste disposal from surrounding industry, including heavy metals and other agents fatal to marine life.

Waverley Council has closed the Bondi to Bronte stretch of the Coastal Walk in response to Covid-19 restrictions. Photo: Alec Smart

BY ALEC SMART

W

averley Council has closed the Bondi to Bronte Coastal Walk in response to Covid-19 restrictions on public gatherings.

The winding, windy 2.5 km walk, which hugs the coastline and affords majestic views of the Pacific Ocean from rocky peninsulas, sandy beaches and rugged coves, is a victim of its own popularity. Too many people are enjoying the seaside stroll, risking spread of coronavirus.

The Mayor of Waverley, Paula Masselos, confirmed the decision to close the path was

in the interest of public safety.

“Unfortunately, closing the coastal walk was the only way the Council could help ensure that Public Health Orders could be maintained along the walk.

Council is trying to balance the needs of our community, but we need our residents and visitors to adhere to social distancing in our public spaces.”

Access paths to the coastal walkway have been closed and marked with signs and barricades and Waverley Council Rangers have been granted the power to issue fines to people who trespass.

COFFIN ED’S NAKED CITY

E

A LEXICON FOR THE NEW NORMALCY!

very major event in the world spawns a sudden burst of new words, catchcries and the bastardisation of existing words and phrases. The current pandemic is no exception and in recent weeks we have been bombarded with slogans like ‘social distancing’ and ‘self isolation’ – both hot contenders for words of the year in 2020.

There is a certain monotony and a debilitating tediousness with the constant repetition of these and other slogans – in the media, on social media and in everyday banter. Maybe it’s time to loosen up and explore not only some alternative phrases but look at the deep subtext of words that are being ingrained mercilessly into our psyche. Here then is a brief interpretive lexicon for the new paradigm.

SELF ISOLATION: In prisons across America, where the virus is spreading alarmingly, solitary confinement is often referred to as the ‘hole’ – ironically now the safest place to be if you are stuck in a penitentiary. Let’s adopt the prison vernacular and refer to our domestic imprisonment as being ‘locked in the hole’.

By Sam Mcnair

STIR CRAZY: The psychosis often generated by days confined at home is often labelled ‘cabin fever’ or ‘stir crazy’.

The latter is another derivation from prison culture, first used in the early 1900s to describe prisoners suffering the effects of prolonged incarceration. Today it could more likely refer to the need for the constant ‘stirring’ of doomsday essentials such as instant noodles, soups and spaghetti sauces.

#thatsneakyrabbit

FODDER FEVER: Specifically ‘bum’ fodder and an apt description for the obsession by some in the community for the shameless hoarding of toilet paper. Other variations include ‘FODDER FIGHT’, when two or more people brawl over a six pack of Sorbent and FODDER FURY, when irate supermarket customers abuse checkout staff because there is no dunny paper.

THE FLOATING PETRI DISH: The label that so many ill-fated cruise ships are now

forced to wear. When the pandemic is over, there’s bound to be a rash of name changes from the Ruby and Diamond Princesses to suggestions such as Lusitania Of The Seas, the Costa NonContagious and the patently obvious Titanic II. BUG OUT: The current pandemic is bound to be every doomsday preppers wet dream as those shelves of Spam and canned chick peas suddenly look rather appetising. A ‘bug out’ is the often secret refuge where preppers retire in the face of civil insurrection, a nuclear holocaust or in this case COVID-19. If the current virus continues unabated many Australians might be looking to establish their own remote bug outs, stacked to the ceilings with toilet paper, packets of pasta and powdered eggs.

I would much prefer something less American to describe this potential bush hideout. Indigenous Australians called these improvised shelters a ‘humpy’, in Scotland they’re known as a ‘bothy’ and our Maori friends label it a ‘whare’. Call it what you want - but just remember in the wilds of nowhere, without a good NBN signal, your Netflix subscription will be worthless!

CITY HUB 16 APRIL 2020

5

HubARTS

A sci-fi, thriller which sees a young couple lured into a trap and forced to raise a creepy child (See p.7 )

Maya Hodge.

Photo: Jacinta Keefe

BARPIRDHILA FOUNDATION COVID-19 INDIGENOUS ARTISTS FUNDRAISER W hile many arts organisations are providing funding and support for struggling artists very few are providing targeted support to our indigenous community. The Barpirdhila Foundation last week sort to change that by launching their First Nations COVID-19 Appeal.

This program will be targeted towards helping First Nations artists and communities who have been affected by the Coronavirus pandemic. The appeal will do this in two ways; 1. Raise funds for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists who have been negatively impacted by COVID-19.

2. Distribute funds to high priority Indigenous health services.

A program of this sort to assist the Indigenous arts community is vital because art gives a voice to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The creative industries create employment, provide attainable aspirations for young people, and play a critical role in political change, social justice, and healing.

The distribution of funding will be decided by an expert panel of First Nations people with qualifications and expertise in national community, arts, and health sectors. (JA)

To donate head to www.covid19-first-nations-community-impacts.raisely.com

The Good Neighbour Project Supporting responsible cat ownership Protecting wildlife and feline welfare Keeping your cat happy and healthy Join our Good Neighbour Project. Visit catprotection.org.au

Rehoming Organisation Number R251000224

6

CITY HUB 16 APRIL 2020

HubARTS

DIGITAL EARTH DAY

N

ot only does 2020 mark the 50th anniversary of Earth Day but it will also be the first time ever that it will be a solely digital global event.

“Whether it be coronavirus or our global climate crisis, we cannot shut down,” said Earth Day Network President, Kathleen Rogers. “ Instead, we must shift our energies and efforts to new ways to mobilise the world to action.”

The global conversation will be unified and tracked by the shared hashtags #EarthDay2020 and #EARTHRISE. Whether online or in person, the goal of Earth Day

remains unchanged: to unite hundreds of millions of people around the world to pressure world leaders to act on environmental degradation and climate change.

“The last few weeks have also demonstrated that our society, even at the international level, is capable of mass shifts across all sectors to meet a crisis head-on... Together, we can build an Earth Day unlike any other — an Earth Day that defines us as a global community, united by our challenges yet unshrinking from the bold, urgent action needed to overcome them.” (JA)

KIT

BY JAMIE APPS hile best known for her work as part of the ARIA award winning band, All Our Exes Live In Texas, Katie Wighton is now relishing an opportunity to explore her creativity as a solo artist. Wighton is now performing under the name KIT and is set to officially launch her debut single, Good Guy, with an innovative live streaming event this Friday.

Moving into the realm of solo artist provided Wighton with an opportunity to explore her full range of creativity.

“It took a while to understand and know what I wanted the sound of KIT to be,” explained Wighton. “It was really to cool to get a bit yelly [sic] and not worry too much about what I was creating though.”

This process of experimentation has eventually seen Wighton settle on a heavy, guitar driven rock sound. The debut single, Good Guy, sees Wighton taking

W

aim at the bad behaviour of men.

“I had many conversations with my female friends in the music industry about bad behaviour from men in the industry. There were also these insipidly bad things, the little things that creep in that we excuse because they’re not too bad but that is the beginning of the end.”

Rather than taking the traditional approach of writing a sad song lamenting the negativity Wighton told us that she wanted to get out on the offensive and attempt to encourage change,

VIVARIUM T

om (Jesse Eisenberg) and Gemma (Imogen Poots) are a young couple looking to settle down and find the perfect house to call a home. When they visit the new suburban development of Yonder the unsuspecting couple find themselves trapped in a monotonous, boring existence for the remainder of their lives.

Vivarium is a sci-fi, thriller which sees the young couple lured into a trap

“I’m asking people to act on their disappointment and frustration rather than just letting it carry on.”

With social distancing regulations currently preventing any public gatherings Wighton needed to find an innovative way to launch Good Guy. This Friday night she will do that by hosting a live streamed concert entitled Live From The Living Room across her social media feeds.

“It’s a bit of a strange time to release music but I didn’t want to put this song out without having some sort of celebration,” said Wighton before continuing.

“So I’m having a live stream concert from my living room with some support from Bonnie Songs, Nancie Schipper and Hannah Blackburn, who are some of my favourite artists.

We’ll check in say hello to each other and play a short set.

Hannah and I live together, so our sets will be in our living room. I think it will be a really fun night and I’m looking forward to celebrating with everyone.”

Apr 17. Good Guy Single Launch Streaming Live On Facebook & Instagram.

AUDIOBOOKS FOR KIDS • Aladdin And Other Stories – narrated by Tamsin Greig and Stephen Mangan. Fairytale classics never go out of fashion, and this is a lovely selection.

• The Witches by Roald arents across Australia, Dahl – narrated by Miranda and indeed the world, are Richardson.

A deliciously having a hard time of it right scary tale for your older now. Many are required to primary school kids. work from home while also • The Beast Of Buckingham keeping their children out Palace by David Walliams of school and daycare. And – narrated by, among frankly, some of us are being others, David Walliams and driven mad. We don’t want to Joanna Lumley. Anything give our kids too much screen

by David Walliams is time, but we want them to guaranteed to please. use their imaginations and • The Wind In The Willows immerse themselves in a story. by Kenneth Grahame And also, keep them occupied – narrated by Michael enough so we can get a good Hordern.

The timeless tale half hour of work done. The of Ratty, Mole and Toad. solution? Audiobooks. Audible • Winnie-The-Pooh by offer a free 30-day trial, so A.A. Milne – narrated by jump on that and explore the Peter Dennis. Think of the world of spoken word.

Winnie-The-Pooh voice from Here are my top picks for your childhood. That is the stories that will engage Peter Dennis. Enchanting. and entice your bored/easily (LS) distracted children:

P

and forced to raise a creepy child.

Throughout the film we come to learn that this child is from an alien race, who appear to use humans to raise their children in a parasitic way so that they can imitate us and continue the cycle.

The film revolves around the themes of monotony and isolation felt in suburban parenthood. Vivarium conveys its message in such slow, laborious fashion that it fails to have much of an impact.

(JA) WW CITY HUB 16 APRIL 2020

7

How we can all help stop the spread of Covid-19: Observe social distancing

Strict limits on public

gatherings

STAY HOME IF YOU CAN

Practice good hygiene

Follow the self-isolation rules

Covid-19 Support Financial support

For the latest advice, information & resources:

www.health.gov.au NSW Health: www.health.nsw.gov.au

If you’ve lost your job, lost hours, or are suffering financial hardship, find out what support is available, including wage subsidies: www.treasury.gov.au/coronavirus.

Support for businesses & sole traders If you’re a business or a sole trader, find out what support is available at www.business.gov.au or 13 28 46.

+

If you have concerns about your health,

seek medical advice.

National Coronavirus Helpline 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Support for renters The National Cabinet has agreed to ban evictions over the next six months for commercial and residential tenants in financial distress who are unable to meet their commitments due to the impact of coronavirus.

For help: NSW Fair Trading at www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au or 13 32 20 or the Tenants Advice and Advocacy Service at www.tenants.org.au or 02 8117 3700.

1800 020 080 Translating & Interpreting services

131 450

If you need further assistance, please call my office on 9379 0700 or email me: Tanya.Plibersek.MP@aph.gov.au

TANYA PLIBERSEK MP COVID-19 UPDATE (AS AT MARCH 31, 2020) Authorised by Tanya Plibersek MP, Australian Labor Party, 1A Great Buckingham St, Redfern

8

CITY HUB 16 APRIL 2020