City Hub 17 January 2019

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city hub 17 JANUARY 2019

Libs play games with stadium’s future

by Wendy Bacon Waverley Council Liberals have boycotted debate on their own rescission motion aimed at reversing Council’s support for legal action to stop demolition of the Sydney Football Stadium.

The motion supporting was passed after Waverley Council received advice from a senior barrister that the Minister for Planning Anthony Roberts’ approval of the demolition and concept proposal was fundamentally flawed.

After three Liberal Councillors who moved the motion failed to attend last Friday, another meeting was scheduled for Tuesday January 15. Again, they were not present, although as Mayor John Wakefield told the meeting, two of them were within easy distance of Waverley Council Chambers in Bondi.

The Mayor’s irritation was obvious. “This council has been attempting to deliberate on this matter since 20 December. We have had three, and with this one, four failed meetings”. Another attempt at a meeting has been set for Monday January 21. The missing Liberal Councillors were Leon Goltsman, Tony Kay and Will Nemesh. Ex-Mayor Liberal Sally Betts is overseas on leave.

Wakefield told the meeting that he wrote to every Waverley Councillor this week pointing out that “there are sections of the [Local Government] act that indicate that if purposeful and malicious attempts by Councillors to stymie the business of Council is clear … then that is against the code of conduct and the Local government act … If that is the case and I’m not saying it is the case.” Two of the missing Liberal Councillors have indicated that they will be available next week.

Councillors absent for their own motion After the meeting, the Mayor told City Hub, “The [Liberal Councillors] need to recognise that they have an obligation. They may not agree with us. They are free to debate us on the floor of Council and to vote. That is what they were elected to do”. In 15 years on Council, Wakefield has never before experienced a situation in which three Councillors who have moved and supported a rescission motion have not turned up.

The rescission motion remains on foot until it is debated.

The stadium as it stands.

Photo: Lawrence Gibbons

The strongest ground for argument is that the design excellence principles have not been correctly applied in the approval decision. The City of Sydney objected to the project on those grounds. Waverley Council’s independent advice is also supported by senior barrister Tim Robertson’s earlier advice that an appeal on the basis of failure to properly consider design excellence should be considered.

A landmark judgement made in October by the NSW Land and Environment Court rejected an appeal by Uniting Church Property Trust against an earlier ruling that it had not properly considered design excellence in its application for high rise developments at Parramatta square. The case will be a key to a possible Council challenge. It seems possible that the Minister Anthony Roberts had not sought his own advice when he rubbished Labor’s advice in late December.

Mayor Wakefield said last night that if the rescission motion is rejected, letters to the Minister are ready to go out. If the Minister fails to act to correct his decision, the Acting Mayor of Randwick Labor’s Danny Said has told him that he would call an extraordinary meeting to consider if Randwick Council would join a legal action.

Two weeks ago, NSW government ministers made it sound like demolition of the stadium was imminent. It is possible that they were in such a rush that they had not read all the conditions of consent.

When City Hub visited the site on Tuesday evening this week, it was clear that there were still thousands of seats in place, and although Lendlease has occupied offices on the site, the preliminary strip of furnishings is far from complete.

Poor community consultation Published weekly and freely available Sydney-wide.

One condition that Lendlease might Copies are also distributed to serviced apartments, hotels, not have bargained for is the Community convenience stores and newsagents throughout the city.

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Published by Altmedia Pty Ltd. While every effort is made to ensure accuracy of content, takes no responsibility for inadvertent errors or omissions.

ABN 52 600 903 348 Group Editor & Publisher: Lawrence Gibbons Production Manager: Michael Hitch Contributors: Michael Hitch, Bella Bushby, Wendy Bacon, Allison Hore, Kylie Winkworth, Peter Hehir Arts Editor: Jamie Apps Advertising Manager: Georgina Pengelly Cover Photo: Jason Lee (Instagram @jasonminilee).

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Consultative Committee (CCC), which was added as response to objections. With more than 99.5% of more than 700 public submissions objecting to the project, and more than 25% of those citing “poor community consultation” as a ground for their objections, NSW Planning has mandated that a CCC “must be functioning before demolition can begin” so that it “can provide feedback on the management of works during demolition”.

Disappointingly, within days of having imposed that condition, NSW Planning appointed Margie Harvie as the “Independent Chair”. NSW Planning has so far rejected community complaints that Ms Harvie’s past work for Lendlease makes her unsuitable for the position.

This week, the Randwick Botany Greens registered a formal letter of complaint with the Department Secretary Carolyn McNally. (McNally also sits on the Board of Infrastructure NSW, which is the applicant for project approval). The complaint reminds NSW Planning of Randwick’s strong objection to the project, and expresses strong concerns about the CCC and the failure for anyone in the Randwick LGA to receive written notification of the application process. The complaint states that Ms Harvie has a “clear conflict of interest” and that she should be removed. “Randwick is right on the door stop and traffic during demolition and construction operations will have an adverse impact on local residents. We strongly request ... re-advertising the position of Independent Chair and the notification be extended for a further 30 days”.

After applications close on January 16, Ms Harvie is required to make her selections and provide reasons for her choices to NSW Planning. The Committee will then be appointed and an initial meeting scheduled. Even assuming the breakneck speed that Planning has applied to the process so far, it is hard to see how the Committee can meet

before February. It will then need to be informed about the demolition conditions and be given the opportunity to ask questions, which means that unless the Committee is unusually compliant, a second meeting will be needed.

It’s clear that pressure on NSW Planning to approve projects supported by the Berejiklian government is causing tensions with the NSW Environmental Protection Authority that has worn the brunt of attempting to mitigate impacts of projects, especially the Westconnex tollways and the Light Rail.

Last year, NSW Planning overrode the EPA’s objection to approving the Stage 3 WestConnex, although impacts had not been documented and no detailed design was in place. The NSW EPA again raised many objections, particularly to the noise impacts of demolition and operation of the Sydney Football Stadium. After INSW had filed its Response to Submissions, the NSW EPA still had a lot of concerns.

Although NSW Planning ultimately agreed with INSW, it did impose more conditions. These include a condition that a large shed to contain machinery that will crush more than 100,000 tonnes of concrete must be constructed before demolition can begin.

With all of these matters still in play, it is hard to see the stadium demolition getting seriously under way until later in February. By then, the election will be only a month away.

Give people chance to vote This is very much Gladys Berejklian’s project.

She pushed for it in Cabinet and made the order for Infrastructure NSW to go ahead with the project.

NSW Opposition Leader Michael Daley said last week, “The Premier is rushing into demolition today but she still hasn’t given the people of NSW a vote on this extravagant waste of public money.

The people of NSW should decide at the next election on whether to spend over $2 billion on rebuilding stadiums. It is taxpayer money that could be going to schools and hospitals. I’m urging the Berejiklian Government to halt the demolition and give the people of NSW a vote – make the March election a referendum on stadiums.”

Berejiklian’s claims that demolition was under way were an exaggeration. And while Labor’s policy on unpopular tollways are unclear and confusing for voters, Daley seems determined that if he wins power, the Stadium will be refurbished and not destroyed.

Next week INSW must publish the contract that Lendlease signed with INSW. We should then find out how Lendlease has protected its commercial interests in the event of a change of government.

More Danny, less Nanny

By Lawrence Gibbons More than a thousand people spilled off the footpath outside the Sydney City Police Area Command on Sunday 13 January to protest the arrest of the high profile free speech advocate Danny Lim. Three armed officers forcibly detained the 74-year-old activist at Barangaroo on the previous Friday. Lim was holding a sign which read “SMILE CAN’T! WHY CAN’T?” For comic effect the A on the placard was printed upside down. He was charged with causing offense, and suffered bruises at the hands of police.

The former Strathfield Councillor was fined $500 in 2015 for displaying a similar sign. In 2017, a District Magistrate overturned the fine, finding that Lim’s use of the word CVN’T “was capable of being construed as being clever or light-hearted”. The same can’t be said of the NSW police force.

The colourful septuagenarian can often be seen standing with milk boards around the city centre. He has become a well-known and muchloved local figure. More than 25,000 people signed up to a Facebook page in support of Lim within 72 hours of his arrest. His lawyer Bryan Wrench indicated that the charges would be

Danny Lim: you cvnt help but smile.

Photo: Lawrence Gibbons

contested. Lim is also considering taking action against the police. A crowd-funding page has been established to cover his legal costs.

Outside the Day Street station, protestors were filmed by undercover police as they held signs in support of Lim, with messages including “More Danny Less Nanny” and “FVCK THE COPS.

DANNY IS TOPS”. Protestors of all ages – from pensioners to school children – delivered speeches from a plastic milk crate in defence of Lim. Speakers denounced an increasingly draconian use of force in NSW, where laws have been introduced to limit the right to protest at mining sites and to remove homeless people who assembled to protest in Martin Place.

Demonstrators also denounced the use of force by police who have been given ever-increasing powers to search revellers at dance parties.

Australia is the only advanced western nation without a constitutional guarantee of free speech.

In the absence of an enshrined Bill or Charter of Rights, Australian courts have limited powers to mitigate the authoritarian impulses of majoritarian rule. As state and federal governments increasingly whittle away at individual liberties, more and more Australians find that their right to assemble, protest and express dissident political viewpoints are under threat.

Without constitutionally protected human rights, the democratic freedoms Australians cherish are increasingly put in jeopardy. In the words of George Orwell, “If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear”. city hub 17 JANUARY 2019

3

Catastrophic climate change

Global sea level expert John Church wins leading climate change award. Photo: Supplied

by Allison Hore Award-winning climate and sea level expert Professor John Church of the University of NSW says that if “drastic and immediate” climate action isn’t taken, sea levels may rise by more than a metre by the end of this century.

Such a rise would have “catastrophic” consequences for low-lying islands and coastal regions, as well as areas around rivers and lakes, especially in countries with high population densities like Vietnam and Bangladesh.

But there is also risk closer to home. Australia’s population is centered on coastal areas, with two fifths of the population living in Sydney and Melbourne. A rise in sea levels of the magnitude that Professor Church is predicting is something that he thinks Australians should be concerned about.

Flooding of coastal areas He believes that it is the flooding of estuaries and coastal regions that would have the greatest impact on Sydney.

“If we have unmitigated emissions we are talking about what is actually a once in a 100-year flood occurring every year, or more frequently,” Professor Church says.

“As sea level rises you actually increase the frequency at which coastal areas are flooded. And that increase can be quite dramatic. We have already seen on both the east coast and the west coast of Australia an increase by about a factor of 3.”

Areas of particular concern are Caringbah, Kurnell, Cromer and Manly Vale and other coastal suburbs.

However, more frequent flooding would also threaten homes and infrastructure in areas along

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city hub 17 JANUARY 2019

the Parramatta River such as Homebush Bay, Newington and Silverwater.

Another issue that Professor Church predicts would affect Sydney and its surrounds is coastal erosion, but this has not been studied as widely.

Tourism is Australia’s largest services industry export, and with coastal regions being the main drawcard for tourists, Professor Church says that a rise in sea levels would do serious damage to the nation’s economy.

“We have got a huge amount of infrastructure right on the coast, and people are moving ever closer to the coast both to live and for holidays.

We are going to have to protect that.”

It’s not just a rise this century that people should be worried about. Professor Church says that the actions we take now will have an impact on sea level for many centuries to come.

“We could, during this century, commit the world to metres of sea level rise that we wouldn’t experience, but our children, grandchildren and future generations will,” he explains.

If we have unmitigated emissions we’re talking about what is actually a once in a 100-year flood occurring every year, or more frequently Last week Professor Church was awarded the BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award in Climate Change, making him the first person in Australia to receive this award. The prize wasn’t awarded for a single project, but rather for the importance of the science he and his team have been doing for the past 30 years.

They were recognised for their research that narrowed down the causes of sea level rises by linking satellite observations with measurements and mathematical modelling to identify the human

impact on sea level changes. They are also credited for discovering that the rate of sea level rise is accelerating over time.

This is the 11th year of the international award which recognises significant contributions in the areas of scientific research and cultural creation.

Feeling the heat on climate change When asked about what can be done to turn the tides on the rate of sea level rise, Professor Church said the answer is simple. We need to produce less carbon emission.

“We need to reduce our emissions, and the easiest area to do that in is in energy generation, by using renewable energies like solar and wind, and also making use of pump hydro and battery storage,” he says.

He believes that Australia is “far behind” in terms of taking climate action. He says the government needs to prioritise and step up their commitments.

According to data from emissions tracking organisation Ndevr Environmental, Australia is not on track to meet its Paris agreement target.

The data showed that Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions from January to September last year reached an all-time high at over 550 tonnes.

“Definitely Australia is not doing enough, we have a target of 26% reduction in emissions by 2030 and the government’s own figures don’t look like meeting that. Even if the prime minister says we will meet the target, the figures don’t support that.”

Church says that even if the 26% target was being met it would be “way inadequate”.

“We need to revise those targets and we need to implement plans to ensure that we meet those much more drastic reductions, and we need a decent energy policy,” he explains.

With parts of Sydney forecast to reach 45 degrees on Friday as part of an extreme heatwave, Sydneysiders are already feeling the heat on climate change.

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5

Love, war and property

by Michael Hitch Branco Macura, a gay man from Serbia, lost his partner, Milorad Adzic, in 2016. Now, after the death of his partner, Branco is fighting solicitors and community members in order to keep what is rightfully his.

Branco is an Australian Army veteran and Milorad is a World War 2 veteran, and they are both migrants to Australia from Serbia. Branco initially moved into Milorad’s Liverpool property as a tenant, and in time became Milorad’s partner.

He also became carer as Milorad aged, and helped with the maintenance of the property’s many units. Despite an obvious age gap, the de facto couple weathered many problems together, including Branco’s diagnosis of pancreatic cancer and Milorad’s deteriorating health.

“He was a former solider in Serbia, and I was in the Australian defence force a long time,” Branco said. “We met in a church. He was quiet at first, but he became comfortable around me soon enough. Soon enough we became friends, from there the friendship became a relationship and the rest became history.”

Complications “When he passed I felt… well I felt very sad. You lose your partner and of course you feel very sad.

He wakes up every day and then one day he doesn’t wake up. So, then I called the ambulance and the police, then I buried him and that was that.”

In November 2016, Milorad passed away in his sleep from cardiac arrest at 92 years old. Despite Branco developing pancreatic cancer earlier, Milorad died first and left behind his $11 million property and a bereaved Branco.

Before his death, Milorad had gathered the tenants of his property together to announce that he wanted his partner Branco to inherit the land when he died.

Branco Macura visits the grave of his late-partner, Milorad Adzic. Photo: Branco Macura

When asked about the event, Branco’s current lawyer, Migration Agent Alex Tees reported that Milorad had said, “My partner Branco has never asked me for anything, he does a lot for me so when I go, I want Branco to have the property for me”.

You lose your partner and of course you feel very sad. He wakes up every day and then one day he doesn’t wake up. Tees added that as Branco was expected to die before Milorad, the couple did not bother to formally transfer the property, instead relying on their tenants as witnesses to the event.

“He [Milorad] handed over the keys, the title… everything. I think because Branco contracted cancer shortly after that, they never formalised it.

They never went to the lawyers and got them to transfer it over. It makes sense,” Tees said.

Now at 70 years old, Branco is being treated for pancreatic cancer and is currently undertaking his second round of chemotherapy.

Mr Tees said that while witnesses were present at the informal transfer, the case regarding the validity of Branco and Milorad’s de facto relationship still went to the Supreme Court.

It may be seen as interesting, to say the least, that all the lawyers involved are of Serb origin, including Branco Macuras’ former lawyers.

Branco made the error of hiring a Serbian solicitor and they all tried to get him out of the property.

“It ended up in the Supreme Court and unfortunately for Branco, when all the solicitors got together, he was very, very sick from chemo.

They did a deal among themselves, and the upshot of it was that a contract was written up during a mediation session, and Branco was to get a hundred grand.

Collusion “Bear in mind this is an $11 million property.

Then minus legal fees, he would’ve ended up with only thirty-grand. And on the day of the mediation he was simply too sick to understand a rough handwritten document.

“He believed that what he was signing was an agreement about a solicitor’s legal fees.

He didn’t know it said, ‘move out and you’ll only get a hundred grand’, so that’s what the current proceedings are about. It’s whether these agreements can be held against him.”

Branco also stated that items were added to the rough hand written document after he signed it.

He said that the questioning of his relationship was devastating and that the previous court proceedings were exhausting his already poor health..

“They tried to not recognise that we had a relationship, a genuine de facto relationship that they ignored. They keep coming to where I live, I’m still here and I’m not going but I don’t know how much longer I can keep doing this. I don’t know how much longer I’ve got,” he said.

The battle isn’t over for Branco yet with legal proceedings already underway regarding Branco’s signing of the mediation contract.

Hopefully, Branco has a little bit more fight left in him for the future.

Public Notice Notice of Council Meetings 2019 The Council and Central Sydney Planning Committee meeting schedules have been set for 2019 and members of the public are invited to attend any of these meetings. The meeting schedule is available at cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au

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city hub 17 JANUARY 2019

Council meetings are held in the Council Chamber, Sydney Town Hall, 483 George Street, Sydney.

Please contact the Council Secretariat on 02 9265 9519 to confirm meeting start times.

Meeting agendas and reports are available on the website before the meeting.

Copies are also available before the meetings at: • Town Hall Customer Service Centre Level 2, Town Hall House, 456 Kent Street, Sydney Monday to Friday: 8am–6pm • Green Square Customer Service Centre 355 Botany Road, Zetland (located downstairs in Green Square Library) Monday to Friday: 10am–4.30pm

• Glebe Customer Service Centre 186 Glebe Point Road (cnr Wigram Road), Glebe Monday to Friday: 10am–4.30pm • Kings Cross Customer Service Centre 50–52 Darlinghurst Road, Kings Cross Monday to Friday: 10am–4.30pm Saturday: 9am–midday

On the second Wednesday of each month our customer service centres in Glebe, Green Square, and Kings Cross do not open until midday. Our Town Hall Customer Service Centre is open during this time.

Agenda papers are also available at each meeting.

Minutes of Council and Central Sydney Planning Committee meetings are available on the website.

Monica Barone, Chief Executive Officer For more information call 02 9265 9333 or email council@cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au

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Interested parties may address meetings of committees about matters on the agenda for that meeting.

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7

Opinion

An Infrastructure Royal Commission? community, especially those who are negatively impacted, are simply ignored.

Lip service is given to involving the community though the use of what they deemed “Community Information Sessions”. These farcical events evolved in response to extremely negative feedback from informed members of the community; who exposed the flaws in projects like WestConnex - at public meetings convened by the proponents; while they attempted to flog projects with little or no benefit to the community.

This denial of community input is especially true of projects deemed to be State Significant Infrastructure (SSI).

Only a Royal Commission has any hope of exposing the dishonest infrastructure practices that have completely destroyed the trust of the community.

One of the most disturbing things that came out of the Parliamentary Inquiry into the Impacts of WestConnex, was that despite it being a total disaster, the committee’s recommendation was that it should proceed. This is because a Parliamentary Inquiry has limited powers and can be politicised, as was the case here.

The only dissenting member was Greens MP Cate Faerhmann; whose recommendation that Stage 3 be stopped was overruled by both Liberal and Labor.

Nick Greiner, a key figure behind the invention of the WestConnex concept, was initially requested to appear, but declined and the committee simply acquiesced.

Also the inquiry was merely focussed on the impacts, not on the deeper question of why, and who is responsible for this biggest misallocation of public funds for private gain in Australia’s history.

To answer these questions, only a Royal Commission with a much wider scope will suffice, with powers to order Greiner, O’Farrell, Staples, Lock, Richmond, Charlton, Duncan, Cliché, Kanofski,

GALA HIGHLIGHTS

By Peter Hehir Governments are elected to act in the best interests of not only those who have voted for them but to ensure that legislation is enacted that serves the needs of the community as a whole.

Unfortunately here in NSW exactly the opposite has happened.

NSW infrastructure planning has evolved over recent years so that only the interests of a tiny group are protected; primarily the multinational corporations who have a monopoly on the conception, development and realisation of these massive projects; and the parasites who feed off them.

The worth of many of these multibillion dollar projects is questionable, often failing to withstand any sort of independent scrutiny.

The concept of environmental assessment has been eviscerated by the abuse of Environmental Impact Statements (EIS), especially those projects sidestepped by using the rubber stamp of State Significant Infrastructure (SSI). This tag guarantees secrecy, a free pass, completely denying meaningful community engagement and ensures smooth sailing from conception to realisation.

The important safeguard of the EIS is enshrined in legislation to protect both the community and the environment from proposals put forward by those whose only concern is making money.

Obviously the environmental impact of a project can only be truly assessed once the project has been designed and detailed plans made public.

Community criticism of projects like WestConnex, based on information provided in the 7,000 page EIS volumes, is discounted by the Sydney Motorway Corporation, by stating that “The EIS isn’t a design document. WestConnex hasn’t been designed yet”!

How’s that for a classic “Catch 22”!

The entire approval process has been corrupted to the point that ensures the wishes of the wider

13-28 February

M4: the road that gobbled Sydney. Photo: Wikipedia

Goldsmith, Gay, Roberts, Baird, Abbott and Berejiklian among others to give evidence.

It would also create the opportunity to hear from those critics of infrastructure planning and approval, especially the many experts who have been gagged by their employment contracts.

Such a Royal Commission should also investigate the entire transport planning system. A system that we have seen fail so badly in Windsor and Newcastle, with the CSE Light rail and the privatised Metro.

We may also get to the bottom of why Sydney’s train network fails whenever there is heavy rain and determine whether public transport has been deliberately white-anted, so as to proffer private ownership as the only fiscally responsible solution.

To question why we are building a second airport at Badgerys’s Creek, given that air travel contributes to at least 10% of global warming?

Why high speed rail would be morally, environmentally, socially and financially a better and more equitable investment?

Why the universally recognised threat of the impact of climate change isn’t considered in connection with heavily polluting tollway projects such as NorthConnex, WestConnex, the Western Harbour Tunnel, the Northern Beaches Link and the F6?

The Royal Commission would allow the examination of secret contracts that purportedly prevent public transport from competing with tollway projects; the exposure of “commercial in confidence” clauses that recompense tollroad operators for failure to meet projected usage figures.

And to forensically examine business cases prepared by companies like AECOM for the tollroads that have failed as well as to seek compensation for the public monies subsequently squandered.

The NSW ALP have an opportunity to regain some of their lost credibility in the run up to the State and Federal elections by making a firm commitment to conduct a wide ranging Royal Commission into the NSW infrastructure planning and approval process.

But the real question is of course - will they?

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9

Fix is in for Powerhouse

by Kylie Winkworth Just before Christmas, NSW Arts Minister Don Harwin appointed four new trustees to the board of the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences (MAAS), displacing two highly regarded trustees who were dropped after only one term. Reading the entrails of these new appointments reveals the grim future of the Powerhouse Museum (PHM).

A surprising appointment to the MAAS Trust is Darren Steinberg the CEO of Dexus, a property development and retail investment trust that part owns the MLC Centre and the Theatre Royal. Last year, more than 8,000 people signed a petition to re-open the Theatre Royal, which has been closed since March 2016. In 1972, Lend Lease, as developers of the MLC site, faced a public campaign against the demolition of the historic Theatre Royal. A new Theatre Royal was negotiated as part of the MLC development, funded by a generous bonus of 8,000sqm of office space. This is equivalent to nearly six extra floors, worth around $9-11m per annum.

Scant regard for cultural obligations Minister Harwin met with Dexus in August last year to discuss re-opening the Theatre Royal. He told the Legislative Council’s museum inquiry that he was looking very closely at what the government could do and he has not ruled out kicking in taxpayers’ money.

A lyric theatre is planned for the Powerhouse Museum site, jammed between four blocks of flats up to 70 storeys. In September, Harwin told the Museum Inquiry that a new lyric theatre at Ultimo was not inconsistent with support for reopening the Theatre Royal, and “we are doing what we can to do both”.

In December, Steinberg was appointed to the MAAS Trust.

Theatre lovers in Sydney might wonder why the Arts Minister has given the Dexus CEO

Darren Steinberg the CEO of Dexus

a prestigious cultural appointment when the company has shown scant regard for its cultural obligations and cannot manage the theatre it already owns.

If the Berejiklian government is re-elected, the Arts Minister will direct the MAAS Trust to hand over the Powerhouse Museum’s land for property development in a deal that is demonstrably not in the Museum’s interest.

The proposed lyric theatre is … a shameless act of cultural vandalism The Museum’s expansive 2.6ha site will be surrendered for what the government calls its “highest and best use”. That is not, as you might think, culture, tourism and education, but

JANUARY HIGHLIGHTS

apartment towers. The proposed lyric theatre on the site of the demolished Powerhouse is the Minister’s cover for a shameless act of cultural vandalism. Minister Harwin’s appointments to the MAAS board suggest he is lining up the ducks for the big steal.

From the beginning of this saga four years ago, the MAAS Trust was told to keep quiet and roll over on the controversial demolition and “move” of the Powerhouse Museum. Now the Arts Minister has stacked the MAAS Trust with advocates for property development and privatisation. Five of the eight Trustees are part of the most powerful union in NSW, the Sydney Business Chamber and its Western Sydney affiliate. One mission of the Sydney Business Chamber is “recycling state assets”. Sydney First and Western Sydney First members have

EXHIBITION

“the opportunity to engage in intimate political forums with the Premier and key government ministers”. The Chamber aims to “shape the public policy advocacy agenda that reflects the views of its members”.

A monstrous property play That’s exactly what new Trustee David Borger has been doing. As executive director of the Western Sydney Business Chamber, Borger is the public face of the campaign to “move” the PHM to Parramatta.

The minister’s door is open to the Business Chamber and advocates of the PHM move to Parramatta, including Borger, Patricia Forsythe, executive director of the Sydney Business Chamber, Liz Ann Macgregor, director of the MCA and Lucy Turnbull.

In September 2016, Glover wrote to former Arts Minister Troy Grant setting out the Trust’s expectations for the move to Parramatta: ownership of the whole site unencumbered by other developments; a museum of equivalent scale and scope to the PHM; and sufficient funding for the safety of the collections and operations of the new site. We now know that none of these conditions will be met. The New Museum of Western Sydney will share its Parramatta site with a seventy storey super tower. The expansive mission of the PHM as Australia’s only museum of applied arts and sciences is finished. The Parramatta museum is half the size of the PHM. The collection facilities are too small and cannot accommodate the PHM’s collections. And there is no increase in recurrent funding.

You don’t need to be a genius to see this is a bad deal for the Museum and NSW taxpayers.

The Powerhouse to Parramatta “move” is just a cover for a monstrous property play. And now the fix is in.

EXHIBITION

JUMAADI:

JANUARY HIGHLIGHTS EXHIBITION

LOOKING HERE LOOKING NORTH

12 JAN - 10 FEB

LAUNCH DAY! TERM 1 ACTIVITIES ON SALE 21 JAN

BRING ME BACK MY BODY AND I WILL RETURN YOUR SOUL

12 JAN - 10 FEB Join us for nibbles and drinks as we launch three big art exhibitions, What a Life! Rock Photography by Tony Mott, Jumaadi and Looking Here Looking North, on one BIG day!

WHAT A LIFE!

SAT 19 JAN 2PM • FREE!

12 JAN - 24 FEB

ROCK PHOTOGRAPHY BY TONY MOTT

Q&A with Tony Mott: Sat 19 Jan 1pm

Drop by for a bite at Bellbird Dining & Bar. Open 7 days a week for full breakfast, lunch, cakes and coffee.

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city hub 17 JANUARY 2019

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11

Opinion

Sex and the younger me sexually transmitted infection (STI) and HIV tests/ status.

I wish I knew I could be in complete control when it came to having sex. Being pressured to do something you don’t want to do or are not completely comfortable with is not okay.

You can change your mind at any stage in any sexual situation you are in. If you’re not feeling into it, you don’t have to go along with having sex just to please someone else.

I wish I’d learned earlier to prioritise what I wanted and needed in bed.

Today, I make sure I tell my partner/s what my likes and dislikes are, as well as what are my boundaries.

My needs are just as important as theirs.

I’ve learned there’s nothing wrong with enjoying sex, even with yourself.

When I was younger I heard that

Image: Supplied by WikiCommons

by Bella Bushby There’s nothing wrong with being young, female and enjoying sex.

As a young woman, I was clueless when it came to sex. So were my friends.

Sexual pleasure and exploration for girls was taboo.

Our sex education sucked.

Some of us had a strict upbringing, and we felt a lot of pressure to act reserved and embarrassed about sex as we were growing up.

Because of the stigma around women and sex, it took me longer to find out how much fun fucking was, and how okay it was to explore sex, sexualities and a range of sexual activity.

These are some of the things I wish I’d known as I was growing up and entering the exciting and sometimes confusing world of sex.

I’ve learned that communication with my partner/s about the sex I want is key. No one is a mind reader.

The value of speaking up I wish I had spoken up a lot more, especially about the hard questions like

girls don’t fuck lots of people, girls don’t masturbate, girls don’t carry condoms and girls who do are slutty.

When some of my friends got pregnant, I heard bullshit like “getting pregnant was all her fault,” and lastly, I heard that girls definitely don’t get sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

This was all so wrong.

Today, I know sex is normal, exciting and great. I am more empowered by sex-positivity and know there’s no place for shame or embarrassment about sex.

Curiosity is normal. Exploring what you’re into is important for a full enjoyable sexual life, whether that means exploring with yourself, one-person, multiple people, opposite sex, same sex or whatever.

it took me longer to find out how much fun fucking was, and how okay it was to explore sex I’ve learned there’s no shame in exploring sex and sexuality.

It’s also okay to not enjoy sex or go through phases when you just don’t want to have sex. Today, I know women can enjoy things like porn, sex work, masturbation, hook-ups and one-night stands, sex toys, fetishes and kink etc.

While we were taught in school about how to avoid getting pregnant, I wish I had also known more about STIs. STIs can be anything from crabs to H IV. Now I know the importance of testing for STIs, what they are, how they’re shared, and how to treat them.

The first time I went into my GP to ask for the pill, I felt so nervous and uncomfortable.

I felt like I was doing something I wasn’t supposed to be. When the GP took my blood pressure he asked me if I was feeling okay because my heart was beating so fast.

Sexual health clinics I wish I had known about the free NSW Health sexual health clinics, especially ones targeted at young people. These clinics are not only free, comfortable and approachable, but you don’t need a Medicare card or even need to use your real name. They aren’t going to tell your parents or judge you.

I wish I had not worried so much about comparing myself to others. Fucking must be on your own terms, at your own pace, and in your control.

Another thing I wish I’d known sooner was how subjective sexuality and identity are. If these labels don’t work for you, you don’t have to use them, or you can change them at any time.

How you want to identify your sexuality is up to you and you only. Don’t let anyone tell you what’s right or wrong when it comes to your sex life.

Every woman’s experience will be different.

We are all sexual human beings and that should be celebrated.

Instead of allowing these damaging taboos and misconceptions to continue to overshadow the confidence and empowerment of future generations of young women, let’s challenge the stigma and openly promote sex education, knowledge and enjoyment for young women.

* Bella Bushby is the Communications and Policy Officer at Positive Life NSW

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13

FEATURE

By Jamie Apps

Fitness Fresh Start

Every year local gyms see a surge in attendance during the early part of January as people look to begin their new year’s resolutions.

Since we’re now over two weeks into the year though the uncommitted have already begun dropping off, and since many of us have just returned to work there is no better time than now to begin your fitness fresh start.

Newtown Chiropractic Clinic

Whether you sit at a desk for work all day or do heavy manual labour, there is every chance that you suffer from back pain. If this is the case it’s important to treat this before undertaking any fitness fresh start training program, luckily the Newton Chiropractic Clinic can provide fantastic assistance in this regard.

The longest running chiropractic clinic in Newtown is a must visit if you are experiencing any muscle or joint pain. Having over 35 years of experience between them, the two practising chiropractors can treat a range of musculoskeletal injuries.

Along with the resident massage therapist, the doctors offer extended consultations and tailor the treatment directly to the patients’ lifestyle, needs, and condition.Treatments include not only manipulation of the spine but also soft tissue techniques, trigger point therapy, basic massage, stretching, and lifestyle advice.

Every consultation with the Newtown Chiropractic Clinic will be tailor-made to each individual’s needs, with no heavy-handed selling techniques. If the team feels more investigative methods such as X-rays are required they are able to refer clients to the bulk

billing Newtown Radiology clinic in order to ensure treatments are as safe and effective as possible.

The initial chiropractic consultation will take 40 minutes and includes a full history and a thorough examination along with the appropriate treatment.

All subsequent consultations will take 20 minutes, so you can easily fit them in during a lunch break if absolutely necessary.

Mention this story and the City Hub to receive $20 off your initial consultation.

1/281 King St, Newtown.

Info: www.newtownchiropracticclinic.com.au

intentions to energise the body, calm the mind and stay focused on the moment.

Yoga helps to develop strength, flexibility and cardiovascular fitness, increase energy, and enhance the ability to deal with stress.

More Info: www.yogasynergy.com Ash Besse Fitness

Ash Besse’s mission as a personal trainer is to educate and guide her clients in Yoga Synergy finding their true Now that you have health and fitness your body working potential. Besse is a smoothly and major promoter of pain-free why not individualised and begin your fitness tailored programs fresh start with some that focus on an yoga, a training overall balance in order to maintain a healthy and technique which can sustainable lifestyle. begin gently and Not only does Besse have all of the requisite qualifications to provide an educated and effective easily scale up in difficulty. training program for her clients but she also has Established by Simon personal experiences, which allow her to empathise Borg Olivier & and help her clients achieve their goals.

Bianca Machliss in “My journey into becoming a trainer began with an 1984,Yoga Synergy is uneducated, unhealthy lifestyle. I realised I didn’t one of Sydney’s largest and most respected yoga want to continue down this path of poor drinking schools. Conveniently located in both Bondi and eating habits, but I didn’t know how to do it Junction and Newtown Yoga Synergy is a great first correctly. So I needed to further my training and stop on your fitness journey. nutrition knowledge, and this led me to become a qualified Master Trainer.”

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Besse can help anybody gain strength, lose fat, improve mobility or simply improve their overall fitness.

Besse lives and trains by the motto, “just know that all this is worth it and MORE if you can wake up each morning feeling confident, happy, positive and healthy.”

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15

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Photo: Prudence Upton

Pigalle

Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote his first musical, In The Heights, in 1999, setting it in the New York City ghetto,Washington Heights, and basing it on the immigrant community that lives there. But though the details are specific, the message is universal according to Luke Joslin, director of a new production of the musical being staged at the Sydney Opera House.

“You don’t have to know something about Washington Heights particularly to get something out of it, or you don’t have to know anything about the Latino community,” says Joslin.

The plot has several storylines ranging across romance, family relationships, generational clashes, work and money dramas - everyday life issues that transcend boundaries.

Place Pigalle in Paris, the location of the Moulin Rouge, is famous for its theatres, adult shows and sex shops, so it’s not surprising that Craig Ilot chose this name for his production, a blend of disco, burlesque, circus and cabaret.

The perfect venue for this variety show is the fabulous Magic Mirrors Spiegeltent, where screen idol Marlene Dietrich once performed.

“All told with a salsa-fuelled score,” says Joslin.

To bring it up to the present, a radio mash up of contemporary news and cultural items has been used as a prologue. (Uncannily, the original script already contained a Trump reference!)

Joslin previously directed a very successful season of In The Heights at the Hayes Theatre and is bringing most of the same cast and crew across for this production.

“Basically, we took the Hayes model and we upscaled it,” explains Joslin, acknowledging the significant difference in scope between the Hayes and the Concert Hall of the Opera House. Despite this, he wants to recreate the sense of intimacy and make the audience “feel like they’re on the strip; like they’re on the beat with us.” Much of this will be achieved with a very effective, clever set design.

The musical itself is regarded as a trailblazer with its unconventional rap/salsa/pop score and street language lyrics. (Miranda later went on to write the phenomenally popular Hamilton.) The plays complexity of stories requires a finely tuned balance in performance energy.

“We go from spectacular choreography to sort of naturalistic story telling in the next scene within about five seconds,” explains Joslin.“It’s unlike anything you probably would have ever seen before.”

Even the many people who saw the Hayes production two, three and up to four times are likely to find something new in this one. (RB) Until Jan 20. Sydney Opera House, Bennelong Point, Sydney. $49-$139+b.f.

Tickets & Info: www.sydneyoperahouse.com

Pigalle is a retrospective of 1970s disco music, breathtaking aerial feats, fabulous costumes and titillating naughty segments interspersed with singing and dancing and, above all, the great voice of Marcia Hines.

Marcia is accompanied by multi-award-winning performer iOta, Bangarra dancer Waagenga Blanco, singer/dancers Chaska Halliday and Zachary Webster, aerial artists Yammel Rodriguez and Hugo Desmarais, burlesque artist Kathryn Louise McLaughlin aka Kitty Bang Bang) and acrobat Sonja Schebeck, who also played the violin and ate fire.

Musical director Joe Accaria and choreographer Lucas Newland conspired with Craig Ilot to capture the baby-boomer nostalgia market, such that their show was a sell-out on first night!

And what a show it was!

However, one aspect of the show that really puzzled me were the segments in which Waagenga Blanco performed what appeared to be a Saint Vitus dance in a most tortured manner in a pair of pants that looked as though they had been pulled from a bin at Vinnies.

Surely he deserved better choreography than this! And better costuming!

And finally, disco music does not favour singers and Hines’ voice did not get the prominence it should have in her numbers. (ID) Until Jan 27. Magic Mirrors Spiegeltent, Hyde Park North, Elizabeth St, Sydney. $70-$86+b.f.Tickets & Info: www.sydneyfestival.org.au

a&e

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city hub 17 JANUARY 2019

16 STAGE 18 SCENE 19 Sounds 19 SCREEN

The Voice Behind The Stars Australian actress and singer Eliza Jackson stars in the acclaimed cabaret which tells the story of Marni Nixon, the most prolific ghost singer of all time. Dubbing for over 50 Hollywood films, she was the singing voice for stars including Audrey Hepburn, Deborah Kerr, Natalie Wood and Marilyn Monroe.

Jackson explained that it was her mother who came up with the idea for her to write a show about Marni and as soon as she started looking into this incredible woman’s life, she knew she had to do it.

“It’s fun and nostalgic. It will take you back to another time and place.The show mainly focuses on Marni’s life in the 50s and 60s, her busiest time as a ghost singer. But we actually look into her whole life, from childhood to her death in 2016.”

In a classic story of old Hollywood, Marni Nixon had to sign her life away. She was forbidden from telling anyone who or what films she sang on. Some of the films included My Fair Lady,The King And I and West Side Story. An interview with Deborah Kerr led to her story being uncovered.

And what songs can audiences expect to hear?

“Well I can tell you some of the big ones – I

Since Ali Died Rapper, poet, and award-winning author Omar Musa hits the stage in Sydney this month with his play Since Ali Died. The show places songs from his hip-hop album of the same name into what he calls a “one man play.”

“I just wanted to bring the album to life in a different way and I thought that would be a really creative way of doing it, and something that I don’t think I’ve seen before in Australia” explains Musa.

Inspired by the passing of his personal hero, boxer Muhammad Ali, Musa tells a personal and political story of his experience growing up as a brown-skinned muslim man in Queanbeyan.

“I loved growing up in a small town, especially next to the river with lots of space to play and growing up in a very multicultural area,” he says.

“But it also involved facing a sense of dislocation and racism and experiencing stuff like that it could be pretty confronting.”

To bring the story to stage Musa worked with director Anthea Williams. He had not met Williams prior to working with her on Since Ali Died but says the creative process working with her has been a great experience. The show was put together by Williams and Musa over the course of an intensive two week period.

“It was one of the most intense experiences I’ve ever had creatively,” says Musa.

Musa says he hopes the audiences learns something from the show and that it does its

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

Could’ve Danced All Night,Whistle A Happy Tune, I Feel Pretty….and that’s all I can say I’m afraid! A big part of the fun of the show is the shock the audience feels when I start a new song and I wouldn’t want to spoil it!”

Jackson said there’s something in this show for everybody, especially musical lovers. “The most wonderful thing about Marni is that she dubbed for such huge stars in such blockbuster hits that almost everyone knows the songs. Also, there is a lot of juicy gossip in the show and it exposes the truth behind some of the world’s most loved movie musicals.” (MMo) Jan 23-24. Seymour Centre, City Rd & Cleveland St, Chippendale. $35-$40+b.f.

Tickets & Info: www.seymourcentre.com

Photo: Robert Catto

In The Heights

little bit to give young people of colour a creative role model.

“Sometimes people say we can change the world with our art but I’m not sure that’s entirely true. Maybe we can help to give it a soundtrack or help people to get through their day. Sometimes that seems really small but it’s a really powerful thing as well.” (AH) Until Jan 19. SBW Stables Theatre, 10 Nimrod St, Darlinghurst. $20-$35+b.f.Tickets & Info: www.griffintheatre.com.au Jan 22-25. Riverside Theatre, Corner Market &, Church St, Parramatta. $30-$35+b.f.

Tickets & Info: www.riversideparramatta.com.au

Contributors: Emily Shen, Irina Dunn, Jade Morellini, Mark Morellini, Mel Somerville, Olga Azar, Rita Bratovich, Sarah Pritchard, Shon Ho, Riley Hooper, Erika Echternach, Joseph Rana, John Moyle, Madison Behringer, Allison Hore, Renee Dallow.

1 PLAY $28 | 3 PLAYS $72 | 5 PLAYS $120

sportforjove.com.au city hub 17 JANUARY 2019

17

Bard On The Beach - Summer Season 2019

Richard Cox in The Comedy Of Errors

With the summer weather being so pleasant why would you want to spend your evening indoors watching theatre productions when you could instead be enjoying two brilliant plays under the stars with picnic by the beach.

Bard On The Beach’s summer season will bring both The Life And Death Of King John as well as The Comedy Of Errors to life at Balmoral beach from tomorrow evening.

These classical theatre productions will be presented “the way

it was meant to be: raw, traditional, honest and entertaining.”

Bring a blanket, and low chairs if you like, find yourself a spot on the grass and bring a picnic for dinner. There are lots of amazing local eateries for takeaway, just put your blanket down to reserve your spot first. (JA) Jan 18-Feb 3. Balmoral Beach Rotunda, 63 The Esplanade, Mosman. Payment By Donation ($20 recommended).

Info: www.bardonthebeach.net

THE NAKED CITY

CONSCIENCE TESTING AT MUSIC FESTS?

With Coffin Ed If somebody drowns at a surf life saving carnival, as has sadly happened in the past, or a young student dies during a football match, there is normally a massive response – from the organisations involved, from the media and from the public at large.The emphasis is very much on preventing a similar situation happening in the future.

These days a drug induced death at a musical festival is almost the norm and whilst it serves to focus on the call for pill testing and other harm prevention measures, the overall reaction is bordering on the callous.There’s not only a complete lack of action on the part of governments to oversee even a trial of pill testing but punters continue to take the risk and buy their black market drugs in what has become a virtual lottery of death.The fact that ‘only’ 13 or 14 young Australians have died at music festivals as a result of illicit drugs seems almost an acceptable statistic - if you are prepared to take the odds of it ever happening to you.

Drugs are purchased from neighbourhood dealers, friends and acquaintances – right at the end of the chain of supply. In many ways this is often very sociable with your dealer a good buddy and confidant. But what about the actual origin of the pills and the people that cook them up? History quickly tells us that they are not the nicest folk around – outlaw motorcycle gangs, international drug cartels and other ruthless and often murderous criminals.

In 2014 former police detectives Roger Rogerson and Graham McNamara, currently spending the rest of their lives in Long Bay gaol, executed 20 year old Jamie Gao in a Padstow storage locker in a drug deal that went very wrong – for all involved. The horrific crime shocked Sydney but in numerous Latin America countries, this type of crime is now commonplace.

It’s no secret that the insatiable worldwide demand for cocaine, amphetamines and other illegal drugs has reaped havoc throughout these countries with

Tony Mott - What A Life!

Paddy’s Pop-Up -Kids Weeks

“In the early days of just film you’d shoot three rolls of film and only get 10-20 frames that were usable” Mott explained, “with digital though it was amazing, you got 90 percent.”

With that though there was a slight downside, “it made the art form less skilful and meant essentially everyone is a photographer with their iPhones now.”

In regards to the upcoming Tony Mott is a legendary In regards to the world of What A Life exhibition Mott said figure in the music photography photography, the rise of digital the curation process afforded world thanks to his iconic photography had the most him an opportunity to look back snaps which have captured dramatic impact on Mott’s career, on an extensive career. everyone including The Rolling on two different fronts.

“When I was on tour with Stones, Midnight Oil, Chrissy Initially, Mott pushed back The Rolling Stones I would Amphlett, The Divinyls, U2, against making the switch to think to myself, ‘I wonder how Rihanna and Taylor Swift. digital, something which he much I would pay them for this City Hub spoke with Mott looks back on as case of “old privilege’ but instead they were last week about the dog new tricks” and slight paying me.” (JA) drastically different world for stubbornness. When he finally Until Feb 24. Casula photographers now and some did make the switch though Powerhouse, 1 Powerhouse of his favourite pictures from Mott was astounded by the Road, Casula. FREE. Info: the exhibition. efficiency digital afforded him. www.casulapowerhouse.com

If you’re a parent in Sydney you’re no doubt looking for new activities to entertain the kids as the school holidays near their end.

Paddy’s Markets have some very exciting events planned over the next two weekends which will perfectly satisfy that need.

Whether your child likes playing video games or doing arts and crafts the Paddy’s Pop-Up events have them covered.

For the video game players Games2U is bringing their actionpacked gaming bus to Haymarket decked out with consoles and games including Fortnite, Minecraft, FIFA 17, Rocket League, Just Dance, Super

Midnight Oil. Photo: Tony Mott

18

countless murders at the hands of cartels and associated criminal groups.The death toll in Mexico alone stands at well over 125,000 with tens of thousands still officially missing. Refugees from El Salvador, Nicaragua and Honduras flood the US/ Mexico border as Trump bellows for his multi billion dollar wall to be built.America can’t stop illicit drugs from entering the country but they will do their best to keep out the hapless whose lives have been irrevocably disrupted by the filthy trade.

Bring on the pill testing trials at music festivals but

how about a bit of ‘conscience testing’ as well. We live in a world where the ethical supply of goods and services is very much a priority, whether it’s the regulation of sweat shops knocking out cheap clothing in Bangladesh or the sourcing of coffee and chocolate to avoid the exploitation of producers. In the hedonistic world of music festivals it seems few currently care where their MDMA and other supplements originate – let alone their chemical makeup.

Let’s set up a conscience tent, adorned with the grizzliest photos of bodies dumped on the outskirts of Juarez in Mexico (over 700 murders in 2017), of decapitated corpses and teenage children shot through the head because they refused to cooperate with the cartels.Add to this a video display of the squalor of the refugee camps on the US/Mexico border and the tragic faces of hundreds of thousands of displaced men, women and children throughout Latin America.And closer to home maybe some footage of the tarpaulin wrapped body of Jamie Gao being fished out of Botany Bay. All a bit sanctimonious? I don’t think so.This is the real tragedy of the global drug trade – happening right at the source. By the time the drugs reach the streets and music festivals of Australia, all this is conveniently overlooked. If pill testing does become the norm perhaps it could be combined within the conscience tent, bedecked with a horrendous display of mangled human corpses, there to remind us that all in this world is not doof doof and chemical bliss.

city hub 17 JANUARY 2019

Smash Bros, Halo, Call Of Duty and much more. Mike’s Retro Video Gaming will also be returning to Paddy’s PopUps with his amazing range of old-school gaming consoles, video games and equipment.

Bizzy Kidz Crafts have the more artistic minds covered

with their special sand and spin art classes.

To keep the parents happy and busy while the kids enjoy these events a number of kid focused brands will also be displaying at Paddy’s Markets across the two weekends.

Check out all of the details at: www.paddysmarkets.com.au

By Jamie Apps Six friends with six dramatically different musical backgrounds, and influences, have come together over the course of the last few years to create music which is like no other.

Thunder Fox’s unique style has already seen the group performing alongside a number of major acts, at major festivals and also touring throughout Europe.

When asked about their major influences trumpeter Jessie Tachibana explained that with six members the influences vary wildly.

“There’s a Red Hot Chilli Peppers vibe mixed with Jeff Buckley, a bit of Led Zeppelin and a lot of rock ’n’ roll such as Black Sabbath, Deep Purple and Guns N Roses… From song to song our sound varies stylistically quite a bit but the flavours of everybody’s influences are very recognisable in each song.”

In order to bring all of these various elements together the group has developed a creative method which allows each member to impart their own flair onto every song.

“Most of the time our lead singer

Thunder Fox

Sam will come in with the skeleton of a song and then each of us will put the meat onto it bit by bit.”

This has led to Thunder Fox creating music which you “won’t

necessarily hear on the radio all of the time” but it has seen the group already kicking some major goals and also set some lofty goals for 2019. In particular they are

excited to be heading out on the road this month to perform regularly and hopefully build towards an EP later this year.

Thunder Fox arrive in Sydney next week for a hometown show as part of their national tour celebrating new single Squeedup.

“Our last ticketed show in Sydney was at The Landsdowne, which we managed to sell out. So we want to aim high for the Oxford show.

Hopefully this show will be something that people will come to, then go home remembering fondly as well as wanting to come to more shows in the future.”

The major goal for 2019 though is to continue their growth as professional musicians.

“We want to keep writing music that we all love, play in places that we’ve never been before, and definitely to get to a level where we can support ourselves finally by playing music would be amazing.”

Jan 24. Oxford Art Factory, 38-46 Oxford St, Darlinghurst. $18.25+b.f.Tickets & Info: www.oxfordartfactory.com

Johnny [From The Burbs] Propaganda Johnny [From the Burbs] gets political in his latest EP Propaganda.

Drawing on its name, the EP addresses topics such as prejudiced opinions influenced by the government and using the news as a political weapon.

Although the songs may be a bit dark at times, the overall message is not negative. Rather, the songs serve as hopeful advocates for causes such as refugee rights.

This EP is collection of politically charged songs such as Narc, a screed against the unjust societal hierarchy, and Steppin, which mocks the vanity of humanity.

More than just a political vendetta, Propaganda showcases the musical intuition and talent of Johnny [From the Burbs]. If you’re looking for quality hip-hop that packs more of a political punch, then Propaganda is the perfect fit for you.

(EE)

known for his incredible mind is implementing his masterplan in the background.

Despite its flaws, McAvoy is outstanding once again in his portrayal of the Dissociative Identity Disorder suffering Crumb.

This is largely in part due to the audience already being aware of “the Horde” of personalities residing within his mind, which allows McAvoy to rapidly slide between Director M. Night Shyamalan Eliza Price/Mr Glass (Samuel personas. closes out his trilogy, that L. Jackson), and Kevin Ultimately the film succumbs few even realised existed Wendell Crumb (James under the pressure of until the closing scene of McAvoy), together to close the previous two outings the 2016 hit film Split, with out the story. as Shyamalan falls into the unlikely psychological Set primarily in a sterile old habits of focussing to horror and comic genre psychiatric institution acutely on the ‘twist’ rather mashup Glass. all three characters are than on a concise clear Following on from cult brought together by Dr. narrative. This leads to the hit Unbreakable and the Ellie Staple (Sarah Paulson), film asking more questions aforementioned Split the an expert in superhero than it answers, which will final instalment in the delusions, in order to leave many audiences either franchise attempts to bring study and potentially confused or disappointed in the three main characters; heal their minds. In the the ending. (JA) David Dunn (Bruce Willis), meantime, Mr Glass who is WW 1/2

Glass

Loro

If this was a fictitious story about a middle-aged Italian politician with his heart in the right place but his other organ constantly in the wrong place, then it might be seen as an empathetic, intuitive character study.

But this biopic by Paolo Sorrentino is about Silvio Berlusconi - one of the most indefensibly corrupt, lascivious, egomaniacal Italian politicians since Caligula.

Lora 1 (it’s a two-parter with part two due around May) depicts the life of Berlusconi from 2006 to 2010. Using the side-story of Sergio Morra (Riccardo Scarmarcio), an entrepreneurial pimp who wants to befriend the president, the film spends a lot of gratuitous time on wild parties attended by nubile women. When it focuses on Berlusconi, played convincingly

by Toni Servillo, it depicts a

Photo: Gianni Fiorito

WWWW

benevolent, wise, romantic soul who has a few flaws.

The way the film handles the Aquila earthquake is galling given Berlusconi’s true, egregious response.

The sets and scenery are

stunning and the performances can’t be faulted. There are some genuine laughs, but the film is too long and too Berlusconifriendly by at least two stars.

(RB) WW1/2

Storm Boy The second film to be made based on Colin Thiele’s 1964 children’s novel Storm Boy is rearing up to warm all hearts.

Directed by Shawn Seet, the film stars Geoffrey Rush, Jai Courtney, Finn Little, Trever Jamieson, Morgana Davies and Erik Thomson.

Living in the coastal wilderness of Australia with his reclusive father, Mike

encounters an Aboriginal native forming a friendship and bond while caring for orphaned pelicans, after the mother pelican is shot. Storm Boy, aka Mike, rescues three orphan chicks nursing them to health and setting them free. A time passes and what was Mike’s favourite returns to him becoming his best friend.

This latest adaptation of Storm Boy features beautiful cinematography throughout, showing off Australia’s curvy coastal landscapes. As for the adaption of the story, the film was more depressing than uplifting with young Mike, played by Finn Little coming out on top with a fresh performance. (RH) WWW city hub 17 JANUARY 2019

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