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S E P T E M B E R 17 , 2 0 2 0
PANDEMIC PETS New proposal looks to outlaw strata based pet bans
BY RIDA BABAR ith pets being an unspoken part of the Australian identity, it is no surprise that a bill has been forward by the Animal Justice Party (AJP), which stated that bylaws in strata schemes which prohibit animals should be removed. While there are not a number of details released about the bill at this stage, affected groups including the Strata Community Association, politicians, and animal adoption agencies have been outspoken on their stances. The Cat Protection Society (CPS) is an organisation within NSW with the primary aim of taking stray cats off the streets and rehoming them.
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Kristina Vesk, the CEO of CPS, revealed her thoughts on the bill. “Pet friendly accommodation is something that we have been campaigning on for years.” The CPS is in support of the proposed bill, as the passing of it would likely mean a larger number of animals including cats could be rehomed as more owners would be inclined to adopt a furry friend. “People love pets. Pets are a part of the family, and these bans are a form of discrimination that says ‘if you live in an apartment you’re not allowed to have a part of your family’. You can create good rules surrounding communal living, so that the impact on other people isn’t negative.
“During lockdowns, so many people are discovering how important pets are and that’s why so many places are adopting and fostering more pets than ever because the sense of companionship and mental health benefits is enormous.” Speaking on the impact of the pandemic on cat adoptions, Ms Vesk said, “I’m worried when the economic hardship really hits home, that shelters are going to see a lot of pet relinquishment because people may still have the money to look after their pet but they may not be able to find a place to live with their pet.” She also compared the current crisis to her experience in CPS during the Global Financial Crisis
and the number of people who were forced to give up their pets during that period. “The feedback we’re getting from other shelters is that adoptions have increased. For us, because of the size of our shelter and the COVID-safe procedures put in place, it’s not possible to increase our adoption rate. We’re doing adoptions by appointment only, deep cleaning after each appointment, and having one family in at a time. In turn, this has meant that there are only so many cats we can rehome in any given week, but we know there’s a lot of demand because we have got a lot of people on a waiting list.” Continued on page 2
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PANDEMIC PETS
(Continued from the cover)
Emma Hurst, a representative member of the AJP, who owns a cat herself, said that the recent ‘Colin and Boo’ and ‘Jo Cooper’ cases, both surrounding pet owners who battled for the rights to live in their home with their pets, showed that this is a “situation no one should have to face.” These cases and the media attention around them finally brought the issue to parliament. “It’s something that’s been happening in the background for a long time. “This is really only looking at strata management schemes. It’s not really about people renting properties, it’s about people who own properties within a strata complex and have retrospective bylaws in place which prohibit animals.
Catniss. Photo: Supplied by The Cat Protection Society of NSW
“The amendment we put up was that animals cannot be unreasonably prohibited, but there is some flexibility for strata complexes.”
example of an exception from the bill’s proposition, according to Ms Hurst.
The size of an animal in comparison to the size of the living space would be an
The Strata Community Association (SCA) is not in support of the bill at this stage.
Speaking with Chris Duggan, President of SCA, he said “it [the bill] takes the choice away from the owners.” “Within reason, individual buildings need the power to exercise their democratic rights and set their own rules. “This has only been compounded recently with all the reviewed appeal decisions which have allowed and disallowed pets in strata, and this further amendment which has been proposed is rather unhelpful because it bypasses all the other rules of law that apply to strata. Our concern would be if this gets up, then it’s a trojan horse for other amendments to be put into legislation which could bypass the democratic process.” While Strata is not in support of the bill at this stage with the limited information released, the Labor Party, Christian
Democratic Party, Shooters, Fishers & Farmers Party, and the Greens Party are all in support of the bill. Jenny Leong, MP of Newtown and member of the Greens Party, when asked about the party’s support of the proposed bill, revealed her thoughts. “Pets are part of people’s families, and with more and more people living in apartments, it is crucial that our laws adapt to the changing needs of people – and that means ensuring people who live in apartments are able to have pets. “While there are some circumstances where having a certain type of pet in a certain type of accommodation may not be appropriate, we need to make sure that blanket bans on pets are not permissible.” “With the NSW Parliament moving to accept e-petitions, I am very pleased to be the sponsor of the first online petition under this new system – it is clear from the thousands of people who have already signed it that this is an important issue for many people living in our city. “We need to ensure people who rent as well as people who live in apartments are able to make a place their home – and for so many that means being able to have a pet.” The bill will be considered in Lower House by mid-September.
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
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CITY HUB 17 SEPTEMBER 2020
HubNEWS
Revitalising Sydney’s night time economy (See p.5)
No more parking on Moore Park
C HubARTS: The Kweens Of Comedy A platform for talented performers who have been out of work due to COVID-19 (See p. 6 )
Published weekly and freely available throughout the Inner City. Copies are also distributed to serviced apartments, hotels, convenience stores and newsagents throughout the city. Copies are also distributed to serviced apartments, hotels, convenience stores and newsagents throughout the city.
ouncillors and MPS from across the political spectrum have signed an open letter calling for a commitment to ending on-grass parking at Moore Park. The letter from community group Saving Moore Park calls on Premier Gladys Berejiklian and the Minister for Planning and Public Spaces, Rob Stokes, to agree to permanently end on-grass car parking on the Northern end of Moore Park. Signing their support on the letter were eight councillors and state members from across the political spectrum. Signatories included Liberal councillor for the City of Sydney, Christine Forster, independent MP Alex Greenwich, Greens member for Newtown Jenny Leong, and Labor member for Coogee, Marjorie O’Neill. Michael Waterhouse, president of Saving Moore Park, said that the wide-ranging support for the campaign shows how important the issue is to the community.
The grass at Moore Park is often damaged by the on-grass parking used for events. Photo: Saving Moore Park
“Such wide-ranging support for a local community grass roots campaign is unusual and reflects the depth of feeling about these issues in the local community,” said Mr. Waterhouse. “The Government listens to the sporting codes and SCG Trust. They also need to listen to the community.” When there are large concerts or sporting events at the nearby Allianz
Coalition marsupial madness
After the meeting it was announced that Mr. Barilaro agreed he and his ministers would stay in the coalition. But had Mr. Barilaro not backed down during Friday’s meeting, Ms. Berejiklian said she would have created an allLiberal cabinet.
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.
“It is not possible to be the Deputy Premier or a Minister of the Crown and sit on the crossbench,” she said in a statement on Thursday evening.
ABN 52 600 903 348 Group Editor & Publisher: Lawrence Gibbons
“They cannot do both. If required, I will attend Government House tomorrow and swear in a new ministry.”
Publisher Assistant: Mal Moody News Editor: Allison Hore Contributors: Allison Hore, Merril Witt
considered to be koala habitat to be more inclusive and the number of protected tree species was also increased from just 10 to 65.
With koala habitat disappearing at an increasing rate, the beloved-marsupial is expected to go functionally extinct in the state by 2050. In NSW, the destruction of koala habitat increased from a loss of about 11,100 hectares per year in the period from 2004 to 2012, to around 14,600ha annually between 2012 and 2017. This was a 32 percent increase.
These changes to planning policies make it easier to declare areas as koala habitats and harder for this land to be cleared for development. Mr. Barilaro thinks the laws are too strict and, on Thursday, threatened to block any new legislation until the laws protecting koala habitat were relaxed.
The 2019 to 2020 bushfire season also had a devastating impact on the koala population across the state. According to estimates from Australian biotechnology firm Biolink, almost 6400 koalas were killed up to mid-February during fires in NSW.
On Friday morning Mr. Barilaro held a crisis meeting with his ministers and shortly afterwards met with NSW Premier and Liberals leader Gladys Berejiklian.
The legislation on koala habitats which almost tore apart the coalition will be discussed in a scheduled Cabinet meeting next month.
Cartoonist: Sam Mcnair Arts Editor: Jamie Apps Contributors: Irina Dunn, Madison Behringer, Mark Morellini, Renee Lou Dallow, Rida Babar Cover Photo: Supplied by The Cat Protection Society of NSW. Alvin 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
Stadium, temporary event day parking on-grass at the northern end of the park is sometimes facilitated to take parking pressure off the surrounding streets. But due to the amenity of the space during the ongoing pandemic, it was announced in March that there would be no temporary parking near the Kippax Lake area of Moore Park. Saving Moore Park would like to see parking on the park end for good.
Nationals leader John Barilaro threatened to pull his party out of the coalition. Photo: Pixabay/Skeeze, Wikimedia
BY ALLISON HORE t was a tumultuous week for the coalition government last week, with the Nationals party threatening to go rogue over opposition to koala habitat legislation.
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On Thursday deputy premier and NSW Nationals leader John Barilaro threatened to pull his party out of the coalition if State Environmental Planning Policy (SEPP)s protecting the home of one of Australia’s most iconic animals were not relaxed. In March this year changes were made to the SEPP designed to protect koala habitats. This included redefining what is
CITY HUB 17 SEPTEMBER 2020
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HubNEWS
Opinion
Koalas locked-in so developers can roam BY MERRIL WITT he year-long Upper House Inquiry into Koala populations and habitat in NSW released a report in July that contained an alarming revelation. Predictions that the Koala is on track to become functionally extinct in NSW by 2050 are, in fact, far too optimistic because “the scale of loss as a result of the fires to many significant local populations” hadn’t been factored into the modelling. In response to this dire warning, the NSW Energy and Environment Minister, Matt Kean, announced a goal to double NSW’s koala population in the wild by 2050. It’s a worthwhile aspirational target, but recent developments suggest that it doesn’t take into account the dominance of competing Government objectives, like increasing housing supply and employment, which will likely make even stabilising the existing koala population a huge challenge. Consider for a moment what’s happening in Sydney. Government plans are currently being finalised for the biodiversity certification of a new urban growth corridor that stretches from Camden through Menangle and Campbelltown to Appin and Wilton. Over the next 20 years, 58,000 new dwellings will be added to an area that is “home to the largest koala population in the Sydney Basin with 600-1000 koalas,” according to the Government’s just-released draft Cumberland Plain Conservation Plan (Plan).
Consequently, only one of the six east-west corridors recommended for protection - the east-west Ousedale Creek to Appin North corridor - will be maintained.
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A FRAGILE CUMBERLAND PLAIN
The Plan also explains that in addition to supporting the state’s largest chlamydiafree koala population, the Cumberland Plain is home to “species and ecological communities that are unique to the subregion.” But this wondrous ecosystem is in bad shape. The Australian Department of Environment’s website states that of the original 107,000 hectares of Cumberland Plain Woodland, a critically endangered ecological community that is found only in the Sydney Basin, only 6,400 hectares or 6% remains. In fact, the federal government is so concerned about the extent of environmental degradation on the Cumberland Plain that when it certified a Biodiversity Offset Program for two other massive greenfield developments - the North West and South West Sydney Growth Centres - in 2012, it designated the Cumberland Plain as a “first priority” biodiversity offset area. Once the Plan receives biodiversity certification development can proceed 4
CITY HUB 17 SEPTEMBER 2020
CONTROVERSIAL DEVELOPMENTS APPROVED
A koala in Campbelltown in Sydney’s South West. Photo: Pat Durman
without the usual requirement for site-by-site assessment of biodiversity impacts. But the failure of biodiversity offset agreements, in general, to live up to their promised environmental outcomes was recently highlighted by Professor Graeme Samuel AC’s Interim Report on the 10-year statutory Review of the Environmental Protection Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC Act). It depressingly concluded that “offsets do not offset the impact of development, and overall there is a net loss of habitat.”
MISSING EAST-WEST KOALA CORRIDORS The lack of real action to date on protecting the South West Sydney koalas meant that a recent ministerial announcement of measures to conserve and enhance koala habitat was initially welcomed by environment groups and the local community. The devil, as they say, is in the details. On the plus side, the Plan includes a commitment for the creation over time of a 1,885 hectare Georges River Koala Reserve, which will protect prime habitat and secure the koalas’ important northsouth koala movement corridor between Kentlyn and Appin. Funding of $84 million will be set aside to install 120 kilometres of koala fencing and to plant 100,000 new feed trees.
But the Draft Cumberland Plain Assessment Report, prepared for the Government by private consultancy Biosis, reveals that 26% of mapped koala habitat will be impacted by the development proposed in the Plan and 260 hectares of important koala habitat will need to be offset through the biodiversity offset program.
Koalas are the most iconic example of our mismanagement of the environment Unfortunately, the Plan also downplays the Chief Scientist Koala Report’s advice about the importance of “maintaining connectivity of habitat” to “help avoid the creation of dead ends where koalas face threats without routes of escape.” While it mentions that “east-west connectivity between the Georges and Nepean rivers is important for the resilience of the Southern Sydney koala population,” the Plan chooses to rely on “scientific advice from the department and the research community,” which claims that the “existing six east-west corridors in the Greater Macarthur Growth Area are too fragmented” and “not wide enough to support the Chief Scientist Koala Report recommendation for a width of 390–420 metres for a safe koala corridor.”
Most worrying for the koalas is the lack of inclusion of an east-west movement corridor on or near the historic Mount Gilead property just south of Campbelltown. Property developer Lendlease has already received federal government biodiversity certification for Stage 1 of a new housing development that will be built over the koalas’ fastest and easiest route between the Georges and Nepean rivers. The Chief Scientist Koala Report explains how “the importance of the Mount Gilead site to the east-west movement of koalas is amplified by its location at the north end of the Nepean corridor.” It notes that “koalas currently can move through the landscape in an easterly direction towards the Georges River,” but “once housing development occurs along the western flank of site,” which will happen if the current plans for Stage 2 are approved, “the route for koalas to move east or west will be through a narrow strip of habitat at the confluence of the Nepean River and Menangle Creek.” Fortunately, biodiversity certification for Stage 2 of the Mount Gilead development is still pending. And last Friday, the Environment Minister put Lendlease on notice during his announcement of a state heritage listing for Mount Gilead’s colonial buildings and 150 hectares of curtilage. Reversing the decision to reclassify rural properties just south of Gilead as “urban capable” in the Plan would also help to free up more land at this vital location for a koala movement corridor of the recommended width. The Environment Minister volunteered a candid description of past government mistakes to protect the Koala when he announced his commitment to double their numbers in NSW by 2050: “Koalas are the most iconic example of our mismanagement of the environment and we’ve got to say ‘enough is enough,’” he told the press. Abandoning the new urban growth corridor altogether would offer both the koalas and the precious remaining ecosystem of the Cumberland Plain an even better chance of long-term survival!
HubNEWS
New life for Sydney’s night-life BY ALLISON HORE he NSW Government has unveiled a new plan to turn Sydney into a 24-hour economy. The strategy which was developed in cooperation with key industry bodies and local councils lays down key initiatives with the aim of creating a “vibrant, diverse, inclusive and safe 24-hour economy in Sydney”. Minister for Jobs, Investment, Tourism and Western Sydney Stuart Ayres said “Sydneysiders deserve a global city” and that the strategy will help grow jobs and investment in the city’s hospitality, tourism, retail and arts sectors. “COVID-19 has hit the tourism, hospitality and the arts sectors hard. This Strategy sets out a pathway to activate home-grown events that create safe opportunities for people to enjoy across Greater Sydney,” he said. The focus of the new strategy is not just on injecting money into traditional nighttime sectors, but also extending Sydney’s daytime economy into the night. This diversification of night-time activities is one of the key strategies of the plan, and it’s not just businesses wanting to see this change. In a survey of 1,500
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The NSW Government has unveiled a new plan to unlock Sydney’s night time potential. Photo: Allison Hore
Sydneysiders, 78 percent of respondents said that they would like more night time activities that didn’t center around alcohol and 83 per cent said they would prefer more intimate settings for night time socialisation.
We need [...] ensure
the jewel in our crown continues to shine both day and night
Reviewing noise regulations for live music venues, simplifying requirements for pop ups and cultural events and making them
more affordable, relaxing of restrictions on food trucks and extending opening hours of cultural venues are just some of the pathways to diversifying nightlife the strategy lays out. Extending the hours of public transport as well as increasing safety for night-time commuters has also been earmarked as one of the practical initiatives of the strategy.
COVID-19 ECONOMIC RECOVERY
Sydney’s night time economy took a serious blow with the Liberal government’s introduction of the controversial lockout laws in 2014. In
January of this year the lockout laws were repealed, but it wasn’t long before entertainment venues were dealt another blow in the form of the COVID-19 pandemic. NSW’s Treasurer Dominic Perrottet says the plan will not only help reinvigorate Sydney’s nightlife but will also stimulate jobs and economic growth in the CBD in the wake of COVID-19. “There is no denying Sydney is one of the best cities in the world, but we need to continue to do everything we can to ensure the jewel in our crown continues to shine both day and night,” Mr. Perrottet said. Katherine O’Regan, Executive Director of the Sydney Business Chamber, has welcomed the strategy, saying that it is a “a clear pathway to creating a 24 hour economy” in the city. The plan will be phased in over several years and the government will appoint a 24-hour Economy “Coordinator General” to oversee its implementation. The Coordinator General will act as a liaison between key stakeholders, including business owners, and the government.
COFFIN ED’S NAKED CITY
THE MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR – SYDNEY 2000
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t’s the 20th anniversary of the Sydney Olympics and we have all been encouraged to reflect on this historic event with pride and admiration – not only for the sporting achievements but for the way our city welcomed thousands of visitors from overseas. There are lots of feel good stories like the success of athlete Cathy Freeman, but one question remains unanswered – just what happened to Sydney’s homeless during September 2000? During that period I lived on Bridge Street in the CBD and was more than familiar with the homeless people who frequented the area and bedded down in parks and the doorways of large office buildings. There was an alley behind my building where one particular homeless guy had been living for over two years, complete with a mattress and crude cardboard shelter. Just prior to the start of the Olympics I looked out my rear window and he was gone, along with his makeshift shelter. I had no idea as to where he had disappeared but a few weeks later when the Olympics had finished, he
By Sam Mcnair #thatsneakyrabbit
miraculously returned. I took him some sandwiches and welcomed him back and asked him where he had been? He wasn’t talkative at the best of times but completely clammed up at the question and turned his head away, as if sworn to some vow of silence. It’s pretty clear that a large number of homeless people were corralled onto buses and given an enforced holiday
well out of Sydney, with Newcastle and Wollongong even suggested as relocation sites. It’s also hard to find any anecdotal evidence and the exodus seems to have been largely ignored by the mainstream media. Whatever happened was certainly executed in a clandestine fashion and one can only speculate on a bus load of homeless men and women secretly slipping out of Sydney just after midnight
bound for some godforsaken motel, 100km out of town. Three weeks in a warm bed with all meals, in a country motel may not have been such a bad thing if you had previously been sleeping rough. However, when the Olympic rings were packed away and the tourists all gone, the Greyhound was waiting to take you back to Sydney and dump you again on the less than welcoming streets. In the Olympic aftermath, which soon morphed into a kind of economic and cultural hangover, the plight of the homeless was relegated to one of the lowest priorities. Sadly, many of those homeless people who were ‘transported’ in 2000 are no longer with us. Many were in their late 50s and 60s at the time and not in the best of health. The true story of what actually happened may never be told, unless some of the politicians and bureaucrats involved come forward and spill the beans. Of course - amidst the current 20th anniversary of Olympic nostalgia, albeit in the middle of a pandemic, nobody wants to party poop by asking “what happened to the homeless?” CITY HUB 17 SEPTEMBER 2020
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HubARTS
THE TRANSLATORS: A French ‘whodunnit’ but not in the traditional sense (See p.7)
A BUMPER FINAL WEEK AT GLOBAL FRINGE
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he word on the street is that Sydney’s leading proponents of culturally, financially and physically accessible
The Princess And The Showgirl by Thick & Tight (UK)
theatre – Black Birds – are the word on the street. They’re midway through a mini season of live, in-person and COVID-safe performances at the Old 505 Theatre in Newtown. Rounding out this year’s inaugural Global Fringe live shows will be Queers On The Fringe curated and hosted by Queerstories Maeve Marsden. If you can’t make it to the theatre in person, there’s a bumper week of live streamed performances, with several special live shows from Sydney Fringe’s Scandinavian partners, Stockholm Fringe, running until the wee hours of Sunday morning, as well as next Wednesday’s final Live Gala Stream The Queer & The Camp which is a free to stream triple bill of brilliant theatre on the Sydney Fringe website. It will not only feature a live feed of the Queers On The Fringe performance from Old 505 Theatre, but also includesthe UK’s TOOT with Ten Out Of Ten and The Princess And The Showgirl by UK dance duo Thick & Tight. To book your tickets, register for the live streams or watch a host of shows on demand head to sydneyfringe.com/whats-on
PROPOSAL TO UPGRADE MOBILE PHONE BASE STATION LOCATED AT ROSEBERY
Telstra plans to upgrade an existing rooftop telecommunications facility located at 7 Rosebery Avenue, Rosebery NSW 2018 (Lot 301 DP1232046), www.rfnsa.com/2018011
1. Telstra are currently upgrading existing mobile network facilities to allow for the introduction of 5G to Telstra’s network. As part of this network upgrade, Telstra proposes the installation of WCDMA850, LTE700, LTE1800, LTE2100, LTE2600 and NR3500 technologies at Rosebery/Zetland locality and surrounds. Proposed works at the above site will involve the installation of new mounts to support two (2) RVVPX310.11B-T2 and one (1) AIR6488 new panel antennas (each no more than 2.8m long), the reconfiguration of existing panel antennas and the installation of two (2) remote radio units and associated ancillary equipment. All internal equipment will be housed within the existing equipment shelter located at the rooftop. 2. Telstra regards the proposed installation as a Low-impact Facility under the Telecommunications (Low-impact Facilities) Determination 2018 (“The Determination”) based on the above description. 3. In accordance with Section 7 of C564:2018 Mobile Phone Base Station Deployment Code, we invite you to provide feedback about the proposal. Further information and/or written submissions should be directed to Didier Ah-Sue, Aurecon Australasia via email to: Didier.ahsue@aurecongroup.com or via post to: Didier Ah-Sue, Aurecon Australasia Level 5, 863 Hay Street, PERTH WA 6000 by 5pm on 1 October 2020. 6
CITY HUB 17 SEPTEMBER 2020
ACTORS CENTRE AUSTRALIA OPENS APPLICATIONS FOR 2021 ENROLMENTS
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ctors Centre Australia (ACA) have opened applications for their flagship Bachelor of Performing Arts (Stage and Screen) 2021 intake. Applicants have until Friday, Oct 30 to submit for the prestigious three-year Degree Program, accredited by Torrens University Australia and delivered in partnership with ACA. Students of ACA’s Degree Program will follow in the footsteps of alumnus Hugh Jackman by immersing themselves in a high-powered and practical acting program. ACA’s array of world-class practitioners will inspire and embolden performers with industry-leading training, setting them up so that they can enter the performing arts workplace and professionally collaborate and contribute at the highest industry-standard. ACA’s commitment to excellence is backed by their highly supportive philosophy, allowing students to benefit from personalised training while maintaining a balanced and healthy lifestyle. Their Degree Course
incorporates a unique and flexible threeday timetable and is geared towards nurturing the personal artistic journey of each performer. ACA’s Head of Acting Adam Cook said, “ACA has a long and distinguished track record – over three decades now - in the training of talented artists who have gone on to make an indelible mark on our industry” Applicants can find out more and apply today through the ACA Website (www. actorscentreaustralia.com.au/degreeprogram), with auditions kicking-off digitally and in-person this November.
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HubARTS
VAN GOGH ALIVE
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an Gogh Alive is a multi-sensory experience that has marvelled millions of people around the world. The exhibition is an immersive window into the world of Van Gogh’s paintings, and will be running for a limited COVID-safe season in Sydney. The Royal Hall Of Industries at Sydney’s Entertainment Quarter in Moore Park will soon be host to Van Gogh Alive, with past visitors deeming it a ‘stimulating’ and ‘unforgettable’ experience. While Van Gogh’s paintings have been known and displayed around the globe for centuries, this exhibition shows the artist’s timeless works like never before. The Sensory4 technology which has made
Van Gogh Alive possible was developed by Grande Exhibitions, combining high quality sound and imaging to form an exciting and unique multi-screen environment. Each surface is made of over 3000 images, with imagery and animations projected to allow visitors the chance to see details of Van Gogh’s work like never before. The venue will have limited capacity due to COVID-19 restrictions and it will be a non-touch environment, with mandatory temperature checks and hand sanitiser available throughout. (RBa) Sep 18-Nov 22. Royal Hall Of Industries, 1 Driver Ave, Moore Park. $15-$85+b.f. Tickets & Info: www.vangoghalive.com.au
AMY MONTGOMERY
BY RIDA BABAR my Montgomery, an upcoming Irish artist has spent the past few months of the pandemic putting the final touches on her latest EP, with the first track, Intangible streaming now. Having been compared to the likes of Alanis Morrisette and Janis Joplin with a modern twist, Amy’s newest 90s influenced alternativerock music sends a powerful message on mental health. Speaking on the creation of Intangible, Amy said, “Intangible was written on a boat as I contemplated the cyclical rhythm of nature, and
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how even death is just another necessary part of the circle that we call life. Intangible is about making peace with the loss or absence of a loved one. It is finding joy in experiencing their presence through a beautiful sunset or a flowing river. It is about the process. It is a celebration of life.” Explaining her inspirations for making music, Amy said, “I realised how powerful it is, to be able to transform sadness or anger into something healing.” “My mum struggled with depression for years and I lost her to suicide,” she revealed in reference to
THE TRANSLATORS N
ine translators are assembled to translate the 3rd volume of an incredibly popular trilogy into their native languages. Hired for three months they will live in complete seclusion from society, literally treated as prisoners. When millions of people download the first 10 pages from the book online, it’s apparent that one of the translators is a hacker. If the monetary demand is not met the hacker threatens to post the complete book online – who’d pay for a highly anticipated book if they could read it online for free? A French ‘whodunnit’ but not in the traditional sense, this
Intangible’s starting reference to butterflies. “She was mesmerised by their growth and beauty, and while she couldn’t do that herself, I find it amazing that she could still admire that trait in others.” The songstress’ trip back to Australia, following her successful tour last year, was forced on a halt due to the COVID-19 lockdowns, but she expressed her eagerness to return as soon as conditions improve. “My short journey in music so far has already taken this Irish girl to the beautiful East Coast of Australia, including the Hunter Valley in NSW for a performance at the magical Dashville Skyline Festival. To pave my way back to Australia, it seems fitting that Intangible would be a great track to take me back once again, even if in spirit!” Amy will continue to release new music into 2021, working to build her base in the UK, Europe, and Australia in anticipation for her return to the stage post-COVID.
EX-PERIMENT – A FESTIVAL OF SOUND
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his Saturday Sydney Underground Steaming Sessions (SUSS) is presenting Ex-Periment – A Festival of Sound. SUSS is Sydney’s newest live streaming platform dedicated to presenting Sydney music to Sydney and beyond during COVID. Since it’s launch in July SUSS has played host to a wealth of Sydney talent including Dog Trumpet, White Knuckle Fever, the Loud Hailers featuring Christa Hughes, Svntax Error, Liz Martin and many others, all kicking out stellar performances in the SUSS Studio. This Saturday SUSS will be presenting Ex-Periment, a night of improvisation, experimentation and musical elevations. A journey into the rich tapestry of sound as woven by some of Sydney’s most innovative musical talents. The night will feature Trevor Brown, Ben Fink, Louis Burdett,
Matthew Syres, Elsen Price, Keyna Wilkins, Danny Heifetz and Tom Schutzinger. Kicking off at 7pm, Ex-Periment will feature both solo and collaborative performances from all involved with Louis Burdett also gracing the SUSS Studio with one of his mind blowing solo drum performances. Sep 19. Online streaming. $10. Tickets & Info: www.suss.net.au
film is finely-executed and should keep audiences guessing right up until the very last scene. Surprisingly the hacker is revealed early in the film, but that’s when momentum builds rapidly with more surprises, twists, and turns. The Translators does lack the atmosphere of films based on Agatha Christie novels such as Murder On The Orient Express and Death On The Nile since the whodunnit element of this story doesn’t revolve around a murder, however, the intrigue and suspense should deliver a satisfying film experience. (MMo) WWW1/2 CITY HUB 17 SEPTEMBER 2020
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CITY HUB 17 SEPTEMBER 2020