City Hub 7 February 2019

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city hub 7 FEBRUARY 2019

Stadium wrecking balls yet to swing

BY WENDY BACON The Gladys Berejiklian government was expected to begin demolition of the ANZAC stadium as early as Friday.

It seemed like the battle to stop the destruction might be lost. Despite legal advice from two senior counsel that the Minister’s advice was invalid, only Waverley Council voted to go to court, but was seeking another Council to join them.

As the days passed, Infrastructure NSW moved inexorably forward, getting all the paperwork required by NSW Planning published on its website to clear the way for demolition.

Then came a game changer.

“We think that the local community, perhaps with some crowdfunding, has a pretty good chance of legal success,” said community group Local Democracy Matters spokesperson Chris Maltby at a meeting with residents and media outside the stadium.

Inadequate consideration of design excellence and contamination, as well as a waste of scarce funds that are needed for local schools and public transport, have inspired the community action.

Disregard for community Labor opposition leader Michael Daley has warned against demolition, stating that a government led by him would not supply $730 million to rebuild the stadium.

There is more at stake than waste of resources and unnecessary environmental risk.

It’s also about the “rule of law”.

Waverley Council’s Labor Mayor John Wakefield made this point strongly when arguing for legal action at a Council meeting in January.

“When actions are unlawful, we have a duty to our community to uphold the law.”

By Tuesday afternoon, the court case was underway in the NSW Land and Environment Court. That evening, Waverley was dissatisfied with the Minister’s response that failed to come to grips with the legal issues and voted to seek an injunction to stop work. Liberal Councillors

Within a few days of approval, and well before it signed a contract with Lendlease on 22 December 2018, the Planning Department had chosen Margaret Harvie as its independent chair for the Committee.

Together, the Department and Harvie then set the tightest possible time framework for recruiting and selecting the committee. After a 28-day period over the New Year break for applications from members of the community, the Chair made her selections and the chosen applicants were invited to join the committee.

A process that can take up to a month took a week. All that remained was to have a meeting.

According to NSW Planning’s own Community Consultation guidelines, an ordinary meeting requires four weeks’ notice.

Greens candidate for Vaucluse Megan McKew (centre), Greens MP Jenny Leong, and Local Democracy Matters spokesperson Chris Maltby. Photo: Wendy Bacon

immediately put in a rescission motion that will be debated later in the week.

Randwick Council voted against taking action but will publish parts of the legal advice explaining why the consent is invalid. The Greens candidate for Vaucluse, Councillor Megan McEwin, put a motion before Woollahra Council on Monday night for the Council to join the action.

The government had not bothered to seek an independent advice in response to Council’s legal advice when City Hub spoke to NSW Planning Minister Anthony Roberts’ senior advisor John McGowan two weeks ago.

The Minister was very confident that there were no errors in the Department’s assessment.

But the NSW government has now briefed a senior planning lawyer.

However, Infrastructure NSW (INSW) readiness depends on fulfilling conditions of approval which need to be met before demolition begins.

When actions are unlawful, we have a duty to our community to uphold the law A key condition is the requirement that a Community Consultative Committee (CCC) be established and ”functioning”. Randwick and Waverley Council have raised serious concerns about the organisation of the CCC meeting and the Independence of Harvie. City of Sydney also has concerns. Randwick is considering boycotting the first CCC meeting.

Potentially invalid meeting With the election looming, that was too long, so Harvie and INSW found a way around that. She would call an extraordinary meeting which only required two weeks.

An extraordinary meeting needs to be requested by a member of the committee. How that was possible before the committee was formally constituted, we are not sure.

To be properly engaged, each member has to sign a code of conduct which requires agreement to confidentiality on some matters. Some invited members found it hard to grasp how confidentiality is compatible with representing the community, so they intended to object at the first meeting.

We guess that INSW or contractor Lendlease requested an extraordinary meeting. The distributed agenda does not explain why it is an extraordinary meeting.

There is also an issue of whether Harvie should even be holding a meeting before the legal issues are resolved.

City Hub submitted a series of questions to Harvie about her role and actions but received no response by the time of publication.

The court case continues on Wednesday afternoon.

This story will be updated on line.

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BY ZIYAD KHAN Some 90% of job hunters in Australia do not know how to effectively look for a job, according to a recently released report.

The report found that most Australians are not completing their job searches, with nine out of ten job hunters admitting to being unaware of the all the opportunities that are available to them.

Ruby Lee is a recruiter with ten years in the recruitment industry; she says, “Looking for a job is tough. It’s often a full-time job to look for your full-time job. It’s often an anxious time, and it’s hard to know where to even start looking. But by using more than one job site you are likely to decrease the average number of days on the job hunt from 82 days to less than a month. So my advice is for job hunters to broaden their search and cut your job search time considerably. Receiving recommendations from friends, family, colleagues, and professions in your network is a great avenue to find a job, especially the offline ones.”

Keeping an open mind Jay Munro, Indeed’s Employer Insights Strategist, says believes that job hunters in Australia can increase their chances of finding employment by keeping an open mind.

“One thing the report found was that twothirds of Australians prefer progressing their career within a single industry, which was particularly interesting because almost 9 in 10 Australian job hunters believe their skills are transferable to an industry other than one they have worked in.”

A job seeker well versed with navigating the difficulties of employment process is

Job hunters are easily lost. Photo: Picpedia.org

Taha Ahmed. Despite finding that web-based recruitment tools made the process easier, he still found the process difficult to navigate, and in the end, he says, “I managed to secure a job through networking with one of my old friends in a position related to my field”.

In the end, I secured a job through networking with one of my old friends A spokesperson from seek.com.au states that it is important for job hunters to be constantly updating their details, qualifications, resume and salary expectations.

“Our data shows that candidates who provide their salary expectations and skills are 50% more likely to be contacted by hirers and those who upload their resume are three times more likely to

be contacted,” he says. “Dream jobs aren’t always advertised when candidates are looking either, which means it’s vital those not actively looking also create or update online profiles” Waiting times between starting a job search and actually attaining a job was another key finding of the report. It was found that on average a job hunter waited 82 days before securing a position, with generation Y averaging 67 days, generation X 98 days and baby boomers waiting 100 days.

Kenji Sato is a twenty-four-year-old job hunter who is experienced in the wait times associated with job hunting, having waited eight months before securing a position in his industry.

“I spent about eight months sending job applications to everyone that I could. After months of cold calling, searching websites, and emailing employers, I was able to get a job after sending a physical letter to an employer,” he says. city hub 7 FEBRUARY 2019

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The heavy fail of the light rail

BY JOHN MOYLE Last Sunday, at around 14.30, a crowded Inner West light rail tram heading to Central broke down at Convention, stranding its passengers in the sweltering heat.

“We were travelling along, it was really crowded, and then it suddenly stopped,” John Webber, passenger, said.

“The delays were caused by a light rail vehicle being withdrawn from service at Convention stop due to a technical failure,” a spokesperson for Transport for NSW said.

“The impacted vehicle has since undergone normal maintenance investigations to detect and solve the cause of the technical issue.”

Victim of its own success A victim of its own success, the Central to Dulwich Hill light rail frequently experiences crash conditions and breakdowns.

The existing fleet of 12 trams has reached capacity along the 12.8 kilometre route from Central Station to Dulwich Hill as patronage has surged by more than 260 per cent to 9.4 million trips in 2016-17.

No business case for future upgrades has been finalised “The Government has totally underestimated demand for the light rail and has no plans to increase capacity for the service,” Jo Haylen, Labor MP for Summer Hill said.

A modelling of the system predicts an upsurge of 47 per cent in patronage to 4,400 in peak hour by 2021, increasing to 5,200 by 2031.

“No business case for future upgrades to the Inner West light rail infrastructure has been finalised,” a spokesperson for Transport for New South Wales said.

The line opened in 1997, running to Wentworth

Other problems are created by how the light rail actually runs.

“These are the number of unnecessary and avoidable stops that are caused when the trams have to cross streets that are controlled by the Roads and Maritime Services, and they haven’t changed the sequencing of the lights,” Greg Sutherland said.

The single track at the Dulwich Hill terminus also creates delays with turnarounds.

“There is a possibility to add a second track to the terminus at Dulwich Hill and then trams would run faster,” Mat Hounsell said.

Crowded commuters on overburdened light rail. Photo: Erica Vera Williams

Park, and was extended to Lilyfield in 2000, following the route of the old goods line.

Another 5.6 km extension to Dulwich Hill with nine stations opened in 2014.

The line is currently served by a fleet of 12 Spanish-built Urbos 3 trams with a capacity of 206 and a crush capacity of 272 passengers.

These replaced the original fleet of seven German-designed Variotrams which were decommissioned in 2015.

“What they could have done is to keep the original trams, but they pensioned those off straight away,” Colin Shroeder, co-convener, Eco Transit, a non-aligned transport lobby group, said.

The crush comes during peak hours, when the trams run every eight minutes with a capacity of 80 seated and 4-6 passengers per square metre standing.

The afternoon peak hour has been extended by one hour to 7pm.

Transport for NSW’s own data shows that the biggest crush on the route is between Glebe and the Fish Markets, which are due for an upgrade and a doubling of patron capacity over the next few years.

“The Dulwich Hill line is already one of the most heavily used light rail lines in Australia,” Greg Sutherland, light rail expert said.

Since the line opened, 2,300 new dwellings have been built at Harold Park, Summer Hill and Dulwich Hill, and another 2,400 are due to come on line at Darling Square near Haymarket.

“Even without the units it would still be very popular, and with the units it is really straining to cope with demand,” said Mat Hounsell, senior research consultant, Institute for Sustainable Futures, UTS. Taking into account the two plus years waiting time to purchase new trams, even an additional four trams will not provide a long-term fix.

No compatibility across networks Increasing the frequency of service to every four minutes could be another short-term fix, but the system overall fails due to the gutting of its intellectual and operational knowledge.

“It’s the de-skilling of the public service in NSW that has resulted in sub-optimal operations across the state and a mistaken belief that Melbourne was a totally different technology system that meant that we haven’t sought advice from Victoria,” Mat Hounsell said.

“The TfNSW wouldn’t admit that Melbourne had more expertise than they did,” Greg Sutherland said.

The problems are likely to be compounded with the addition of the SouthEast light rail to the system.

Due to the Government choosing two separate proprietorial systems, there is no compatibility across the networks.

“I suspect that if the government is going with a single source (operator) then that single source would be able to claim whatever it wanted and that is why we are strongly against monopoly contracts,” Mat Hounsell said.

“The government should be seeking universal standards.”

Hear! hear!

Waverley Council Update Mayor’s Message Walk for Respect In recognition of our commitment to community harmony and celebration of diversity, Waverley Council will hold a Walk for Respect – Together by the Sea on Sunday, 3 March.

Walk for Respect is a celebration of community harmony, diversity and multiculturalism.

Meet at Biddigal Reserve Bondi at 11am for a short walk to Dolphin Court at Bondi Pavilion.

There will be lots of entertainment, so come join us.

Details: waverley.nsw.gov.au/walkforrespect

Lifeguard Challenge On Sunday, 17 March, a group of Waverley Council lifeguards will be taking part in the 2019 Lifeguard Challenge to raise money for the Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation (SCHF).

The Lifeguard Challenge is a gruelling 30-kilometre fitness challenge from Bondi to North Cronulla via Maroubra held in partnership lifeguards from Randwick and Sutherland Shire.

Lifeguards from the three Councils will swim, paddle board and run to raise as much money as possible for children at the Sydney Children’s Hospital at Randwick.

The event kicks off at 6am at Bondi with a 2km paddle board to Bronte Beach.

Donations: www.schf.org.au/ fundraisers/lifeguardchallenge2019 John Wakefield, Mayor of Waverley

Waverley Customer Service Centre: 55 Spring Street, Bondi Junction Ph: 9083 8000 | waverley.nsw.gov.au | Stay in touch: waverley.nsw.gov.au/subscribe 4

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Vaucluse electorate profile

BY ALLISON HORE The electoral district of Vaucluse is made up of Watsons Bay, Vaucluse, Rose Bay, Dover Heights, Bondi Beach, Bellevue Hill, Point Piper, Double Bay, Darling Point, most of Woollahra and some parts of Bondi.

Socio-economically, the area is very well off, according to the 2016 census. The median weekly household income in the area is $2,456 compared to the NSW average of $1,486. It is only second to the North Shore in terms of percentage of households with a weekly income of over $2,500.

With almost half of Vaucluse locals using cars as their primary form of transport, according to the 2016 census, traffic congestion and over-development are key concerns for people in the area.

Residents raise congestion issues Residents in Rose Bay have expressed their concern about proposed developments in the area, including a proposal to turn two car parks into a community centre, apartments and a retail complex. Residents believe these developments will only serve to exacerbate congestion issues.

Will this swing translate from the federal stage to the state? “Rose Bay is full when you consider the traffic and congestion issues, local state primary and secondary schools are full, there is a shortage of preschools, and parks are fully utilised,” Bruce Bland, president of the Rose Bay Residents Association, told the Sydney Morning Herald.

In 2016, the population density of Vaucluse was around 3,421 people per square kilometer compared to Newtown’s 8,166 people per square kilometer. It is the 13th most densely populated district in NSW.

in Mike Baird’s government. She was the first woman to have been appointed this role.

Upton grew up in the Eastern suburbs and before going into politics she worked as a banking and finance lawyer before being admitted as a solicitor to the Supreme Court of NSW and High Court of Australia.

The lighthouse at Watsons Bay, one of the suburbs in the seat of Vaucluse. Photo: Allison Hore

Another worry for people in Vaucluse is water quality. Until Sydney Water’s $86 million plan to divert raw sewage into the Bondi Wastewater Treatment plant takes effect, it is released into the seawater near the Vaucluse coast. Federal member for Wentworth Dr Kerryn Phelps expressed her concern over water quality in the area to incumbent minister Gabrielle Upton.

“It’s very disturbing to me to see that water quality here at Rose Bay beach is consistently rated as poor. We need to see urgent action from government in the way we use and manage stormwater runoff in Sydney,” she said in a video message sent to the Wentworth Courier.

Status:Very safe Liberal seat The Liberal party has held the seat of Vaucluse since the 1940s when the party was formed.

In the last election, Gabrielle Upton won 65% of the primary vote and 73% of the vote on a

two-candidate preferred basis. In the past three state elections, the Greens party has polled more successfully than the Labor party, receiving 18% of the primary vote compared to Labor’s 12%.

Despite being a safe seat after former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull stepped down, there was a significant swing against the Liberal party. In last year’s by-election in Wentworth, Dr Kerryn Phelps took out the win. It will be interesting to see if this swing translates from the federal stage to state.

Key candidates Gabrielle Upton (Liberal) Gabrielle Upton is the incumbent member for Vaucluse and a front-bench member of the NSW Government, having held the seat of Vaucluse since 2011. Since 2017, she has been Minister for Environment, Minister for Local Government and Minister for Heritage. Before his retirement, she held the role of NSW Attorney General

Lenore Kulakauskas (Labor) Lenore Kulakauskas is new to the race for the NSW Government, replacing last year’s candidate Gloria Nicol. She describes herself as a “local community activist” and is the convener of the Waverly Council committee for the Bondi Beach precinct and a committee member of the residents’ group “Rescue Bondi”.

Kulakauskas is also local to the area. She grew up in Clovelly and moved to Bondi where she has lived for 30 years. She has spearheaded several community campaigns including to save Bondi Pavilion and Bondi Beach Post Office and to stop the opening of a 24/7 bottle shop. She also organised campaigns to stop the amalgamation of Woollahra, Waverley and Randwick Councils.

Megan McEwin (Greens) This is the second time Megan McEwin has run in the seat of Vaucluse. She is a Councillor in the Woollahra Municipal Council, representing the Cooper Ward. During her time as a Councillor she has campaigned for more cycleways, playgrounds and youth facilities.

She has also advocated for solar panels and the transition to clean energy.

McEwin was born in Tamworth and grew up in Gippsland in Victoria, though she has lived in Edgecliff for the past 15 years. She is a former telecommunications executive and previously managed the company responsible for all of Australia’s 1300/1800 phone numbers.

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city hub 7 FEBRUARY 2019

'members from national & international orchestras such as Opera Australia, Sydney Symphony, BBC Philharmonie, Kammer Philharmonie Köln, Boston Symphony and Academy of St Martin in the Fields, to name a few'

Opinion

Skateboard issue hots up

BY ANDREW WOODHOUSE The epic saga over Woollahra Council’s proposed skateboard structure in Rushcutters Bay Park continues.

The Council’s original decision to refuse it at a full council meeting in 2017 – 14 votes to 1 – was applauded.

But after the September 2018 local council elections, council changed its political complexion.

This $1.2 million, 1,252 square metre, seven ramp, Olympic swimming pool-sized structure for 8-14 years olds will be a wart on the face of this iconic park. Council redecided the issue on 15 October 2018 as a fresh idea but it was almost identical to the previous proposal and in the same park as before.

Everyone is unimpressed Locals were unimpressed.

Former councillors who’d voted against it were unimpressed.

Park users and youngsters were unimpressed.

The October 2018 meeting comprised only eight out of 15 councillors. The other seven were magically absent.

Council approved their own design but without referring to the Planning Act, the park’s Plan of Management or any limits on the number of users, any age compliance regime, no geo-tech report to test proposed foundations in this former swamp, no safety design audit, heritage impact statement or fauna study to protect the Sulphur-crested cockatoo, or any DA. Did council overstep its authority?

A 2,000-strong petition was in the making.

Locals, many of whom are young, said, “it’s about location, location, location”.

Their analysis shows the viability of eight better spots, all rejected by council.

Councillors remain recalcitrant, even rude,

Phelps AM, tweeted: “This is a good decision.

Green space is essential to community well-being in dense urban areas”.

Spot on, Doc. Her counterpart, David Sharma, formerly of Elizabeth Bay, now in Paddington, posing in a photo with his family in Rushcutters Bay Park, says, “We need to ensure we protect and preserve our … our open spaces, parklands and heritage”.

Correcto-mundo, Dave.

Ms Dixie Coulton, lawyer, former City of Sydney Councillor, local resident for over 20 years, said, “there shouldn’t be a structure like this … [it’s] totally inconsistent with … the park as it is. It should go elsewhere”.

Cheers to that.

Field of dreams could morph into a field of nightmares. Photo: Dixie Coulton

snarling back in their emails with, “No-one, and I do mean no-one, frequents this barren corner of the park,” and “Enough is enough… you need to move on,” or “Council’s decision … will not be subject to review … correspondence … will not be entered into,” or, “you have nothing else in your life but to waste it on emails,” all a two-fingered salute to their community.

Their mails are a two-fingered salute to their community Mayor Cavanagh says, “staff are preparing the necessary application [to the Heritage Office] in compliance with requirements … councillors will be involved with the application” because, in a dramatic twist, the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage has issued an Interim Heritage Order (IHO) on the site to protect it.

Its CEO, Mr Anthony Lean, says, “I have

resolved to make an IHO for Rushcutters Bay Park … it is likely to be of local or state heritage significance. The effect is … [that] approval from the Heritage Council is required for any works ... a person must not do any of the following except [with] an approval granted by the approval body [Heritage Office]: damage or despoil the place, excavate, carry out any development, damage or destroy any tree, etc.”

So it seems works can proceed if, and it’s a big IF, the Heritage Office approves it. Council is preparing its case.

Locals are not taking a breather either; they intend to have the park permanently heritagelisted.

With a state election set for Saturday 23 March 2019, this Heritage Office decision cleans Premier Gladys Berejeklian’s desk of local problems.

And with a federal election looming on Saturday 11 or 18 May, the Member for Wentworth, Kerryn

Not in this spot,Tom Council’s technical services director, Tom O’Hanlon, told ABC radio, “We’ve had hundreds of submissions in favour asking when it’s going to happen”.

The answer is: it can happen any time, Tom, but not in this spot. You’ve got eight better options.

ABS data 2011-2016 show there are about 220 children between 8 and 14 years old living in the whole Woollahra municipality out of 52,158 people, hardly a majority.

The skateboard structure would devour 40% of the last remaining free open space on Woollahra’s side, now enjoyed by children who are picnickers, dog walkers, swimmers, kayakers, tennis players, cricketers, soccer players, yachties, joggers etc.

Council’s callow claim that all trees are safe doesn’t stack up. A professional arborist says “It’s clear the proposal significantly impacts on the four trees … the negative impact would be significant … the proposal should be rejected.”

Is it time for Mr Cavanagh to hang up the gold chain and burgundy mayoral robes?

PROPOSAL TO UPGRADE THE EXISTING MOBILE PHONE TELECOMMUNICATIONS FACILITIES IN SYDNEY

Roads and Maritime Services

Optus plans to upgrade the telecommunications services in Sydney, Haymarket and Potts Point with the introduction of new equipment to improve coverage in these areas.

Airport East – Road work at the intersection of Wentworth Avenue and Botany Road, Mascot

The proposals involve the upgrade of existing facilities at the below sites: • 62 Pitt Street SYDNEY NSW 2000 (RFNSA # 2000163) Installation of three (3) new panel antennas on new mounts at a height of 48.5m (antenna centreline) • 70 Murray Street SYDNEY NSW 2000 (RFNSA # 2009013) Installation of two (2) new panel antennas at a height of 51.2m (antenna centreline);

As part of the Airport East project, there will be major work around the intersection of Wentworth Avenue and Botany Road on the following weekend, weather permitting;

Replacement of one (1) existing antenna for one new antenna at a height of 55.2m.

• 8pm, Friday 8 February to 5am, Monday 11 February 2019 As the scheduled work is dependent on weather and construction conditions, there

• 477 Pitt Street HAYMARKET NSW 2000 (RFNSA #2000153) Installation of three (3) new panel antennas on new and existing mounts at heights of 39m, 39.3m (antenna centreline);

place over one of the following weekends;

• 204-212 Victoria Street POTTS POINT NSW 2011 (RFNSA # 2011007) Installation of three (3) new panel antennas on new mounts at a height of 41.91m and 42.37m (antenna centreline)

may be a need to postpone this work. If the work is postponed, the work will take • 8pm, Friday 15 February 2019 to 5am, Monday 18 February 2019 or

All sites involving:

• 8pm, Friday 22 February 2019 to 5am, Monday 25 February 2019

• Replacement of Remote Radio Units (RRUs) with new RRUs utilising new and existing mounts adjacent to the proposed antennas.

There will be temporary traffic changes and detours in place around the intersection.

• Associated and necessary ancillary works to ensure the proper functioning of the telecommunications facility including cabling, earthing, signage, safe access, electrical works and replacement or strengthening of the existing tower.

Local access will be maintained and traffic controllers will be onsite to assist.

Motorists travelling from the east are advised to use alternative routes like Expect delays in the area, allow extra travel time, follow signage and avoid any non-essential travel in the area.

For more information call our delivery partner John Holland Group on 1300 862 844, email: comms.airporteast@jhg.com.au or visit rms.nsw.gov.au/sydneyairport

BLZ159322

Foreshore Road and Gardeners Road.

The proposed works are defined as “Low-impact Facilities” in accordance with the Telecommunications (Low-impact Facilities) Determination 2018 and “maintenance activity” as defined in Schedule 3 of the Telecommunications Act 1997. The proposed infrastructure complies with the ACMA EMR regulatory arrangements.

Further information can be obtained from Emma Lachlan on (02) 9363 3815 or email to info@commplan.com.au or from www.rfnsa.com.au using the RFNSA Reference No. as listed above. Written submissions on the proposals should be addressed to Optus C/CommPlan Pty Ltd, PO Box 267, Edgecliff NSW 2027 and received by 25th February 2019.

city hub 7 FEBRUARY 2019

7

Mary Mortimer: the woman who “cain’t say no!”

BY IRINA DUNN The Pyrmont that Mary Mortimer moved into some 17 years ago was a very different suburb to what it is today.

Then it was being developed as a dormitory suburb where childless workers would go home to eat and sleep between stints at work in the city.

Now it has become the most densely populated suburb in Australia, with a wide variety of people of different ages, backgrounds, needs and incomes, and especially of families with working parents, who find the proximity of Pyrmont to their place of work in the city very conducive to family life.

Fashionable high-rise living From its original industrial location as a workingclass suburb, through its phase as a high-rise urban renewal suburb, Pyrmont has developed into a place for fashionable high-rise living where well-educated, well-to-do professionals like Mary know how effective community action can be and are prepared to do something about it.

With a background of active feminism in Canberra, Mary understood the dynamics of establishing a healthy, active and creative community and saw what needed to be done to satisfy the needs of people living in a burb that had “no formal community structure,” as she says.

This was especially difficult to establish in a suburb with so many high rises, much of which is upmarket real estate where the occupants are timepoor professionals, although the suburb has some affordable and some public housing.

With characteristic modesty, Mary says, “We’ve worked very hard in Pyrmont to build a community, and what we have now is just about everything”.

a regular newsletter that is distributed to about 6,000 local households, among other things.

The initial five programs in the existing Pyrmont Community Centre have grown to about fifty, most run by local residents. The Centre is now way too small and has only two full-time staff to carry out all the activities that have either been initiated by Mary or have occurred as a result of community members getting inspired and involved.

These activities include a ukulele group, a dance class, a drama group, a gratis monthly community dinner, and an annual photo exhibition with a local calendar featuring the photos.

Mary is not alone in being especially concerned that the area gains more sporting facilities for the predominantly apartment-dwelling residents. She bemoans the fact that, “In Pyrmont there are no full-size sporting facilities for anything,” being acutely aware of the benefits sport offers to young and old.

Pyrmont has no library, no town hall, no church hall, and the community centre is too small

Mary Mortimer – working for Pyrmont. Photo:Trish Curotta

Mary and husband Donald Denoon started the voluntary and very active Friends of the Pyrmont Community Centre, which she now convenes. This is a group of some 20 people which liaises with the City of Sydney Council over local matters, and produces

She is involved in the group that is pushing for the development of the Maybank Courts on Harris Street. “We want council to put into its capital works program the complete redevelopment of that site as a large indoor-outdoor recreation facility,” she says.

“Pyrmont has no library, no town hall, no church hall, and the community centre, which is too small, is the only polling booth at election time in the entire suburb. There is no other public space in Pyrmont,” she notes.

Mary manages “Pyrmont Sings”, a choir with about 50 members and a paid conductor and accompanist, which performs at local events.

She convenes the Landcare group, a group of about 20 people who restore native vegetation to derelict sites in the local area.

For the past five years, Mary has been convening “Christmas in Pyrmont”, the major event in the inner west at Christmastime. “We attract 7,000-8,000 people to the event, we raise over $100,000 on the day and donate most of that to charity.”

No provision for public transport Mary and her husband Donald, a well-known historian, contribute to the Pyrmont History Group, with Donald convening the monthly meeting and Mary managing the website.

Like many in her suburb, Mary is worried about the industrial development of the Bays precinct and Glebe Island. “There are many people who are concerned about the increase in traffic and residential development this entails,” she says.

“Pyrmont’s traffic is often at a standstill and is only going to get worse after the new fish markets are built, and there’s no provision for increased public transport,” she says.

Mary is hoping for a balance of power in favour of the Greens at the upcoming State election. “We might actually get something good done if this happens,” she says.

For relaxation, Mary enjoys her Landcare work because it gets her “out in the air” and she loves singing, although she says she isn’t that good.

“There are lots of groups in Pyrmont that I don’t organise,” she tells me, but I wonder about that.

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13-28 February

Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood

Mapplethorpe

TUE 19 FEB 11:00AM ($10) & SAT 23 FEB 6:00PM Scotty Bowers, now in his nineties, looks back at his somewhat salacious past living in Hollywood during its Golden Age, where he matched up some of the movie industry’s biggest names with some same-sex trysts – and he’s more than happy to dish the dirt.

SAT 16 FEB 6:30PM & FRI 22 FEB 8:30PM Emmy and BAFTA nominee, Matt Smith (Doctor Who, The Crown) gives a charismatic and sexy performance as Robert Mapplethorpe in this enthralling biopic which captures the genius and tragedy of Mapplethorpe’s life and career as he scandalised the art world with his erotic gay visuals.

Wild Nights with Emily

Leitis in Waiting

FRI 22 FEB 6.30PM & SUN 24 FEB 6.30PM Wild Nights With Emily hilariously tweaks the entrenched image of Emily Dickinson as a barren recluse with a vivacious intellectual who was creatively driven by her lifelong relationship with a woman. A fresh and welcome comedic take on how those who hold power rewrite history.

WED 27 FEB 6:30PM In the Polynesian kingdom of Tonga, indigenous transgender women known as leitis have long been revered as royal attendants and family caretakers. However, a recent rise in religious fundamentalism is threatening their very existence.

Now, with quiet determination, they’re fighting back.

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9

Opinion

Just how corrupt is NSW?

By Peter Hehir Is the NSW Government simply incompetent? Or is it corrupt? Is it a mix of both? Is WestConnex the handiwork of the seriously impaired or is it just plain old graft?

The Guardian’s Christopher Knaus states, “According to the most widely recognised measure of publicsector corruption – Transparency International’s corruption perception index (CPI) – Australia has slipped from its best ranking of seventh in 2012 to ninth in 2013, and has remained at 13th from 2015 onwards”.

The most recent CPI released last Tuesday showed Australia’s score still sitting at 77 out of a possible 100.

Knaus explains, “The score is derived from a range of 13 sources measuring corruption perceived by experts and business executives. It measures the use of public office for private gain, nepotism, bribery, the diversion of public money and state capture.

Donations report is “ugly reading” “The resultant figure is also a reflection of the strength of integrity and anti-corruption systems, including the existence of adequate laws on financial disclosure, conflict of interest prevention and access to information.”

Australia’s integrity and transparency systems are routinely criticised, especially in relation to real-time disclosure of donations to political parties.

Transparency International’s managing director, Patricia Moreira,

Department of the Environment issued a draft regulation impact statement in 2016 which stated that, “the health costs to Australian cities of motor vehicle air pollution is estimated to be $3.9bn a year by 2020”. These health costs are not included in the business case for massive infrastructure projects like WestConnex.

Corruption chips away at democracy to produce a vicious cycle

Is NSW the best government money can buy? Photo: Flickr

says, “Corruption chips away at democracy to produce a vicious cycle, where corruption undermines democratic institutions and, in turn, weak institutions are less able to control corruption”.

IndyMedia’s Diet Simon recently reported that, “It’s an open secret that the fossil fuel lobby has its tentacles embedded in politics, but rarely is this so obvious than through the donations made by coal, oil and gas interests to political parties”.

He comments that the most recently released data on political donations “makes for ugly reading”. Why? Fossil fuel companies and lobby groups

donated $1,277,933 to major political parties in 2017-2018.

Simon continues, “You have to wonder what outcomes they [the fossil fuel companies] have in mind when donating, but it’s worth pointing out that many of the donors will enjoy some of the $12 billion handed out every year in tax breaks that encourage the production and consumption of fossil fuels.

“Several, like multinational corporation Chevron, have managed to pay $0 in company tax over the past four years, despite raking in billions of dollars in revenue.”

In another related matter, the

Hansen Heidelberg Concrete is right behind the push to turn White Bay into concrete central, with the relocated Hansen batching plant, the bulk materials shipping wharf and handling yard, and the casting plant for the Western Harbour Tunnel concrete sections, all sited beside the cruise ship terminal.

From the perspective of the adjoining peninsula residents, it’s akin to the Adani coal mine and the now very real threat of extinction of the critically endangered black-throated finch.

Ben Smee revealed in a Guardian article that “… since 2000, 775 projects overlapping the finch’s shrinking habitat in North Queensland were referred to the Federal Government for assessment under the Environment Protection Biodiversity and Conversation Act. Only one was refused because of an unacceptable impact on the finch.”

“The irony,” according to Smee, “is that environmental laws designed

to protect the finch have actually led to the bird’s decline. All of these projects proposed in the finch’s habitat were assessed independently, so the cumulative impact is not properly considered. It’s death by a thousand cuts.” The same criticism applies to WestConnex, the Iron Cove Tunnel, the Western Harbour Tunnel and the myriad developments planned for White Bay. NSW laws overturned One recent bright spot, however, in relation to keeping the bastards honest, was the decision to overturn NSW laws limiting the amount of money that could be spent by third parties during election campaigns.

Unions NSW secretary Mark Morey told Guardian Australia, “We’ve basically run this case twice now and both times the High Court has said that the legislation is trying to silence [the government’s] critics and is not valid”. The decision raises the prospect of a significant union campaign in the lead-up to the 23 March poll.

Never let it be said, however, that the NSW Government isn’t genuine when it comes to involving the community in really important decisions. Camperdown residents actually get to choose one of three possible colours for their temporary WestConnex acoustic shed!

So we should all be forever grateful to the NSW Government for their integrity, their sense of perspective and their generosity of spirit.

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FEATURE

QUEER SCREEN’S 26th MARDI GRAS FILM FESTIVAL Boys.

Photo: Supplied

Becoming Colleen Photo: Supplied

Rafiki.

Photo: Supplied

Making Montgomery Clift.

Photo: Supplied

By Mark Morellini Queer Screen’s 26th Mardi Gras Film Festival comes to Sydney, with a program of 120 of the best LGBTIQ films from around the world.

The festival boasts five world premieres, 75 Australian premieres and 22 films showing transgender, non-binary or inter-sex characters/ subjects, which is a record.

Lisa Rose, the festival director, said that the popularity of this festival is constantly increasing.

“Over the past few years we’ve had great growth in terms of attendance and diversity of audiences, and I think people are really excited about the variety of LGBTIQ films being made.

Our festival this year is all about embracing our story but also about embracing the stories of others. It’s about coming and supporting the community but also learning about other people in the world and their experiences.”

When asked whether straight audiences should attend this film festival, Rose explained that there are many films which should appeal to straight audiences.“Ten percent of our audience identify as straight and we welcome the straight community to come to the festival. It’s a great experience for the

LGBTIQ community to watch films with people who are like-minded and people from the community, but it’s also great for straight people to broaden their horizon.”

Most of the documentaries including Believer, Becoming Colleen, Making Montgomery Clift and Scotty And The Secret History Of Hollywood are suitable for straight audiences, along with dramas such as Boys and closing night film Rafiki.

However, there are several films such as Sauvage (a highly sexual and graphic French gay-themed film) which are strictly for queer audiences. “This caused quite a kerfuffle when it screened at Cannes. It’s pretty confronting in certain scenes and there were quite a few walkouts from straight people. But it’s a really interesting film with fantastic performances.”

Australia features prominently in this year’s film festival, with screenings of 14 shorts and three documentary features. Sydney filmmaker Ian W. Thomson, who won an award at the festival four years ago for best documentary, has spent two and a half years working on Becoming Colleen, his new trans documentary which screens at the

CONSEQUENCES (SLOVENIA): Drama about two teenage boys living in a reform centre and the relationship which builds between them.This high energy film about toxic masculinity and teenage angst may be an uncomfortable watch for some audiences.

NIGHT COMES ON (USA): Sundance award-winning film about a lady who is released from prison and searches for her sister and

festival. A labour of love, this is the story of a woman living inside the body of a man who came out of the closet at the age of 82 and dreamt of having gender reassignment.

Colleen was a respected policeman, a loving husband and a devoted father. “The love that she had for her wife Heather transcends their gender roles. This story illiterates the importance of human relationships, relationships with people who we fall in love with who can understand our complexities and work with us,” Thomson explained. “The amazing part of this story is that it was a love between two people that did transcend their gender. Once Heather got on board with it, they would dress up at night and walk arm in arm under the cover of darkness – they shared a secret and that really bound them together.”

Thomson is adamant that straight audiences should watch his documentary.

“I hadn’t had much to do with transgender people before this documentary, but I think the biggest lie that I feel I have been sold all my life is that all that exists is the binary – the heterosexual man, the heterosexual

father. A moving and powerful story of revenge and the love between two siblings.

ZEN IN THE ICE RIFT (ITALY): This trans film which premiered at the Venice Film Festival surrounds a 16-year-old perceived as the only girl on the ice hockey team. A defiant and resilient film for the trans community but should be of interest to all audiences.

SCOTTY AND THE SECRET HISTORY OF HOLLYWOOD (USA): A riveting documentary about a man who outed movie stars from the golden years of Hollywood. Known as the pimp to the stars, 93-year-old Scotty Bowers reveals many interesting tales about A-Listers including Cary Grant, Rock Hudson and Katherine Hepburn.

woman – and the more I’ve learnt, the more I’ve realised, transgenderism is just as much a part of human biology as being heterosexual.

It’s just that we’ve been in denial and historically it’s always been there.”

The message Becoming Colleen sends out to audiences is that it’s important to accept love and celebrate people for who they are.

“The stereotypes, the tags and the labels often create barriers, but to get to know somebody’s personal story can really open your heart and your mind to that person.”

Thomson is incredibly privileged and honoured that his documentary was chosen to screen at this film festival.

“It’s a great festival and a great audience and it’s exciting to get the film out there because I think this is a conversation that we need to be having as a culture on a very broad scale. We will be screening in Melbourne, have been accepted into the human rights film festival and in Perth.

There’s also been interest from overseas film festivals which is fantastic because even though this is a regional story, it’s very universally themed.” ** Becoming Colleen & panel discussion: Diversity in Aged Care with advocate Sandra Pankhurst and panelists from ACON and NurseWatch - Sun Feb 24, 3:30pm, Event Cinemas George St Feb 13–28. Event Cinemas George St, Hayden Orpheum, Golden Age Cinema. $19.90-$90+b.f. Tickets & Info: www.queerscreen.org.au city hub 7 FEBRUARY 2019

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT w

The Female Of The Species

Queerstories

When feminist writer Margot Mason published her seminal work, The Cerebral Vagina in the early 70s, she could not have imagined the ongoing ramifications of its doctrine nor envisioned that one day, years later, it would lead to her being held at gunpoint by a deranged student, Molly.

That’s the core plot of Joanna Murray-Smith’s comic play, The Female Of The Species. It’s a fictional story but it was inspired by the true life incident in which Germaine Greer was once held hostage in her home by a teen female stalker. Greer’s experience was traumatic; Murray-Smith’s play is “definitely a farce - like, first and foremost, it’s

Queerstories goes west again this year with a fabulous and diverse selection of queer storytellers sharing a lectern (metaphorically) at Riverside Theatres.

“It’s particularly nice during Mardi Gras to be doing Queerstories in Western Sydney,” says creator, Maeve Marsden, “Mardi Gras can be really CBD centric.”

The stories and speakers for the Riverside show all have a connection to Western Sydney. There’s no prescribed theme or style, and there’s no pressure to appeal to the masses.

“I specifically tell the storytellers that they don’t have to worry about educating straight people in the audience, that their stories are for their community and about their community and they don’t have to selfcensor,” explains Marsden.

In selecting speakers, Marsden tries to keep an open mind.

“I like leaving it a little up to chance,” she says.

“I’ve had people who have never performed before […] I think there can be something quite sweet in an inexperienced performer.”

funny,” according to Lib Campbell who plays Molly in an upcoming production.

The play is set in 2006 but Mason (played by Margaret Olive) is stuck in the 1970s, holding on to outdated notions and politics and the faded success of her book. The one-room set is Mason’s study, chaotic and cluttered and anachronistic.

“It becomes more of a circus - the actual space - the more you get into it through the show,” says Campbell. She describes the play as an irreverent, hilarious take on feminism, lampooning popular tropes and using stereotyped characters.

Campbell’s character, Molly, feels that her mother’s mind was corrupted by Mason’s book and that as a result, her own life was ruined; at the same time, she is a student of feminism with a high regard for Mason’s work.

“I was attracted to Molly because through the whole play she’s kind of at war with herself with [regard to] Margot - over whether she idolises her or hates her. And it’s this constant struggle with her the whole time,” explains Campbell.

While the play explores themes around selfawareness, obsession, feminism, it is ultimately a farce, according to Campbell.

“It’s not realistic at all. The whole thing is mad!”

(RB) Feb 8-23.The Performance Space, St Aidan’s, 1 Christina St, Longueville. $20-$33+b.f.Tickets & Info: www.lanecovetheatrecompany.com

Peter Pan Goes Wrong Jay Laga’aia, Luke Joslin, Connor Crawford

Theatre-goers who love a great belly aching laugh won’t be disappointed in this outrageously hilarious, Olivier nominated and critically acclaimed show about Peter Pan, where everything goes wrong!

Jay Laga’aia who plays the role of Francis the narrator and one of the pirates in the lost boys said it’s a joy to work on this English farcical show which encourages audience participation.

“It’s controlled chaos. I’ve had audience members come up to me and ask, did you think it would go this wrong? I get thrown around a lot and every single night I sit there and think to myself.….I’m too old for this shit! It’s fantastic!” laughed Laga’aia.

But what sort of things go wrong?

“We introduce the characters, they just try to get through the scene when Peter Pan slams in through the window into the door, pulls the window out, the stage manager then runs on stage to grab the window and Peter Pan is jerked up and down. By the time he lands he looks around and says, thank God I didn’t wake the children!”

Laga’aia explained that the great thing about this show is that it’s accessible to everyone.

“I love hearing fathers in the audience laughing – it’s that ‘please stop because I can’t breathe and laugh’ sort of laugh. This is silly for the sake of being silly and not silly for the sake of being dumb – it’s silly clever. We have visual gags, we have physical gags, we have pyrotechnics going off. The reason why this play works so well is because by the end of it you can see that we’re all exhausted, as we’ve worked hard as an ensemble to bring this play down. We survive to fight another day!”

Laga’aia concluded by saying that this show is for big kids and little kids. “There are very few things you can share with your family and friends and laughter is one of them….this is a silly play that needs silly people to come along and have a great time!” (MMo) Feb 13–24. Lyric Theatre, 55 Pirrama Rd Pyrmont. $84-$165+b.f.Tickets & Info: www.peterpangoeswrong.com.au

a&e

13 STAGE 14 SCENE 15 Sounds 15 SCREEN

Vika Bull has received five-star reviews across the board for her astounding vocal performance in the Etta James tribute show that has captivated audiences in the UK, New Zealand, and Australia.

The show features Bull and the Essential RnB Band (3 horns, bass, drums, guitar, piano) performing 22 of Etta James’ most popular songs intermingled with snippets of her biography.

“I’m just telling her story and singing her songs from her birth right through to her death,” explains Bull simply,“She’s my favourite singer, so I’ve always listened to her and copied her from when I first joined a band when I was 17 years old.”

Although she later discovered Mahalia Jackson and Aretha Franklin through her parents, Bull grew up watching Countdown where there were very few black singers with whom she could relate.

“I’d never heard anyone like Etta before, so it was a bit of an eye-opener for me,” she says.

“And I liked the way she could tell a story, […] it really connected with me. I think it was…maybe her honesty.”

James suffered abuse, trauma, and addiction throughout most of her life and the emotional impact is evident in her voice. It’s something Bull is conscious of as she performs, and it imbues her with a sense of responsibility.

“You’ve gotta do it as best you can, because…

I’m telling this woman’s story and I’ve got a lot of respect for her.”

Bull believes James’ music is still so popular

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

She’s happy to coach newcomers and there’s usually a seasoned performer on the bill who can offer advice. However, the writing has to be good because “bad writing is very hard to save.”

The other important criterion is humility.

“Humility means that you care about your community, you care about the impact your story will have on your community and you’re not just gonna get up there and give a selfaggrandising speech.” (RB) Feb 9. Riverside Theatres, Cnr Church & Market Streets, Parramatta. $25-$30+b.f.Tickets & Info: www.riversideparramatta.com.au

because “the songs are so great” and her career span allowed her to adopt many different styles: jazz, RnB, rock’n’roll, funk, soul. That the songs still have resonance and power is proven by audience reactions.

“Most of the time they cry. I’ll look down at the audience and people will have tears running down their face…but then they walk out of there really happy,” explains Bull. “It’s just a fun show. If you want two hours of great music and a great story - you should come!” (RB) Feb 12-17. Sydney Opera House, Bennelong Point, Sydney. $79-$129+b.f.

Tickets & Info: www.sydneyoperahouse.com

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, Renee Dallow, Alannah Maher.

city hub 7 FEBRUARY 2019

13

The Other Side Of 25

Becca Hurd

Set to take the Old 505 Theatre in Newtown by storm, acclaimed stand-up comedian Becca Hurd will be dazzling audiences with her new “one-and-a-half-woman” show this February.

Mixing both stand-up comedy and theatre,

Becca’s new work The Other Side Of 25 tells the story of a young woman who decides to become the surrogate for her sister’s baby. The piece takes the audience through the tumultuous journey the young woman ends up travelling, with Becca saying, “it is funny, very funny, but it takes some pretty dark twists.”

When asked why the age of 25 held significance for her, Becca commented, “25 is a pretty arbitrary age…there’s this unspoken thing that you have to have your life figured out,” going on to say, “I think the anxieties of getting older and what it means to be 25 just came out on the page in the form of this show.”

Not only is The Other Side Of 25 a onewoman show, but the team behind the piece are all female-identifying also. “I think it’s very important to hear and see women’s stories on stage…there’s a great want for people to hear female stories”, Becca shared.

Written only last year, The Other Side Of 25 is a brand new piece, with audiences in Sydney being the first to see it. When asked how she predicts the audience’s reaction, Becca laughed, saying, “I have no idea how the audience is going to react! I, of course, hope they like it, I’m looking forward to their feedback on the night.”

(MB) Until Feb 9. The Old 505 Theatre, 5 Eliza Street, Newtown. $25-30+b.f.

Tickets & Info: www.old505theatre.com.au

Short+Sweet Festival 2019 Now in its 18th year the Short+Sweet Festival is all grown up!

Over its lifetime Short+Sweet has spread the popular 10-minute format in theatre, dance, cabaret & comedy across Australia and the globe. This year’s line-up of tasty treats includes 10 plays per night spread across two programs which change each week in the run towards the gala finals in April.

The 2019 fest will again feature judges’ voting and the People’s Choice audience votes – all heading for the April Gala Finals.

And new festival director Sarah Purdue has introduced two themed weeks: LGBTQIA Week (week 4) to coincide with Mardi Gras, and Women’s Week (week 5) aligned with International Women’s Day. Productions in this year’s festival come from all around the country and world explained Purdue, “there are productions from the Illawarra, Bundanoon, Canberra and as far away as Los Angeles and Chennai.”

The range of experience levels of producers, directors and performers is also incredibly broad in 2019, from first-time directors who have recently completed

their HSC to others with over 13 years of experience.

Until Apr 12.Tom Mann Theatre Theatre, 136 Chalmers St, Surry Hills. $15-$27+b.f.Tickets & Info: www.shortandsweet.org/sydney

THE NAKED CITY

ALL ABOARD THE PARTY ‘POLITICAL’ BUS! With Coffin Ed Whilst the phenomenon is not unique to this country there is something intrinsically Australian about a group of like-minded young people loading onto an old reconditioned bus, laden with alcohol, a sound system blaring out deafening doof and enough flashing LED illumination to light up the Martin Place Christmas Tree. Yes, we are talking party buses or in the more extreme cases ‘animal’ buses – the quintessential pub crawl on wheels that we have embraced as a bona fide cultural icon of the new millennium.

In recent months, however, we have seen a backlash against these mobile shot parties, with a number of hotels in the Newtown area declaring the buses persona non-grata.

Conscious of their obligation to the responsible serving of alcohol and preserving their late night trading, they now exclude the partygoers on these buses from invading their premises. This has sparked a certain amount of subterfuge on the part of bus operators, parking their buses a few blocks away from the hotels in question, and encouraging the passengers to enter the pub in much smaller groups. The ploy seldom works as the rambunctious nature of the juiced up party people is inevitably a giveaway and the doormen are quick to deny entry.

Despite this minor discouragement, the party bus is definitely here to stay and the real possibilities are yet to be exploited. We all know politicians love buses like the big red number Bill Shorten has been navigating around Queensland in recent weeks. But what about a party bus, in both senses of the word, 14

city hub 7 FEBRUARY 2019

aimed at the mindless, gullible, hedonistic young Instagram generation, voting for the very first time in the coming Federal election – the type of voters that Clive Palmer has been courting with his appropriated campaign songs, dumb arse game apps and funky YouTube commercials.

Clive is already spending millions on his revamped ‘United Australia Party’ so why not grab a fleet of party buses Australia wide, deck them out with his signature political bunting and Trumpian slogans like the highly original “Make Australia Great”, install a DJ playing a

selection of Twisted City and Boy George and simply lay on the free booze. We’ve all heard of pollies chasing the ‘swinging vote’, ‘the women’s vote’, the ‘youth vote’ and the various ‘ethnic’ votes – but what about the ‘intoxicated’ vote?

Not for one moment am I suggesting that the United Australia Party would contravene the principles of the responsible serving of alcohol but a Friday night out on one of these ‘party political’ buses, trawling the pubs of inner-city Sydney and listening to Twisted Sister, might well persuade the first time voter that Clive is their man, or as the karaoke singalong clearly reminds them “we’re not gonna take it.”

The buses could, in fact, run all Friday night, unloading their hordes of partygoers at the nearest polling booths on a Saturday morning, just in time for a sobering sausage sizzle. In an electioneering environment that clearly lacks the colour and razzmatazz of American elections, the ‘party political’ bus is something that all political parties might consider as a way of attracting first-time voters. In a democracy like ours, there’s currently no rule about downing a shot or two before you decide the fate of the Government.

Then again if the buses ever did create the type of problem that presents in Newtown today, we could well see mandatory breath testing at every polling booth, enforced by big burly doormen. Add to this compulsory drug testing for any voter that appears even slightly stoned and even pill testing for those who prefer to vote in a fuzz of euphoria – and you soon realise that we could well be entering an entirely new political landscape.

All aboard!

Romance In The Landscape Artists Sophie Dalgleish and Jules Forth bring their unique perspectives on landscape paintings together for their exhibition Romance In The Landscape.

“We feel that the works that we’ve put together bring about the romance in the vista,” says Forth. “There’s a feeling of, dusk, of coming home and coming back to your haven at the end of the day” “Romance is just what’s soothing, it’s what feels nurturing,” adds Dalgleish.

Though they have been good friends since they met over a decade ago in a Waverly art school, this is the first time they’ve exhibited their work as a pair.

For Dalgleish, becoming a painter was an unexpected part of her journey to Australia from France, but says the light and landscape inspired her. She now specialises in landscape painting.

“I never thought I would paint when I moved to Australia,” she explains. “I thought that the light was just so incredible here and how it reflects on the colours and shapes, it’s just so inspiring.”

Forth traditionally prefers still life but her 91 day walk across England and Scotland last year inspired her to try her hand at landscape painting.

She says there are differences between

By Jamie Apps Killing Heidi front-woman Ella Hooper has achieved almost everything imaginable in music, however, there is at least one thing left to do and that is represent Australia in the annual Eurovision competition. Hooper is one of 10 acts chosen to battle it out on the SBS program Eurovision Australia Decides with the winner going on to represent Australia in Tel Aviv in May. When Hopper first entered the music industry with Killing Heidi Eurovision was never something that she could have imagined would ever be a possibility. Since realising how important the competition is globally however Hooper now understands the magnitude of this opportunity.

“I realised pretty recently that Eurovision is a huge event around the world because it is something which unites people in their love for music,” Hooper said before further explaining why she feels the competition has exploded in popularity, “Eurovision is such light relief which helps bring a little balance to our life, we need something like that to counteract all of the dodgy and depressing things in the world.”

As part of the Eurovision Australia Decides show/competition Hooper will be performing a song written by young Sydney-based composer

hers and Dalgleish’s style, but the striking colours of Dalgleish’s more abstract landscapes marry well with the realism of her work.

“It’s been really interesting to find that symbiosis between the two of us,” she says.

“While our works are very different I think they complement one another” The exhibition will be launched on Valentines’ Day, with a special opening event from 6-8pm. The paintings will be on sale at the show. (AH) February 11-23, ARO Gallery, 51 William Street, Darlinghurst. FREE. Info: www.arogallery.com

Ella Hooper

Alice Chance.

“Alice is 24 and has never done anything like this before but she’s amazing,” said Hooper, “The song is about social media addiction, digital addiction and the way that we live our life pretty much staring at screens 24/7 these days so it really spoke to me.”

Although Hooper didn’t write Data Dust herself Hopper explained that she has been able to inject her own personal style and flair into the composition, “We spent quite a lot of time rerecording, rejigging and reimagining the song because I didn’t want to step into completely different shoes, I wouldn’t be doing what I’m

good at if I hadn’t made it much more Ella Hoopery.”

When City Hub spoke with Hooper she was also very excited and proud to be able to use this platform along with her profile to highlight another young female artist, particularly because she didn’t have anybody do that for her in her early years.

“I was pretty lacking in female mentors in my early years in the business, I made some friends and met some people that I’m still really close to today but I didn’t really have anybody guiding me.”

Whilst Hooper is confident in her own abilities she understands that the level of competition in Eurovision Australia Decides is incredibly stiff. As such Hooper views herself as the “underdog” and has asked everybody to #VoteForHoops.

Regardless of the competition’s results, Hooper will be heading out on tour to showcase all of her solo music from the past five years alongside the new song Data Dust.

“I love playing live, it’s probably my strongest element I think, so I’m really really pumped!”

Feb 24. Camelot Lounge, Corner Marrickville Rd & Railway Parade, Marrickville. $37.90+b.f.Tickets & Info: www.camelotlounge.com

One OK Rock Eye Of The Storm Japanese band One Of Rock’s latest album Eye Of The Storm does not disappoint – it is everything fans could hope for from the group.

While still staying true to its rock roots, this new album has more pop undertones, featuring extremely catchy songs which make it simply fun to listen to.

The entire album is uplifting and motivational, making it the perfect playlist for your morning workout. Specifically, the title song is sure to become your new anthem.

In The Stars is a fitting name for the group’s song with the artist Kiiara, because the collaboration was clearly a match made in heaven.

Ultimately, it is impossible not to smile and nod along with every song on this feel-good album. (EE) WWWWW

On The Basis Of Sex

Capharnaum

title from a bit of legalise in the landmark ruling on gender equality that established Ginsberg’s reputation, but “on the basis of sex” is a passive, nondescript phrase that sets the tone for the film.

Felicity Jones falls short (no pun intended) as Ginsberg; she doesn’t project her laser-like focus and fierce tenacity, nor does she nail Ginsberg’s distinct New York accent. Armie Hammer as Martin Ginsberg is despicably handsome and impossibly This rather insipid biopic the formidable lawyerbenevolent. The cast includes sputters and flails in the dust come-Supreme Court Judge, some impressive names (Kathy of the excellent documentary, Ruth Bader Ginsberg, who Bates, Sam Waterston and The Notorious RBG, that surmounted sexism, antiJustin Theroux) but alas the preceded it. semitism and her diminutive script is a “just add cliches” Even the documentary’s stature to become one of the cake mix and not the tribute title is forthright and a little heroes of the American legal Ginsberg deserves. (RB) WW1/2 cheeky, perfectly describing system. The biopic takes its

From Lebanon comes this incredibly stirring film which not only challenges audiences emotionally but also questions the validity of local attitudes and traditions which in westernised countries would be deemed as child abuse.

Zain (Zain al-Rafeea) is a street-wise 12 year old boy who comes from a large family. From the onset, he’s handcuffed and living in a prison for juveniles. It becomes apparent that he’s on a stabbing charge.

As the non-linear story unfolds audiences will be angered and even shocked, ultimately questioning the primitive thought patterns and complete disregard these alleged parents have for their children. Bashings are common and their 11 year old daughter is married off to a much older man for financial gain.

This film is an eye-opener – a culture shock.

Early shots of babies playing with cigarettes and young children engaged in seemingly real warfare with frighteningly realistic wooden guns set the scene and give audiences a clear picture of what is forthcoming.

Audiences will be reduced to tears when this

shattered young boy who grew up too quickly yells out in court “Life is dog shit! I’m living in hell! I wanted to be a good man!!”

Gritty and heart-wrenching, this film which is ultimately about a young boy who sues his parents for the objectionable life they have given him, at times feels like a dark documentary, constantly showcasing the deplorable conditions these people live under. Indisputably one of the year’s best films. (MMo) WWWW1/2 city hub 7 FEBRUARY 2019

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city hub 7 FEBRUARY 2019