City Hub 8 February 2018

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Return and Earn

BY JOHN MOYLE You’ve just cleaned up after the barbie and stacked all the long necks with the intention of cashing them in at the nearest Container Deposit Scheme bottle depot, except, where the hell is it?

Since 1st December 2017, NSW residents have been able to return their drink containers to obtain a 10 cent refund that can be redeemed as a donation to charity, a retail refund to be spent in store, or a digital refund that transfers the money into a PayPal account.

Deposits may be made via reverse vending machines, over-the counter collection points, automated depots and donation stations.

The aim of the NSW Environment Protection Authority scheme, now branded as Return and Earn, is to reduce litter across the state by 40 per cent by 2020, with the companies that supply eligible drink containers bearing the cost of running the program and the 10 cent refunds.

“The NSW container deposit scheme has been widely embraced by the NSW community with more than 58 million containers already collected at an average of 1.5 million containers each day,” a spokesperson for the EPA said.

Operating the NSW scheme is the Norwegian multi-national recycler TOMRA, and Cleanaway, an Australian company responsible for collecting the bottles for processing at a sorting centre in Western Sydney.

From an initial 360 collection points across NSW, the EPA are aiming for more than 800 reverse vending machines to be rolled out across the state.

In October 2017 Woolworths was announced as the scheme’s first retail partner, with the arrangement eventually seeing up to 180 reverse vending machines in metro and regional stores across NSW. Shortly after this announcement, Coles, Aldi and IGA also entered the scheme, while the Minister for the Environment, Ms Gabrielle Upton, named the Cancer Council, St Vincent de Paul Society, Surf Life Saving NSW and Planet Ark as the first four Return and Earn nominated charities Eventually community and sporting groups, schools and other not-for-profit organisations will be able to register their interest.

So far it all sounds great - the state government putting forward a worthy scheme getting litter out of the system, and one that is supported by big retailers with charities big and small benefitting, not to mention the small earn into your pocket if you so choose.

That is, until you have another look at the roll out that has been littered by its own mismanagement and miscalculations.

Firstly, the launch of the scheme was lukewarm on arrival, no big television, radio or print campaigns to either explain or enthuse, and no clear messages for the locations or payment options.

Then there is the cost.

For example, keen eyed shoppers will have noticed that generic brand water in the supermarket went from 75 cents to 90 cents a bottle overnight, with no explanation.

As for that slab of beer you drank at the barbie, it suddenly jumped in price by $4, while a six pack went up by $1.

Statewide, the scheme will cost an estimated $50 million annually, or $20 per household, an impost not discussed or explained to the citizens of NSW. There is also the cost to small businesses such as Bevco, the makers of Orchy fruit juice, who are being slugged $35,000 to register its line of product containers with the scheme, while the Australian Taxpayers’ Alliance claims that one Central Coast family operated business is facing a $75,000 bill.

But none of these issues are as great as the fact is that few in the community know where their nearest donation point is located.

Return and Earn’s digital map highlighting collection points is meant to be as easy as entering a post code.

Do so at your peril, as the site is highly inaccurate and misleading, and is just as likely to give you a non-existent collection point as an active one..

At the beginning of last week, when City Hub was researching this article, the site listed two places in the Potts Point area as collection points, complete with details that they were over the counter depots limited to 100 bottles.

The first was the Wayside Chapel, which when contacted expressed surprise that they were listed.

“We haven’t been provided with any vending machine or information and the resources that come with it,” a spokesperson for the Wayside Chapel said. “We might come back to them when they are more organised.”

Another local collection point listed was plastics recyclers Globelet, who said “Sorry, we are not involved with this at all.”

In Kings Cross, Peter Sooper, who runs a busy bottle shop said, “I don’t know what to say to people when they ask where to return bottles to.”

One location that did score a hit with Return and Earn’s site is Palacio restaurant in Petersham.

Palacio’s manager Carlos is enthusiastic about the program when he said “We are taking about 1300 bottles a week and I like being part of a recycling program... that’s it.”

A deposit to encourage recycling of bottles is being encouraged, but meanwhile drink bottle prices have increased. Photo: supplied

Returning to Return and Earn, the site also suggests that Burwood Deluxe Carwash is a registered depot, except that they want a reverse vending machine or they are going to opt out of the program.

Manager Gary said, “I’ve told Cleanaway that I can’t take any more bottles and that they need to put a machine here, but I’ve heard nothing.”

Coca Cola Amatil were the first major soft drink manufacturer to join the program, but they too have their reservations about how well it is being rolled out.

A spokesperson for Coca Cola Amatil told City Hub,”We’ve been supporters of a cost-effective, well run CDS for some time, but it is evident that setting it up was a major administrative and logistical exercise for government.

“We join with the community in urging the government and network operator to do all they can to keep those collection points rolling out.”

The scheme also needs to address the requirement that all eligible bottles have their labels intact.

Everyone knows that labels have a habit of falling off in the ice slurry that keeps them cool for the barbie.

As City Hub goes to print the Return and Earn website tells me that 73,324,991 bottle have been collected so far, raising the question of whether or not we can believe them?

Cleanaway did not respond to City Hub for this story.

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BY JADE MORELLINI The Inner West Council have listened to the calls of young people and have created the newest state-of-the-art skate space in Sydenham Green.

Inner West Mayor, Darcy Byrne will be officially opening the space on Saturday 10th February, where they will be holding a free BBQ and skate demonstrations from 11am – 1pm.

“Too often, the voices of young people are ignored,” Mayor Byrne said. “Here, we have a project that they have helped design and which has now been delivered – a state-ofthe-art facility that will be used by young people not just from across the inner west, but also the whole of Sydney.”

During the planning process, the council wanted to ensure the skate space would be effective, fun, inclusive and accessible for anyone. There are ramps to all platforms, which were developed with Wheel Chair Motor-cross sports, and they have a range of skate types. These include a transition ramp, street skate and a bowl ramp.

The new $2 million facility also has parking, accessible car spaces, lighting, shade structure, a drinking fountain and seating.

The Inner West Council have created a state-of-the-art skate space in Sydenham Green. Photo: supplied

Trent Evans from Sydney Skateboard Association said, “I can’t believe how exciting this is. Finally, somewhere in semi-central Sydney is going to have an up-to-date skate park… the proper first skate park in the inner west. This is literally going to be a game changer for so many skateboarders in Sydney.”

The skate park was designed to be environmentally friendly with ‘Green concrete’ lowering the amount of non-renewable energy intensive Portland cement by up to 65%.

To minimise electricity consumption, LED lighting has been implemented, as well as over 20 trees, which will increase the urban tree canopy.

The design was developed with input from the community and stakeholders contributed over a number of consultation sessions.

The Inner West Council have some more recent and planned improvements for Sydenham Green to make it more appealing for the community and visitors.

These include a new playground shade structure and replacing the half-court basketball court with two full sized basketball courts with Roller Derby track line marking. city hub 8 FEBRUARY 2018

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Right to free speech flags in Australia

BY ALEC SMART Construction companies face a ban from obtaining federal government contracts if employees fly a Eureka flag or display union-affiliated symbols on clothing and equipment in new regulations set by the Turnbull administration.

On 30 January 2018 the federal government-managed Australian Building and Construction Commission (ABCC) warned that employers in breach of a revision in Building Code 2016 would be prevented from tendering for commonwealth building work if they failed to apply ‘more stringent’ limits on the display of the Eureka flag or union membership.

The new regulations were widely interpreted in the construction trade as an attempt to stifle support for the powerful Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU).

A statement on the ABCC website proclaimed: “Under the 2013 and 2016 Codes, code covered entities must avoid conduct that implies that membership of a building association is anything other than a matter of individual choice. The 2016 Code places more stringent requirements regarding freedom of association on code covered entities than the 2013 Code.”

Unlike the previous code, which declared the display of union affiliation had to be ‘significant’ for a breach to occur, the revised code 2016 states that the presence of a Eureka flag or a union logo, or sticker on a helmet, would constitute a grave breach.

The ABCC ruling continued: “The following are all examples of words or phrases on posters or signage that breach the 2013 Code: 100% Union; union site; no ticket, no start; wanted – freeloaders on building sites; no freeloaders; “scab”, “rat”, “grub” or similar to refer to employees who choose not to participate in industrial activities, such as joining a union or being represented by a union.”

In relation to the Eureka flag, the guidance issued by the ABCC on 30 January 30 also stated ‘offending’ material includes, “Images generally attributed to, or associated with an organisation, such as the iconic symbol of the five white stars and white cross on the Eureka Stockade flag.”

The ABCC has been ordering construction firms to remove Eureka flags for at least a decade. In August 2007, The Age newspaper published a 5 July 2007 email from an ABCC member in Melbourne, Carol Hage, to an Adelaide building company telling them, “The flag represents the union and gives the impression that to work on the site you need to be a union member. This is therefore a breach of freedom of association.”

City Hub visited several construction sites in Sydney where Eureka

Photo: Alec Smart

flags remain flying, including the government-backed WestConnex site in St Peters, where construction workers we spoke to revealed they didn’t realise the flag had a meaning.

The Eureka flag’s origins date back to 1854 during a dispute between Victorian gold prospectors and the colonial authority of the United Kingdom and its Australian administrators. It began in opposition to the introduction of a miner’s license and what gold miners claimed were unfair laws allowing police to relocate them without advance notice.

After months of civil disobedience in the Ballarat region, on 11 November 1854, the Ballarat Reform League was created to represent the miners’ grievances. The League passed a resolution: “That it is the inalienable right of every citizen to have a voice in making the laws he is called on to obey, that taxation without representation is tyranny.” The League also resolved to secede from the United Kingdom if the situation did not improve.

In late November 1854, the dispute reached an impasse, and colonial police began invading the mines to enforce the Licensing Laws.

A rebellion, The Battle of the Eureka Stockade, provoked over 500 miners to erect a circular barricade – a stockade – wherein they burnt their licenses and pelted police with rocks.

A flag was designed, based on the Southern Cross constellation that appeared in the Australian Federation Flag (designed in 1831), yet deliberately omitting the British Union Jack that appears in our national flag (designed 1900), and thereafter flown as the rebels’ ensign.

On 3 December, police troopers, supported by military units, advanced on the stockade, and when the battle was over 125 miners

WAVERLEY COUNCIL NEWS MAYOR’S MESSAGE I hope you enjoyed Christmas and New Year.

Invitation to Community Summit Thank you to everyone who provided their ideas on the vision and priorities for our new Waverley Community Strategic Plan.

were taken prisoner, six of the troopers were killed and there were at least 22 deaths among the diggers, with many critically wounded.

Mass public support for the rebels ensued, amidst calls for greater democracy, and within months all but one of the rebels held for trial were acquitted.

Only one person was jailed following the Eureka uprising, Henry Seekamp the publisher of the town newspaper, Ballarat Times, for reporting on the protests. He was tried and convicted of seditious libel and sentenced to six months prison.

A subsequent Royal Commission recommended repeal of the Licensing Laws, replaced by an equitable tax on any gold found, instead of paying for the possibility of striking gold. Miners were also given the right to own the land on which they worked.

The Eureka Rebellion is identified by many as the birth of democracy in Australia, and the Eureka flag a symbol of defiance against authoritarianism.

Master Builders Association chief executive Denita Wawn declared on Monday 5 February that their employers would abide by the ABCC’s guidelines.

“The building code applies to employers, employees and their representatives,’’ she said. “The law is the law and Master Builders will comply.”

The remains of the original Eureka flag are on display at the Museum of Australian democracy at Eureka (MADE) on the site of the Eureka Stockade in Ballarat, Victoria.

City Hub contacted the museum for a comment on the federal government’s ban on displaying the Eureka flag on building sites.

Rebecca MacFarling, CEO, replied, “At the Museum of Australian Democracy at Eureka, we believe that the Eureka flag is owned by all Australians and represents the origins of democracy, inclusivity and diversity in our modern nation.”

CFMEU’s Dave Noonan, national secretary of their construction division, issued a statement: “Based on this document, it would be OK to fly the North Korean flag, it would be OK to fly the ISIS flag, it would be OK to fly a swastika, but it would be forbidden to fly an Australian flag which represents the struggle for democracy and national independence.

“It just demonstrates what we have been saying all along, which is the ABCC is not about industry reform, it’s not about productivity, it’s not about freedom of association, it’s a taxpayer-funded culture war against unionism in the industry.”

WAVERLEY COMMUNITY STRATEGIC PLAN

As part of our second phase of consultation, I invite you to come along to the Community Summit we are holding on Tuesday 13 February from 6pm. All welcome. Head to haveyoursaywaverley.com.au to register your attendance.

Your Bondi Pavilion You will notice new signage has gone up in the Pavilion to let people know where the toilets are. Most people don’t know that there are four sets of public toilets in the Pavilion: on the ground floor in the ‘locker tunnel,’ plus off the foyer atrium area, upstairs near the bar/ theatre area, and at the rear next to the high tide room.

I well recognise that the toilets are in poor condition. They are a priority of the refurbishment project which the Bondi Pavilion Community Stakeholder Committee is now working through. The Stakeholder Committee has been meeting over the last few months period and a concept report will come to the February Council.

Thereafter, the architect will draw up new plans for the total refurbishment of this important community building.

John Wakefield, Mayor of Waverley

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Shape the future of Waverley What’s your vision?

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First Responder Fiasco

BY ISOBEL RUSHE Local fire-fighters with inadequate medical training are forced to answer paramedic calls under a new proposal that changes department policy.

The new ‘First Responders’ program leaves Drummoyne Fire Department out of their depths as the policy demands to have fire-fighters acting and performing as paramedics.

Secretary of the Australian Paramedics Association (APA), Gary Wilson said: “Given the significant training that paramedics undergo, it is unlikely that the average first responder would have significant knowledge and skills to deal with the medical emergencies that paramedics take on.”

Fire-fighters will not only be a frontline responder in their own field but also in paramedical services.

Across the state, ambulances take on average 7.65 minutes to respond to a call of the highest priority, when the patient’s life is potentially under threat.

With Fire-fighters spending an average of 4.8 minutes at a scene before other authorities arrive, you can see why there is a need to be medically trained to an extremely high standard.

Even though the program hasn’t been officially released, the Fire station has already received an abundance of medically-related calls.

The introduction of this scheme would mean that the fire department and the ambulance station will be in close communication, heavily reliant on each other. The program is said to help the department’s workload, although the Fire-fighter’s union disagrees.

In a First Responder action plan report, spokesperson for the NSW Fire Brigade Union, Jim Casey, said, “This government is trying to hoodwink the community into believing firefighters can just fill the gaps. Well, we are not buying it. Stop public sector budget cuts, fund our

Local fire-fighters with inadequate medical training are forced to answer paramedic calls under a new proposal that changes department policy. Photo: Isobel Rushe

hospitals and let us get on with our job.”

There is a growing Concern that an emergency medical response role would be used as a ‘BandAid solution’ for major problems facing the NSW Ambulance and the NSW health system broadly.

Secretary of the Health Services Union NSW, Gerard Hayes said: “It’s completely inappropriate for fire-fighters to perform paramedic duties. The only reason this is happening is because of the crisis in paramedic staffing levels. This cuts both ways. What happens when a fire-fighter can’t get

to an emergency because they are doing work that should be performed by a paramedic?”

“NSW has the nation’s strongest economy and a bulging $5.7 billion surplus, yet all too often desperate families are left with an anxious wait for an ambulance while their father, mother, husband or wife has a cardiac arrest. We are simply not keeping pace with population growth.”

The NSW Fire Brigade Head office has refused to comment or communicate this official change to their employees.

In 2015/16 Fire and Rescue NSW responded to 122,827 emergencies, an average of 337 per day or roughly one call every four minutes. With 30% of these calls being medically-related, it is integral that the staff are adequately trained for these situations.

Inner City fire-fighter Chris Laneulie said, “Since the program was first brought up we have received an increase of calls with no official pay rise or recognition. It hasn’t even been formally introduced to us, so we are unaware if it is even happening.”

The NSW Fire Brigade Union said: “To carry out this scheme our fire-fighters will require a higher level of first aid skills and training.”

In order for adequate training to be provided NSW Ambulance must allocate their own staff to do so, Gary Wilson said: “As the NSW ambulance provide the program, issues are raised training external entities when many of our own staff themselves feel they do not receive enough training.”

NSW ambulance paramedic Jason Randorson said, “Due to funding cuts we can sometimes have resource issues. It’s a big job; we constantly need more help. I can see what they are trying to do but it’s a worry that we may not have access to the appropriate training for all staff.”

Mr Hayes confirmed this need for new staff to start immediately: “In Sydney’s West, a city the size of Newcastle is being built over the next fifteen years, yet the paramedic workforce is already at crisis point.

This needs to change but making fire-fighters fill the gaps is not the way to do it,” he said.

There is no suggestion that the fire-fighters will be used to provide non-emergency patient transport services.

The NSW Fire Department awaits the response of head office to address their concerns.

HAVE YOUR SAY ON OUR DRAFT NAMING POLICY We have developed a new guide for the naming of suburbs, roads, parks, open spaces, places and buildings that are owned, operated or managed by the City of Sydney.

Names are important. They tell us where we are, define places and buildings and are part of our community’s identity. The Geographical Names Board requires all places have a name to help with navigation and identification.

The draft naming policy outlines principles for the City of Sydney to follow when suggesting, endorsing and approving names. It also provides guidance for when a name may be changed or considered for dual naming.

Naming a place allows the community to build connections to country and reflect the area’s history and diversity. The guide also promotes local Aboriginal words and supports restoring traditional Gadigal place names.

You are invited to comment on this proposed policy until 5pm on Tuesday 20 March 2018.

To provide feedback, visit sydneyyoursay.com.au, email sydneyyoursay@cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au or post your comments to CEO, Attention: Lisa Murray, City Historian, Naming Policy, City of Sydney, GPO Box 1591, Sydney NSW 2001.

You can view the draft policy at sydneyyoursay.com.au and our neighbourhood service centres in the CBD, Glebe, Green Square, Kings Cross and Redfern.

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Nightmare in Randwick

BY JOHN MOYLE Scenes from ‘The Castle’ are being played out all across Sydney as the city undergoes an unprecedented development boom, but few expected that the nightmare would visit the quiet streets of Randwick in the way that it has.

The ghostly apparition that descended on Randwick firstly took their homes, and then began systematically undervaluing them for compensation.

In June last year, the State Government announced that they were going to bulldoze 88 properties in Eurimbla Ave, Botany Street and Magill Street, to make way for a $720 million redevelopment of the Prince of Wales Hospital.

The land is situated between the Prince of Wales and the University of New South Wales and the resumption includes university property.

“We are building a new acute services centre, with a new emergency department and 12 new operating theatres, a new ICU and approximately 300 new in-patient beds that the campus requires to for the next 10 to 15 years,” Mr Tobi Wilson, general manager, Prince of Wales Hospital said.

No resident that City Hub spoke to for this story was against the hospital redevelopment.

“We’re not against the development as it’s for the community, but it’s the way that it has been gone about,” Graham Walsh Green, committee member, Forced Acquisitions Residents Group for Randwick, said.

Prince of Wales general manager Tobi Wilson was emphatic in explaining that Health Infrastructure NSW and not the hospital were carrying out the land requisitions.

It seems that many of the approximately 200 residents impacted by the decision found out in a variety of ways, and none of them are examples of a government department conducting best practice in regards to a highly sensitive community issue.

88 properties will be knocked down to make way for a $720 million redevelopment of the Prince of Wales Hospital. Photo: Clifton Morgan

“From the beginning the communication was appalling between Health Infrastructure and the residents, for example, some were door knocked, others had letters left under their doors and others saw it on the news the next night or found out at work,” Wendy Gillett, committee member, said.

“It’s pretty crappy.”

A spokesperson for Health Infrastructure replied, ”Health Infrastructure has been working directly with each resident impacted by the land acquisition since the announcement in June 2017.”

If the land grab has any single media profile it would belong to 88-year-old Eileen Collins, who ironically is a long-term volunteer at the Prince of Wales.

“I can’t afford Randwick, and I have had to move to Pagewood, where I will have to take two buses to get to the Prince of Wales,” Eileen Collins said.

It’s all a bit of déja vu for Eileen, as in 1972 her Palmer Street home in Woolloomooloo was taken by the State Government as part of the redevelopment of the local area.

But it is not just Health Infrastructure’s bad manners that the local residents are complaining about. It is also about real estate, and in particular the price of the real estate as estimated by the acquiring party.

Under NSW law the government must compensate the owners of affected properties with a fair market value, and that if there is doubt, that value should be at the high end of the range and is to be resolved in the favour of the dispossessed owner.

“Every Health Infrastructure valuation is lower than every owners valuation and the differences range between 10 and 31 per cent,” Ms Gillett said.

Domain’s current estimate for a two-bedroom house in Randwick is $1.73 million, while a threebedder is $2.75m and a four bedder is $2.8m.

If Ms Gillett’s estimations of Health and Infrastructure’s valuations are correct, that means that homeowners at the higher end are being offered up to $1million less than market value for their properties.

“Health and Infrastructure obtains a valuation from a qualified property valuer and makes an initial

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offer on this basis,” a Health and Infrastructure spokesperson said.

Flo Mitchell is an acquisitions lawyer acting for around 20 Randwick homeowners and said, “Valuers appointed by the Government will frequently be below other valuers and the owners are usually expected to negotiate down from their own independent valuations.”

On top of what the Government valuer is offering, the 2014 Russell Report on just compensation advised that an each homeowner be granted an additional $75,000 for disruption to family life.

The Victorian government is slightly more generous, putting the pain of removal at 10 per cent of the property’s value.

“The Baird Government sat on the Russell Review for two years before releasing it, and when they did in 2016, it was already two years old, “Wendy Gillett said.

Where the Randwick homeowners go from here is best likened to an execution schedule.

“By around 17th February they will be served with a PAN, that stands for Proposed Acquisition Notices, and these are the first formal step for the Government to take ownership of the land,” Flo Mitchell said.

The PAN sets out the right of compensation and usually says that the owner has 60 days to file their claim, and that within 90 days the Government will take possession.

From that time, owners have the right to remain without paying rent for up to three months, after which time, in most of these cases, by the end of August, they can be forcibly removed.

“They are just not taking people’s houses, they are taking a community,” Wendy Gillett said, Flo Mitchell is also acting for homeowners in Marrickville, Parramatta, Westmead and Badgery’s Creek, and so the story goes across Sydney.

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Concrete outcome in Glebe

BY MICK DALEY Good news stories are rare when they mix a busy working harbour with a state government bent on constant profitable development. But the probable move of Hanson Concrete, a fifty year-old business based in Glebe, to the heavy industry facility on Glebe Island is a provisional win on many levels.

It keeps the company, a significant local employer, in a viable location that cuts down operating costs and carbon emissions. That’s good for the environment, the community and the local economy.

But the onerous fact that all these factors were endangered by government-sponsored developments has raised the hackles of Sydney business leaders and Greens MP Jamie Parker.

Hanson Concrete submitted a proposal to move their premises to Glebe Island after their site on Bridge Road in Glebe was slated for redevelopment by the Urban Growth Corporation (UGC), the body charged with redeveloping Sydney’s urban landscape.

The UGC plan to build 2760 apartments on the site of Hanson’s current site, a development that could net them an estimated $5 billion in sales.

The initial problem with that move was the news that the Glebe Island facility too was in the sights of the UGC. Such prime waterfront property was a logical target for a corporation seeking to maximize tourism and residential amenity. But the potential damage to the viability of Sydney’s working harbour raised a public outcry.

UGC developments have already forced the migration of vital waterfront industries such as Waterways Construction, which build and maintain the wharves servicing the harbour.

Hanson Concrete supplies over a third of the vital building needs of Sydney’s CBD, in the middle of the biggest building boom since the 2000 Olympics.

Its waterfront location means it’s close to customers, cutting down on road miles, fuel and its carbon footprint.

Hanson Concrete are moving from Bridge Road on Blackwattle Bay to Glebe Island. Photo: Alec Smart

Before the Glebe Island option it seemed likely the company would have to move its operations to another port – be that Newcastle or Wollongong.

Such a move would have exponentially multiplied traffic on Sydney’s already strained road networks, as it’s estimated that a single ship-borne load of cement takes up to 2800 trucks off our roads.

If Hanson Concrete was forced to move to Wollongong it would incur significant extra costs in transporting material back to Sydney and be vulnerable to the serious issues plaguing the bottlenecked Port Kembla/Wollongong network.

A story in the Australian Financial Review featured a senior business figure calling the mooted closure of Glebe Island a ‘strategic disaster’ that would seriously impact on Sydney’s already overloaded roads and infrastructure.

Mardi Gras Film Festival -

Now Greens MP Jamie Parker has lashed out at the UGC for what he sees as purely profit-motivated development.

“Part of the problem with Urban Growth Corporation is that it’s the government’s glorified real estate agent and developer,” Parker told the City Hub. “Their objective is to ensure that these areas that they call underdeveloped or in need of urban renewal are completed and the financial return to government is a major priority.

“What we say is they need to be looking at the needs of the city, the needs of employment, recreation and open space. The never ending search for profit from these sites needs to take a back seat to ensure that development or renewal of sites like this provide the kind of city that people want to live in, not just that profit can be made from.”

Parker said that the UGC’s planning is dictated by the needs of developers.

“Developers and the government are fetishizing residential development to the detriment of local jobs and environmental impacts,” he said. “While there’s always impacts on the community from working harbour activities, the environmental impact of trucking concrete across our roads to deliver concrete to building sites in the city is clearly undesirable.”

Parker insisted the NSW Government needs to work with local communities and councils to build an inner city community that isn’t focused purely on residential development.

“That means sensitive working harbour opportunities and retaining significant employers like Hanson where possible,” he said. “We’ve seen with Barangaroo where the cruise ship terminal was moved from its optimal location there to White Bay, to allow more and more retail and residential development. The cruise ship terminal at White Bay isn’t good for the local community or tourism.”

But while community involvement has staved off disaster in the working harbour, it seems constant vigilance is required to ensure good news into the future.

An Urban Growth Corporation spokesperson told the City Hub that Roads and Maritime Services and Hanson Cement are having commercial in-confidence discussions about the site Hanson occupies on Bridge Road, Glebe.

Hanson’s lease expires on 30 June 2018.

Hanson have advised Roads and Maritime the company is exploring options to relocate from Blackwattle Bay as a result of the urban renewal of Bays Market District. One potential site they are considering is Glebe Island. The Department of Planning and Environment are the regulatory authority for development applications of this nature.

Rebels on Pointe

BPM

SAT 17 FEB 3:00PM Meet the male ballerinas of the world famous Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, the all-male comic ballet company with an international cult following, in this playful documentary full of colourful characters, lots of laughs and some seriously good dancing.

SAT 17 8:30PM When Nathan joins ACTUP Paris in the 1990s he finds the passion of protest, and true love. Winner of the Grand Prix at Cannes and acclaimed by critics around the world, this powerful French drama is equal parts exhilarating and heartbreaking.

My Days of Mercy

What If…? Shorts

TUE 20 FEB 6:30PM Lucy (Ellen Page) and Mercy (Kate Mara) are on opposite spectrums of the death row debate, each with a deeply personal stake. During a protest demonstration, Lucy spots Mercy, and their chemistry is undeniable.

SAT 24 FEB 4:30PM This selection of girls shorts will have you asking the big ‘What if?’ in this dazzling collection of films. Featuring a plastic doll full of lust and rage, an awkward morning after, a mysterious kidnapping and more than one tale of lost love

Feb 15 Mar 1 2018

ON SALE NOW

queerscreen.org.au city hub 8 FEBRUARY 2018

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Crumbs for childcare

Roads and Maritime Services Airport East – Road Work at the intersection of O’Riordan Street and Sir Reginald Ansett Drive and Joyce Drive The Australian and NSW Governments are upgrading

roads east of Sydney Airport to improve traffic flow and access to the airport and Port Botany.

As part of the Airport East project, there will be major

intersection work around the Sydney Airport Domestic Terminal over three weekends between 9pm Friday 9 February and 5am Monday 26 March 2018, weather permitting.

There will be temporary traffic changes in place around

the intersection of O’Riordan Street, Joyce Drive and Sir Reginald Ansett Drive. Local access will be maintained.

Police and traffic controllers will be onsite to assist.

Motorists are advised to expect delays, allow extra

travel time, follow signage and avoid any non-essential For the latest information on traffic conditions visit livetraffic.com.

BLZ134841

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

BY JADE MORELLINI Childcare workers are fighting back against unequal pay, planning the biggest-ever early childhood education walk-off from work on March 27.

On 4th February 2017, a nationwide advertisement was launched promoting equal pay for childcare workers across TV, radio and newspaper with the aim to gain support from the Australian community.

Triggering this reaction was Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s failure to fund equal pay by the deadline set by educators on the 1st February.

Helen Gibbons, Assistant National Secretary, United Voice, the early childhood union says, “Educators gave Malcolm Turnbull a deadline to fix the sector’s low levels of pay, and once again he has failed to meet the deadline and let educators down. We have an educated, skilled workforce only earning around $21 an hour, that’s half the average wage – and this inequitable situation can no longer be tolerated.”

Director of Clovelly Childcare Centre, Debbie Zerbst, continued, “Childcare workers are asking for at least a 30% increase and what is being requested is that the federal government supports early childcare education.

Educators are underpaid and undervalued.

Our pay does not reflect our professional skills, expertise and immense responsibility. We want and demand to be recognized as trained professionals.”

Not only are the low wages affecting current workers, they fear it could be deterring new workers from taking up the profession.

“I think a large reason for unfair pay could be because the child care industry is predominantly women-based and historically women have never been given a fair deal,” Zerbst said. “We are a professional workforce.

Childcare workers are fighting back against unequal pay, planning the biggest-ever early childhood education walk-off from work on March 27. Photo: Clovelly Childcare Centre

We are looking after the most valuable people in the world, our children! We need the highest quality of educators who are passionate and committed to their work. If educators continue to receive the lowest wage it will be hard to attract people to our profession.”

On average, parents are expected to pay between $100 - $200 a day for childcare and this is putting a lot of pressure on working parents.

“I send my daughter to childcare on Monday and Wednesday, and on Thursday and Friday I get my mum to look after her because I can’t afford sending her four days a week while I’m at work,” Rosanna Johnson, mother of a 3-yearold, said. “Childcare fees are just another added pressure that I need to deal with.”

Childcare workers believe that if the

government provide them with the funds they are asking for, childcare fees may go down, taking some added pressures off parents.

“It’s important for the community to realise that educators don’t want to put the fees up, we don’t want to put more pressure on parents because we know how hard it is. What we are asking for is for the government to support and value our professional service. We are campaigning for wages that reflect the value of our work as Early Childhood Educators,” Zerbst said.

“I will support them,” Johnson said. “Equal pay is important and let’s face it, looking after children is difficult and without childcare workers, we wouldn’t be able to go to work in the first place so they do have a very important role in society.”

MEET the locals

City East Community College

GLEBE ISLAND MULTI-USER FACILITY

Photo: Supplied

Public Consultation Port Authority of NSW is seeking community feedback on a Review of Environmental Factors (REF) for a proposed multi-user facility at Glebe Island.

The proposal involves the construction and operation of a multi‑user facility for the import, storage and distribution of dry bulk construction materials (e.g. sand, aggregates) at Glebe Island 1 and 2.

The proposed facility would operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week as required.

• Access a hard copy at: ‑ Inner West Council, Leichhardt Service Centre, 7–15 Wetherill Street, Leichhardt ‑ City of Sydney Council, Customer Service Centre, Town Hall House, Level 2, 456 Kent Street, Sydney.

For more information about the facility There is a vital need for Sydney to import or the REF: critical construction materials due • Drop into one of our information to the depletion of local sand supplies. sessions at Pyrmont Community Glebe Island is in close proximity Centre, John and Mount streets, to CBD construction, urban renewal Pyrmont: and a construction boom driven by $70 billion of major infrastructure 1. 11am to 1pm projects. Glebe Island is uniquely placed Wednesday 7 February 2018 to provide a low cost, low impact and 2. 6pm to 8pm sustainable entry point for these materials Monday 12 February 2018 needed in the CBD and Bays Precinct.

3. 11am to 1pm Have your say Wednesday 14 February 2018.

Port Authority is now seeking • Visit your feedback on the REF www.portauthoritynsw.com.au/ between Wednesday 31 January glebeisland and Wednesday 28 February 2018.

To view the REF you can: • Download it from the Port Authority website: www.portauthoritynsw.com.au/ glebeisland

• Email GlebeIsland_MultiUserFacility@ portauthoritynsw.com.au • Call 1800 930 937 (during business hours).

Submissions can be: Emailed GlebeIsland_MultiUserFacility@portauthoritynsw.com.au Posted Port Authority of NSW, PO Box 25 Millers Point, NSW 2000.

All submissions will be acknowledged and a Response to Submissions report will be prepared.

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city hub 8 FEBRUARY 2018

BY JADE MORELLINI City East Community College (CECC) is a non-profit, adult education provider, offering hundreds of short courses for individuals living in Inner and Eastern Sydney.

They cater for everyone’s educational needs, with their courses covering the arts, lifestyle, business, computing and graphic design, health and fitness as well as languages and communications.

City East Community College offer classes that promote mental health, as well as their spiritual and physical health. Their Health and Wellbeing courses allow individuals to slow down from their busy day-to-day lives and relax their minds and bodies, putting the focus on themselves. They offer Tai Chi, Mindfulness Meditation, Pilates, Swimming and Mindful Eating to name a few. These

are available across a number of City East locations, including Alexandria, Bondi, Bondi Junction, Coogee, Dover Heights, Erskineville and Randwick.

Tutor of Mindful Eating, Debbie Pannowitz, has over 20 years of experience in healthcare.

She combines her clinical experience of nutrition and complementary therapies to mentor individuals and groups about mindful eating practices.

Pannowitz uses her experience to inspire students to use mindful practices when making the decision on what foods to eat. She encourages them to make choices from a place of nurturing and nourishment, rather than regret, guilt and blame.

On the opposite side of the spectrum, their business courses provide all the students with the option to learn about the ever-changing

workings of social media, accounting, business management, financial management, investment and real estate as well as communication and presentation skills.

City East Community College aim to foster the development of their students and promote growth in every area of study. For those who aspire to have their own business, their small business courses are available where they provide critical skills required for a successful business. They offer the foundation, knowledge and techniques that are required to effectively and successfully operate a small business which will attract and satisfy customers.

A simple yet crucial tool required in everyday life is languages and communication and City East Community College provide an array of courses to aid adults into communicating the best way they can. Students are given the opportunity to learn a second language, such as Dutch, French, Indonesian, Italian or Thai to name a few. They also have courses to improve communication skills, as well as writing and public speaking. Sign language (Auslan) courses are also accessible which is held in partnership with the Deaf Society of NSW and are taught by everyday users of Auslan.

City East Community College have accredited courses available for those who want to boost their career options and take their knowledge to the next level. City East Community College have nationally recognised training and will provide students with the skills required for any career path, leaving them with the qualifications to understand their career and remain up to date for their industry.

The short courses can be held on weekdays, evenings and on weekends.

FEATURE

Rainbow Screen The Cakemaker

In Between

By Rita Bratovich The Mardi Gras Film Festival (MGFF) is one of the most popular features of the festival overall.

It is run in collaboration with Queer Screen who this year celebrate 25 years as an entity. Since it was established in 1993 by a group of LGBTIQ+ film makers and friends-of-film, Queer Screen has showcased the best in LGBTIQ+ films and helped independent and emerging talent find a platform. The MGFF incorporates QueerDoc, a selection of documentaries that deal with LGBTIQ+ related subjects; and My Queer Career, a short film competition open only to locally produced work.

The program includes Australian and international premieres, mainstream releases, classics and a My Queer Career Retrospective.

With 55 features and 69 shorts, this year’s festival will be bigger and better than ever.

“I wouldn’t put in a turkey!” says Lisa Rose, about the selection.

Rose first joined Queer Screen in 2013 as Membership Director and moved quickly up through the ranks to her position today as Festival Director. She’s seen the festival evolve over its lifespan. Earlier films were “very queer”, quite esoteric with a narrow range of topics, whereas now films cover a broad content and genre spectrum, many with queerness being incidental to the plot. That said, she believes film festivals should provide a space for experimental, niche, political and independent films.

“What’s been really interesting over the 25 years has been the diversity that has grown, like there’s so many more people of colour that we see on screen now,” explains Rose. “One of the biggest things that has changed is the quantity of trans-films that are being made - there’s a lot more, which is great!”

Something she laments is the lack of parity between female and male films, something she means to rectify in future festivals.

One film that does have female producers is the feature, Black Divaz, which was recently awarded $2000 from the Queer Screen Completion Fund.

Michaela Perske and Gillian Moody had to shoot quickly on a very low budget to complete their documentary and still need to raise money for ongoing costs, so the award is a welcome gift.

“I am so thrilled!” says Perske. “[Queer Screen] have been utterly supportive in every way.”

Black Divaz documents the inaugural Miss First Nation pageant, held in Darwin in 2017. Six indigenous drag queens from around Australia competed in the finals: Crystal Love, Isla Fukyah, Josie Baker, Nova Gina, Shaniqua, and Jo Jo. As Perske describes it, the film explores “what it actually means to be a queer indigenous person in Australia in the 21st Century.” Interestingly, one contestant, Isla Fukyah (aka Izaak Field) is actually straight but has discovered drag as a means to overcome anxiety and depression.

All six queens involved will see the movie for the first time when it premieres at MGFF. To help promote Black Divaz and raise funds, an exhibition by photographer Joseph Mayers featuring the queens is being held at The Bearded Tit in Redfern.

Waffles

The Ring Thing

The Rift

The 34th

Meanwhile, here’s a tasting plate of films in the MGFF program.

The Rift (Iceland, subtitles) The blue-hued sparse Icelandic landscape is beautiful yet ominous, setting the perfect mood for this slowly thawing thriller.Two ex-lovers are brought together in an isolated cottage and forced to try and understand each other, themselves and the sinister presence that haunts them. Gripping.

The Ring Thing (USA) Although the protagonists are both women, this is a universal story about relationships and marriage. The making-a-movie within a movie device allows a wider exploration of the subject.

It’s romantic, sad and real.

Rebels On Pointe (UK/ Italy/Canada/Japan/USA) Men in tights and tu-tus being strong, graceful and charismatic. This is the famous and

prestigious Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo.You’ll meet the male-only dancers, hear their stories, watch their moves, marvel and cry.

Bar Bahar/In Between (Israel/France, subtitles) Three unlikely flatmates: a party-girl lawyer; a lesbian bartender with conservative parents; a traditional betrothed Muslim woman studying computer science, discover that freedom and oppression are vague and overlapping concepts.

Amusing, daring and starkly poignant.

The 34th (Ireland) An extremely important and topical film given our own recent Marriage Equality debate. This documentary reveals the personal stories, political in-fighting and mixed social responses that were part of the Equality campaign in Ireland. Inspiring and moving.

The Cakemaker (Germany/Israel, subtitles) A touching drama about Thomas, a young German pastry chef who enters into an affair with Oren, a visiting Israeli businessman who is married with a child.

Oren’s sudden death compels Thomas to go to Israel and seek out his widow in an attempt to deal with his emotions - but it only complicates things.

Waffles (USA, short) At just under four minutes long, this meme-ish little gem delivers a sweet punch. The morning after a one night stand a married (we’re told) woman lies in bed while her younger hook-up dresses briskly and answers questions petulantly. We ultimately learn why. Worth seeing just for the killer last line!

Mardi Gras Film Festival. Feb 15 - Mar 1. www.queerscreen.org.au My Queer Career awards. Feb 26. Event Cinemas, George St, Sydney. www.queerscreen.org.au Black Divaz Photo Exhibition. Until Mar 3. Bearded Tit, 183 Redfern St, Redfern. www.thebeardedtit.com city hub 8 FEBRUARY 2017

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Russell Peters Deported

Welcome to Night Vale: All Hail Cult serial podcast Welcome to Night Vale: All Hail is returning to Australian shores for its second national tour. Starring Cecil Baldwin as community radio show host, Cecil Palmer, All Hail is a standalone show ensconced within the broader Night Vale universe that explores fan-favourite character, the Glow Cloud.

“The live shows are really made for not only fans of the show who have listened to all of the episodes but the people who are friends and family members of people who may know the podcast,” says Cecil Baldwin. “You get the best of what Night Vale has to offer in our live shows without having to also know the plot.”

With audience participation strongly encouraged, the All Hail performers are constantly kept on their toes presenting this

John Bell’s Carmen is being reprised at the Opera House in its Cuban setting, with crumbling colourful architecture and gaudy costumes, and a roadside food stall providing the backdrop to this tragic tale of a spirited gypsy woman who comes to an untimely death at the hands of a jilted lover.

Why the Cuban setting? It was close enough to Spanish culture to capture the essence of the work but of course, the dance “habanera” originated in Havana.

Unlike directing plays, directing opera requires close collaboration with the conductor, the choir master, the choreographer, and the children’s chorus master, and others, with the director and conductor as co-equals, with the director reminding the conductor that this is a dramatic piece and not a concert.

This collaboration is intensified by the short rehearsal time as overseas artists often arrive only a day or so before opening night.

one-of-a-kind style of theatre. For the performers, the visual interpretations of the Night Vale world have been particularly inspiring.

“The live shows are a totally different animal to making a podcast. The world exists in the mind of the listeners so there’s more wiggle room and ambiguity to Night Vale,” says Cecil.

“I think it was Sydney and Melbourne who did not disappoint with their cosplay the last time we did live shows in Australia. The fans came dressed as characters so I’m really holding high standards for this tour!”

(ES) Feb 11. Sydney Opera House, Bennelong Point, Sydney. From $69.90+b.f.

Tickets & Info: www.livenation.com.au

Carmen

Israeli born mezzo-soprano Rinat Shaham shares the role of Carmen with Sian Pendry, while tenors Marcelo Puente from Argentina and Otar Jorjikia from Georgia share the role of Don Jose.

Conducting will be shared by Carlo Goldstein (until Feb 27) and Tahu Matheson (from March 2).

As Opera Australia Artistic Director Lyndon Terracini says, “Carmen is a must see opera, even if you’ve never set foot in an opera house.

If you’re new to opera, this production is the perfect first show - the work itself is, of course brilliant, the production values are second-tonone and with the stellar Australian and international cast we have assembled, it’s an opera that is set to impress.”

Having seen the original production, all I can say to this is “Ole!” (ID) Feb 10-Mar 23. Sydney Opera House, Bennelong Point, Sydney. $46-$348+b.f.

Tickets & Info: www.opera.org.au

Mamma Mia! The Musical

The music of ABBA is evergreen and imbues everything it touches with the same immortality.That’s why 20 years after the first production Mamma Mia! is as popular as ever.A new Australian show is now touring nationally, drawing seasoned fans and converting first timers to its magic.

Director, Gary Young and a very talented crew - Tom Hodgson (choreography), Linda Bewick (set design) and Suzy Strout (costume design) among them - have revamped the show with a fresh, inventive stage set; exciting dance routines; imaginative costumes; and a few cheeky Aussie references.

Many of the cast worked together in a previous production of Mamma

Mia!. Notably, Natalie O’Donnell and Alicia Gardiner who play Donna (the mother) and Rosie in this show, played Sophie (the daughter) and Ali in the original show.The rapport and conviviality of actors on stage is palpable and infectious. Stephen

a&e

Mahy (Sky) agrees: “That’s the beauty about this cast, everybody feels like it’s an open and caring space.”

While the popularity and familiarity of the songs have a lot to do with the appeal of this musical, Sarah

13 STAGE 14 Sounds 15 SCREEN 15 SCENE

Morrison, who plays Sophie, believes it goes deeper: “The songs sort of mesh beautifully with this love story and it’s all about family and love.”

The 22 ABBA songs featured cover a vast emotional spectrum and accommodate the story remarkably well with only minor lyric tweaks.

Although many people have already seen a stage version or the Hollywood screen adaptation, this new production promises fresh delights and some pleasant surprises.

So… Mamma Mia! - you should go again! (RB) Feb 11-Apr 22. Capitol Theatre, 13 Campbell St, Haymarket. $79-$150+b.f.Tickets & Info: www.capitoltheatre.com.au

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 @CityHubSyd

Amid all the race-fuelled issues we’re constantly having as a society, comedy is a saving grace.

Cue our favourite brown Canadian to arrive: Russell Peters will soon return to our shores with his Deported world tour.

Born to Indian parents, Peters has a classic childhood story of being bullied by all the other white kids at school. Of course these days, he’s the one that’s laughing: not only has he sold out shows internationally, he holds the record for doing so in several places – such as when he took in more than 13,000 punters at a Sydney show in 2010, which is said to be the largest stand-up comedy show ever in Australia. No mean feat for a country that has several annual comedy festivals!

He’s also a regular on the big screen across various genres, having starred in all styles of film from kids movies to dystopian thrillers. He also graced the small screen recently in the lead role of his own Netflix series, The Indian Detective.

Peters has a talent for making fun of ethnic stereotypes, especially his own; but that doesn’t mean the rest of us will go unscathed. He says, “I don’t make stereotypes…I just see them.”

In our politically tense climate right now, it’s just what the doctor ordered. (AE) Feb 8. QUDOS Bank Arena, Edwin Flack Ave & Olympic Blvd, Sydney Olympic Park. $91.60$111.95+b.f.Tickets & Info: www.ticketek.com.au

Contributors: Barbara Karpinski, Craig Coventry, Emily Shen, Greg Webster, Irina Dunn, Jade Morellini, James Harkness, Joseph Rana, Leann Richards, Lisa Seltzer, Mark Morellini, Mel Somerville, Olga Azar, Rita Bratovich, Rocio Belinda Mendez, Sarah Pritchard, Shon Ho, Jade Morellini, Alex Eugene, Manuel Gonzalez, Tommy Boutros, Riley Hooper, Mohsen Dezaki, Daniel Jaramillo.

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The View Upstairs

In 1973 a fire in the Upstairs Lounge, a covert gay bar in New Orleans, killed 32 people and left a hideous scar on the entire community. Stories and images of the incident are truly harrowing. It doesn’t seem like the kind of thing you’d write a musical about, yet lyricist/composer Max Vernon has done just that. The View Upstairs focuses on the human story - the segregation and hostility from outside; the joy, love and resilience inside; the ultimate tragedy.

The Orlando Pulse Nightclub shooting has given the Upstairs Lounge fire a new relevance, according to Stephen Madsen who plays Patrick in the upcoming Hayes Theatre production.

“It is a really amazing, topical story to be telling, the fact that these kinds of tragedies aren’t a new

thing…there’s an entire history of this taking place.”

Madsen admits he hadn’t previously known about the New Orleans gay night club fire and was as shocked about that as he was about the horrific details.

“I was really happy that Max Vernon had written the piece to draw attention to what’s a really shocking, pretty ignored part of American history.”

The plot unfolds as a series of personal anecdotes told to the present day owner who acquires the burnt out site of the night club and is transported back in time. Some characters are based on real people - those whose biographies are known; others have been invented as many victims could not be identified.

Live Music Guide LIVE WIRE Sydney

By Jamie Apps

Rise Against.

Photo: Travis Shinn

(Sandy) Alex G: Philadelphia lo-fi mastermind (Sandy) Alex G will visit our shores tonight for a special performance. In his first venture Down Under, (Sandy) Alex G (aka Alex Giannascoli) will showcase his prolific recording career.

Thu, Feb 8, The Lansdowne Tim Hart: Perhaps best known for his work as part of the acclaimed Australian indie rock/ folk band Boy & Bear Tim Hart has also been creating his own solo work. Tomorrow night he will perform his new record The Narrow Corner for Sydney fans in an intimate setting.

Fri, Feb 9, Leadbelly Golden Vessel: Fresh off the back of a national tour run in support of The Kite String Tangle, the release of his EP Right/Side, and a much talked about showcase at BIGSOUND, Golden Vessel will be performing in Sydney tomorrow night.

Fri, Feb 9, Hudson Ballroom Grenadiers: A live force to be reckoned with, expect spot-on guitar tones, frontman Jesse Coulter’s characteristic whiskey’n’smokes growl, and an escalating maelstrom of fistpumping, sing-along punky rock in celebration of the release of new 14

city hub 8 FEBRUARY 2018

LP Find Something You Love And Let It Kill You. Sat, Feb 10, The Chippo Hoolahan: After a recordwinning hiatus Hoolahan return with their unique take on literate pop songs packed with minor-key guitar hooks and bittersweet harmonies. Catch them performing a laidback Sunday afternoon set at the Union Hotel.

Sun, Feb 11, Union Hotel Rise Against: The politicallycharged, punk four-piece will play their biggest headline show in Sydney to date in celebration of their chart-topping eighth studio album Wolves.

Tue, Feb 13, Hordern Pavilion Kitty, Daisy & Lewis: Britain’s rocking roots trio Kitty, Daisy & Lewis are bringing their infectious energy and nostalgia-soaked fusion of rockabilly, vintage country and first-generation rhythm and blues to Sydney. Delivering their fourth studio album Superscope to Australian audiences for the very first time, the siblings from North London have been inspiring audiences and gathering an impressive fan base since conception, including Eagles Of Death Metal, the late Amy Winehouse and David Lynch.

Wed, Feb 14, The Factory

By Jamie Apps One of Australia’s finest singer-songwriters is back home after several years living and touring in the United States and he wants to make a big impact.

“It’s been great living and working over in America and I enjoyed every minute of it but I missed home terribly,” reflected Gregg Arthur, “I’m now madly trying to let people know that I’m here now and performing shows to showcase what I’ve learned in the States.”

Arthur has loved jazz music since his childhood thanks to constantly listing to his father’s record collection which included Miles Davis, Stan Getz and Sarah Vaughan.

Whilst Australia provided a great foundation for Arthur to explore his passion for jazz singing ultimately he had to venture to the home of the genre, the United States.

As Arthur explained to us, “Jazz of course is an American art form, they invented it and they own it, so to stand up in front of American audiences is very gratifying. The American audience is always surprised and fascinated to see that an Australian guy knows the songs from the ‘great American songbook’ so well.”

The theatre will be set up to resemble the actual club - the audience will feel like patrons.

Musically it reflects the mood and personality of the Upstair Lounge, with songs being used to introduce each character. Madsen’s character, Patrick, is a pick up artist who survived conversion therapy but suffers from low self esteem.

“He thinks he’s terribly wrong so a place like the club is the only place where he can be himself,” explains Madsen. “It really is a show that speaks to a lot of minorities - and really to everyone.”

The plot takes us right up to the fire, which is depicted tastefully, and each character’s fate is told.

It’s not a typical musical, but it is moving, entertaining and triumphant. (RB) Until Mar 4. Hayes Theatre, 19 Greenknowe Ave, Elizabeth Bay. $60-65+b.f.

Tickets & Info: www.hayestheatre.com.au

Gregg Arthur

Along the way Arthur has received praise from a number of legends within the genre such as Frank Sinatra’s pianist Vincent Falcone and

Tony Bennett.The praise from Bennett came in the form of a personally hand written note which read, ‘I love the way you

sing.You have a fan in the way you phrase… it’s perfect.’

“Getting a hand written letter from Tony Bennett for me was like getting a letter from the Pope,” said Arthur.

Now that Arthur is back on home soil he has gathered together a band of phenomenal Australian musicians to both record new music and also perform shows.

The band consists of Peter Locke, Craig Scott, Tim Galvin and Michael Avjenicos all of whom Arthur was full of praise for.

“Peter is a vastly experienced maestro on piano and Craig is of course a brilliant educator as the chair of jazz studies at the Sydney Conservatorium of music.We’re also working with two brilliant young musicians,Tim Galvin and Michael Avjenicos, so it’s a mixture of experience and new blood.”

For anybody interested in the upcoming Sydney performance at Camelot Lounge Arthur says to expect, “A lot of truth because I like picking songs that are about a topic which I can relate to so that when I sing them they are very heartfelt.”

Feb 14. Camelot Lounge, Marrickville Rd & Railway Parade, Marrickville. $35-$40+b.f. Tickets & Info: www.camelotlounge.com

Ruby Boots Don’t Talk About It

Alice Ivy – I’m Dreaming

In her first record to be released on Island Records Australia Ruby Boots has created a body of work which explores a wide emotional range in an intriguing country/ rock blend.

Sonically Ruby Boots is quite obviously a country artist but that shouldn’t drive non-country fans away as she also incorporates pop and rock elements. Opening track It’s So Cool and title track Don’t Talk About It are prime examples of how well this is done throughout the record.

With this being Ruby’s second full length album the confidence and self-assuredness is much more clear in this record. This allows Ruby to explore emotional areas, particularly heartbreak, in great depth whilst maintaining captivating hooks for new listeners to the genre.

(JA) WWW1/2

Alice Ivy’s I’m Dreaming is a cornucopia of experimentation.The young artist’s debut album is filled with influences and iconic quotes, mixed through with new ideas each of them blended seamlessly into beautiful new life.

Though led by one, the album is a group effort, bouncing from one strongly bonded collaboration to the next.Thoughtfully formed, each track centres around a theme, pulling focus instead of splitting it into infinity and insanity.There are beats and they are fun but they are not the almighty god of this album enslaving sense to their constant evolution.

Alice Ivy’s debut is a creative triumph and an example of how not to lose heart when surrounded by too much choice, the album is the result of a discerning, musically trained mind.This album is a varied experience and a meaningful one. (SP) WWW1/2

Happy End

Selected to compete for the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival, Happy End is a foreign art house drama written and directed by Austrian Michael Haneke. The film stars Isabelle Huppert, Jean-Louis Trintignant, Mathieu Kassovitz, Franz

Rogowski and Toby Jones plus more.

The story surrounds a wealthy French family living in Calais. After teenager Eve undetectably poisons her mother with sedatives, she is sent to live with her father

Den of Thieves and his new wife at the family mansion. While Eve is dealing with her depression the rest of the family are dealing with dramas of their own. An affair, an injury, a lawsuit and the grandfathers want to escape dementia and frailty.

Happy End was a struggle to watch with the storyline choppy and often confusing.

There were too many unnecessary long shots to count and having absolutely no score made the film feel dull.

Unless you are a huge fan of Haneke, don’t waste the money on seeing this at the cinema.

(RH) W

Taking on the classic American heist crime thriller story, Den of Thieves is an action-packed film sprinkled with satirical comedy.

The film is co-written, produced and directed by Christian Gudegast starring Gerard Butler, O’Shea Jackson Jr, Pablo Schreiber, 50 Cent and Evan Jones to name a few.

After the robbery of an empty armoured truck, Major Crimes squad lead by Nick Flanagan (Butler) are called in to find the crew responsible and solve the mystery as to why the empty truck was stolen. While trying to dodge the erratic antics of Detective Flanagan, the crew plan their next hit,

THE NAKED CITY

MUMBAI CALLING

the Federal Reserve Bank of Los Angeles.

The film kept a good pace and was generally an entertaining watch. Gerard Butler absolutely nailed his role and personally I would like to

see him in more roles of this calibre. Filled with all the good stuff, shoot outs, fight scenes, suspense and a great story, Den of Thieves is worth the watch. (RH) WWWW3/4

Chindia

Four and Twenty Blackbirds

offshore.

It’s no secret operators in these countries are employed for a pittance, compared to their counterparts in Australia. For example the minimum annual award salary for a full-time contact centre agent in Australia is around $40,000 with many starting salaries well over $50,000. In the Philippines the same worker could be employed for less than $6,000. Whilst the offshore operators are generally well schooled and trained to deal with difficult situations, if you have a gripe with a particular product or service, theirs is essentially a heavily scripted response.

In many cases they have been set up as the last line of defence when it comes to consumer complaints, a convenient way for the Australian based company to deflect dissatisfied customers and not have to deal with the problem internally. Look at the

websites of many Australian companies using offshore call centres and you will soon see that the call centre number is the only option if you have a problem or complaint. There is no local number to ring and no email address to lodge your grievance.

And spare a thought for those poor souls in Mumbai and Manila earning an eighth of their Australian equivalents. It’s their job to remain calm and composed when subjected to the anger, irritation and at times heated abuse of grumpy Australian customers. Indeed part of their training is a role play involving just such angry Aussies, testing their patience in dealing with some particularly obnoxious and at times even racist callers.

Essentially what many Australian companies, from internet providers to energy moguls are doing, is exporting the wrath and fury of enraged consumers to an anonymous

overseas destination. “Hell we don’t want infuriated customers ringing us up in Sydney or Melbourne – let them abuse the crap out of some poor silly bastard in Mumbai!”

At the end of many overseas calls, the operator will ask you to rate the experience, depending on how helpful they have been in dealing with you. Given much of the hostility they are subjected to by pissed off Australian consumers, it’s a cruel and demeaning form of assessment and one that directly affects their continued employment.

The big Australian companies would argue that the millions saved in moving their contact centres offshore are passed on to their consumers in cheaper prices and rates. If you believe that you’ll also believe that your call has been placed in a queue and will be answered by the next available operator with a waiting time of only five minutes!

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With Coffin Ed Call centres are said to have originated in the UK in the 1960s and it’s hard not to believe they were inspired by the works of George Orwell and Franz Kafka – such is the dehumanising effect on both ends of the telephone.These days modern life dictates that just about everybody will encounter the dreaded call centre experience, multiple times every month.

The frustrations encountered soon become a test of both our endurance and temperament, with extended waiting times, calls that suddenly drop out, repeated automated messages flogging a particular product and the most annoying, ultra-repetitive muzak whilst we wait to be answered.

When finally connected, chances are we are speaking to somebody in India or the Philippines, as more and more Australian companies shift their call centres

Exploring issues of cultural identity, politics, displacement and diaspora histories, Chindia aims to provoke audiences to consider and deliberate complex and multi-faceted social issues.

China and India are two of the most populous countries in the world.With histories which date back thousands of years, the Chinese and Indian peoples have a long history of overseas migration, maintenance of cultural identity, and socio-cultural exchange with local cultures. It is because this very fact that Chindia will be such a broad and enlightening exhibition featuring not only artworks from six artists but also a showcase event featuring talks from the artists and a short film screening.

The six artists involved in the exhibition are Anindita Banerjee,Anurendra Jegadeva, Guo Jian, Lilian Lai, Lucy Wang (Ru Xi) and TextaQueen.

Chindia: Short Films from the Diaspora will take place on Monday February 19 at UTS Library Haymarket featuring four short films and a discussion with academics from University of Technology and University of Sydney who will share their insights on what the artworks and short films bring to the conversation, and how artists can play a more active role as agents of social change. (JA) Feb 15-26. Gaffa Gallery, Gallery 1, 281 Clarence St, Sydney. FREE.Tickets & Info: www.carnivalofthebold.com

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