CITY HUB January 2023

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Contributors: Christine Lai, Erin Modaro, John Moyle, Lauren Frost, Sam Pashmi, Sasha Foot and Tileah Dobson

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Contributors: Mark Morellini, Martin Fabinyi, Irina Dunn, John Moyle, Jarrod Wolhuter

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By ERIN MODARO

Renewed concerns over the redevelopment of one of Sydney’s oldest public schools have arisen as new modifications to the plans are up for public exhibition.

Fort Street Public School, established in 1849, sits atop Observatory Hill in Millers Point; a stone’s throw from the south point of the Harbour Bridge with panoramic views of Sydney. The school was approved for an upgrade to facilities in October of 2021. The second round of modifications to the approved plans have recently been released.

While council supports the state government’s initiative to provide funding and upgrades to Sydney’s public schools, several issues were highlighted in the redevelopment process of Fort Street school.

City of Sydney council passed a motion requesting that the Lord Mayor write to Ministers in support of “evidenced-based heritage outcomes for Observatory Hill”. Councillor Linda Scott, who tabled the motion, recognised concerns raised around the impacts to heritage, transparency in budget, and community consultation.

HERITAGE IMPACT

Near the school sits the remnants of the first observatory ever built in Sydney, which was transformed into a museum. A 2020 Heritage Impact report for developments in Barangaroo said the observatory building has “exceptional significance in terms of European culture”.

Also in the vicinity of the school is the a historic Bureau of Meteorology building, established in 1922, which operated for the Weather Bureau for over 70 years.

In May of 2021, the National Trust, who’s historic headquarters are also located atop Observatory Hill near the school, reported that the plans for upgrades did not comply with the Conservation Management Plan (CMP).

The CMP states that to protect the heritage value of the historic area, the most “dominant building” on the hill must be the Meteorology (MET) building. However, original plans for the Fort Street School upgrade increased the height and bulk of a key building, named building J, beyond the scope of the MET.

A spokesperson from the Department of Education told City Hub in 2021 that the purpose of the height increase in

building J was to improve access to the MET building rooftop outdoor learning space and to support educational outcomes.

Members of the Millers Point Residents Community Group raised concerns over the impact the new school would have in the heritage area.

“Essentially, [the CMP] says that the meteorology building, which is obviously the oldest building on that site, should be the highest building there,” Frank, a local resident from the Millers Point Community group said.



heritage is the most important thing

Frank said that when it comes to the local community’s concerns with the Fort Street School plans, “heritage is the most important thing”.

Now that the final modifications have been released by the state government, Frank says the newest plans go against what the community submitted in response to the first modification document.

“It actually goes completely against them” Frank said. Modification 2 includes increases to height and bulk in several buildings in the school.

Along with heritage concerns, questions have been raised about the steep $68 million price tag associated with the rebuild. Sydney Council recognised a lack of transparency surrounding why the redevelopment is costing the government so much.

Councillor Linda Scott’s motion cites a “lack of transparency surrounding

the NSW Government’s $68 million budget”, associated with the school modifications.

According to the Education HQ, Fort Street Public School, which has temporarily relocated to a campus at Blackwattle Bay, has approximately 250 students enrolled this year. While the school has significant heritage value in itself, the $68 million budget equates to around $272,000 per student.

The council motion says that the National Trust has written to the Budget Estimate Committee with questions about the expenditure.

CONSULTATION CONCERNS

Residents say there has also been a certain amount of issues with the consultation process. An error in a letter to residents and landowners had an incorrect end date for public exhibition of modification 2, leading to confusion over how long people had to make submissions.

The NSW government gave 14 days of public exhibition for modification 2, which a spokesperson from the Department of Planning and Environment said is the minimum amount required for modification applications in State Significant Developments.

The public exhibition on modification 2 has been extended by one month in light of the error. Submissions will now close on January 15, 2023.

HubARTS: Don Giovanni Mozart’s opera noir is almost too dark for some (See p. 25)

Modifications to Fort Street Public School are raising flags with local residents and council.

Photo: Supplied

Locals concerned by hilltop school upgrades

Hopes to reverse bus privatisation dimmed

“The bus that used to go down our street has been cancelled. Now my wife must walk 1100m to and from a tram stop to get to work.”

RESORTING TO CARS FOR TRANSPORT

He admits his wife has reverted to taking the car more frequently when it is “raining or very hot”, adding that they “have an entire car dedicated to this cause now”.

badly planned and terribly executed privatisation

use – removed 25 bus routes and modified 23 others in the Randwick City Council area.

According to the government’s recommendation response, the private company serving Region 9, Transdev John Holland, will deliver “extra” and “more frequent” services. It also states taxpayers will save $200 million through the eight-year contract.

Residents in Kingsford, Coogee and Randwick took to Facebook to express their frustration over tram and bus disruptions, with many blaming it on privatisation.

BY SASHA FOOT

The NSW Government will not support reversing the privatisation of bus services, despite Sydney commuters describing it as “terribly executed” and “badly planned”.

A parliamentary report released in September 2022 recommended that the State Government consider returning bus ownership to the State Transit Authority, as the committee found that private bus contracts were costing commuters more and limiting services.

The report also called out a lack of community consultation when modifying several bus routes.

However, the state government stated in a new response report that they are “not supportive” of restoring the bus network to public ownership.

Eastern suburbs resident Ian Macca believes the privately owned bus network is not benefiting the community.

Macca told City Hub that his wife’s commute is longer and more of a “hassle” since the bus route changed in December last year.

Macca says it is worrying that other households may be relying on an extra car, citing the “badly planned and terribly executed privatisation” of Sydney’s bus services as a possible cause of increased car dependency.

Private transport services operate in Regions 6, 7, 8 and 9 in Metropolitan Sydney. Region 9, which serves the eastern suburbs and has the highest patronage of the Sydney Bus Network, was heavily affected by recent route changes.

The privatisation of Region 9 – which occurred largely to increase light rail

One resident called it a “hopeless situation” since privatisation came into effect.

The recommendation report followed the Upper House enquiry into bus privatisation, where the Mayors of Randwick and Waverley Councils gave evidence.

The Mayor of Waverley, Paula Masselos, has previously expressed opposition to the changes to the bus services.

Randwick City Council’s submission focused on the extensive culling of bus routes, with Mayor Dylan Parker calling for the reversal of bus privatisation.

Happy new year!

Mayor's message

On behalf of Waverley Council and my fellow Waverley Councilors, I would like to wish our community a happy and safe 2023.

Waverley Council is delighted to be progressing several exciting projects this year including our Float to Survive water safety pilot campaign with Randwick City Council and UNSW. Float to Survive promotes floating as the best chance of survival for swimmers who get into trouble in the water and is aimed at reducing the record number of drownings in Australia. We are testing the memorability of the Float to Survive message in our research to help keep our swimmers safe. When visiting our beaches, please remember to always swim between the flags and follow instructions from our lifeguards. If you become caught in a rip or encounter difficulties in the water, please signal for help and float to survive.

Our Major Projects continue with the restoration and upgrade of the heritage-listed Boot Factory building in Spring St, Bondi Junction and Mill Hill Community Centre. The Council is transforming the building into our first Innovation and Knowledge Hub where we can nurture ideas to further transform Waverley into a smart city of the future and ensure that neighbouring Waverley Library keeps pace with the knowledge economy. Restoration works are expected to be completed in autumn so please see the Major Projects page on our website for updates.

We are also continuing to work with businesses and residents in Charing Cross to discuss our proposed streetscape upgrade of Waverley’s oldest village centre. We have very well thought-out and developed concept design for the Charing Cross Streetscape Upgrade which includes new trees and street furniture, the introduction of a 40km/h area, footpath widening and undergrounding of overhead powerlines.

Our concept design for the Charing Cross streetscape upgrade aims to preserve and celebrate the traditional village look and feel of this much-loved neighbourhood area while making it more sustainable and safer for pedestrians, motorists and those using public transport. The Charing Cross community is passionate about their village which we want to improve for the future.

Bondi Pavilion continues to delight this summer with exciting live events from music and films to kids activities, exhibitions and classes. New events are being scheduled each week, so be sure to check out the What’s On page at bondipavilion.com.au for the

latest updates. A reminder also that the Bondi Pavilion Welcome Centre is open 10am to 4pm, seven days a week, for all your Waverley Customer Service and Box Office needs.

As the year progresses, we’ll be consulting on more and more exciting projects such as streetscape upgrades, plans and projects. The feedback you provide during our consultations helps inform the decision we make at Council, so head to haveyoursay.waverley.nsw.gov.au to provide your feedback and ensure your voice is heard.

Lastly, our free Justice of the Peace service is available for walk-ins at Waverley Customer Service Centre (Monday - Friday) from 10am to 2pm (subject to availability, call 9083 8000 to confirm) and at Waverley Library (10am to 12pm, Saturdays only). For more, visit the ‘Contact Us’ page on our website.

And for lots more events and news, look out for your copy of the summer edition of Waverley News, our community magazine celebrating all things Waverley! You can also sign up to receive our e-newsletters at waverley.nsw.gov.au/top_link_pages/news_and_media/waverley_sub scriptions.

Paula Masselos, Mayor of Waverley

The NSW government is “not supportive” of reversing bus service privatisation. Photo: transportnswblog.com

Darling Harbour gears up for major upgrades

last days of trade. The current shopping centre occupies around 240 metres of waterfront.

Long standing restaurant and bar The Watershed Hotel and Cohi Bar posted via social media that “the rumours are true”, and announced their last day of trade in early December.

DARLING HARBOUR CLOSURES

Mirvac has said in a statement in December that the closure of the existing Harbourside Shopping Centre will happen “progressively over the next 6 weeks”.

2023, Mirvac say they will “shortly be submitting plans for the main building works”.

The redevelopment of the Harbourside Shopping Centre will cover a gross floor area of 87,000 square metres, featuring a mixed-use development with commercial and residential spaces.

BY ERIN MODARO

The beginning of a massive redevelopment of Darling Harbour has kicked off with shop fronts and restaurants in the Harbourside Shopping Centre closing their doors. Shop owners in the centre were asked to vacate by Friday December 9, as plans for the redevelopment of the site get rolling.

Mirvac’s $1 billion redevelopment of the prime waterfront area has been in the works for years, with the developers

getting the green light for the project from the NSW government in September last year.

Mirvac announced development would begin in January of 2023.

Built in the 1980s, the existing Harbourside Shopping Centre has been slowly increasing in vacancy with many shopfronts empty.

Restaurants that line Darling Harbour’s waters in the shopping centre have either shut down already or announced their

“Mirvac has worked closely with the NSW Government and the community on this iconic site” the statement said.

While construction of the redevelopment has been confirmed to begin in January

A 42-story residential tower with roughly 300 luxury homes will also be built. Also included in plans is increased public spaces such as a widened waterfront boulevard and a bridge connecting the harbour to Pyrmont. The 10,000 square metres of public domain will feature a waterfront garden.

The massive development was met with backlash from residents and the City of Sydney Council after Mirvac originally proposed a 166-metre-tall tower that was labelled as “overshadowing”. Fears of overdevelopment, blocking views, and questions over local benefit arose when the plans were unveiled.

2023: Our climate, our environment, our future

From devastating bushfires to extreme floods and record rainfalls across the state, communities across NSW are feeling the escalating effects of the climate crisis. Last year - Sydney’s wettest on record - left communities locally and across the state reeling from disasters, flash floods, leaks, and mould that persisted even throughout the warmer months.

It’s clear that without drastic action at every level - global, local, individual, and collective - the threats posed by the climate crisis to our health, safety, and every aspect of our futures will only worsen.

For years, we’ve known that mining and burning coal and gas is one of the major causes of the climate crisis. But NSW is still amongst the biggest coal exporters in the world and both major parties remain in the

pockets of coal and gas corporations, from whom they still take big donations.

If we’re serious about curbing the climate crisis and protecting people and our planet, we need to move beyond coal and gas now.

As we enter the new year, the Greens remain committed to pushing the NSW Government to end coal and gas for good, make fossil fuel companies pay their fair share of tax, and ensure our communities are prepared for and protected from the worst effects of the climate crisis.

We’ll continue to work to keep coal and gas in the ground, end native forest logging, hold coal and gas corporations accountable for the damage they’ve inflicted upon our climate for years, and provide a just transition to workers.

And we’ll do it all without a cent in donations from the dirty fossil fuel industry.

Watch my speech in NSW Parliament late last year on the Greens’ commitment to environmental protection:

Jenny Leong MP Greens Member for Newtown

shortly be submitting plans for the main building works

Artist’s impression of the upcoming redevelopment along Darling Harbour. Photo: FJMT

Shops and restaurants in the Harbourside Shopping Centre now closed. Photo: Twitter/Old Shops Australia

Electric Atmosphere at Addi Road

Imagine clean air hanging over Parramatta Road at peak hour, or in the M5 tunnel on a long weekend Friday afternoon. The Harbour tunnel void of noxious car fog during a car breakdown gridlock? Think of a planet free of exhaust fumes. Electric cars are set to take off.

The last few years have seen a sizeable growth in national annual sales of electric vehicles (EV’s) from approximately 2000 to 20,000, and whilst still only representing 2% of all new car sales, the trend looks set to expand, rapidly. The question on everyone’s lips, however, is how will we charge them?

In a clear, trail-blazing move for Sydney’s Inner West, Addi Road, with the support of a funding grant from Coles, has recently installed an extra two public electric vehicle (EV) charging stations in front of its Gumbramorra Hall, taking the Centre’s total to three. This is particularly noteworthy, considering there are the only two other public EV charging stations in the whole Inner West, an area already facing severe EV charging challenges, as less than 40% of its residents have suitable garages or carports on their properties for home charging.

Charging station developers Evie Networks’ CEO Chris Mills says many people can’t easily charge at home, so public, fast, reliable charging is needed, however outdated electricity tariffs are constraining the sector and creating higher costs. Mills goes on to say, “Charging providers continue to be slugged with outdated tariffs that are designed for factories, not charging stations.”

“Addi Road has one of the only completely solar

powered charging stations and will make EV charging free for the first three months of the stations opening,” says Addi Road CEO Rosanna Barbero, a firm advocate of acting locally, thinking globally, “after that initial period, charging will be offered at cost price. “Our charging stations are solar powered and hooked up to a series of high-capacity Tesla batteries. Accessing this sustainable power source means we can keep our prices well below other commercial EV stations.’

Barbero is also keen to point out the artistic aspects of the whole EV station project. A series of metal sculptures adorn the safety cage surrounding the bank of Tesla batteries secured to the wall of the main hall. This is a beautiful collection of small, cavorting copper dogs, set off by a forged brass sun floating above, designed and made by local artist, Lok Sutherland. Rather than a plain metal cage, Barbero commissioned the artworks to keep even the most prosaic aspects of the EV project at an approachable, people-friendly level.

Barbero proudly sums up the total contribution the EV stations make, “People, planet, arts and culture…who else does that?!”As charging options for EVs grow, petrol station locations are shrinking from a national peak of 20-25,000 in the 1970s to about 6400, five years ago. In NSW, FuelCheck listed about 2140 petrol stations in March 2022. Wonderful news for the planet, with carbon fuels clearly beginning to disappear from our driving culture.

With Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s pledge to ‘end the climate wars,’ also comes import duty and fringe benefits tax breaks that will see

more affordable electric cars appear on Australian roads in the near future.

With the EV station opening in the New Year, Rosanna Barbero’s vision is strong and clear. “We (Addi Road) want to be ready to support the increase of EV’s on our roads, and in our lives. Our charging station is a message to the community, Barbero says, “ ‘Please, think about a sustainable future, think about electric, and if you do, we’re here to support you…already”

Last word goes to five-year Addi Road volunteer, Phil Scarf, a recent convert to EV driving (and a very happy one, at that), “Look, every time I drive past a petrol station and see how expensive it is, and think about the damage it’s doing to the environment, when you can come to Addi Road and use the sun for free energy, it’s fantastic…it’s unbelievable.”

First Nations child under threat of deportation

inappropriate posts about the 2-yearold child on social media.

UNSAFE TO FLY

Not only does the ADVO exist against this man, but the 2-year-old child has been repeatedly evaluated by medical professionals who have concluded that she is not fit to fly due to potentially serious medical issues.

Specifically, the child has a haemangioma, a type of tumour that “would be prone to sudden and catastrophic rupture and haemorrhage” according to her medical specialist.

Some of these health issues also affect the child’s capacity to eat, with many foods causing her to vomit.

She is still reliant on breastfeeding to acquire nutrients. Taking her away from her mother could seriously impact the health of the child as a result.

Apart from the safety and medical concerns regarding the removal of the child, there is also the consideration of the child’s First Nations identity.

In a Cultural Care Plan for the child from Relationships Australia, it is stated that to remove the child

“from the opportunity to continually engage with family and community on Country, in all forms, would be no less detrimental than past and current removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from Country, family, community and culture.”

BY LAUREN FROST

AFirst Nations woman and her family are crippled with fear over a court order demanding that her 2-year-old child be deported to Belgium, with her allegedly abusive ex-husband. The woman was served Hague Convention Child Abduction papers by her ex-husband, a convention which has been highly scrutinised for not adequately taking into account domestic violence situations.

The federal government announced reforms to the Hague Convention on the 12th of this month.

“The Albanese Government has amended the law to make it clear that allegations of family and domestic violence can be considered before return orders are made for children under the Hague Convention,” The Hon Mark Dreyfus KC MP said in a statement.

However, these amendments do not work retroactively and therefore do nothing to help this First Nations woman and her 2-year-old.

“This is what The Hague Convention really looks like, a two-year-old daughter being ripped and crying from the arms of her mother,” the woman said.

ALLEGED DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

When the First Nations woman was heavily pregnant, she was allegedly coerced by her ex-husband into travelling to Belgium where he is from.

Immediately upon arrival the woman purchased a plane ticket to return home to Australia to give birth as she knew she was unsafe in Belgium. Due to an alleged domestic violence incident, the woman was placed in hospital on bed rest and told she could not fly. She was forced to give birth in Belgium in February of 2020 and was stuck there due to COVID-19 border closures and an inability to escape her partner.

After giving birth, the woman and her baby were allegedly locked in an attic by the Belgium man.

8 days after the baby was born,

the First Nations woman began the process of obtaining Australian Citizenship for her child, which was heavily delayed due to COVID-19. As soon as she could, she fled from Belgium to Australia with her child. Now, both the First Nations woman and her child have an Apprehended Domestic Violence Order (ADVO) against the Belgium man. Yet, the child was set to be deported to Belgium on the 22nd of December, away from her mother.

“Why can’t they see that only an abusive man would rip a two-year-old from her mum only two days before Christmas,” the First Nations woman said.

“This is a man who said that if he dies, he wants [child’s name] to die with him. This is a man who said that he knows where he can bury me and get away with it”.

The Belgium man has allegedly sent threatening photos to the First Nations woman and has allegedly made

“As a nation, we have a national shame called the stolen generation and we are still, to this day, paying the price in our communities for that, including, and especially in, the areas of health and wellbeing,” the report continues.

The Belgium man has full custody of the child in Belgium as the First Nations mother cannot afford to provide housing in a country where she cannot work or speak the language.

The Australian Government needs to intervene for the safety and wellbeing of this First Nations child and her mother.

The child’s family are pleading for urgent government intervention.

Specifically, the family need an urgent Children’s Court Ministerial Care order from Premier Dominic Perrottet and NSW Community Services Minister Natasha Maclaren-Jones.

This is what The Hague Convention really looks like

A 2-year-old First Nations child is under threat of deportation to Belgium due to legal action from their allegedly abusive father. Photo: Flickr.

Zetland Meriton development causes a stir

TANYA PLIBERSEK

FEDERAL MEMBER FOR SYDNEY

HERE TO HELP

As your local representative, I can assist with enquiries or problems you have with Federal Government departments and services like Centrelink, immigration, superannuation, Child Support payments, Medicare, the Pharmaceutical Benefit Scheme (PBS), Veterans’ Affairs, the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), the National Broadband Network (NBN), universities, employment, training, Commonwealth funding and grants.

BY LAUREN FROST

Sydney’s Lord Mayor Clover Moore and billionaire property developer Harry Triguboff are in agreement over the controversial plans to redevelop a former Suttons car dealership site in Zetland. The pair are gunning for an increase in the building height limit for the site from 45 metres to 90 metres in order to permit 25 storey residential towers. Meriton’s plans for the development include a supermarket, childcare facility, and retail shops in addition to 30 townhouses and 785 apartments in medium to high density buildings.These plans have been met with concern by Randwick Council as the Zetland site sits on a boundary they share with the City of Sydney.

Randwick Labor Councillor Alexandra Luxford told The Sydney Morning Herald that she has “no faith in this planning process that has delivered the worst overdevelopment of a suburb”. Cr Luxford is concerned that the development will cause shadowing

over surrounding residences. She also notes the lack of infrastructure in the area, citing concerns regarding public transport and green space.

“To date no consideration has been given to the views of the residents of Randwick”, she said.

Sydney’s Deputy Lord Mayor Sylvie Ellsmore shared concerns and added that the area lacks schools and sports fields and is often overrun with traffic.

A MISSED OPPORTUNITY

Yet Triguboff insists that “when Meriton buys a site, we consult with the council where the site is located. Nothing is being built now in this housing crisis and this would be worse if we also had to ask the adjoining councils what they think.”

Randwick Greens councillor Philipa Veitch is adamant that the redevelopment of the Zetland site should involve a “full community consultation about its future use”.

The City of Sydney says that Council has considered the likely impacts of the development on its surrounding residents, stating that the proposed height of 25 storeys is consistent with other buildings in the area.

STAYING IN TOUCH

To keep up to date with my activities (incuding my mobile offices), issues and events - both locally and nationally, please subscribe to my eNews at tanyaplibersek.com

CONGR ATUL ATORY MESS AGES

My office can arrange messages of congratulations for people who live in my electorate and are celebrating their golden (50th) and diamond (60th) wedding anniversaries; and 90th and subsequent birthdays. Please allow for 6-8 weeks for congratulatory messages from dignatories.

Harry Triguboff, founder and managing director of Meriton

Group.

Photo: Facebook/HarryTriguboff

Council excluded from key planning decisions

BY LAUREN FROST

The NSW government has announced they will be taking over 10 land rezonings under the Rezoning Pathways Program, with the hope for the key Sydney areas to be rezoned by 2024.

The program is designed to bring mass amounts of housing in what the government is calling “strategically important rezonings” to support home ownership across the city.

Whilst a majority of the land rezonings are in Western Sydney, Explorer Street in Eveleigh is included in the 10 rezonings initiated by the NSW government.

The City of Sydney council has been thrown to the wayside by the state government’s Rezoning Pathways Program.

The inclusion of Explorer Street in the program means that planning and development decisions for the area will no longer be a Council matter. Instead, the state’s planning department, The Department of Planning and Environment (DPIE), will be in the driver’s seat.

NOT ENOUGH PUBLIC HOUSING

The decision is particularly controversial as Explorer Street, Eveleigh includes a public housing estate.

City of Sydney Councillor Linda Scott put forward an urgency motion in a local planning panel Council meeting regarding the decision to include Eveleigh in the Rezoning Pathways Program earlier in the week.

“Critically, the housing renewal project is aiming, as via announcement from the Government, to deliver 4250 new homes, of which only 1260 will be social housing,” Cr Scott said.

“Lord Mayor, let me be very clear, they are taking a site that is 100% public housing and turning it into a site where less than 30% of the total dwellings planned for the site are social housing, and they are trying to smash it through before a state election.”

Cr Scott put forward a motion to enable The City of Sydney to advocate for a substantial proportion of social and affordable housing on the Explorer Street redevelopment site.

In addition to that, Cr Scott also asked that Lord Mayor Clover Moore “write to the planning minister to request planning powers be reinstated to the City of Sydney for the Explorer Street social housing site in Eveleigh, and for all other social and affordable housing sites in the future.”

The motion was carried through unanimously with further amendments to advocate for the preservation of affordable family housing, as well as for the Lord Mayor to write to the opposition in addition to the planning minister.

HISTORY REPEATS

The sell-off of public land that includes social and affordable housing to developers is a trend that doesn’t seem to be slowing down. The rezoning of the nearby Waterloo Estate social housing blocks was also pried from Council by the state government.

“They have done it time and time again,” Cr Scott commented in the Council meeting after the Lord Mayor remarked that the same situation unfolded in Waterloo.

“In Waterloo, the rezoning was taken over by a team within the State Significant Development Application assessment section of DPE. Being the Planning Proposal Authority was not their main job and they did not have the experience and expertise to deal with the community,” a spokesperson for community group REDWatch told City Hub

be redeveloped, residents of the area rallied against the large proportion of privatisation on a housing site that is currently 100% public housing.

These community concerns have long been echoed by Jenny Leong MP, Greens Member for Newtown, and housing spokesperson.

“We know that rezoning plans like this break apart established communities and do little to address housing unaffordability,” Leong said.

“We’re already seeing it in the Waterloo public housing estate, where redevelopment will see 70% of the site privatised – and we all know the devastating impact the sell-off of Millers Point public housing had.”

There are concerns from both Council and the community that forcibly removing Council from planning decisions at the Eveleigh site will mean that community concerns are not adequately addressed, especially those in relation to social and affordable housing.

“The state government look at sites in isolation and not in the context of the surrounding communities and wider City planning. The City of Sydney has one of the best resourced Planning Departments in Australia and it has the skills to undertake rezoning in a manner that delivers the growth required by the State Government but in a way that better fits with the surrounding areas,” the REDWatch spokesperson said.

Following the announcement in 2020 that Explorer Street, Eveleigh would

“Where sites are currently 100% public housing there can be no justification for reducing that share,” said Leong.

Privatising 70% of what was previously established as entirely public housing seems like a step backwards amidst the current housing crisis. Further, the removal of power from local governments and communities means that the future of social and affordable housing on these sites is incredibly unclear.

“We are in the middle of a housing crisis, with an unprecedented demand for social and affordable homes in inner Sydney,” Lord Mayor, Clover Moore said.

“Affordable rental housing supports a diverse and well-functioning city. For people on lower incomes, it provides a critical alternative to private market housing, providing an opportunity to live in the city.”

They have done it time and time again

Lord Mayor Clover Moore.

Photo: Facebook/Clover Moore

High-speed rail plans kept under wraps

BY CHRISTINE LAI

Asecret review of high-speed rail possibilities for New South Wales has recommended prioritising rail lines between Newcastle, Sydney, and Wollongong at speeds of up to 250km/h.

According to The Sydney Morning Herald, the publication reported the findings but noted that they had yet to receive a copy of the report. The report is led by Professor Andrew McNaughton who developed a strategy which canvasses four routes for faster rail travel nominated by the government.

The four routes include: south to Wollongong and Nowra, north to Newcastle and the Hunter, west to Bathurst, Orange and Parkes, and southwest to Goulburn and Canberra.

The rail strategy was commissioned under Gladys Berejiklian’s purview and has been kept secret by the state government for almost three years.

In 2018 the NSW government identified four potential fast rail routes to and from Sydney with claims that the lines would cut journey times by up to 75 per cent.

The four potential fast-rail corridors included: The Northern route (including

the Central Coast and Newcastle), South Inland route (including Goulburn and Canberra), Western route (including Lithgow, Bathurst, and Orange) and a Southern Coastal route (including Wollongong and Nowra).

Then Premier Gladys Berejiklian ordered an additional review by expert Andrew McNaughton, but it was never released publicly. The report, excluding expenses, cost $390,000.

from a report with plans for a high-speed rail linking Sydney and Newcastle have been unveiled.

by fast rail would “change the face of NSW”.

McNaughton expressed his frustration on the report that was planned for release upon Berejiklian’s resignation in 2021.

SLASH TRAVEL TIME IN HALF

Earlier this year, Greater Parramatta was identified as a location for a major hub dedicated to fast rail lines connecting Sydney to Newcastle, Wollongong, and other areas in the west.

At the time, Berejiklian asserted that the high-speed rail plan was designed to make it more practical for those living in regional areas to commute to Sydney for work.

“This is about giving our citizens, now and into the future, the choices about where they want to live, where they want to work,” Berejiklian said.

Professor McNaughton chairs the UK’s Network Rail High Speed and spoke to media discussing his research on the rail plans for NSW, stating that joining Wollongong and Newcastle to Sydney

The Future Transport Strategy: Towards 2061, estimates fast-rail trains will slash travel times by about 50%. Routes that would benefit from this include Sydney to Newcastle (reduced to an hour), a 25-minute trip from Sydney to Gosford, and a 45-minute travel between Sydney and Wollongong.

Australians facing skyrocketing domestic air fares have also opted to find cheaper alternatives including interstate train travel, which has seen patronage between Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane more than doubling in recent months as services are booked to capacity.

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Photo: Wikimedia commons

Pokies reform on the horizon

job losses would occur as a result of cashless gaming.

INNER WEST GAMBLING ISSUE

NSW is home to 20% of the world’s pokies with a whopping 86,640 machines as of June this year, which is more than any other state. The Inner West ranks in the state’s top 20 Council areas for poker machine losses.

These reforms would go a long way to help curb the harm caused by gambling, according to Cr Atkins.

“We know that gambling contributes to poverty, poor mental health and suicide,” Cr Atkins said.

“The connection between gambling and domestic and family violence is also well documented; gambling leads to an increase in both the frequency and severity of intimate partner violence against women, as well as a higher prevalence of financial abuse.”

Moreover, Cr Lockie points out that poker machines have been used as a front for laundering, something that the NSW Crime Commission is keenly aware of.

BY TILEAH DOBSON

Poker machines could soon have restrictions such as lockdowns between midnight and 10am in an effort to curb harm from gambling.

Both the City of Sydney and Inner West Councils passed motions on poker machine reforms earlier this month. The motion was passed unanimously in the City of Sydney.

In the Inner West, Greens Councillor Liz Atkins brought forth a motion urging reforms on poker machines to minimise the harm caused by this easy form of gambling. The motion was seconded by Independent Councillor Pauline Lockie.

The motion spoke of wanting to write to the NSW Premier and Opposition Leader to support “mandatory cashless gaming and harm reduction payment systems, a single state-wide self-exclusion register funded by gambling tax revenue, and for all poker machines in pubs and clubs to be turned off between midnight and 10am.”

However, an amendment to the motion was moved by Councillors Mark Drury and Philippa Scott. The amendment called for a “broad scale trial of cashless gaming and harm reduction payment systems for electronic gaming machines.”

WATERED-DOWN MOTION

Both Cr Atkins and Cr Lockie were against the amendment.

Cr Lockie said of the amendment, “I was disappointed, but not surprised, that

Labor struck out the parts of the motion Clr Atkins and I tabled on Tuesday night that would have seen Council advocate for strong, evidence-based reforms to reduce the great harm poker machines cause our community. This would have included pushing for Councils to be able to have a say over poker machine applications, which we currently have no power over.”

“Instead, Labor would only support a trial of cashless gaming. This is in line with the position of the NSW Opposition Leader, who’s only prepared to reform the gambling sector after a voluntary trial is held.”

“I know there are many in our community who want to see real change, and it’s a shame Inner West Council won’t be adding our voice to that call,” Cr Lockie said.

Councillor Atkins also noted, “Pubs and clubs do not need to rely on pokies profits to survive. Western Australia has no poker machines outside of casinos but still has 1,000 clubs and nearly 600 pubs.”

The City of Sydney Lord Mayoral Minute that passed the night before the Inner West motion included all the campaign asks that the Labor party struck out in the Inner West. It seems that the Premier and Opposition Leader will be getting two very different letters from each Council.

The motions for gambling reform by the Inner West and City of Sydney Councils mirror a similar call made by the

In an open letter to the Premier of NSW Dominic Perrottet and Opposition Leader Chris Minns, the Wesley Mission wrote, “As pastors, we can’t remain silent as we hear from people experiencing gambling addiction, who are at risk of physical self-harm, family members impacted by gambling harm facing repossession of a car or furniture, or even children going hungry.”

“The NSW Crime Commission has found that billions of dollars of dirty cash from the proceeds of crime is being laundered through NSW poker machines, and their number one recommendation to combat this was that the government should introduce a mandatory cashless gaming system,” Cr Lockie said.

“A voluntary cashless gaming system wouldn’t work, as criminals seeking to launder money will simply opt to use cash instead.”

Whilst Liquor & Gambling does publish six monthly gaming machine reports in the interest of transparency, the gambling reform motions call for venues to publish their own data every six months.

The Premier has made his stance on the matter clear, vowing to address problem gambling.

“We have an obligation to look after our most vulnerable. We are going to do it, it’s non-negotiable,” Premier Perrottet said.

However, Opposition Leader Minns is less amenable to the reforms, claiming, “We are prepared to pursue that reform, but we want to understand what the scale and ramifications of that reform will be”.

Minns claimed he wanted to know the economic impact these reforms would have and cited job losses as a concern. However, the United Workers Union has said there is little evidence to show that

While some pubs may be resistant to these reforms due to the large amount of revenue poker machines bring in, others such as the Henson Park Hotel are prime examples that a pub can be successful without poker machines.

City Hub reached out to the Henson Park Hotel, who spoke about being unable to acquire a license for poker machines and needing to find another way to make the pub successful.

“With a focus on creating a community driven venue, attention and detail were put into good quality food and beverage, thus making it the venue it is today,” spokesperson for the Henson Park Hotel, Jade Few said.

“We believe that creating a venue around community, allows for a family focus and an all are welcome attitude.”

Wesley Mission, who are campaigning the reforms ahead of the NSW State Election.

reduce the great harm poker machines cause our community 

Pokie machines. Photo: Facebook/Industric

Randwick Girls and Boys potential merger

BY SASHA FOOT

The NSW Government will reapproach the community on merging Randwick Girls and Boys High schools as part of a promise to improve public high school options in the eastern suburbs.

A public consultation by an independent agency will explore three options, one of which looks to understand the community’s perspective on amalgamating the single-sex schools into a co-educational campus.

Coogee Resident Charmaine Coombes told City Hub that the community “strongly supports” merging the singlesex schools.

“It makes no sense to duplicate resources when the schools are side by side,” she said.

Coombes stated she is moving her children from Randwick Girls and Boys to a co-ed school, as she does not believe “segregated single-sex schools reflect society”.

In a community survey conducted by the Department of Education in 2019, 67% strongly supported making Randwick Boys co-ed.

Another option for the future of the schools is retaining single-sex education and increasing the intake of existing coed schools serving the area.

Currently, fee-paying schools dominate in the eastern suburbs. Only Rose Bay Secondary College, South Sydney

High School, JJ Cahill Memorial High School and Matraville Sports High School provide families with a state coeducational option.

CONSULTATION TO BEGIN THIS YEAR

Minister for Education, Sarah Mitchell, said the consultation period begins in Term 1 2023, and a report summarising the findings will follow by mid-2023.

Coogee MP, Marjorie O’Neill, says although she “welcomes” the opportunity for the community to share their views on the future of the high schools, she believes it may “once again” stall the infrastructure upgrades.

“In 2018, community consultation was conducted, and this was used by the NSW government to delay the major upgrades,” O’Neill said.

Coombes also acknowledged that distributing the survey “held up infrastructure upgrades to both campuses”. However, a Department of Education spokesperson maintains that public consultation will not affect the upgrades at both schools.

“The consultation process is separate from current upgrades at Randwick Girls and Boys High School and will have no impact on the delivery of those works,” the spokesperson said.

The NSW Government stated in a media release in December that the project had begun.

Randwick Girls High School shared their excitement for the works – which will deliver new facilities and building upgrades – on their social media page.

Catch some of the most innovative, provocative and wildly entertaining short films the world has to offer at Australia’s leading short film festival

Join us at the stylishly revamped Bondi Pavilion by the sea this summer

The NSW government is considering a merger of Randwick Girls and Randwick Boys high schools.

Photo: google

infrastructure upgrades to both campuses

Powerhouse Ultimo designs unveiled

Former Powerhouse Museum Director Jennifer Saunders said the renewal was an “unnecessary wasteful upheaval and demolition”.

“It is of course ridiculous and outrageous that the government is proposing the demolition of a Sulman award winning museum that is just 34 years old” Winkworth said.

“But now [its] about to be thrown away like yesterday’s fish and chips wrapper.”

CERAMICS CONTROVERSY

Museum advocates have also called out the museum for a recent commission of gold ceramic plates – sculpted by ceramicist James Lemon – with inscriptions such as “Beauty has faded but your bank account is 4 eva”, “Horniest here” and “You have the sexual prowess of a damp vacuum”.

Sanders described the $18,000 plates as “crappy” and “an insult to the Museum’s magnificent ceramics collection”.

Lemon’s website describes his work as “tactile, dynamic objects that traverse contexts of art and design”, which “uniquely reflects his humour, physical gestures and broader social and philosophical concerns”.

BY ERIN MODARO AND LAUREN FROST

New design plans for the Powerhouse Museum in Ultimo renewal have been unveiled, striking critique from former Powerhouse stakeholders and museum advocates. The winners of a nation-wide design competition for the Ultimo Powerhouse were announced. Designs have been released while the museum records its lowest visitation numbers in 20 years.

An eight-year campaign to save the science and engineering focus of the Powerhouse has culminated in strong critiques of the recently unveiled plans, which further solidify the museums turn towards fashion, design and entertainment. The design competition was based off parameters set by the state government’s environmental impact statement for a concept DA.

The concept design that won the competition was produced by an Australian team comprised of Architectus, Durbach Block Jaggers Architects, Tyrrell Studio, Youssofzay + Hart, Akira Isogawa, Yerrabingin, Finding Infinity and Arup.

With the NSW Government powering through on the renewal, the new designs reflect a change in the Powerhouse’s identity. Included is an increase in event spaces over exhibition spaces, a new dorm room for school children to board in, a rooftop garden and a public area

where the Goods Line currently sits just outside the main building.

Among the critics of the design is architect of the 1988 adaption of the Powerhouse Museum, Lionel Glendenning.

Glendenning said the new concept design shows no element of “curatorial storyline”, saying that historic objects on display will be “‘lost in space’ with bemused visitors wandering aimlessly in volumes with no reference to their industrial past”.

“The gutless destruction of award winning architecture in an orgy of unnecessary overdevelopment on Harris Street,” Glendenning said.

The museum’s main entrance will be moved from Harris Street to face Darling Harbour and Chinatown. Harris Street will instead be lined with creative studios that will “support education and industry programs”.

The Wran building where the entrance and main hall currently sits, will be demolished- a move that was anticipated in the first concept designs for the renewal.

Powerhouse Chief Executive Lisa Havilah said that the unveiled design honours the “history and heritage” of the original Powerhouse, while “simultaneously reimagining how we can continue to engage our communities into the future”.

Minister for the Arts Ben Franklin said he is “particularly excited” for the new idea of the Powerhouse Academy, which will allow for secondary and tertiary school students to visit and stay in a “rooftop camp”.

Former trustee Kylie Winkworth said that not only are the designs moving towards fashion, design and events, they are moving away from classifying the Powerhouse as a museum at all.

The plates were used at the recent Powerhouse Trust annual dinner. A museum spokesperson told the Sydney Morning Herald that the plates were commissioned for “outgoing and event use”.

“They will continue to be used regularly in future for a busy schedule of internal and external events, including corporate and commercial events the Powerhouse hosts, which will offset ongoing hire costs,” the spokesperson said.

City Hub reached out to Lemon, but he declined to comment.

“The CEO’s ambition is to create ‘a new paradigm for museums’, one where audiences, education and collections are optional extras in between a commercially focussed program of events and performance,” Winkworth said.

“It is not a museum. That is why the Powerhouse Museum will no longer be called a museum.”

Winkworth described the historic planes and industrial artefacts that have been included in the renewal as “marooned”, and “cast adrift from narrative context”. Museum advocates such as Winkworth are opposed to the overhaul of the museum in its entirety.

Sanders also criticised the proposed $500 million upgrades to the Museum, which she classes as an “unnecessary wasteful upheaval and demolition”.

“Maintenance has been delayed for years as the Government continued with its destructive scheme which is a slap in the face for responsible custodianship of NSW’s built and movable heritage”, she said, adding that the Powerhouse Museum was “an organisation, not a museum”.

She also claims that architect

Lionel Glendenning’s “moral rights have been ignored”, as he was not consulted “during the two and a half years [in which] plans have been in development”.

Construction on the Powerhouse Museum Ultimo is expected to start in December 2023.

wasteful upheaval and demolition

Artist James Lemon pictured with his plates from the Powerhouse Museum collection. Photo: Instagram/James Lemon

HERE FOR COMMUNITY

We’re NSW’s leading health promotion organisation specialising in community health, inclusion and HIV responses for people of diverse sexualities and genders.

During Sydney WorldPride, we’re here to help locals and visitors stay safe in relation to HIV, sexual health, mpox, alcohol and other drugs, and street safety. You’ll find us at lots of events right throughout the festival so come up and say hi.

We’re ACON. We’re here for you and we’re here for health. acon.org.au

Photo: Steve Christo

Councillor misconduct review reveals hotspots

The review comes as issues with the current system have been flagged, such as long wait times, unclear pathways to make complaints and a lack of sufficient accountability for Councillors who do breach codes of conduct.

Local Government NSW President Darriea Turley identified issues within the current process.

Beaches, Ryde, Cumberland and Georges River.

BY ERIN MODARO

NSW Minister for Local Government Wendy Tuckerman

has released the findings of a review into Councillor misconduct in local councils. The October 2022 report was spearheaded by a panel member of a similar report carried out in Queensland, as well as former council manager, Gary Kellar.

The review examines how complaints against Councillors are handled, as well as looking at investigation processes and what type of disciplinary actions

can be taken when breaches of conduct are found. Under the current process, complaints about Councillor behaviour and conduct can be made to a council’s general manager or the Office of Local Government (OLG).

Tuckerman announced it was clear from ICAC investigations and public feedback that “changes are needed to build community trust” in local government. The expected standards of behaviour relate to Councillors behaviour both in and out of council meetings, including acting honestly and within the bounds of the law.

“Unfortunately, for too long we have had to contend with a resolution system that is undermined by lengthy delays and a lack of effective sanctions,” Turley said. The review admits that the OLG has “very limited capacity under the current framework, structures and resourcing to effectively address the issues identified”.

INNER WEST A COMPLAINT HOTSPOT

The review revealed that over time the general number of complaints against Councillors and general managers has been increasing in the past decade. In the Sydney inner-city region, the Inner West Council recorded more complaints that the City of Sydney, or any eastern Sydney councils, with over 31 being filed between 2019 and 2021.

Other councils to receive more than 31 complaints included the Northern

Inner West Councillors and Mayor Darcy Byrne have seen their fair share of code of conduct breaches in the past several years. Byrne was found guilty of misconduct in 2021 for conflicts of interests matters and was suspended for 3 months. Recently, issues surrounding Byrne’s disclosures of interests were uncovered, which resulted in letters of complaint being sent to Tuckerman.

“Mr Kellar’s recommendations include harsher penalties for councillor misconduct and ensures the framework for dealing with misconduct is more independent, effective and efficient,” Tuckerman said.

Turley said that the recommendations would “go a long way to rectifying the shortcomings when dealing with misconduct in local government and help ensure those found guilty of wrongdoing will face the appropriate penalty”.

harsher penalties for councillor misconduct

NSW Minister for Local Government Wendy Tuckerman.

Photo: Facebook/Wendy Tuckerman

BY JOHN MOYLE

Just when we thought that the lights of Kings Cross couldn’t get any dimmer, they shuddered again recently with the passing of Aunty Rose (Roslyn) Whittaker.

What was even more amazing about this reaction was that Rose was Aboriginal, a woman, and a street person.

Equally incredible for a figure who is the centre of such an output of loss is that very few know much about her, not the Wayside Chapel, the local police command, or even those who gave her money on a regular basis.

“She was a character of the Cross for many years,” Sen Constable Sam Donni, Kings Cross Area Command said.

Rose’s people came from the Moree area in the state’s west, and as part of the stolen generation ended up with the Whittakers, a family who she regarded as being responsible for her education, impeccable diction, and considerable vocabulary. She was also cunning and capable of being vindictive to those who she considered had given her offence.

Over the twenty or so years that Rose inhabited the streets of Kings Cross, she became highly

Even though Rose was placed in various housing options in the Inner West, Edgecliff and Wolloomooloo, she would soon revert to living on the street, citing claustrophobia as being one of many reasons for abandoning her new homes.

Her preferred location was around the Metro Theatre, where she would defend her patch from interlopers with considerable vigour.

“I have known Rosie for many years, starting with when I had Una’s,” Maggie Haus, restaurateur, said.

“She was pretty cunning and would come in and get a takeaway and then sell it, so I made her sit down and eat it.”

Constable Donni said, “She was a bit of a devil too sometimes.”

Just before Covid, Rose announced that she wanted to return to her children in Inverell, in the state’s far north.

A well-meaning citizen using the Potts Pointer’s Facebook page raised close to $1,000 to help her get there, only to be surprised when he saw her outside Woolworths a couple of weeks later.

WAYSIDE CHAPEL MOURNS

The Wayside Chapel’s ambassador David Wenham was shocked and saddened as he posted his tribute to Rose on the Wayside’s page early this week.

“We will organise a memorial but those details haven’t been finalised as yet,” Laura Henry, Head Marketing and Fund-raising, Wayside Chapel said.

Aunty Rose was a complex character, but one who made Kings Cross her home, even when she was between homes.

Rose’s great gift to Kings Cross was that she gave a voice and a face to the Indigenous and homeless, and was one that we could connect with.

Rose was also a woman who made sure that she was not invisible, even if it made some uncomfortable.

Vale Aunty Rose.

skilled at navigating the many services that the area offers, especially the Wayside Chapel and the accommodation agencies.

Aunty Rose Whittaker. Credit: John Moyle

One Bright Pearl comes to Woollahra

Live soccer screenings in Inner West

BY SAM PASHMI

Inner West Councillor Dylan Griffiths has raised the idea to host live, public screenings of the Women’s Soccer World Cup in 2023, following the success of live shows for the FIFA World Cup in 2022.

As the global event will hit Australia’s shores in 2023, the idea to celebrate and support the Matildas has gained public traction. The Women’s FIFA World Cup will run throughout July and August next year.

empowering women in sport

Cr Griffiths said “the motivation behind this is to bring the community together, helping the local economies along with local businesses, and empowering women in sport”.

park, they were met with large turnouts and were labelled successes.

City of Sydney Councillor Linda Scott was vocal in pushing for council to facilitate these live viewings.

“The City of Sydney – from Rosebery to Redfern – should be covered in green and gold to celebrate our magnificent Socceroos,” Cr Scott said in the lead up to Australia vs Argentina.

“PRIME TIME” FOR LIVE VIEWINGS

Cr Griffiths went on to say, “since the women’s World Cup will be in Australia, it’s going to be in prime time so I reckon it’s going to be even more popular than the screenings this year”.

BY LAUREN FROST

Australian artist Lindy Lee’s major new work, One Bright Pearl, has been unveiled by Woollahra Council.

Set in the serene Blackburn Gardens at Woollahra Gallery at Redleaf, the new work symbolises the diversity of the surrounding community. The whopping 260kg sculpture is constructed of mirror-polished stainless steel as a reflection on new beginnings and modern migration.

Woollahra Council’s Public Art Panel selected Lindy Lee’s new work which is the most significant commission by the Council thus far. The panel is comprised of the Mayor of Woollahra Cr Susan Wynne, former Mayor Cr Toni Zeltzer, Director of Art Gallery New South Wales Michael Brand, Jillian Broadbent AC, David Gonski AC, and Scott Perkins all under the guidance of curator Holly Williams. “We are thrilled to be adding Lindy Lee’s striking sculpture ‘One Bright Pearl’ to our public art collection,” Wynne said.

“With so many people visiting Woollahra Gallery, Murray Rose Pool and Blackburn Gardens, we hope this sculpture will be enjoyed by all. We are so grateful to our Principal Donor, The Carla Zampatti Foundation and all the artwork commission donors who have

helped fund the work and who share our commitment to enhancing our public spaces through art.”

EXPLORING DIVERSITY

Through the lens of Taoism, Ch’an (Zen), and Buddhism, Lindy Lee’s practice explores her Australian and Chinese heritage, and the idea that nature and humanity are inextricably connected.

“One Bright Pearl is inspired by the ancient Chinese story of the Dragon’s Ball, which is a symbol of universal wholeness, well-being, wisdom and spiritual power,” Lee said.

The sculpture’s mirror-polished surface makes the piece ever changing depending on the light conditions.

“During the day, the sculpture’s surface, with its mirror brightness, absorbs and reflects the fleeting and ever-changing pageantry of the surrounding world: the movements of people, sky, landscape, birds etc.,” Lee said.

“At night, the work will be internally lit to allow light to flow back out into the world. The sculpture’s different changing daytime and night-time qualities embodies the cyclical nature of time.”

Lindy Lee has been exhibited widely in Australia and all over the world. Her work, One Bright Pearl, is an inspiring and meaningful addition to Woollahra Gallery.

“I would expect everyone to support it, because it’s a very popular motion, a lot of residents, especially football clubs and women think this is a great idea,” he said.

He also voiced his support for Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s calls for a public holiday if the Socceroos made it into the finals, and voiced his desire for the Prime Minister to do the same for the Matildas.

When asked how much the budget for this year’s screenings were, Griffiths said “I’m not 100 percent sure but I

“They’d like to see the council supporting women in sport.”

The push comes after the popularity of live screenings during the Socceroo’s success at the World Cup. Following a series of wins for the Aussies, public viewing areas were set up across the country.

Despite the fact that some of this year’s FIFA World Cup screenings started at 10pm and others at 6am, such as screenings in summer hill and Enmore

believe the one in Summer Hill cost around $6000 and if you look at the 400+ people who all came down and spent money on the local economy, I think it was definitely worth it”.

“I see absolutely no downsides to this, and not even the litter that might be left behind in the aftermath will be a problem, thanks to our great clean up crew, plus I don’t think there will be that much trash left behind considering our community is quite responsible”.

inspired by the ancient Chinese story of the Dragon’s Ball

Renowned Australian Artist Lindy Lee in front of new work at Woollahra Gallery, Redleaf.

Photo: Steven Siewert

Live screenings of 2023 Women’s Soccer World Cup could be coming to the Inner West. Photo: Matildas

Trans swim event hits Cook and Phillip pool

BY ERIN MODARO

Atrans and gender diverse swim event being held at Cook and Phillip Park Pool in Sydney’s CBD has been given a date to go ahead, City of Sydney Deputy Mayor Sylvie Ellsmore announced via Facebook.

The event will take place on Saturday January 28 2023, inviting all members of the trans and gender diverse community to take part in a safe swim evening hosted at the local pool.

The open swim held for the gender diverse community was first investigated by the City of Sydney council in May following the success of the events held in the Inner West.

Cr Ellsmore and Cr Linda Scott headed the movement to run a trans and gender diverse swimming event in the LGA in May, with Ellsmore describing the initiative as a way to “show solidarity” with the community.

FIRST OF ITS KIND HAILED A SUCCESS

The first night of its kind was held by the Inner West Council, and was hailed as a “raging success” by then Deputy

Mayor Jessica D’Arienzo. The swim night was full of rainbow flags and was a positive and important moment for the LGBT community in the Inner West.

Following the success of the first event at Ashfield Aquatic Centre, another Inner West night was held in August at the Annette Kellerman Aquatic Centre.

D’Arienzo said the night represented a chance for the trans and gender diverse community to “enjoy everything our fabulous aquatic centres offer in a safe, respectful and supportive environment”. Now, the City of Sydney will see its own event go ahead next year, with

“relaxation, swimming, sport, food, and fun accompanied by music courtesy of community DJs”, as stated on the online notice.

“Swimming is a staple of Australian culture but for the trans and genderdiverse community not being comfortable at the pool or beach is a common occurrence,” Ellsmore wrote on social media. “No one should miss out on the opportunity of going swimming.”

The swim nights, however successful, have not come without receiving abuse on social media. A post promoting a previous event by the Inner West Council had to be taken down due to a barrage of abusive and transphobic comments, which Inner West Councillor Dylan Griffiths believed came from overseas sources, rather than local community. No other posts have received this sort of abuse since. All swim events have gone ahead without disruption, and have been labelled as successes.

Archibald Memorial Fountian runs anew

BY ERIN MODARO

The Archibald Memorial Fountain, which stands proudly in Sydney’s Hyde Park, has received new life after restoration works upgraded the 90-year-old artwork. Gifted to the City of Sydney in 1932, the fountain is a tribute to France’s alliance with Australia in WWI.

Sydney’s Lord Mayor Clover Moore said the “nationally significant sculpture” has been upgraded with modern touches, including structural, hydraulic, electrical and mechanical work. Water saving measures have also been added, the Mayor reported.

“Families, friends and visitors enjoy meeting at the Archibald Fountain under the shade of tree canopy in Hyde Park, as a quiet respite from the city,” Moore said. Standing close to the Art Gallery of NSW which hosts the annual Archibald Portrait Prize, the fountain’s namesake, J.F Archibald, commissioned its construction in his will. Archibald recommended a fountain be built in the Botanic Gardens, and dedicated 7 of the

50 shares from his estate to fund such a creation.

As founder of The Bulletin and an enduring figure from Sydney’s past, Archibald’s vision came to light when French artist Francois Sicard was selected to design the fountain in 1926. Sicard designed the fountain by drawing upon Greek mythology and grand themes of antiquity for its figures.

Although a tribute to the French, the sculptured figures resting among the waters are of the Olympian Apollo, as well as other central figures in Greek mythology; Diana, Pan and the Minotaur. The hexagonal base is ornamented with horses, tortoises, dolphins and artful sprays of water that frame the Greek God’s podium.

MAKE PEACE, NOT WAR

Officially opened by then Mayor of Sydney Samuel Walder in 1932, the fountain has stood in it’s Hyde Park location until present day. Walder deemed the fountain to be “without equal” in Australia, as he told The Daily Telegraph following its opening.

The lead executor of Archibald’s will, T. H Kelly, commended the artist’s decision to lean away from military

themes, saying Sicard was “wise in making it symbolical of the peaceful and enlightened ideals for which the soldiers gave their lives”.

Sydney’s current Mayor mirrored Kelly’s sentiment.

“While the fountain was commissioned to honour an association forged through war, the sculptor made peace the theme of this work, a message that

remains as poignant today as it was a century ago,” she said.

The restoration of the fountain comes just weeks after the opening of the nearby Art Gallery of NSW’s new wing, which boasts a brand new building and public gardens. Over 15,000 people registered to attend the grand opening of the expansion to the gallery in early December last year.

A trans and gender diverse swim event will go ahead at Cook and Phillip Park pool in January. Photo: Wikimedia commons

one should miss out

A prominent fountain in Sydney’s Hyde Park has been upgraded. Photo: Chris Southwood/City of Sydney.

BY RITA BRATOVICH

And so it is with Blanc de Blanc Encore , the elegant, sophisticated yet devilishly saucy show from Strut & Fret. Audiences tasted the original Blanc de Blanc then cried out “ Encore ”!

“It’s like drinking champagne,” says creator/director Scott Maidment. “The first few sips, you feel really smooth, but once you’ve done a bottle you get a bit giddy and a little bit crazy and you know, the party really kicks in.”

Conceived and birthed by Maidment in 2015, Blanc de Blanc was an immediate sensation when it debuted at the Sydney Opera House. It had the same reception in 2019 when it returned as Encore . Now it’s back with a vengeance and a venue all its own.

“We’ve set up this new venue, the Grand Electric, to house the atmosphere - like the energy of a Spiegeltent but in a better more enclosed venue, an intimate theatre space,” explains Maidment.

The Grand Electric is actually an old railways union hall that then functioned as a theatre for 50 years. It has been completely refurbished and customised for Blanc de Blanc : mezzanine levels, mirrors, aerial points and other bespoke fixtures, topped off with vintage chic.

The show itself is difficult to describe, but Maidment tries:

“It’s basically how I would describe a perfect night out, where you think that you’re going along for some sophisticated fun, and then it slowly devolves into a kind of a night of craziness.”

There’s dance, there’s circus, there’s comedy, burlesque, it’s classy, it’s decadent, all at once. The show is a mix of old and new, with some performers returning and others appearing for the first time. They are all among the absolute elite in the world.

“There’s an amazing foot juggler who’s new to the show; her name is Emma Phillips. She’s from New Zealand but she spent two years of her life as the only English-speaking white person in a tiny Chinese village, learning this amazing art of foot juggling. She picks up a table on her feet, and spins it around and balances it on one leg. It really is gobsmacking. She’s one of the only people in the world who does this.” Phillips learned the traditional and highly skilled discipline of foot-juggling at the Beijing International Arts School and the Wuqiao Acrobatics School, two of the most prestigious schools in China. As one of the very few Western artists who can perform foot-juggling, Phillips is in constant demand and has

Blanc de Blanc is considered the zenith of champagnes. Made only from white grapes, it is sublime, indulgent. When you taste it, you invariably want more.

Top row left to right: Remi Martin, Melanie Hawkins, Félix Pouliot, Caitlin Tomson-Moylan. Bottom row left to right: Mirko Köckenberger, Skylar Benton, Tuedon Ariri, Spencer Craig. Photo: Jacinta Oaten

Melanie Hawkins (top left), Rechelle Mansour (top right), Caitlin Tomson-Moylan (bottom left), Skylar Benton (bottom right)

Photo: Nick Jones

Top down: Caitlin Tomson-Moylan (aerials), Félix Pouliot, Remi Martin. Photo: Jacinta Oaten

received great acclaim at several festivals including Adelaide and Perth fringe.

“And he’s famous for winning France Has Got Talent, Italy’s Got Talent, Romania’s Got Talent - he’s won like five different one’s of those “Got Talent” shows,” says Maidment. “He also does an act where the musical instrument that he uses is actually a part of his anatomy - it really is something that needs to be seen and all will be revealed.”

Also a virtuoso of the Chinese Pole, Canadian, Félix Pouliot defies all the laws of physics and possibility. He performs something akin to a vertical ballet on the pole and is equally skilled at the teeterboard and other acrobatic

Musical, or anyone of the many leads she has performed on stage. A singer, dancer, actor, acrobactor (that’s not a word) she brings dynamic energy and more than a little pizzazz to Blanc de Blanc Encore

The other Aussie is Rechelle Mansour who began her career at age 7 playing Annie, followed by a part in Billy Elliot at age 11. Proving she hadn’t peaked too early, she continued her successful singing/dancing/everything career into adulthood and has performed with Cher, Jason Derulo and Ricky Martin, toured with Danni Minogue, and wowed crowds recently in A Chorus Line. She simply simmers.

US born Caitlin Tomson-Moylan has performed with major companies

around the world including Cirque du Soleil and Cavalia. She teamed up with Spencer Craig in 2017 and the two have won many international awards for their sensational duo hoop act.

Spencer Craig hails from Canada and has also performed with big name circus shows and companies around the world.

the audience. In some spaces they can clearly see people’s expressions and even hear conversations.

“Blance de Blanc is a lot more of a cabaret than just a circus show, but a lot of the circus in Blanc de Blanc has performers who have been with Cirque du Soleil, who have been with all different companies all over the world, so you’re still getting great high level circus but with everything else that comes with cabaret, which is a lot of humour - a lot of adult humour!” says Craig.

Craig is really looking forward to being in the Grand Electric for the first time.

The more the audience is prepared to interact with the performers the better the energy and atmosphere in the room. “I’ve got to say, Aussies are very good at not being too shy. Out of all the audiences I’ve performed for, Aussies are very brave and they’re willing to join us on stage,” says Craig. “So it’s really nice to come back to Australia because everyone

it really is something that needs to be seen

Spencer Craig and Caitlin Tomson-Moylan

Photo: Daniel Boud

Rechelle Mansour, (with Mic), Tuedon Ariri (kneeling), Melanie Hawkins (with back to camera)

Photo: Jacinta Oaten

It’s not often that two of the best known people in the world die within a few days of each other, drawing enormous sympathy and reverence as their bodies lie in state. Both visited Sydney, attracting enormous crowds and both have been remembered – one for their compassion and humanity, the other for controversy and a highly questionable past.

Pelé and Pope Benedict XVI were the newsmakers last week, but you could argue that their contributions to society were as different as chalk and cheese. Ironically when Pelé, a devout Catholic, met Pope Benedict in Cologne in 2005, his holiness had no idea who the football great was and had to be prompted by an aid.

Whilst Pelé was criticised early in his career for fraternising with notorious ultra right wing Brazilian dictators Emilio Medici and Ernesto Geisel, in a 1989 press conference he indicated he was thinking of running for president and declared himself a “socialist.”

It’s impossible to think that any politician, bureaucrat, community leader or even local councillor would be elected or appointed in Australia, or any western democracy for that matter, if they had a history of Nazi involvement. That did not stop the Vatican anointing Joseph Ratzinger as Pope in 2005 despite his membership of Hitler Youth and service as a German soldier in WWII.

COFFIN ED’S NAKED CITY

Even allowing for Ratzinger’s Nazi past, his opposition to women priests, stem cell research and the use of condoms in Africa, his homophobia and his other ultra conservative views, it is for his failure to act on the epidemic of child sexual abuse and rape within the Catholic Church that he should be remembered and condemned. How conveniently this is all forgotten as Catholics around the globe mourn his passing and he is lauded as one of the Church’s great intellectuals.

Prosecutors in a Bavarian town in Germany have not forgotten and a court case against Benedict XVI

will continue in spite of his death. He is accused of covering up sexual abuse committed by a priest during his time as archbishop of Munich and Freising and was originally set to stand trial in the final years of his life for a case dating back to his time as archbishop of Munich and Freising from 1977 to 1982.

During his papacy he was faced globally with literally thousands of molestation cases on the part of Catholic priests. Whilst he acted swiftly in some cases and there was a multitude of de-frockings, there was seldom any real justice for those who were often the victims of years of sexual abuse.

The sight of the cadaver of Joseph Ratzinger being carried ceremoniously through the Vatican with all the ritual afforded the death of a Pope should be contrasted with the thousands of victims of sexual abuse who suffered at the hands of the worldwide Catholic Church. The majority of them were young children who have never received justice, let alone any compensation. Many of them experienced the most dreadful trauma, often taking their own lives, then buried in the most humble of graves – unlike the five star crypts of St Peters Basilica.

Perhaps if Pelé and Pope Benedict arrive at purgatory together, the Brazilian hero will be granted a quick passage to heaven whilst Ratiznger will be delayed for an eternity as he expiates his countless sins and shortcomings.

HubARTS

THE WAY OF WATER James Cameron’s sequel surpasses expectations (See

p.31)

DON GIOVANNI

BY IRINA DUNN

Opera Australia’s production about the licentious killer, Don Giovanni, in whom lust and murder are combined in fearful measure, is a feast for the ears.

Andrei Kymach inhabits the role of Don Giovanni, a vile seducer prepared to trick and cheat his way to get what he wants. Kymach’s rich baritone captures the nuances of both Mozart’s score and Da Ponte’s libretto, and is a thrill to listen to.

As the Don’s long-suffering retainer, Leporello – the “buffo” character –Russian-born Yuri Kissin employs his bass-baritone to dexterous effect, carrying out the Don’s unsavoury orders while providing a sardonic comment on them, thus providing the only comic

relief in an otherwise dark opera.

In Don Giovanni there are several trios for bass / baritone voices, such as the magnificent trio sung when the stone statue comes to take the Don away. David Parkin’s stentorious bass resonates through the auditorium. Sophie Salvesani is heartrending as Donna Anna, whom Don Giovanni fails to seduce and whose father he kills, and Bronwyn Douglass is magnificent as the noblewoman Donna Elvira, who pursues Don Giovanni after he seduces her and compromises her honour. Finally, there is Cathy Di Zhang, the peasant girl whose marriage festivities are interrupted by Don Giovanni as he tries to seduce the young woman.

Musically, the production is faultless under the baton of Guillaume Tourniaire, but I do have a bone to pick with the lighting design, no doubt thought up by the Scottish director David McVicar. Is the stage rendered so dimly to reflect the bleak theme of the opera or the moral blindness of Don Giovanni? Whatever the reason, let this be good advice to theatre directors all over the world: remember that at least half of

your audience members are over 70 and at least half of these will soon be having their cataract operations. They have great difficulty with a stage setting as generally gloomy as this production. That said, the combination of outstanding voices and Mozart’s score made for a musically and dramatically fulfilling evening.

Until Feb 17, Joan Sutherland Theatre, Sydney Opera House, Bennelong Point, opera.org.au

A MUSICAL THAT IS LITERALLY TAKING THE P*SS

BY MARK MORELLINI

Darkness is an original theatrical experience, inspired by a rainy weekend in 1816 when a group of intellectuals who were incredible storytellers gathered in an old, abandoned house. It was the weekend Mary Shelley conceived Frankenstein “However, we’re not recreating that weekend, it’s not a period piece it’s about being inspired by that time period and creating something new,” explained director, Dino Dimitriadis.

The event has been re-imagined by a writing team in a more contemporary context.

“We are in an interesting old building that’s coming alive for the work, so we’re creating something that takes us into the world of the people and the story, but also opens up different worlds for audiences,” enthused Dimitriadis

This is site-responsive theatre performed at The Library, a specially designed building which was the old Newtown School of Arts; people will step off the street and enter a completely different world.

To enhance the experience there’s atmospheric music and sound compositions.

Dimitriades is adamant that Darkness should appeal to a broad audience, for people who want to experience something different and be transported in story.

“It’s also for people who want their experience of theatre to be bigger than going to a black box and then going home – that they can make a night of it. You can hang around, drink at the bar, and reflect afterwards,” concluded Dimitriadis.

Jan 10 – Feb19, The Library, 5 Eliza Street Newtown, experiencedarkness.com.au

BY RITA BRATOVICH

Heart Strings Theatre Co in association with Hayes Theatre Co is mounting a lively new production of the cheeky and hilarious hit show, Urinetown

In a fictional American town, due to a drought, severe water restrictions have been imposed including a total ban on the use of private toilets. Everyone must use public facilities and pay for the privilege. All such facilities are controlled by the mega-corporation, Urine Good Company headed by the unscrupulous, Caldwell B. Cladwell (played by Max Gamble).

“I would say that the vibe of it is ridiculously silly,” says Petronella Van Tienan who plays Hope, Cladwell’s daughter. “It’s a satirical musical takeoff of a whole lot of things including capitalism […] and my character is

involved in a typical Romeo and Juliet story where she meets this boy [Bobby, played by Joel Horwood] from the poor world and they fall in love.”

Officer Lockstock, accompanied by a street urchin named Little Sally, occasionally breaks the fourth wall to act as narrator. They are played in this production by mother and daughter team, Karen Vickery and Natasha Vickery respectively.

Penelope Pennywise (played by Deanna Farnell) is another main character.

She is an overseer at one of the public bathrooms and is Bobby’s immediate boss.

The music is a mixed bag of genres which reference (without imitating) a variety of well-known show tunes.

Jan 11 – Feb 5, Hayes Theatre, 19 Greenknowe Ave, Potts Point www.hayestheatre.com.au

Andrei Kymach as Don Giovanni

Photo: Keith Saunders

Photo: Jane Duong

A ROUGH GUIDE TO

Sydney WorldPride is taking place from February 17 to March 5 and it is going to be massive and fabulous. It’s the first time a WorldPride event has been held in the Southern Hemisphere, so the flavour is going to be quite different to previous events. So what exactly is WorldPride? Think of it as a Mardi Gras supernova.

It all began back in 1981 on the West Coast of the US, when delegates from a handful of Pride organisations around the country met at a conference and happened to chat about how nice it was to share ideas and plan things together. That casual conversation led to a more formal discussion and eventually the incorporation of a Pride alliance on October 9, 1982 in Boston. The original members came from Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, San Diego, and San Francisco. The organisation cycled through a few unwieldy acronyms before it settled on the more user-friendly name, InterPride, in the late 1990s. By then, Pride organisations from beyond the USA had joined and its membership was steadily growing. It is now an international network with more than 400 LGBTQI+ member organisations from over 70 counties. It holds yearly conferences and advocates for equality, visibility, celebration and generally improved lives for global LGBTQI+ communities.

In 1997 the concept of establishing a world pride event was voted into reality by InterPride. They created the WorldPride brand which would be licensed to a selected city, the inaugural one being Rome in 2000.

The success of Rome’s WorldPride festival led to subsequent, though irregular events: 2006 Jerusalem, 2012 London, 2014 Toronto, 2017 Madrid, 2019 New York (coincided with 50th Stonewall), 2021 Copenhagen, 2023 Sydney, and recently announced, 2025 Washington DC, 2026 Amsterdam.

WorldPride is a turbo charged pride festival showcasing the very best in arts, culture, community spirit from the host city.

Sydney WorldPride will be interwoven with the 2023 Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras festival and features an extensive, broad range program of over 300 performances, exhibitions, parties, talks, workshops, family activities and more.

Sydney is gearing up to one of the biggest, gayest parties it’s ever had. Tourists are coursing through the terminals, celebs are getting their glitter on, and there’s more rainbow colour in the streets than in a box of Skittles.

There are a number of major official events, some free, some priced. Most free events will still require tickets as capacity is limited. See sydneyworldpride. com for details on each event.

Live and Proud: Sydney World Pride Opening Concert officially kicks off the whole thing on February 24. This big, free, outdoor concert in The Domain will be hosted by Courtney Act and Casey Donovan and features Kylie Minogue, Jessica Mauboy, and Charli XCX.

At the other end of the festival is the closing concert, Rainbow Republic, on March 5, also in The Domain. Expect lots of queers, cheers and tears as Kim Petras, MUNA, Keiynan Lonsdale, G Flip,

Peach PRC, Alter Boy, BVT, Vetta Borne and others help say farewell to SWP. In between these two big parties are a several other parties including Bondi Beach Party, Mardi Gras Party, Laneway, Ultra Violet, Domain Dance Party, Paradiso Pool Party, Kaftana Pool. But, it’s not all party, party, party. There are a plethora of arts events and several venues will become festival hubs for the duration.

Carriageworks is hosting exhibitions and performance art including: The Huxleys: Bloodlines, Paul Yore: Word Made Flesh, 24 Hour Grumble Boogie, and Marri Madung Butbut: First Nations Gathering Space which will have its own showcase

TO WORLDPRIDE

HIGHLIGHTS

program of First Nations works.

The Seymour Centre will present a selection of comedy, cabaret, drama, and panel discussions, with highlights including: CAMP, All Out Comedy, EnQueer x SWP talk series, Gay Sydney: A Memoir, King, Briefs - Dirty Laundry, The Dan Daw Show

The Art Gallery of NSW is planning a full program of exhibits, performances and other goodies across its two glorious buildings. The schedule is yet to be released but we know for sure that the fabulous Queer Art After Hours is onmusic, food, art, attitude all after day visitors have gone home.

Riverside Theatres in Parramatta

brings SWP out west with a great group of shows plus their tropical Festival Gardens pop-up bar and street food happening from January to March. Come and see Choir Boy, Matador, Queerstories, and The Life Cycle of Blanco

The Sydney Opera House also shows its Pride colours with Mo’Ju & the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Kae Tempest, Blak & Deadly Gala Concert, and Opera Up Late

Sydney WorldPride is also setting up Pride Villages, a make-shift hub in Darlinghurst with streets sealed off, stalls, live entertainment, food, chill out area and a great vibe.

An extension to the official Sydney WorldPride program is Pride Amplified which includes literally hundreds of shows, exhibitions, kids activities, picnics, workshops, parties and more held by large and small venues throughout Sydney and beyond. There are events for all ages, from Drag Story Time At The Aquarium to the Minus 18 Queer Formal to the Coming Back Out Salon

Sydney WorldPride is painting the town rainbow.

For full program details and bookings visit: sydneyworldpride.com

FESTIVAL PRIDE AT CARRIAGEWORKS

BY JOHN MOYLE

Carriageworks is proving its merit as Australia’s largest multi-disciplinary arts precinct as it straddles two of Sydney’s largest festival events.

From January right through to March, Carriageworks will play host to a mixed program of events straddling Sydney Festival and Sydney WorldPride. Both events have a significant focus on queer and indigenous arts and culture and Carriageworks, with its range of creative spaces and central location is the perfect hub venue.

Internationally acclaimed performance artists, The Huxleys have already opened Bloodlines, their tribute to gay art icons such as Keith Haring, Leigh Bowery, Robert Mapplethorpe and Sylvester, which will run until 5 March.

Two breakout sessions on 14 January and 25 February will see the artists host Stitch n Bitch, a sewing circle where

attendees can contribute a panel to the Bloodlines Quilt commemorating those who have passed due to HIV/AIDS.

During the January session The Huxleys will be joined by William Yang, Australia’s leading gay photographer, historian and story teller, with the February contributor yet to be confirmed.

A contemporary artist who works with banners, quilts and large scale installations, Paul Yore is also off to an early start with Word Made Flesh that will show until 26 February.

The show is structured around five purpose built spaces with exhibits that articulate Yore’s textile and work alongside makeshift structures, video, sound, light and architecturally-scaled installations.

Word Made Flesh is in partnership with the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art. Shake your booty and anything else from 12.00pm Saturday, 18th February to

12pm, Sunday 19th, when Betty Grumble and DJ HipHopHo will be hosting 24 Hour Grumble Boogie; or you can pop over and check out The Pleasure Arc, a 24 hour celebration of queer art, ceremonies and party.

Over six days from February 23, Sydney WorldPride at Carriageworks’ train sheds will be hosting Marri Madung Batbut, a First Nations gathering space featuring free exhibitions, theatre, dining and drag, culminating in the crowning of Miss First

Catch this not to be missed show at 4.30pm Sunday 26 February.

Guaranteed to offend all comers from 26-28 February is Carly Sheppard and Kamarra Bell-Wykes’ Chase, a collision between Muriel’s Wedding and Kath and Kim that promises to be the most over the top version of a character that has been 10 years in development and performance.

Holding Achilles is an ethereally beautiful performance piece featuring aerialism and exquisite puppetry. Written by David Morton, it revisits timeless mythical stories, presenting them with magical resonance.

carriageworks.com.au

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND ART

BY JARROD WOLHUTER

The technological advance of artificial intelligence (AI) is moving in quantum leaps. AI increasingly becomes more sophisticated and nuanced, so much so that it has entered a field once considered exclusively the domain of complex, creative humans – art. In a three-part series, City Hub contributor, Jarrod Wolhuter shares his conversations with six professionals in art creation, education, and business who spoke of their ideas and experiences around AI.

“The text prompts were deigned to be as simple as possible. I wanted to show how a sentence about artists creating work with AI while using AI as the medium could be effective,” says Dr Jessica Priebe.

Dr Jessica Priebe is an Art Historian and Lecturer in the Department of Art History and Theory at the National Art School. Dr Priebe teaches contemporary approaches to digital art, focusing on NFTs, blockchain and AI. She is a former research fellow in Enlightenment Studies with the Sydney Intellectual History Network. “What has been interesting to see over the past couple of years is that within the AI art community the discussion has progressed from whether AI art is a good or bad development to a dialogue around the craft of representation and genealogy of preferred techniques.

AI art tools allow the artist to curate the input and output, with the computer acting as a kind of collaborator in that process. With AI art, the algorithm can generate countless pieces of artwork, with no two

artworks being the same despite using the same text prompts.

This means AI art tends to shift the role of the artist toward a more curatorial role. As we know, the machine is not an artistic entity. It is the responsibility of the artist to identify and assign meaning and value to the machine’s outputs.

While AI artists like Robbie Barrat and Anna Ridler, both of whom use neural networks in their artistic practices, have been embraced by the art world, those artists using text-to-image generators are yet to gain acceptance and following. This is evident in the recent

debate over Jason Allen’s first-place win at the Colorado State Fair with his AI work created using Midjourney. Those that are critical of AI art tend to fall into two main camps. There are those who believe that AI art is not real art. This seems, at least to me, a redundant argument. What history has shown us is that when there is a debate over whether a work of art is really art, those against it always lose. Linked to this is the idea that AI poses a major threat to an artist’s livelihood. This is also a redundant argument. AI is not meant to replace human creativity. Rather, it is just another tool at the artist’s disposal…”

Visit our cityhubsydney.com.au to read Parts 2 & 3.

Nations: Supreme Queen and Koori Gras. Another highlight of the Carriageworks program will be the Ailan Songs Project, a collaboration from Jessie Lloyd and her band with the people Torres Strait, PNG and the Coral Sea as they explore ancient songs mixed with island reggae grooves.

A computer generated landscape created by students at National Art School.

Photo: Supplied

AN OPERA HIT PARADE

BY RITA BRATOVICH

Opera Australia wraps all your favourite arias in shiny foil and presents them in a special bon bon box in this series of greatest hits from the world’s best loved operas. Great Opera Hits features pieces performed by Australia’s premium opera singers in a handful of pared down, relaxed, fun-filled concerts.

Director and host Guy Noble will accompany an all-star rotating cast of OA principal artists on piano. See and hear four elite opera singers out of costume, dropping the drama and singing right at you accompanied simply by piano. Hear tunes made famous in ads, movies, cartoons, and of course, through their own magnificent beauty.

Bizet, Puccini, Rossini, Verdi and more – the best from the best sung by the best: Petah Cavallaro, Genevieve Dickson, Rebecca Gulinello, Celeste Haworth, Simon Kim, Imogen-Faith Malfitano, Haotian Qi, Sophie Salvesani, Esther Song, Thomas Strong, Danita Weatherstone, and Andrew Williams. Those who love opera will thrill as they recognise the opening bars of one classic tune after another. Those who aren’t au fait with the genre can whet their palate on this curated tasting plate of delicacies.

Jan1, 11, 13, 20, Feb 19, Mar 17; 5pm, Sydney Opera House, Bennelong Point. opera.org.au

Sir Rod Stewart may be 78 years old, but his engine is still as fast and smooth as that of a prestige sports car. The septuagenarian is currently on a world tour and will hit our shores in March for a string of shows accompanied by Cyndi Lauper and Australia’s Jon Stevens.

Stewart is one of the highest selling recording artists of all time and one of the hardest working entertainers in the business. His career began at age 17 when he started busking with a harmonica, and since then Stewart has continued writing, recording, and singing songs that have become classics.

In all, Stewart has released 32 studio albums, 10 of reached UK number 1. He has had more than 16 top ten singles around the world and his music

continues to sell.

Stewart was inducted into the US Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994, the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2006, as a solo artist, then again in the US Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012 as a member of Faces.

In 2016, Stewart was knighted for services to music and charity.

Sir Rod Stewart will perform the hits from his vast catalogue in shows around the country, including several A Day On The Green vineyard concerts.

Cyndi Lauper will appear as special guest, along with Jon Stevens.

March 29, Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney Olympic Park

April 2, Centennial Vineyards, Bowral, NSW rodstewart.com

BY RITA BRATOVICH

Rolling Stone magazine has lit up the internet with its compilation of “The 200 Greatest Singers of all Time.” The list has caused outrage and argument regarding the people who have been included, the order of entries, and in particular, the singers who did not make the cut.

In its introduction to the list, Rolling Stone emphasises that the criteria for inclusion was not necessarily technical virtuosity but rather the overall enduring impact a singer has made in the field of popular music. Aretha Franklin tops the list and Whitney Houston comes in at number 2. Neither of those two choices should cause much offense, but it is a subjective ranking so, sure, there’ll always be naysayers. It’s other areas of the list, however, that are more provocative. Given Rolling Stone’s stated intention, how do they justify

the 25-year-old singer, Jungkook from the Korean band, BTS, coming in at 191? Or his current girlfriend, Korean singer UI, aged 29, being ranked 135?

Can they at such young ages and with arguably a fairly limited demographic appeal, be considered to have already created a musical legacy, shaped history and defined our lives?

Meanwhile, a wild storm is raging on social media regarding those who were left under the cutoff line, including: Celine Dion, Madonna, Janet Jackson, Bob Marley and Lionel Richie, Billy Joel, Barbra Streisand, Barry Gibb and notable Aussie exclusions: Olivia Newton-John, Tina Arena, Brian Johnson, Michael Hutchence, Kylie Minogue, and John Farnham.

A compilation like this was always going to cause controversy, and maybe that was the plan all along.

FLICKERFEST

IT’S THE VIBE

streets more times than I remember. Joshua and I were once witnesses in a horrendous bottling incident as well. The local club everyone would drink at, The Beachcomber, was at the time one of two venues in New South Wales that was a Level 1 Violent Venue.”

Mud Crab premiered at the Melbourne International Film Festival and was also screened at the 2022 Raindance Film Festival which showcases features and shorts by filmmakers from around the world to an audience of film executives and buyers, journalists, film fans and filmmakers.

By MARTIN FABINYI

Flickerfest 2023 launched with its official trailer – a tribute to iconic film, The Castle, which celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2023. Riffing on classic moments that have become memes, Kerrigan lookalikes pay homage to Rob Sitch’s 1997 comic masterpiece.

The 32nd Flickerfest will run in late January at the new and improved Bondi Pavilion. This year, the festival attracted over 3,000 hopeful filmmakers from Australia and overseas, with the final program comprising 114 short films. Australia’s largest Short Film Competition and the only one with Academy® qualification and BAFTA recognition, brings together emerging and established talent and promotes diverse and up-andcoming film practitioners.

The program comprises themed collections that should cater to every taste and interest. They include: Love Bites, devoted to the quirky world of modern relationships; Short Laughs Comedy, with bite-sized humour from around the world; Rainbow Shorts, featuring LGBTQI+ treats; Best International, Best Australian, Best Documentary, Flicker Kids, Flicker Youth, Best of EU.

On Survival Day (January 26) nine films from First Nations filmmakers will be screened as part of Indigenous Spotlight Shorts; among them is Bunker: The Last Fleet. Natasha Wanganeen plays Tjarra, a strong Aboriginal warrior in dystopian 2057 where she is confronted by the arrival of The Last Fleet and is caught in the maelstrom of an unearthly storm as a last survivor of her people.

“The first time I met Natasha was during a school excursion for an Aboriginal

school called Warriapendi. At the time I was running the media department and Natasha was leading an acting workshop for our students. I remembered her confidence and improv was really quite amazing – our students just loved every minute in the classes held at Tandanya performing Arts,” says co-director and cowriter, Rowan Pullen.

“Natasha was able to provide a cultural perspective and quickly we found ourselves unpacking the historic events of the first ever alien invasion on the shores of Australia and retelling this historic event in a future context but through the lens of indigenous perspective – hence the title, Bunker: The Last Fleet.” Director/co-writers Rowan Pullen and Stephen Potter have created a CGI world of desert and dust in this remarkable short film which has been four years in the making.

“Sci-Fi filmmaking is a tough genre because if you don’t pull off the world you’re trying to throw the audience into it can fall over quickly,” says Pullen.

Bunker: The Last Fleet has played in festivals around the world, including one of the most important sci-fi festivals, the 10th Annual Philip K Dick Film Festival in New York where it won an Honourable Mention in 2022.

Mud Crab is a film on the edge with a visceral power and is showing as part of Best Australian Shorts 3.

The film makes the viewer a voyeur, witnessing through the eyes of a woman as she recounts the traumatic assault of a young man by a gang of skinheads. Talented director/writer, David RobinsonSmith, made this as his AFTRS graduate film.

Neer Shelter’s short film, Perspectives, will play in Best Australian Shorts 5. The film has a Hitchcockian flavour in its tense, insightful and well-crafted story. “Hitchcock”, Neer says, “has been a massive influence on me, as he has been on many filmmakers. Other filmmakers that heavily influenced me on Perspectives were Robert Bresson and Vittorio De Sica. Each of them used silence with incredible precision and to great effect.”

Set in Israel, a soldier on a bus is disturbed by the actions of another passenger. She needs to decide how to react to a potential suicide bomber while the event is streamed live. Filmed in Israel and the Palestinian territories it features Joy Rieger, an acclaimed Israeli actress. Neer, who is of Egyptian-British descent, grew up on ships around the world and spent three years in the Israeli military.

“My military experiences were less relevant to the film’s narrative and more influential over its themes. One thing I noticed after my service was the disparity between actual military events and the discourse around them, a phenomenon social media enhances. Therefore, Perspectives’ title is reflective of its

Lead actor, Joshua Mehmet, gained and lost 30kg for the role. It also features, albeit briefly, writer and artist Lanneikka Denne. She is the viewer, and it is her voiceover that we hear.

The director says this film is based on five or six people he knew, including a cousin who killed himself.

“I was inspired by many real-life stories of friends and family members who struggled to live their lives uninhibited in the area [Toukley, NSW] Some stories ended tragically, and others were able to make changes and break out of the mentality. In the film I tried to offer a glimpse of the mentality but not the result of how the character would deal with the situation.”

“I witnessed an incredible amount of violence at the time; myself and friends being assaulted and chased through the

themes. The short film appears to focus on a hot-topic political subject, yet it is really about how opinions form around it,” he explains.

Neer was a semi-finalist in the Academy Nicholl Fellowship and Page Award Winner among many more achievements.

Jan 20 – 29, Bondi Pavilion, Bondi Beach

Full programme and tickets at: flickerfest.com.au

The new Kerrigans. George Pullar (Dale), Elizabeth Cullen (Tracey), Maya Stange (Sal), Tony Cogin (Darryl), Andrew Fraser (Steve). Photo: Flicke

Bunker: The Last Fleet.

Photo: Still

Perspectives. Photo: Still

Mud Crab. Photo: Still

By MARK MORELLINI

From the writer of the worldwide hit Bohemian Rhapsody comes the story of Whitney Houston, the iconic and much adored American black singer who was the top-selling female artist of all time.

The movie follows her climb to the top of the charts, from gospel singer to a promising new star whose music was regarded as “not black enough” and ultimately to the world famous powerhouse artist.

This movie doesn’t sugar coat her life. Houston’s alleged lesbian relationship

I WANNA DANCE WITH SOMEBODY

is explored, as was her dependence on illicit drugs which ultimately required her to attend rehab, and her marriage to Bobby Brown which was turbulent from the beginning.

Naomi Acki is breathtaking as Whitney Houston. She has mastered Houston’s demeanour and movement and shares an uncanny resemblance to the late songstress. Stanley Tucci is impeccable as Clive Davis, the American record producer who introduced Houston to the world of music and who also became her close and long-time friend.

I Wanna Dance With Somebody is not only entertaining but sheds light on who Whitney Houston was offstage.

As audiences watch the story of Whitney Houston unfold, many emotions may be evoked. Anger, sadness and perhaps the question may arise whether she would still be singing to the masses had her brothers not introduced her to the dark world of drugs.

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In Cinemas Now

AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER

By MARK MORELLINI

Finally, after 13 years the highly anticipated sequel to the epic science fiction film, Avatar (2009), which is currently the biggest box office hit in history, arrives in cinemas, and moviegoers have no idea what an incredibly satisfying cinematic event awaits them.

The story begins ten years after the original movie ended: Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) has married and settled with his family on the beautiful planet Pandora, living in harmony with nature. Happiness vanishes in a heartbeat with the return of the villainous Sky People who want to take over the planet owing to Earth’s disastrous deterioration.

This mammoth and ambitious production was years in the making with many script rewrites and new software technology development which was

required in order to film the underwater sequences. Cameron is a genius and he has excelled – the end product is breathtaking, with visually stunning sequences in 3D as never seen before. The breathtaking aerial and actionpacked sequences, not to mention the advances in performance capture technology, deliver a truly incredible movie experience that must be seen on the big screen and in 3D format for optimum enjoyment.

Sequels rarely live up to the standard of the originals but this is an exception. Audiences should be completely spellbound by the beauty that unfolds on screen, as they are seemingly transported to another world. The year’s best film!

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In cinemas Now

BABYLONIAN DECADENCE ON SCREEN

By MARK MORELLINI

This comedy-drama which is a remake of the highly successful Swedish film A Man Called Ov centres on a bitter old lonely man.

Tom Hanks stars as an elderly widower who has taken redundancy and settles into retirement. He stopped living when his wife died. Hostile, pedantic and set in his ways, he is also a law abiding citizen and expects the same from others. He has tried to take his life several times.

All this is about to change when a friendly Mexican family move in across the road and a wonderful friendship builds, especially with the very pregnant Masisol, the somewhat zany woman who is blessed with a loving husband and 2 adorable daughters.

Through flashbacks, audiences slowly learn of Otto’s past and the enormous love

he felt for his wife. It’s a refreshing piece of cinema, very funny with many dramatic and highly emotional scenes intertwined. Tom Hanks is a natural in the titular role, possibly the only actor who could have given credence to this most frustrating yet loveable character.

Mexican actress, Mariana Trevino steals the show as Masisol. An extraordinary actress, she demands attention on screen delivering a performance which redefines ‘bubbly personality’. Hopefully we’ll see much more of this talented actress in American cinema.

This is a beautifully executed film, emotionally amplified by effective editing and a musical score that should compound to also deliver a heartfelt and very satisfying cinematic experience.

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By RITA BRATOVICH

I t’s a film that has been preceded by a lot of hype and expectation; Damien Chazelle’s uproarious, steamy, comedythriller, Babylon hits cinema screens this January and looks likely to polarise audiences.

Starring Margot Robbie and Brad Pitt, the film is a fictionalised retelling of some of the most scandalous gossip that rocked Hollywood during the 1920s and ‘30s. Set during a period when the Hollywood film industry was simultaneously going through a growth spurt and transitioning from silent to “talkie” films, Babylon captures the hedonism, excesses and improprieties of the time.

Robbie plays Nellie LaRoy, a character

purported to be based on Clara Bow who was one of Hollywood’s biggest stars at the time. Pitt plays Jack Conrad, a philandering producer. The film also stars Toby Maguire, Diego Calva, Phoebe Tonkin, Olivia Wilde, and many more as characters who can be credibly paralleled to real people.

Though Chazelle never cites it as his source, there are a lot of similarities to the book, Hollywood Babylon by Kenneth Anger which was published in 1959 and caused a sensation.

Babylon opens across the country on January 19 but you can catch a preview screening at Dendy Newtown on January 18 at 6pm and enjoy a complimentary cocktail into the bargain.

In Cinemas January 19

Photo: Film still

Photo: Film still

Photo: Film still