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Local films Nude Tuesday & Lonesome highlight the 69th SFF

Page 24

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60th Edition

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CITY HUB JUNE 2022

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HubNEWS

Diverse swim nights considered by City of Sydney council (See p. 15)

Voluntary assisted dying passes in NSW

HubARTS: Becoming Eliza When you get a glowing endorsement from Dame Julie Andrews then you must be doing something right.

(See p. 26)

Alex Greenwich (centre) introduced the voluntary assisted dying bill into NSW parliament, which passed the Upper House in May. Photo: Twitter PUBLISHED DATE 9 JUNE 2022 Published monthly and freely available throughout the Inner City.

Copies are also distributed to serviced apartments, hotels, convenience stores and newsagents throughout the city.

Distribution enquiries call 9212 5677.

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

ABN 52 600 903 348 Group Editor & Publisher: Lawrence Gibbons Publisher Assistant: Mal Moody Advertising Manager: Mal Moody 0484 042 615 Advertising: sales@altmedia.net.au News Editor: Erin Modaro Contributors: Erin Modaro, Daniel Lo Surdo, Amber Griffin, Wendy Bacon, Sam Pashmi, Marcus Haar, Sasha Foot and Swagatalakshmi Roychowdury Arts Editor: Jamie Apps Contributors: Rita Bratovich, Mark Morellini, Jarrod Wolhuter, Swagatalakshmi Roychowdury, Christine Lai, Linc Jenkin, Renee Lou Dallow, Olga Azar, Shon Ho Cover Photo: Supplied by SFF. Damon Herriman, Jackie van Beek, Jemaine Clement in Nude Tuesday Designer: Nadia Kalinitcheva Mail: PO Box 843 Broadway 2007 Email: news@altmedia.net.au, arts@altmedia.net.au Ph: 9212 5677 Fax: 9212 5633 Website: cityhubsydney.com.au If you have a story, or any comments you’d like to share with us: news@altmedia.net.au @CityHubSydney

BY SWAGATALAKSHMI ROYCHOWDURY n a historic turn of events, New South Wales became the final Australian state to introduce assisted dying laws.

The Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill, which was introduced to parliament last year

by Independent Member for Sydney Alex Greenwich, includes legislation to “provide for and regulate access to voluntary assisted dying”, which would let people living with a terminal illness choose the timing of their death, establish a Voluntary Assisted Dying Board and make consequential amendments to other Acts.

Greenwich told City Hub that he was “really grateful that the majority of my colleagues supported the bill”.

“People in NSW with advanced physical and mental illnesses should have the same access to end-of care options as people in every other state. I am really proud that NSW has joined every other state in Australia in legalising voluntary assisted dying.”

“I think it shows that Independents can deliver important reforms when they work cooperatively and collaboratively with the political parties.”

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TERMINALLY ILL CAN ‘DIE WITH DIGNITY’

The bill, which had already been passed in the lower house had its third reading in the NSW upper house on May 18.

Wes Fang, the chair of the inquiry into the Bill, told City Hub that there was “an immense sense of responsibility, and an ultimate sense of pride when we published the report”.

“I had previously been on the record as

supporting the concept and the previous Bill before the Legislative Council, so I was determined to Chair the Inquiry in an impartial manner and not prejudice the report.”

While terminally ill people might not follow through with assisted dying, Fang said that it is the “comfort of the knowledge that they can relieve that pain should it be too much”.

As people approach the end… they should have all options before them The Bill previously failed to pass by one vote in the NSW Upper House in 2017.

Supporters of the bill stood outside the NSW Parliament this year in March with ‘They Died Waiting’ placards. After a long and hard fight, Greenwich called the day a victory for compassion.

A NEW AND MEANINGFUL CHOICE

Adam Searle, a Member of the NSW Legislative Council, said that “as people approach the end of their lives due to a terminal illness or condition, they should have all options before them”.

“They should have high-quality palliative care for those who choose and for those for whom it is appropriate,” Searle, who steered the Bill through a number of last-minute amendments, said.

“This Bill will give people nearing death the choice to go earlier at a time of their own choosing in a way that is safe and legal and where they can be surrounded by their families and their loved ones rather than face this painful

uncertain end which will be distressing for everybody.”

Searle also mentioned that “losing bodily autonomy, dignity, and their sense of themselves” can be agonising, adding that voluntary assisted dying would provide a “new and meaningful choice” for terminally ill people “who are facing a very painful end”.

“There are a lot of things to get ready for.

The Health Secretary has to set out all the training for the doctors,” Searle said.

“Eighteen months is quite a short period of time to do that, but I do recognise that it is 18 more months for people who have to wait.”

TERMINALLY ILL FOUGHT TO SEE BILL PASS

People facing terminal illnesses that have been campaigning for this Bill include Siobhan O’Sullivan, who was diagnosed with stage 3 ovarian cancer in 2020, and Sara Wright, who was diagnosed with a motor neuron disease more than two years ago. Some other advocates, including Belinda Ryan and Tim Edwards, passed away before the Bill was passed.

“Today was an important day for everybody in NSW facing a painful death.

NSW is the final state in Australia to legalise voluntary assisted dying. I was honoured to be in NSW Parliament to see this important law pass,” Sullivan said.

“I’m disappointed, frustrated and anxious, because my condition is deteriorating all the time and I don’t think it’ll come into effect quickly enough to help me in my situation,” Sara Wright told NCA NewsWire.

The NSW Upper House passed the Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill on May 19.

CITY HUB JUNE 2022

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HubNEWS

No alternative for Pyrmont Community Centre

BY SASHA FOOT lover Moore’s Independent team defeated a motion that would grant Pyrmont Community Centre a workable relocation space while $5.7 million upgrades take place.

Five councillors of the Clover Moore Independent Team rejected the motion put forward by Liberal Councillor Shauna Jarrett and Labor Councillor Linda Scott earlier this month. Clover Moore used her casting vote to defeat the tied motion.

A City of Sydney spokesperson said that “while [council] received requests to lease a third venue to run programs in Pyrmont during the upgrade works, this would cost over $500,000.”

Councillor Jarrett expressed to City Hub that “other councillors” to the Clover Moore Team “want to get this resolved.” The tied motion, she said, was a “great example of the five non-Clover councillors coming together to show our support for the community.”

The convener of the Friends of Pyrmont Community Group, Mary Mortimer, welcomes the renovation but believes community engagement will diminish if the council does not offer a leased

Community Centre will accommodate activities that require larger spaces.

However, Cr Jarrett says that the “Maybanke Recreation Centre is completely unsuitable; there is just one room downstairs and another upstairs which has no disability access.”

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It won’t have the same community to draw on

Construction of Pyrmont Community Centre upgrades expected to start late 2022. Photo: City of Sydney

premise during the two-year renovation period.

“Once the building is completed in two years, it won’t have the same community to draw on,” Mortimer said.

Pyrmont Community Centre currently offers an extensive schedule with over 50 activities. Mortimer recognises that due to the sheer scale of the centre’s community output, “activities will not be able to continue in the spaces that Council has offered.”

“Apparently when the plans were drawn

up for the renovations, they didn’t make a proper provision for an alternative,” Mortimer explains.

‘LOSS OF COMMUNITY’

Cr Jarrett also expressed concern that an unsuitable replacement will bring about “an increased loss of community” as the centre has previously faced two years of Covid-19 related closures.

The City of Sydney will relocate the centre’s activities to the nearby Maybanke Recreation Centre, while Ultimo

The City of Sydney spokesperson stated that the council has “drafted a plan that outlines where programs and services can be temporarily provided.”

The spokesperson clarified that “if certain activities cannot be run at Maybanke or Ultimo community centres, [the council] will look at hiring more spaces as needed.”

The Friends of Pyrmont group launched a petition two weeks ago that has gathered over 250 signatures.

“Friends of Pyrmont group are doing the work, looking at alternatives, thinking about how they are going to keep their community together,” Jarrett says.

“Council should be stepping up to help them.”

Waverley Council Update Mayor’s message Bondi Junction Cycleway opening I would like to invite the community to join us on Tuesday 14 June for our opening of the Bondi Junction Cycleway and Streetscape Upgrade from Bondi Road to St James Road. Our celebration starts at 9am in Spring Street near Bronka Arcade opposite Eastgate Shopping Centre with a ceremonial ribbon cutting, refreshments and bicycle rides. The cycleway is Waverley Council’s largest sustainable transport project to date and has transformed connections for cycling, walking and access to public transport in our area. Once completed, it will link Bondi Road to Centennial Park via Oxford Street, Bronte Road, Spring Street and Denison Street, connecting the cycleway to the city via the existing cycling infrastructure. The average number of trips being taken on the cycleway each week is around 3000, and during last year’s lockdowns, that figure skyrocketed to around 5000.

All the pathways and streets along the route are being

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upgraded with new street furniture and garden beds and 50 street trees will be planted to help cool our dense urban spaces. The cycleway project aligns with Council’s vision to reduce car travel overall and help us achieve a new community greenhouse gas emission target of net zero by 2035, as announced by Council in March this year. It is a priority project of our Complete Streets plan to enhance the vibrancy of the Bondi Junction CBD, making it a more beautiful place to live, visit and do business, so please, come join us for this important community event.

Bondi Festival Tickets are now available to Bondi Festival, our all ages, winter celebration of local artists and immersive performance from 1 to 17 July. New ideas and ways of engaging with performers and entertainers are designed to give Sydneysiders and those visiting us from interstate and overseas a festival to remember.

Bondi Festival brings a little extra warmth and joy back into our lives this winter and is just one of the ways Council is supporting the local arts industry and small businesses during this period of economic recovery after lockdowns. The famous Bondi Vista ferris wheel and the Bondi Festival ice rink make a return and performers, storytellers and creators from Sydney and beyond will be sharing digital to physical new works in unusual places. Bondi Festival is proudly held in partnership with Bondi & Districts Chamber of Commerce and supported by Swiss Tourism. To view the program, visit bondifestival.com.au Paula Masselos, Mayor of Waverley

Bondi Junction Cycleway

innerwest.nsw.gov.au

What’s on

From the Mayor – Darcy Byrne

innerwest.nsw.gov.au/WhatsOn

Get involved in Uluru Statement From The Heart campaign

Reconciliation Week Golf Tournament Summer Hill street party Lackey Street (between Carlton Crescent to Smith Street) and a small section of Smith Street, Saturday 11 June, 10am - 6pm Leichhardt street party Norton Street (between Marion Street and MacCauley Street), Sunday 12 June, 10am - 6pm

Beginners and experienced golfers can register as individuals or as a team of four. Friday 8 July. Registration: 7.30am. Welcome and smoking ceremony: 7.50am.

Tee off: 8.30am. Speeches, prizes and lunch: 12.30pm.

For more information and to register call Marrickville Golf Club 9558 6862.

The Inner West is proud to be hosting a major public forum on what will become a seminal document in our history, the Uluru Statement from the Heart. Australia’s new Minister for Indigenous Australians, Linda Burney MP will address our community at the forum at Marrickville Town Hall on June 16 from 6:30PM. Linda will be joined by Dean Parkin, Campaign Director for the From the Heart campaign, and local activist Cheree Toka, who has led the fight for the Aboriginal Flag to fly over the Harbour Bridge.

Come along to find out how you can get involved in the upcoming referendum campaign, to enshrine a Voice to Parliament for First Nations people in the Australian Constitution.

Entry is free but tickets must be booked at innerwest.nsw.gov.au/WhatsOn

Darcy Byrne, Mayor

Local Matters Forum Next Local Matters Forum, Petersham Town Hall, Tuesday 28 June, 6pm – 7.30pm.

Find your next Local Matters Forum or mobile Customer Service Stall innerwest.nsw.gov.au/ CommunityEngagement

Uluru Statement from the Heart Public Forum Greek Community Celebration

IWC_CITYHUB_9/06_2022

Next Council meeting Tue 14 June 2022, 6.30pm Ashfield Service Centre, 260 Liverpool Road, Ashfield innerwest.nsw.gov.au/Meeting

Little Greece and Hestia’s Migration Greek Community Celebration, Alex Trevallion Plaza then The Great Club, Saturday 18 June, from 1pm.

RSVP essential by Wednesday 15 June innerwest.nsw.gov.au/WhatsOn

The Uluru Statement from the Heart is a powerful call for national action on Indigenous constitutional reform.

It invites all Australians to walk together towards a better future by establishing a First Nations Voice in the Constitution and a Makarrata Commission to oversee agreement-making and truth-telling.

This is an opportunity to find out how to become involved in the upcoming referendum campaign to enshrine the Voice into the Australian Constitution.

Marrickville Town Hall, Thursday 16 June, 6.30pm innerwest.nsw.gov.au/WhatsOn

HubNEWS

Draft Reconciliation Plan proposes ‘Survival Memorials’ Memorials”, the first of which is set to be constructed in Ashfield this year.

An estimated $600 000 is allocated for the development of the Survival Memorials.

Our survival and our continuing survival Deborah Lennis, Inner West Council Aboriginal Programs Supervisor, said to City Hub that the memorials are “a wise investment.” Acting as cultural advisor to Inner West Council CEO, Lennis backed the arts funding for the RAP, stating that “during covid, businesses have been supported but the arts and creatives were left behind.”

Council unanimously votes to put Reconciliation Action plan up for public exhibition. Photo: Facebook

BY SAM PASHMI he Inner West council unanimously voted to put a draft Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) up for public exhibition. The Reconciliation Action Plan will aid in local execution of the ‘Uluru Statement from the Heart’, which is designed to create constitutional change that will grant First Nations peoples a permanent voice in Australian parliament.

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The Reconciliation Action Plan includes numerous projects designed to help Aboriginal communities within the Inner West area and instigate progress for reconciliation.

The plan proposes to implement the creation of a “community hub” which will serve as a permanent gathering space for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Additionally, initiatives also include the creation of three “Survival

and Torres Strait Islander Community consultation and feedback.”

“It was decided to have a survival memorial… [to tell] the story about our survival and our continuing survival to this day.”

The proposals on the RAP draft are to be put under public advisement, and will be resubmitted to the Council.

The local community has the chance to voice their opinion on the RAP until July 7th.

CONNECTING CREATIVITY AND RECONCILIATION

Lennis expressed hope that by erecting these sculptures, it would inspire more creativity and passion within the First Nations community and would foster progress in reconciliation efforts.

Lennis explained that the decision for the RAP to include memorials was generated “through Aboriginal

The ‘Fish Traps’ sculpture by Edward Clarke stands in the Inner West with other First Nation’s artworks.

Photo: Inner West Council

Looking to an optimistic future Now that we are on the other side of the federal election, we can be hopeful and optimistic about the direction that we are heading for the first time in a decade.

What a seismic shift in our political landscape and a total rejection of the politics of division, cruelty and climate denial.

We can now look forward to some really significant and exciting changes - changes that will redefine local and national priorities in ways so many of us have been campaigning on for such a long time.

A big congratulations to the new Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, as well as my newly elected Greens colleagues and all those from the progressive side of politics who are ready to tackle the challenges our country faces.

With the amazing work and

@jennyleong.newtown

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advocacy of so many in our community and nationwide, we’ve seen the demise of the two party system in Australia and some outstanding wins for those standing for action on climate, inequality and integrity.

Suddenly the political horizon looks very different than it did just a month or so ago.

We are looking forward to seeing real emissions reductions and meaningful action on climate change and now there are enough Greens senators holding the balance of power to ensure that this remains a priority. We look forward to seeing immediate action to support and assist those who are already facing the impacts of the climate emergency locally and in our regions.

Urgent work on mitigation, adaptation strategies and just @jennyleong

transitions need to be on the agenda as we move to a zero emissions target.

The reign of the climate vandals has come to an end - finally.

How wonderful to know that in addition to climate action, government transparency and integrity, First Nations justice, women’s rights and equality, housing, childcare and wages, are also on the agenda. And it’s the icing on the cake that the billionaires, transphobes, racists, and climate deniers got little support and now have no mandate.

We are looking forward to working together to make positive change for our communities and future generations.

Jenny Leong MP Greens Member for Newtown @jennyleong.newtown

CITY HUB JUNE 2022

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HubNEWS

Powerhouse community consultations fall short POWERHOUSE ULTIMO’S HISTORY OF UNCERTAINTY

The Powerhouse Museum Ultimo has occupied inner-city site since 1988. Photo: Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences

BY ERIN MODARO n a continuation of the push against the NSW government’s vision for the renewal of the Powerhouse Museum Ultimo, community members backing the ‘save the powerhouse’ movement have once again raised their concerns, after two public information seminars were held on May 16 and 18.

The seminars, carried out by state government consultant Ethos Urban, informed attendees about the direction of Powerhouse Museum Ultimo’s transformation and discussed a December 2021 Scoping Report put out

by Ethos Urban.

Tom Lockley, who attended the information seminar, expressed that the meeting felt inauthentic, and said that “the recent consultations have been carried out as usual, just to tick the boxes.” Lockley has been vocal in the community about preserving the Powerhouse Museum in Ultimo for 7 years.

“I asked if they could provide details of any person with museum qualifications and or experience who had given input [into the scoping plan]... and this question was completely ignored.”

Other Powerhouse Museum advocacy members in attendance at the meetings outlined how the direction of the museum to “focus on fashion and design”, as detailed in the scooping report, was a concern.

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COMMUNITY OPPOSED TO ‘TRIVIALISING’ POWERHOUSE

Patricia Johnson and Jean-Pierre Alexandre, who lead the Save the 8

CITY HUB JUNE 2022

Powerhouse community group, said that the community as well as museum specialists, “are strongly opposed to trivialising the Powerhouse” through “turning it into a ‘creative industries hub’ with a ‘focus on fashion.’”

Johnson and Alexandre say that the adoption of fashion and design as a focus for the museum is a “distortion” of the Powerhouse’s original conception, and “far too limiting.” They also express concerns that a fashion museum is not as exciting for children and younger people, and that fashion museums don’t perform as well as those focused on science and technology.

New direction for Powerhouse Ultimo Johnson and Alexandre say participants at the public information seminar were in favour of “the [Powerhouse Museum] continuing to represent science, technology, transport, engineering, applied arts, crafts, design and social history.”

“We must now focus on overturning the ludicrous idea that our time-honored Powerhouse Museum can become a mere “fashion hub”” Johnson and Alexandre said.

Member of the Powerhouse Museum Alliance group Grace Cochrane attended the seminar and expressed similar concerns about the management of the renewal project.

Cochrane had questions during the seminar about the future of certain historic buildings such as the Wran Building, the Galleria and Hardwood

Building. She stated that the current building plans had “no clear description of exactly what the content, scope and programs of the Powerhouse Museum in Ultimo are intended to be.”

Create NSW, the state government’s arts and cultural agency, says that while design and fashion will be the “forefront” of the renewal plan, “arts and sciences will continue to be an important focus.”

In support of the move towards fashion and design, Create NSW said to City Hub that “with decorative arts comprising over 30 per cent of the Powerhouse collection, the new direction for Powerhouse Ultimo will enable greater access to these objects.”

“The updated Powerhouse Ultimo will also provide new support to the NSW design and creative industries through skills development, pathways into employment and supported studios and workspaces.”

The future of the Powerhouse Museum in Ultimo has been in public debate since the NSW Government announced in 2015 that the Powerhouse would be moved to Parramatta in a bid to bring an arts and culture focus to Western Sydney.

The plan to demolish the Ultimo location was then scrapped by former NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian in July of 2020, announcing that it would instead be retained and renewed. Two Parliamentary inquiries into the state government’s management of the Powerhouse Museum have since gone ahead, one in February of 2020, and another in March of this year.

An investment of between $480 and $500 million was given to the renewal of the Ultimo Powerhouse in 2021. The current scoping plan states that this investment is to “establish a world-class museum that will significantly contribute to an important and developing part of Sydney.”

Create NSW responded to the discussion from the public consultations, stating that the feedback they received “included comments on the project’s Concept SSDA” and questions about “operational elements relating to future exhibits or management of the site.”

“Consultation will continue with the community and feedback will be considered as part of the planning for the project” Create NSW said.

The Ethos Urban scoping report also included a section outlining community feedback that has “informed the project” including the preference for Powerhouse Ultimo to “continue operating as a museum”, and the recognising the need for “community connection.”

Going forward, attendees at the public information seminars were told to expect that a draft conservation report would soon be going up for public exhibition, followed by an architectural competition for the design of the upgrades.

An artist’s impression of the Powerhouse Museum Ultimo renewal. Photo: Museum of Applied Arts & Sciences

LATE ANNOUNCE FILMS HAVE ARRIVED!

BOY FROM HEAVEN Winner of the Best Screenplay award at Cannes, Swedish-Egyptian director Tarek Saleh’s (The Nile Hilton Incident, SFF 2017) new film is a riveting political thriller set in Cairo’s Al-Azhar University.

JOYLAND The first Pakistani film to make the Cannes Official Selection, Joyland is a daring love story in which a married man falls for an ambitious transgender dancer. Winner, Un Certain Regard Jury Prize and Queer Palm.

STARS AT NOON Grand Prix winner, Cannes 2022. A steamy, erotic feature from acclaimed director Claire Denis (High Life), starring Margaret Qualley (Maid) and Joe Alwyn (In Conversation with Friends).

BROKER Direct from the Cannes Competition, where Song Kang-ho (Parasite, SFF 2019) won the Best Actor Award, Broker is a tender drama from Kore-eda Hirokazu (Shoplifters, SFF 2018).

THE NIGHT OF THE 12TH Direct from Cannes, a perfectly crafted, atmospheric police procedural set in southern France, based on true events and reminiscent of Zodiac and Memories of Murder.

TORI AND LOKITA Winner of the Cannes 75th Anniversary Prize, this powerful new drama by Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne (Two Days, One Night, SFF winner 2014) follows two young African refugees as they try to make a life in Belgium.

HOLY SPIDER Ali Abbasi (Border) returns with a provocative true-crime serial killer thriller set in the Iranian holy city of Mashhad. Zar Amir Ebrahimi won the Best Actress Award at Cannes for her starring role.

NOTHING COMPARES This intimate doco charts Sinéad O’Connor’s stunning rise to fame and startling rejection of the spotlight, voiced by the determinedly nonconformist Irish singer herself.

TRIANGLE OF SADNESS Winner of the Cannes Palme d’Or 2022, Ruben Östlund’s (Force Majeure, The Square, SFF 2017) hilarious, biting, stomach-churning satire on the mega-rich presents a motley crew on a luxury cruise captained by an alcoholic Marxist.

FOR MORE VISIT SFF.ORG.AU

CITY HUB JUNE 2022

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HubNEWS

Albanese reaffirms Uluru Statement pledge in three and one in ten Indigenous children were forcibly removed from their communities between 1910 and 1970, and that most families have been affected, in at least one generation, by the forcible removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.

Beginning of the journey towards reconciliation

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (pictured) reaffirmed his government’s commitment to the Uluru Statement from the Heart on National Sorry Day. Photo: Facebook

BY DANIEL LO SURDO ustralian Prime Minister and Member for Grayndler Anthony Albanese reaffirmed his commitment to the Uluru Statement from the Heart on National Sorry Day, calling the document “an act of grace ... which will bring us closer together as a nation”.

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National Sorry Day this year marked the 25th anniversary since the tabling of the ‘Bringing Them Home’ report in Australian parliament, which came after a government inquiry into the forcible removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their communities.

The report found that between one

Albanese said that the report was “powered by the courage of the survivors of the Stolen Generations” and was the “beginning of the journey towards reconciliation”.

“As we more fully acknowledge our history, we begin to unburden ourselves of its unspoken weight. We learn from our wrongs and we do not rest in our search for ways of healing.”

structural reforms to improve Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander lives.

In the eastern suburbs, flags at Randwick Town Hall were flown at half-mast to mark National Sorry Day, after councillors observed a minute’s silence at a meeting to acknowledge the grief, trauma and loss that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities continue to experience from the Stolen Generations period.

Randwick Mayor Dylan Parker said that he felt “proud to participate in Sorry Day and restate our Nation’s apology to the Stolen Generations.”

RANDWICK FLAGS HALF-MAST

Following Labor’s success at the federal election earlier this week, Albanese said his government would commit to the Uluru Statement from the Heart in full, which would see constitutional and

This National Sorry Day marks the 25th year since tabling of report about the Stolen Generation.

Photo: Facebook

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HubNEWS

Tigers Leagues Club site cast aside

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.

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.

CONGRATULATORY MESSAGES 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.

JUSTICE OF THE PEACE My office offers Justice of the Peace (JP) services on Mondays (2pm-4.30pm); Tuesdays (10am-1pm); and Thursdays (2pm-4.30pm). Please contact my office to make an appointment.

TANYA PLIBERSEK MP 1A Great Buckingham St Redfern NSW 2016 TanyaPlibersek.com to Help 2020 V1.indd HUB JUNE 20221 12 SSO HereCITY

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Tanya.Plibersek.MP@aph.gov.au 28/09/2020 1:23:20 PM

The NSW government will not be using the disused Balmain Leagues Club (pictured) for the Western Harbour Tunnel. Photo: The Weekly Times

BY DANIEL LO SURDO he NSW government announced that the abandoned site of the Balmain Leagues Club would no longer be required as part of the multi-billion dollar Western Harbour Tunnel project, in a move that has been celebrated by the Inner West community.

Transport for NSW said that the site was discovered to not be needed for the first stage of construction in January this year, and was then also found unnecessary for the second stage of works after discussions between the state government and its industry partners.

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Huge relief for local residents Greens State Member for Balmain, Jamie Parker, said that the news came as “a huge relief for local residents already being assaulted by WestConnex construction.”

“It also means that the owner of the site can get on with securing and demolishing it.”

The state government’s decision to hand the site back to the owners means that a much-awaited rebuild of the Tigers League Club, along with new apartment buildings, a supermarket and a town square, can go ahead.

The site was expected to be occupied for seven years while the Western Harbour Tunnel, an underground harbour crossing between Cammeray and Rozelle, would

be completed. Transport for NSW confirmed that major construction for the tunnel was still scheduled to begin in mid-2022.

EMERGENCY SAFETY ORDERS ISSUED

Emergency safety orders were issued by Inner West Council to the owner of the Balmain Leagues site and Transport for NSW earlier this week, after a large fire tore through the site. After the orders were issued, Inner West mayor Darcy Byrne said it was a “disgrace that the NSW government has to be forced to clean up this dangerous fire and asbestos hazard”.

Council had staunchly objected to the use of the Balmain Leagues site for the tunnel, saying that it “would result in significant construction impacts and would unduly delay redevelopment of this site”.

They added that the state government’s occupation of the site would be “essentially eliminating” the redevelopment of a new Tigers Leagues Club at the site, and would also cause road safety, noise and traffic impacts across the area.

The Western Harbour Tunnel, along with the adjoining Beaches Link project, is expected to cost $14 billion and will connect the Rozelle Interchange to Balgowlah in the Northern Beaches.

Transport for NSW said that it is “now working with affected stakeholders on next steps” with construction and that they’re “always looking for ways to mitigate [major project] impacts and deliver positive outcomes”.

Australia turns a corner

Sam Mostyn, Craig Foster and Damien Moore meet Anthony Albanese on the campaign trail at Addi Road. Photo Mark Mordue.

Albo visits “heart and soul of the Inner West” Congratulations are in order for Anthony Albanese, our local member for Grayndler, who is now settling in as the 31st Prime Minister of Australia. Anthony has been a loyal and supportive local member, visiting Addi Road and even pitching in to pack hampers during the Covid-19 lockdowns. He calls us “the heart and soul of the Inner West”.

We’ve seen him here often – with and without the media. Opening our Public Schools Arts Festival; consulting with us about poverty and unemployment issues; backing our work at the Addi Road Food Relief Hub through bushfires, pandemic and floods; and bringing attention to “the working poor” during his campaign with a press conference here.

We look forward to your next visit Anthony – and to maintaining the good relationship with you across all those fields, from our food relief and social justice work through to our arts and culture and community activities. More than anything we appreciate you caring about what happens at Addi Road and taking an active part. No task too big; no act too small not to matter and be meaningful when it all adds up.

Sydney Swans support #RacismNOTWelcome It was a huge Friday night for Addi Road when the Sydney Swans invited us to ‘Marn Grook’ at the SCG. This annual fixture pays tribute to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and their contribution to football. The Swans warmed-up in their brand new #RacismNotWelcome t-shirts, inviting Addi Road CEO Rosanna Barbero to speak to a crowd of 50,000 people. #RacismNotWelcome is a community-led initiative to acknowledge the existence of racism and normalise conversations about racism whilst igniting change.

The #RacismNotWelcome street signs are just one part of a wider campaign. A big thank you to former captain Brett Kirk and the Swans for supporting #RacismNotWelcome. Keen to show your support too?

T-shirts $20 from Addi Road or racismnotwelcome.com/product/t-shirt/

International Day for Living in Peace It was a joy to see our friends come together to mark International Day for Living in Peace. This was also the 4th chapter in our ‘Addi Road meets Abbey Road’ community creative project, mimicking the famous Beatles album cover on our rainbow crossing for special days throughout the year. Thanks to Craig Foster, Annabel Crabb, Reverend Bill Crews, Andrew Denton, Jane Caro and many others who celebrated peace and had fun deciding who was Lennon, McCartney, Harrison and Starr. Come walk our way again. (Photo Tim Bauer)

Visum – a gathering of Addi Road Artists Did you know there are over 40 artists practicing in studio spaces at Addi Road? We were very pleased to showcase 18 of them in a group show called ‘Visum’ that opened at our StirrUp Gallery recently.

Coordinated and curated by Addi Road’s Vanessa James, the exhibition featured sculpture, printing, drawing, painting, textiles and animation. It ends soon on 12 June; open every day 11-4pm. We will be holding more exhibitions throughout the year!

Its a Wrap! Addi Road Writers' Festival 2022 Addi Road Writers’ Festival 2022 ended with a full moon rising over the Inner West, one more special note to a very special day. 40 writers, journalists and thinkers appeared on twelve panels across two venues, Gumbramorra Hall and the Greek Theatre.

Another dozen musicians, activists and spoken word artists joined us in ten-minute ‘hotspots’ to blast a feeling or idea into proceedings. Over 400 people attended. Writers from Northern Ireland and Indonesia were beamed in, while we heard from local figures like Book of the Year winner Safdar Ahmed, poet Robert Adamson, musician Lo Carmen and Artistic Directors Mark Mordue and Sheila Ngoc Pham.

ARWF2022 is an independent and community-driven effort. This year we were supported by a $10,000 grant from the Inner West Council, which helped a lot.

But a day this big comes with an even bigger investment of time and resources from Addi Road. It engages us on a whole other level with our community…. through storytelling, conversation and all the related arts. And it does so at a time when ‘culture’ has been a unifying and healing force in spite of the crises rained down upon us over the last two years. Our staff, volunteers, and crew gave their all to the occasion. Thank you everyone.

Check out Addi Road’s website or Facebook page for even more to come!!

Did you know Addi Road has Deductible Gift Recipient status.

Make a Tax Deductible donation at www.addiroad.org.au

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A master plan for the South Head precinct has some residents concerned for the future direction of the area. Photo: NSW government

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BY SWAGATALAKSHMI ROYCHOWDURY he NSW government’s master plan for the South Head precinct near Watsons Bay has many residents concerned about the future commercialisation of the area.

The precinct at Watsons Bay, which is part of the Sydney Harbour National Parks, has had a plan developed that promises to create a “long-term framework” to support its “rich culture, heritage and landscape character and future improvements” across South Head.

While many residents are worried about the implications of the commercially built landscape on a public area, Liberal State Member for Vaucluse Gabrielle Upton said that the plan is a “crucial opportunity” to identify necessary upgrades like walking tracks to enhance South Head’s cultural and natural attributes, arguing that it will “play a critical role in managing the important place for decades to come”.

CITY HUB JUNE 2022

QUESTIONS FROM WOOLLAHRA COUNCILLORS

Merrill Witt, a Residents First councillor for the Vaucluse Ward of Woollahra Council, told City Hub that while the focus on the conservation of bushland and habitat is welcomed, she was concerned about how changes would be implemented.

“While the plan says that the adaptive reuse of the buildings on South Head will be a positive and logical transition that does not commercialise or lead to significant intervention that is irreversible

... it qualifies this statement - and that is my emphasis - by saying without a bold approach, there may not be a viable use for some element,” Witt said.

“Given that a recent proposal to transform parkland buildings into function centres was met with widespread community outcry, don’t we require more details on exactly how the plan is planning to repurpose existing buildings?”

We require more details Woollahra councillor Lucinda Regan has prepared submissions to express her concerns about the plan. While she praised its consideration of “infrastructure upgrades and a planned methodology to the area”, she was unhappy about its disregard for local amenities, management plans for tourists, and its inaction on traffic and transport updates. Cr Regan said that the details on these topics are unclear since there is little reference to them.

Former councillor Claudia Cullen also prepared a detailed submission regarding the Plan.

“The introduction and site overview fails to acknowledge that this small strip of parkland is uniquely located within a high-density heritage residential area consisting of small highly trafficked roads, poor public transport networks and no thorough traffic,” she said, adding that including a nationallyfunded transport plan and infrastructure upgrade would be necessary to manage Watsons Bay.

HubNEWS

City to investigate diverse swim nights

BY AMBER GRIFFIN he City of Sydney will investigate hosting their own trans and gender diverse swim nights after the neighbouring Inner West Council’s firstever inclusive swim night in April was hailed as a resounding success.

A motion calling on council officers to evaluate the capacity for the City to host their own trans and gender diverse swim nights was tabled by Greens councillor Sylvie Ellsmore and seconded by Labor councillor Linda Scott at a meeting earlier in May, which received unanimous support from the council chamber.

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A gesture of welcoming and love Cr Ellsmore told City Hub that events such as a trans and gender diverse swim night would be a way to show solidarity but also practical support for people living in the inner-city, saying that the City is looking at ways to ensure that its facilities can be more inclusive.

“Unfortunately we are starting from a place where [inclusion] hasn’t been the norm, there is a lot of work to do,” Cr Ellsmore said.

City of Sydney to investigate hosting gender diverse swim nights after the Inner West’s success (pictured) this year.

Photo: Facebook

“The swim nights will show solidarity as a gesture of welcoming and love for our transgender and gender diverse communities to say you are welcome in these public spaces and we [the council] want to make sure you know that and put that up in lights.”

FEASIBILITY REPORT DRAFTED

This motion followed the success of the Inner West Council’s inaugural trans and gender diverse swim night at the

A great start at

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Ashfield Aquatic Centre, with the City now aiming to implement the event for their constituents.

The motion also asked for City chief executive Monica Barone to draft a report about the feasibility of the City of Sydney holding one or more trans and gender diverse swim nights at council pools, including advice about whether this can be accommodated in the 2023 council budget. The matter is set to be discussed again in the June council meeting.

While the motion was carried unanimously, Cr Ellsmore said that there is much more work to be done.

“While the swim night is a special event and it’s nice to celebrate them, the real work is going to be changing the way that Sydney’s pools, toilets, change rooms and facilities are structured so that they’re genuinely inclusive and that we won’t need to have these swim nights to reaffirm that they are welcome, they will just know they are welcome.”

PROPOSAL TO UPGRADE OPTUS

MOBILE PHONE BASESUBURBS STATION WITH 5G COMMUNITY EMBRACES CITY

LOCAL BUSINESS AWARDS AT THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS

Existing Facility (Level 10), 1-19 Oxford Street, Rooftop Facility, Lakes Business Park, Building 2, Surry Hills NSW 2010 2-26 Lord Street, Botany NSW 2019 Optus Ref: S0209, www.rfnsa.com.au/2010024 Optus Ref: S0490, www.rfnsa.com.au/2019001 1. The proposed facility consists of the addition of new 5G 3. The proposed facility consists of the addition of new 5G Hundreds of businesses will have great cause to celebrate this week after learning equipment and associated works as follows: equipment and Local associatedBusiness works as follows: they are among the5Gfinalists in (0.81m this year’s Awards.

• Installation of three (3) new panel antennas in length) City•Suburbs Installation of three (3) new 5G panel antennas (0.59m long) • Replacement of three (3) existing 4G panel antennas (2.68m New ancillary equipment remote radio units, cabling Presenting Bank of• Australia’s Headincluding of Small Business long) with three partner, new 4G panel Commonwealth antennas (1.5m long) and antenna mounts Banking forequipment NSW including and ACT, says: “Small businesses play a critical • New ancillary remoteShaun radio units,Stevens cabling • Reconfiguration of existing Over equipmentaonchallenging the facility and within role fueling spirit. and in antenna mounts our economy and building community the equipment shelter •and Reconfiguration of existing equipment on the facility and within unpredictable few years, they have demonstrated remarkable passion, • The antennas are at rooftop level and there is a slight increase in the equipment shelter;and the antennas are at level 10and plant room determination resilience we are thrilled recognise the the overallto scalebe of thehelping facility • Optus regards the proposed installation as a low-impact facility in contributions this vibrant(Low-impact group of inspiring • individuals.

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We look forward to Pyrmont NSW 2009 Rooftop Facility, 65-71 Belmore Road, celebrating all of you next month at the award ceremony.”

Optus Ref: S5576, www.rfnsa.com.au/2009001 Randwick NSW 2031 Optus Ref: S0041, www.rfnsa.com.au/2031005 2. The proposed facility consists of the addition of new 5G Finalists were notified of their success before the judging process gets underway. equipment and associated works as follows: 4. The proposed facility consists of the addition of new 5G • Installation of three (3) new 5G panel antennas (0.59m long) equipment and associated works as follows: Independent judges will visit each finalist and assess their business based on a • Installation of three (3) new 5G panel antennas (0.81m long) • Installation of three (3) new 5G panel antennas (0.59m long) criteria, viewed from a customer’s perspective.

• Installation of one (1) new 4G panel antenna (2.69 m long) • Installation of three (3) new 5G panel antennas (0.81m long) • Replacement of two (2) existing 4G panel antennas (2.53m long) Finalists can also submit extra information aboutfortheir that(upare • Provision three (3) business future panel antennas to 1.5mnot long) with two new 4G panel antennas (2.69m long) New ancillary and equipment including remotecommunity radio units, cabling always to panel a customer, as staff• training motivation, • Provision obvious for three (3) future antennas (up to such 1.5m long) and antenna mounts engagement and including environmental sustainability.

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CITY HUB JUNE 2022

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HubNEWS

$300k council grant for LGBTQI Museum

City of Sydney councillor Lyndon Gannon (right) met with NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard (third from left) to discuss placing a LGBTIQA+ museum at the former Darlinghurst Police Station. Photo: Lyndon Gannon

BY MARCUS HAAR lans for an LGBTQI museum at the site of the former Darlinghurst Police Station have been put in motion after City of Sydney councillors voted in favour of a grant worth nearly $300,000 for the project.

This follows a proposal put forward in April by Qtopia, an organisation devoted to creating a space that will “protect,

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respect, and extend the equality of future LGBTQIA+ lives”.

Council agreed unanimously to provide Qtopia an ad hoc grant worth $283,500, said to cover museum start-up costs, key staff, and operation for a period of at least one year, as well as include a presence during Sydney WorldPride next year.

The motion was pushed by Liberal councillor Lyndon Gannon, who set up

a petition with over 150 signatures in support of using the old Darlinghurst police station for the museum.

“Its history, location, and the fact that it is publicly owned make it the most suitable site. It will also enable the long-term transformation of Taylor Square, which as we all know can be, and should be the beating heart of culture in our city.”

The building is used for administrative offices by NSW Health, but Cr Gannon and Qtopia representatives met with Health Minister Brad Hazzard last week to discuss plans for transforming the building into a museum, with Cr Gannon telling City Hub that the meeting was “constructive”.

“It came to the table, and he thought it was a great idea and he’s asked for his department to investigate the feasibility of it because there is the issue of relocating 50 admin staff from that site elsewhere especially if we’re going to do it in time for World Pride.”

SEPARATE FUNDING FOR WORLD PRIDE The City also approved plans to provide a $650,000 grant for Sydney WorldPride 2023 last week.

The sponsorship to Sydney WorldPride Limited – a not-for-profit organisation

responsible for the delivery of WorldPride 2023 – was agreed upon unanimously to support the pre-event planning and production of the event, which seeks to promote LGBTQ issues on an international stage.

The grant would come in the form of value-in-kind support which offers access to the City’s assets and services.

Extend the equality of future LGBTQI lives This follows a successful bid in 2019 where council provided $50,000 in support of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Ltd to host WorldPride 2023, and also approved another $250,000 to establish Sydney WorldPride Limited.

Council also approved $500,000 in 2021 to Sydney WorldPride Limited for further planning and delivery.

In 2016, the NSW government offered an apology to participants in Sydney’s first-ever Mardi Gras, who were arrested and assaulted by police in 1978. Some protestors were taken to the Darlinghurst Police Station, where they were exposed to further brutality.

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Mehreen Faruqi’s take on ‘cancel culture’

BY WENDY BACON reedom of speech but for whom?

This was the key question asked by Greens Senator Mehreen Faruqi in her Sydney PEN’s annual lecture held at the Sydney Writers’ Festival this week.

In many ways, Senator Faruqi’s lecture was a clear departure from the older classic notion of freedom of expression according to which “everyone must be able to say or write whatever they like” and the core issue is freedom from any government control. Instead, she explored contradictions in debates about ‘freedom of speech’ in contemporary Australia, both from a personal and political perspective.

As a woman of colour who migrated to Australia from Pakistan and is the first Muslim Senator in the Australian parliament, Senator Faruqi began her speech with the idea that freedom of expression is an “active daily struggle” in which we “make a commitment to each other to do more, whatever we can, to ensure that freedom of expression is upheld, that marginalised voices are heard, and that stories that were not supposed to see the light of day or deemed important enough to be told, get told”.

In other words, real freedom of expression is about “who gets heard and who doesn’t, who is given a voice and who is silenced, what are the consequences and what needs to change”.

Recently, Senator Faruqi had to formally withdraw a comment she made in the Senate describing a fellow senator’s conduct as racist. But that same senator had been given free rein in a senate committee hearing to question Chinese-Australians’ loyalty to this country on the basis of their cultural background.

“Only one of us faced consequences for what we had said ... those who call out racism – we cop it frequently. We are the ones gaslighted. We are the ones accused of causing division and told to shut up, as if it’s not racism that is the problem, but us calling it out,” Faruqi complained.

Another contradiction, she finds in the debate about freedom of speech is that those who complain most loudly about freedom of speech are often those “who already have an enormous platform and enormous privilege by virtue of who they are”.

From Senator Faruqi’s perspective, it is a “point of national shame” that one of the longest political debates about free speech in recent decades has involved “conservative, white male politicians trying to water down the section of the Racial Discrimination Act which makes

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Senator Mehreen Faruqi presenting PEN annual lecture 2022 with presenter Claudia Taranto. Photo: Wendy Bacon

it unlawful to offend, insult, humiliate or intimidate someone on the basis of their race. For years, we had seemingly endless discussions about section 18C — its operation, its application to particular News Corp columnists, its utility in a supposedly non-racist society”.

“It’s instructive,” Senator Faruqi argued, that “the parliamentary inquiry set up to consider section 18C was called the ‘Freedom of speech in Australia’ inquiry.

As if no other free speech issue held a candle to the “right to be a bigot”, as it was put by the then Attorney General”.

(Ed: This was Liberal Senator George Brandis.)

CANCEL CULTURE IS FICTION

While the debate over section 18C has died down in recent years, a debate in the form of cultural anxiety about so-called ‘cancel culture’ has emerged.

According to Senator Faruqi, this is the new bogeyman for “intolerance for ideological or political differences that is held by the progressive left”. This intolerance, she argues, is punishing good people who may have said or done something that they now regret, or simply hold a different view and have been unfairly targeted and stigmatised because of it”.

“I’m going to be upfront about my view on this. I think it’s a load of crap. The only ‘cancel culture’ in our

society is one that targets the already marginalised. It’s one that forced a young Muslim woman to flee the country and move overseas after posting a seven-word tweet about Anzac Day, for instance.”

Who gets heard and who doesn’t “The right’s confected outrage over cancellation is little more than an attempt to retain some sort of power over the terms of debate when minorities and their allies muster the courage to speak up and try to inject their own voices into the political conversation, often simply defending their own right to exist.”

“Cancel culture, as the right characterises it, is fiction. Supporters of equality and for the rights of the marginalised spoke up - as they are entitled to do,” Senator Faruqi said.

‘REAL’ FREE SPEECH VIOLATIONS

Senator Faruqi outlined some “real free speech violations” impacting writers and communicators in perilous circumstances.

She began with the well-known writer and journalist Behrouz Boochani who fled Iran in 2013 following military raids on the office of the magazine he co-founded. He was incarcerated by

Australia in PNG for seven years and wrote about his experiences. As the Saturday Paper put it, he “defeated the best efforts of Australian governments to deny asylum seekers a face and a voice”. Boochani is an example of someone who broke through silencing, speakers for many others with no voice.

Her next example was the recent assassination of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh by Israeli armed forces which she described as a “horrific loss and a stark reminder of the silencing of those who speak for justice for Palestine”. Akleh is just one of the dozens of Palestinian journalists who have been killed since 2000.

Her final proposal of the speech was to “seriously invest time and effort to ensure the marginalised in our community have a voice, and the right to free speech isn’t misconstrued and weaponised by the powerful as their right alone to hang onto their cultural and political power. This is a big task, but it is a critical one”.

She finished by reading from a poem by Pakistani writer Faiz Ahmed Faiz who was imprisoned for four years. She read a verse in Urdu and summarised its essence as we have a “duty to resist, to speak up and to speak the truth, no matter our circumstances.” She finished with the light touch of showing a small tattoo on her arm in honour of Faiz Ahmed Faiz.

CITY HUB JUNE 2022

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HubNEWS

School students protest for school zone “Parents are terrified of that crossing,” Kilham said.

“We are asking for the 40km zone for the school and traffic slowing measures.”

A Facebook event promoting the protest urged parents and students to bring “signs, whistles, fluoro vests, bicycles, bells and loud voices” to the event. An online petition has also been started to ask the NSW Transport Minister to install a school zone and other traffic safety measures to alert drivers to school children at the crossing.

Parents are terrified of that crossing

Students protest unsafe crossing in front of St Peters Public School. Photo: Supplied

BY ERIN MODARO or a second consecutive year students at St Peters Public School have protested safety concerns about a crossing on Campbell Street.

Students and parents who organised the protest are voicing their concerns about

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the dangers of the crossing, with several incidents involving pedestrian nearmisses having occurred in the past.

Sarina Kilham, whose daughter attends St Peters Public School and was involved in a near-miss while cycling to school, organised the protest held in 2021.

The protest conincided with National Walk Safely to School Day and highlighted the concern for children’s safety when travelling to and from school in a busy inner-city area.

“You can’t have this walk to school day if you’re not actually making it safe for kids to walk to school,” Kilham told City Hub. Kilham and other parents of students at St Peters Public school said they had been reporting incidents of drivers

running red lights at the crossing to police but had been subsequently told to take the matter up with Crime Stoppers.

HISTORY OF SAFETY CONCERNS

Parents have long been advocating for safety mitigations at the crossing and have previously pushed for Transport for NSW to implement a school zone to ensure divers exercise caution and obey the traffic signals at the crossing.

Transport for NSW rejected the school zone proposal on the grounds that there is no direct access to St Peters Public School from Campbell Street. At an Inner West Local Traffic Committee Meeting in June 2021, it was stated that Transport for NSW was also concerned with impacting traffic flow along Princes Highway.

When contacted by City Hub, a Transport for NSW spokesperson said that Transport will “install additional advanced warning signs on approach to the crossing, and upgrade the existing signs to ‘Children Crossing’ signs”.

They added that they will “continue to work with the St Peters Public School community in ensuring that the safety of all students is paramount”.

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CITY HUB JUNE 2022

HubNEWS

Long Bay Gaol art program booms

BY SASHA FOOT website and social media launch has made a “massive difference” to the public outreach of Long Bay Gaol’s art gallery program, which the NSW government has said helped inmates in Matraville “to cease their offending and to lead productive lives”.

The Boom Gate Gallery, which exhibits art created by inmates at the correctional facility, provides 75 per cent of the artwork’s profit to the artists as a source of income.

Co-curator Damian Moss told City Hub that launching a website during the pandemic has helped the gallery’s success, with half of the artwork sales coming through their website or Instagram account.

“We’ve had a lot of inmates who have turned their life around through making art,” he said. “It helps them with their self-esteem, sense of selfworth, and confidence.

“The most positive thing inmates can do is get involved in a creative pursuit while they are inside.”

Indigenous inmates create approximately

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three-quarters of the art showcased by the gallery. “[Indigenous art] is incredibly popular with all our visitors, including our overseas visitors. If they want to buy art they want something unique to Australia.”

Inside the facility, art helps connect Indigenous inmates to their culture.

It helps them with their self-esteem “Many of the inmates have expressed the fact that they’ve learnt and connected more with their culture than they were previously in their lives,” Moss says.

The creation of Indigenous art is often a collaborative process between several inmates who share materials and ideas to help one another when painting. Moss said that he’s seen Indigenous artists instruct “new or inexperienced inmates on how they go about starting the paintings.”

“They all have lots of hours to fill in and making art is a really positive way to fill those hours.”

Interest in the work of the ‘Boom Gate Gallery’ has surged after the pandemic. Photo: Supplied

LONG BAY GAOL ART PROGRAM GREAT WAY TO ‘GAIN A SENSE OF PRIDE”: NSW MINISTER FOR CORRECTIONS

Back in 2019, the gallery’s ‘In Trouble’ exhibition focused on the mental health difficulties that come from incarceration.

Inmates wrote testimonies to accompany their works.

One of the artists, Toorakle, explained his art practice journey.

“I came across a fellow Aboriginal that helped me reconnect with my Aboriginality…[and] I learnt to paint my Dreamtime,” he writes.

NSW Minister for Corrections Geoff Lee praised the gallery’s efforts.

“The Boom Gate Gallery project is a great way for inmates to gain a sense of pride knowing their artwork will be viewed by thousands of people,” he said.

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PRIME LEGAL & TAX SERVICES primelegaltax.com.au Level 1, 149 Oxford St, Bondi Junction 2020 | 1/299 Elizabeth St, Sydney 2000 Ph 0409 813 622/9281 3230 | E admin@legalexchangelawyers.com | Whatsapp +61 409 813 622 | Weechat alextees

CITY HUB JUNE 2022

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HubNEWS

Bondi Memorial: ‘Opportunity for Healing’

Sydney University staff pay rise ‘well under inflation’

BY ERIN MODARO he University of Sydney Vice-Chancellor Mark Scott told university staff that they will receive a 2.1% pay increase and a one-off $1000 payment. The pay rise comes at the end of Sydney University’s enterprise bargaining agreement (EBA) and has been described as an interim measure while a new EBA is negotiated.

The University of Sydney came under fire by the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) earlier in the year in a protest organised by the union to demand improved working standards for staff, including a wage increase and an “end to job insecurity and exploitative casual work”.

After the protest, a 2021 annual report revealed that Sydney University raked in a $1 billion surplus for the year, marking a significant rise from $106.6 million made in 2020.

President of the NTEU Sydney University Branch Nick Riemer said in a statement to City Hub that the pay rise is “well under inflation”.

“With an enormous surplus of $1.04 billion, there’s simply no excuse for university management to be denying their staff a real pay rise.”

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ACON CEO Nicolas Parkhill and Waverley Mayor Paula Masselos at the memorial in Marks Park, Tamarama. Photo: Waverley Council

BY ERIN MODARO “The Bondi Memorial in the public domain provides an opportunity for public launch was held for a healing by making space for recognition Bondi memorial dedicated to and confrontation of the past, giving victims and survivors of hate light to changing attitudes, and inviting crimes against LGBTQIA+ people ongoing reflection.” throughout the history of Sydney.

Located in Marks Park in Tamarama, the memorial titled ‘Rise’ was installed DARK HISTORY FOR LGBTQIA+ through a collaboration with LGBTQ COMMUNITY health organisation ACON, Urban Art The location of the monument is Projects (UAP) Design Studio and recognised as a place where a significant Waverley Council. number of hate crimes occurred The memorial was launched to the throughout the 1970s to 1990s. community in a Nicolas Parkhill, CEO of commemorative ACON, said that “during Making space for event at Marks the 1970s to 1990s, Park. In attendance the focus of many recognition and at the event were violent attacks against confrontation of the our communities was representatives from organisations involved, in, and around, Marks past as well as political Park and the Bondi figures and special area.” guests.

The memorial was constructed in the Waverley Mayor Paula Masselos wake of a report by ACON that examined said in a statement to City Hub that the breadth of hate crimes against gay the memorial is “dedicated to the and trans people in New South Wales. recognition of the recent history of The report investigated 88 suspected gay and transphobic hate crimes that anti-gay homicides and concluded occurred in Bondi and along the east with recommendations for “publicly coast of Australia.” acknowledging the victims and survivors”, “healing the legacy of violence” and Designed by John Nicholson and encouraging a “deeper understanding of UAP, the memorial’s composition is the past to improve the present”. embedded with meaning, as the layers mirror the nearby cliffs but appear Parkhill said that the launch to the instead to be moving towards the public “will provide our communities horizon. with an opportunity to come together, reflect and remember all the victims “Each of its six sculpted stone layers and survivors of this dark time in represents one of the six bands in the Sydney’s history”. pride flag” Masselos said.

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PAY RISE DUBBED A ‘CUT’

Lancaster called the increase a “pay cut” and said that it was not in line with inflation.

“I think that it’s probably more appropriate to call this a real pay cut because with inflation rising so rapidly, and the cost of living in Sydney skyrocketing, there is no silver lining to this 2.1%.”

The cost of living in Sydney skyrocketing  She stated that students at Sydney University are negatively affected by low staff wages, because “the people who we interact with, low level tutors, academics, student coordinators- they’re not the ones who are raking in impressive salaries.”

“If you pay your workers correctly, and properly, and enough, then the standard of work and their capabilities are going to be much better.”

Lancaster added that unfair pay “creates a really bad working environment for them, which of course would impact your

NTEU organised strike for staff rights at University of Sydney went ahead on 11th and 12th of May. Photo: Facebook

Other members of the university community are calling the pay increase out for falling behind inflation, as the annual CPI inflation rose to 5.1% in the March quarter. A USyd NTEU community group wrote in a Facebook post “2.1% pay rise= insult” and stated that “we need to keep fighting”.

President of Sydney University SRC Lauren Lancaster confirms student concerns over staff wages, saying to City Hub “particularly because of this $1 billion surplus…the revelation of that shows the university that has been crying poor all of COVID just can’t push that fiction on students or staff any longer.”

emotional relationship with your students as well.”

2021 was marked by hundreds of redundancies at not only the University of Sydney, but tertiary education across NSW, as well as a shift towards casual employment, with full-time employment in the higher education sector plummeting.

Riemer said that “the university’s senior managers are all grossly overpaid, while ordinary staff are grossly overworked.”

“Instead of forcing us to strike, management should be setting a figure that recognises the huge contribution we make to the university.”

HubNEWS

Transport for NSW silent on contamination

BY WENDY BACON

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ransport for NSW failed to inform Inner West Council (IWC) about public safety concerns for land in St Peters that it wanted the Council to manage as a park.

A City Hub investigation has found that the NSW Environmental Protection Authority’s concerns about hazard risks at the site led it to require fresh reports and monitoring of the land, which is part of the WestConnex Interchange.

These requirements and concerns were never passed onto Council by Transport for NSW. Although a spokesperson for Transport for NSW has now told City Hub that the NSW government proposes to take responsibility for the park, IWC Independent councillor Pauline Lockie remains concerned about the lack of information about the environmental state of the land and whether it is still a public health concern for those who live and work in the area.

The proposed park or ‘look-out’ that was going to be constructed on the landfill site was supposed to be part of six hectares of open space. The NSW government pushed this project as compensation for the St Peters community that lost scores of homes and hundreds of major trees to WestConnex.

EPA STRIPPED OF POWER The WestConnex Action Group (WAG), supported by thousands of residents opposed to the tollway, were sceptical of promotional videos and dubbed it the ‘world’s worst park. WAG spokesperson Pauline Lockie, who lost her home to WestConnex, is now an Inner West councillor.

Despite objections by thousands of residents and local Councils, the project was approved. The St Peters community survived three years of screeching noise in the night, poor management of asbestos and contaminated waste tracked onto nearby roads and dust storms. But worst of all was the hydrogen sulphide or ‘rotten egg gas’ odours that CPB Contractors (previously called Leightons) were unable to control as they dug up the toxic waste that had been left behind by Dial-a-Dump Pty Ltd, which was not required to clean up the site.

Residents lodged hundreds of complaints about the odours which made their lives miserable for months.

The EPA issued directions for CPB Contractors to clean up the site but the odours continued. WAG called for the EPA to use its powers to stop work on the site.

Transport for NSW failed to inform council about public safety concerns for a proposed park in St Peters. Photo: Peter Boyle

Only then did it discover that the NSW government had quietly passed a law that removed the EPA’s power to stop work on sites that the Minister for Planning deemed to be ‘critical infrastructure’. With nothing more than a signature, WestConnex had become one of those sites.

Two years later, the EPA took CPB Contractors to the NSW Land and Environment Court. The company pleaded guilty to ‘causing serious harm’ to residents, school children, workers and EPA staff by failing to control toxic odours from untreated leachate or contaminated water pooling at the WestConnex St Peters Interchange site.

We were kept in the dark CPB acknowledged that it failed to hire a suitable expert to supervise construction at the old landfill site and that had it done so, serious harm could have been prevented. CPB Contractors were ordered to pay $445,000 in fines and costs.

Not too long afterwards, CPB was awarded a joint contract with John Holland to build the massive WestConnex Rozelle Interchange. It has also been granted a contract to begin the Western Harbour Tunnel, which also has residents and councils concerned about contamination.

EXPLOSIVE LEVELS OF METHANE

Sub-surface monitoring continues to show explosive levels of methane at some gas wells in the area. But despite these high levels, Transport for NSW appeared

ready to open the land, including the mound, to the public in mid-2020.

Transport for NSW began negotiations with the Inner West Council to take over the management of the park, however, council was reluctant. IWC Director of Infrastructure Cathy Edwards-Davis told Council, “We were only asked to take over this land very shortly prior to the completion of the M8 tunnel and as a result, Council staff have had no input into the design of this land”.

When heavy rains arrived in early 2021, Ms Lockie and other residents noticed that there were landslides and vegetation that was struggling to take hold on the mound was dying.

She turned to independent scientist Charlie Pierce who is also the Research Director of the Community Environment Monitoring group that assists communities battling pollution issues.

He discovered that monitoring data revealed that several gas monitoring wells within the toxic parkland had recorded gas methane above the lower explosive level of five per cent.

Some monitoring wells showed levels more than 15 times above explosive level which raises safety concerns because methane above this limit can accumulate, and become an explosive hazard.

Lockie moved a motion calling for an independent investigation that was unanimously passed by IWC. When City Hub told her about these reports and inadequacies in the information, Councillor Lockie said, “I’m shocked to know now that Transport for NSW knew the site was in need of serious remediation even as they were

pushing Council to take responsibility for managing it. I had no idea that the NSW Environmental Protection Authority had already ordered a thorough risk assessment. I’m appalled we were kept in the dark on a matter of public health.”

It now seems that Transport for NSW has accepted that the Inner West Council will not take over the land. In April, a Transport for NSW spokesperson told City Hub that “Transport for NSW is developing the elevated area at the St Peters intersection as public open space. Transport is responsible for the maintenance and operation of the park.”

Cr Lockie insists that Council must see all the hazard assessments and other reports on the site: “We need to be sure that the contaminated site does not raise health issues for our community.” She also says that the WestConnex interchange will never be ‘fit for purpose’ as a park.

Environmental scientist Charlie Pierce also still has concerns. “Looking at the chemistry reported in leachate monitoring results, it is evident that the landfill is still in the active methanogenic stage with decades before stabilisation.”

Like many local stories, this one has broader implications. It symbolises the environmental degradation that occurs in NSW through destructive planning processes in which corporate players are allowed to drive the agenda and are rarely held accountable.

This story also leaves questions unanswered. Why did Transport for NSW keep IWC in the dark? What would have been the consequences for the public and Councill if Councillor Lockie had not blown the whistle?

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HubNEWS

Inclusive playgrounds coming to Inner West Council’s 2022/23 budget will allocate $50,000 for the planning, consultation and design of the playgrounds, with an additional $2 million assigned in 2023/24 for construction. General Manager Peter Gainsford said that the funds included in the next budget can be absorbed as part of its playground strategy, while construction costs can be included in the masterplan budget for council parks.

abilities to play, socialise and enjoy our public parks and playgrounds”.

“Well-designed inclusive play spaces that are responsive to the needs of the community help children living with disability to participate fully in our community. The best designs are developed in full collaboration with the community, ensuring play spaces respond to and meet community needs.”

CHILDREN OF ‘ALL ABILITIES’ ABLE TO PLAY

As part of the motion, council officers will be asked to seek further funding opportunities to support the project, and work with a “reputable third party to better engage children with disability and their families in the codesign” of the playgrounds.

Inner West Council has dedicated over $2 million from its next two budgets to designing and constructing inclusive playgrounds. Photo: WestConnex

BY DANIEL LO SURDO nner West Council has unanimously committed over $2 million from its next two budgets for the planning, design and construction of inclusive playgrounds across all of its five wards,

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which Labor councillor Mat Howard said would give “many children living with disability” the chance to play.

The proposal was tabled at a council meeting earlier in May, with all councillors voting in support of Cr Howard’s motion.

PROPOSAL TO UPGRADE OPTUS MOBILE PHONE BASE STATION WITH 5G AT: 35-45 Wentworth Ave SYDNEY NSW 2000 (RFNSA Site No. 2000442) 1. The proposed facility consists of the addition of new 5G equipment and associated works as follows: • Installation of three (3) new 5G panel antennas (0.279m long) at 71.6m in height • Installation of three (3) new 5G panel antennas (0.79m long) at 70.75m in height • Installation of three (3) new 5G panel antennas (0.59m long) at 69.75m in height • Installation of twelve (12) new Remote Radio Units (RRUs) • Relocation of existing antennas onto new mounts • Ancillary equipment including but not limited to: new fibre and electrical cabling, new mounts, and reconfiguration of existing equipment on the facility and in the existing equipment room 2. Optus regards the proposed installation as exempt development in accordance with the State Environmental Planning Policy (Transport and Infrastructure) 2021, Schedule 4, Part 1 Exempt Development, Items 2,18 and 19 based on the description above.

3. In accordance with Section 7 of the C564:2020 Mobile Phone Base Station Deployment Code, we invite you to provide feedback about the proposal. Further information and/or comments should be directed to Russell Carman of Ventia at russell.carman@ventia.com or Locked Bag 4001, Moorabbin VIC 3189

by COB Wednesday 29 June 2022.

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CITY HUB JUNE 2022

Invite and encourage children of all abilities to play In the background to the motion, Cr Howard said that “inclusive play spaces invite and encourage children of all

Inner West Councillor Mat Howard tabled motion to fund inclusive playgrounds.

Photo: Inner West Labor

PROPOSAL TO UPGRADE MOBILE PHONE BASE STATION LOCATED AT ST PETERS Telstra plans to upgrade an existing telecommunications facility located at 310 Princes Highway, St Peters, NSW 2044 (Lot 1 DP788037) www.rfnsa.com.au/2044002

1. Telstra are currently upgrading existing mobile network facilities to enhance Telstra’s network. As part of this network upgrade, Telstra proposes the installation of DSS26 (4G) and LTE2100 (4G) technologies at St Peters locality and surrounds.

2. The proposed works at the above site include the reconfiguration of six (6) panel antennas (each no more than 2.8m long). The removal of three (3) remote radio units (RRUs) with the installation of three (3) RRUs and the installation and removal of associated ancillary equipment. All internal equipment will be housed within the existing equipment shelter located at the base of the facility.

3. Telstra regards the proposed installation as a Exempt Facility under Schedule 4, Part 1 of the State Environmental Planning Policy (Transport and Infrastructure) 2021 based on the above description.

4. In accordance with Section 7 of C564:2020 Mobile Phone Base Station Deployment Code, we invite you to provide feedback about the proposal. Further information and/or written submissions should be directed to Nick Beattie, Aurecon Australasia via email to: Nick.Beattie@aurecongroup.com or via post to: Nick Beattie, Aurecon Australasia Locked Bag 331, Brisbane QLD 4001 by 5pm on 24/06/2022.

HubNEWS

Councils unite against weekend construction

BY SAM PASHMI andwick Council is joining with Woollahra, Waverley and Bayside councils to oppose government plans to green-light weekend construction without council approval.

A motion was passed at a Randwick Council meeting on May 24th calling for a letter to be addressed to NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet and NSW Minister for Planning Anthony Roberts about the council’s concerns.

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The community has been put through a lot The letter will call for maintaining the prohibition of unapproved construction on Sundays and public holidays, and opposes extending construction hours without “adequate consultation with the community”.

The option to extend current construction hours without approval was raised by Anthony Roberts at a Property Council lunch on May 4th, as reported by the Sydney Morning Herald.

A previous construction order, which

permitted weekend construction without approval, was implemented by NSW government as a response to Covid-19 related concerns, and allowed for work on Saturdays from 8am to 5pm, and on Sundays from 9am to 5pm with certain noise restrictions. The order has been extended multiple times since it was introduced, although expired on March 31st of this year.

Currently, individual developments need approval from relevant governing bodies to be allowed to do construction on weekends, but councils are preemptively opposing any changes to this policy, as was foreshadowed by Roberts.

EXTENSION OF ORDER ‘NOT NEEDED’ Randwick Mayor Dylan Parker said in a statement to City Hub that “people understand the need for extended construction hours especially during dire times, but the community has been put through a lot over the past two years.”

Councils are prepared to take swift action if plans are made to re-extend the order, or make it permanent. Mayor Parker said at the Randwick Council meeting on May 24 that the issue had been brought to the

Weekend construction allowed during pandemic may be made permanent if NSW government goes ahead with plans. Photo: Randwick Council

attention of Randwick council in a joint Mayoral meeting with other concerned councils and councillors.

“Although it was a smart idea during the time of Covid, it’s not needed now or for the foreseeable future” Parker said.

Randwick Councillor Christie Hamilton said at the recent council meeting that

“it’s very important that we express our awareness and concern over something like this changing”. Cr Hamilton also noted that when NSW Government does go ahead with allowing weekend construction, “we would have some advance notice, and not just an article in the paper.”

WRITERS WANTED City Hub is expanding its coverage from Balmain to Bondi.

Traffic Notice – Road Closures and Clearways Sydney Street Party – Summer Hill and Leichhardt – Saturday 11 June and Sunday 12 June

Got a flair for news?

Do you have good writing and reporting skills?

Road closures and special event clearway parking restrictions will be in place in Summer Hill on Saturday 11 June and Leichhardt on Sunday 12 June for the Sydney Street Party events.

Summer Hill: Lackey Street will be closed between Carlton Crescent and Smith Street, and Smith Street between Hardie Avenue and Nowranie Street from 8am until 8pm on Saturday 11 June. Special event clearway parking restrictions will also be in place on sections of Lackey Street, Smith Street, Hardie Avenue and Morris Street from 6am until 8pm.

Clearways are strict no-parking zones for all vehicle types and apply even to local residents or Mobility Scheme Permit holders. Check signs carefully for the most up-to-date information as vehicles left in signposted clearways will be towed and a fee applies. If your vehicle is towed call 132 701 to find its new location.

For more detailed information visit livetraffic.com

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Leichhardt: Norton Street between Allen Street and Marion Street, and the southbound lanes of Lou Street between Marlborough Street and Allen Street will be closed from 8am until 8pm on Sunday 12 June. Special event clearway parking restrictions will also be in place on both sides of Norton Street between Macauley Street and Marion Street from 6am until 8pm.

Send a CV and writing samples to

news@altmedia.net.au CITY HUB JUNE 2022

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SYDNEY FILM FESTIVAL

The 2022 iteration of the Sydney Film Festival (SFF) marks its 69th outing. Throughout the course of the 11 day festival Sydneysiders will have the chance to view over 200 films from 64 countries including 27 world premieres. The curation team behind the festival have taken great care to find 101 feature films, many of which are international prize winners, and 53 documentaries.

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ashen Moodley, Festival Director of the 69th Sydney Film Festival, sat down recently to speak with City Hub and explained that it’s great to return to the festival’s traditional June dates.

“Of course, we hope very much to have no issues, but to know that our Sydney community can come together like this after 3 years is an overwhelming feeling of joy for the Festival team. This year’s program films have responded to the tough times of the pandemic, war, and rising authoritarianism with many features about love and joy.”

The SFF is the longest running film festival in the world and is also one of the most highly respected. “It’s an important platform for filmmakers, local and international for a plethora of reasons and we endeavour to include the perspectives and voices of filmmakers of various life experiences and backgrounds. The festival is also an opportunity for filmmakers and film lovers to connect, a wonderful platform for young Australian filmmakers and it’s a way to celebrate art and Australia’s culture,” explained Moodley.

“VERY QUEER, VERY SYDNEY” FILMS ON THE BIG SCREEN

Craig Boreham is another Australian filmmaker whose career has been enhanced by the SFF. He had success with his initial feature Teenage Kicks in 2016 which screened at the SFF and now he’s delighted that Lonesome, his second feature, has also been chosen to screen at this year’s festival.

Lonesome tells the story of a young man (Josh Lavery) who leaves a small country town for Sydney. He connects and has an intense sexual encounter with another man (Daniel Gabriel) whom he meets through an app. It’s the story of two men who come together.

“A relationship develops but neither of them are particularly equipped to have a relationship and it’s mostly about these two lost souls falling together and making something of it,” explained Boreham who wrote, directed, and co-produced the film.

“The story deals with things that I like to explore, sexuality, power, and desire – all the good stuff!

“These two characters came from two short scripts I had written, and I had an idea of what it would be like if they were thrown in together in one script. The story also has bits and pieces of real people

was even more delightful. The adrenalin is already pumping as it’s so exciting!”

SFF IS MORE THAN JUST FILM SCREENINGS

Nashen Moodley.

Photo: Supplied by SFF

and reflections of my own stories. It’s not uncommon for rural queer people to make their way to the big city because it’s just easier for them to be amongst their own people.”

It really does put your work on the map Boreham describes Lonesome as a contemporary love story, very Sydney, very queer and is adamant it’s for all audiences regardless of their sexual persuasion. “We had the premiere in Seattle to mixed audiences and it went down very well. I wrote it in such a way that it was from the point of view of a queer eye so in some ways straight audiences have to catch up because a few things aren’t spelt out, but nobody seems to struggle.”

THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING SHOWCASED AT SFF

When asked whether the SFF opens doors for local filmmakers Boreham was quick to respond. “It really does as it puts your work on the map. The SFF has an international reputation and just having your film in the program makes other festival programmers around the world take notice. This is also the first time that my film has played at the State Theatre and that’s been a lifelong ambition!”

KIWI FILMS MAKING THEIR WAY ACROSS THE DITCH Jackie van Beek is a New Zealand filmmaker who has also found success at the SFF. Her 2nd film project to screen at the festival is Nude Tuesday which she cowrote and starred in. The film screens at the SFF from June 10 and opens nationally in cinemas on June 23.

Nude Tuesday is an Australian/ New Zealand comedy about a conservative but dysfunctional suburban couple who attend a new age camp hoping that the experience will ultimately save their marriage. Beek plays Laura and Damon Herriman plays her husband Bruno.

“There have been so many stories told about dysfunctional marriages in movies and I came up with the idea of in terms of the miscommunication being a theme, what if we perform it in a language that nobody understands? The entire film is spoken in a gibberish language which unlocks the door to absurdity.”

Beek explained that the humour in her latest film differs from that of her previous film The Breaker Upperers another comedy she co-wrote, co-directed, and costarred in that opened the SFF in 2018.

“It’s a different flavour of comedy. The Breaker Upperers was such a fun, colourful and playful comedy whereas Nude Tuesday is more absurd and because we’re all speaking in gibberish it doesn’t necessarily feel like an Australasian film.”

Beek is honoured to have the world premiere of her latest film at the SFF. “I was so delighted and then to find out it was going to screen at the State Theatre it

She also agrees that having a film screen at the SFF can open doors for all filmmakers behind and in front of the cameras. “My experience with film festivals has been fantastic in terms of their incredible networking opportunities and the opportunities to see films from around the world. Often there are master classes and other things that run along the festivals, and I fully embrace those festival opportunities.”

And what audience should this film appeal to? “People who love comedy and given the gibberish element it should also appeal to people who love language and who enjoy going to those off the wall, unusual and unexpected films often programmed at film festivals - basically to a courageous audience!”

Hot Picks BLAZE – Aussie drama that centers on a teenager who, after witnessing a horrific crime, releases her make-believe dragon as a way of moving on. Stars Simon Baker and directed by Australian artist and twice winner of the Archibald Prize, Del Kathryn Barton.

FIRE OF LOVE – From the USA comes this exhilarating documentary filmed over two decades by geochemist Katia and geologist Maurice Krafft before their ultimate demise in 1991 owing to a volcanic explosion on Japan’s Mount Unzen.

SERIOUSLY RED – A charming comedy from Australia which revolves around a redhead who gives up her day job to become a Dolly Parton impersonator.

Elvis, Neil Diamond, Kenny Rogers and Kylie impersonators all join in on the fun.

Overloaded with Dolly hits the film stars Rose Byrne and Bobby Cannavale.

INTO THE ICE – this Danish documentary explores the ice surrounds of Greenland and will captivate audiences as three scientists try to answer questions about our future climate. Visually stunning this documentary must be seen on the big screen.

Until Jun 19. State Theatre & Various Other Venues . $14-$170+b.f. | Tickets & Info: www.sff.org.au 24

CITY HUB JUNE 2022

COFFIN ED’S NAKED CITY

THE GRUMPY GUIDE TO THE LOGIES

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here’s plenty of evidence to suggest that Australian television, despite the proliferation of digital channels, has never served up as much tripe in the name of entertainment in recent years.

I’m talking about those shows aimed shamelessly at the lowest common denominator – like Big Brother, Married At First Sight, I’m A Celebrity...

Get Me Out Of Here!, Dancing With The Stars and a seemingly endless onslaught of so called reality shows.

To add to this insult the secondary digital channels are clogged with reruns of reruns of Border Security shows, ancient UK detective dramas, even more ancient American sitcoms and every season of Seinfeld on permanent rotation. At times the channels’ only purpose would appear for the commercial networks to gather additional advertising revenue, rather than provide any diversity in programming.

Little wonder then that viewers are deserting the free to air channels in their thousands and turning to the various streaming services to light up their flat screens. As the exodus continues it seemingly makes no difference to the alcohol charged ritual of mutual admiration known as the Logies,

where the TV industry gathers annually to validate its own relevance.

Thanks to the pandemic we have been sparred this celebrity laden night of nights for the past two years but hold your breath it’s on again this year at the Star Gold Coast Entertainment Resort in a few weeks time.

And thanks to comedian Tom Gleeson who hijacked the dubious voting system in 2019 to take out the coveted gold gong and then poured poo on the whole event at his acceptance speech, the Logies may never be the same again. “I have ruined

PROPOSED UPGRADE WORKS TO AN EXISTING MOBILE PHONE TELECOMMUNICATION FACILITY AT CIRCULAR QUAY RAILWAY STATION AT 2 ALFRED STREET SYDNEY NSW 2000 ON LAND DESCRIBED AS LOT 31 ON DEPOSITED PLAN 848244. RFNSA NO: 2000055, TELSTRA SITE ID: CIRCULAR QUAY TRAIN STATION - 40940.

1. The upgrade comprises of removal of four (4) existing 4G antennas at 12.80m, reconfiguration and relocation of four (4) existing 4G antennas. The upgrade comprises of installation of four (4) new 5G antennas at 12.65m and installation of four (4) new 5G antennas at 13.10m.

2. The upgrade will include all ancillary works such as: combiners, diplexers, mounts, cable trays, feeders, cables. The internal and auxiliary works such as installation and connecting the new electronic equipment will be placed in the existing Telstra equipment shelter.

3. Telstra regards the proposed installations as Exempt-Development, Part 1 of The State Environmental Planning Policy (Transport and Infrastructure) 2021, based on the description above.

4. In accordance with Section 7 of C564:2020 Mobile Phone Base Station Deployment Code, we invite you to provide feedback about the proposal. Further information and/or comments should be directed to: Service Stream on behalf of Telstra, via phone at (07) 3068 6973, email to Telstra.submissions@servicestream.com.au via post to PO Box 510 Lutwyche, QLD 4030 or at www.rfnsa.com.au, RFNSA No. 2000055, by 5pm 22nd of June 2022.

the Logies, and it’s never going to happen again,” he joked much to the chagrin of the gathered industry throng. “Our industry is dying, and I’m part of that!”

Nevertheless the commercial networks are pushing hard for their major stars and encouraging their viewers to vote for the only Logie that seems to count and that’s the gold one. Well, at least the gold plated one as the miserable looking gizmo looks pure poverty row compared to some of the film and television trophies awarded abroad.

The lesser silver Logies seem very much

a second rate currency and have often surfaced at auctions and even eBay. After all who would want something that looks like a cross between Gumby and a shoe horn taking up room on their mantelpiece.

The Americans with their love for hype and well orchestrated pazaz have set the standard when it comes to award ceremonies and by comparison we just don’t do them well. The Logies have been around since 1959 and for decades the cultural cringe saw the need to import numerous US and British celebrities to boost the event and give it credibility.

Those that defend the Logies in the present era point out that they don’t only recognise soap stars and game show hosts, but news and current affairs and the kind of documentaries that the ABC and SBS do so well. Nevertheless the awards ceremony itself with its red carpet arrival, preferential seating and big name cameos seems very much the realm of Nine, Seven and Ten with a kind of nodding lip service paid to SBS and the ABC, despite the fact they often collect a swag of silver gongs between them.

The Logie awards will screen on the Nine Network on Sunday June 19. What better reason to switch your set to Netflix or Stan or just read a book.

PROPOSAL TO UPGRADE MOBILE PHONE BASE STATION LOCATED AT MASCOT Telstra plans to upgrade an existing telecommunications facility located at 292 Coward St, Mascot, NSW 2020 (Lot 2 on Deposited Plan 624365) www.rfnsa.com.au/2020001 1. Telstra are currently upgrading existing mobile network facilities to allow for the introduction of 5G to Telstra’s network. As part of this network upgrade, Telstra proposes the installation of M700(4G), NR850(5G), and NR26000(5G) technologies at Mascot locality and surrounds.

2. The proposed works at the above site include the removal of three (3) Tower Mounted Amplifiers (TMAs), recovery of three (3) panel antennas and existing three (3) panel antennas, installation of three (3) panel antennas and six (6) TMAs, reconfiguration of existing three (3) panel antennas, and the installation of associated ancillary equipment. All internal equipment will be housed within the existing equipment shelter.

3. Telstra regards the proposed installation as a Low-Impact Facility under the Telecommunications (Low-impact Facilities) Determination 2018 based on the above description.

4. In accordance with Section 7 of C564:2020 Mobile Phone Base Station Deployment Code, we invite you to provide feedback about the proposal. Further information and/or written submissions should be directed to Jasmine Bautista, Aurecon Australasia via email to: Jasmine.Bautista@aurecongroup.com or via post to: Jasmine Bautista, Aurecon Australasia PO Box 23061, Docklands VIC 8012 by 5pm on 23/06/2022.

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CRUEL INTENTIONS Cruel Intentions is the electrifying new musical described as the ultimate 90’s party (See p. 27)

BECOMING ELIZA

BY RITA BRATOVICH hen you get a glowing endorsement from Dame Julie Andrews then you must be doing something right. And Anna O’Byrne did and is. Her delightful new one-woman show, Becoming Eliza, is part memoir, part homage, with Dame Julie herself at the very centre, pulling the parts together.

O’Byrne gained the coveted lead role of Eliza Doolittle in Opera Australia’s 60th Anniversary production of My Fair Lady in 2016. What made that even more special was that Julie Andrews who debuted the role on Broadway and is an indisputable legend - directed the show. Now, six years later, O’Byrne has written and is about to perform a cabaret-style show based on her experience.

Becoming Eliza is a warm-hearted, loving tribute to Andrews, whom O’Byrne regards as her idol. In the

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BY RITA BRATOVICH fter two incredibly successful seasons, Darlinghurst Theatre Company’s Once returns to Eternity Playhouse this June for a third encore.

Audiences have fallen in love with the characters, the songs and the good feels and just can’t get enough of this unique, charming musical.

“I think this show surprises people,” says Stefanie Caccamo, trying to explain its popularity. “I think they’re genuinely surprised by the simplicity of the story and how universal it is. You know, it’s a very simple meeting of two people - and it’s that kind of love, too, that springs out of the desperation and hope to move forward in life.”

Caccamo is one of several original cast members who have been with the production since it first opened in 2019.

Once is an enchanting tale about a young mother from the Czech Republic (Caccamo) who plays the piano and writes songs. She crosses paths with a guitar-playing, song-writing Irishman (Toby Francis). Both of their lives are in stalemate but they are re-invigorated by the exhilarating spirit of the people around them.

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show, O’Byrne candidly shares her fears and apprehension about stepping into a role made famous by one of the most adored artists in the world, with said artist in the same room!

Her humorous, honest, anecdotes are interspersed with a few of her favourite songs (wink) from Andrews’ exhaustive repertoire.

“Being directed by Dame Julie Andrews in the iconic role she made famous was an experience beyond anything I could have dreamed. Julie showed me such warmth, wisdom, wit, and above all, generosity of spirit. It is a little of this spirit which I hope to share with the audiences of Becoming Eliza,” says O’Byrne.

O’Byrne is a celebrated soprano and has won and been nominated for a number of prestigious awards. She has played many of the iconic musical theatre lead roles and has performed

on stage and in film. Her new show has the imprimatur of Dame Julie herself: “Becoming Eliza is a tour de force. Don’t miss it! It will warm your heart.”

ONCE IS NOT ENOUGH! Photo: Robert Catto

All the performers dance, sing, and play instruments on stage.

Like other cast members, Caccamo feels her character has been informed over time by her real life. Experiencing motherhood vicariously through her sisters has significantly influenced how she plays her role.

“So, with the second rendition and now the third, I feel like I’m just having a ball.

I’m running around, I’m so energetic, I’m having so much fun because I’m being myself now.”

The whole crew is excited about returning to the Eternity Playhouse where it all began.

Until June 12,Playhouse, Sydney Opera House, Bennelong Point, $49+b.f.

Tickets & Info: www.sydneyoperahouse.com “We built the show in that theatre, and what is so special about it is how intimate it is. The first row is on the stage, so the audience very much feels like they’re flies on the wall,” says Caccamo. “The energy that the audience brings completely changes the show, so having that element is really exciting.”

A smaller theatre allows them to do special things. During the a capella version of Gold, several singers on stage harmonise with the rest of the cast who have snuck around behind the audience. The effect is electrifying.

Some new cast members have joined the crew this season, and Caccamo is thrilled, “It just brings in new ideas and new energies, and that’s going to be really fresh for everyone as well… We’re really excited to be telling this story and the audience is so excited to be seeing theatre, so the combination of those two things is creating something really magical in the room.”

Jun 24-Jul 31.

Eternity Playhouse, 39 Burton St, Darlinghurst. $67 - $119+b.f. Tickets & Info: www.darlinghursttheatre.com/once

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MOULIN ROUGE

BY JARROD WOLHUTER es Flanagan is living the dream.

At 26 years old, he has been performing as Christian – the lead male role in the Moulin Rouge theatre production – for over 12 months, and he still cannot fathom the gravity of his situation.

He promises Sydney will be stunned by the 75 song, homage to pop, explosive Justin Levine composition. Favourite tracks like Roxanne by The Police and Your Song by Elton John will be bolstered with new additions from Beyonce, Sia and Adele. A Derek McLane set design entirely envelopes the audience (earning him a Tony Award) - complete with windmill and a 220kg elephant prop audiences will recognise from the Baz Luhrmann film. An unforgettable cast including Simon Burke AO, Alinta Chidzey, and Tim Omaji as ToulouseLautrec – the legendary Moulin Rouge artist.

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Flanagan waxes passionate on just how immersive, overwhelming, and opulent this production is. A kaleidoscope of colour and sound; a bonanza of dancing, costume and music – an assault on the senses set to blow Sydney away!

It has not been an easy undertaking bringing Moulin Rouge to Sydney. The production has met hurdle after hurdle of trying to keep theatre alive amid COVID lockdowns.

The young actor talks candidly of how challenging the past two years has been for the Arts industry forcing many of his peers and connections from his wider network out of the industry.

The production awed Melbourne audiences at sold-out shows. Moulin Rouge signified the end of the lockdowns, helping people to forget their experiences of isolation through the power and magic of this hotly anticipated spectacle.

Sydney is in for a treat and Des

Photo: Michelle Grace Hunder

Flanagan pledges that those lucky enough to be in attendance will be left speechless and spellbound while they do their thing and entertain us, in what will be a mesmerising and unforgettable event.

Until Sep 25. Capitol Theatre, 13 Campbell St, Haymarket. $139 - $229+b.f.

Tickets & Info: www.ticketmaster.com.au/ moulinrouge

CRUEL INTENTIONS - THE 90’S MUSICAL

BY MARK MORELLINI ruel Intentions is the electrifying new musical described as the ultimate 90’s party that audiences should not miss out on!

This theatrical production is based on the cult classic 90’s film by the same name which starred Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe.

Readers may be surprised to learn that Cruel Intentions is a modernday re-telling of the 1782 French novel Les Liaisons Dangereuses written by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos which was produced into a film called Dangerous Liaisons in 1988 and starred Glenn Close.

“It’s a scandalous gossip girl mean girl type of vibe and has all the 90’s music. The way it’s written it’s not just a jukebox musical as each song is written in there to help progress the story which sometimes doesn’t happen in Jukebox musicals,” explained Euan Fistrovic Doidge who plays the role of Blaine Tuttle, portrayed by Joshua Jackson in the film.

Back-to-back 90’s hits include Bittersweet Symphony (The Verve),

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Bye Bye Bye (*NSYNC), Genie In A Bottle (Christina Aguilera), Sometimes (Britney Spears) and Kiss Me (Sixpence None The Richer).

There’s a band on stage with the cast which lifts the energy of the show and makes it feel more intimate and like a rock concert.

The film explores the ideas of privilege, ranking in society, manipulation, love, and betrayal.

“It’s really enjoyable for me as an actor because there hasn’t really been anything like this is Australia.

It’s daring, it’s mysterious, it’s dangerous and I’m just having the best time in it!”

When asked what audience this musical would appeal to, Doidge quickly responded that it’s suitable for all audiences from mature teenagers to adults. “I think a lot of people will feel familiar with the story when they come to watch it.

When we performed the musical in Melbourne the energy in the theatre was unbelievable!”

Jun 30-Jul 10. State Theatre, 47-51 Market St, Sydney. $89-$149+b.f. Tickets & Info: www.cruelintentions.com.au CITY HUB JUNE 2022

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DJ GRANNY RETURNS: TURNING THE TABLES ON AGEISM

BY RITA BRATOVICH hen Lachlan Philpott’s play, M.Rock, was first staged in 2014, it was received with enthusiastic energy. Valerie Bader returns with the same energy to reprise her role as the DJ granny in the Australian Theatre for Young People’s new mounting of the production this June and July.

M.Rock is inspired by the true story of Ruth Flowers, an English woman who decided in her late seventies that she wanted to be a DJ. She ended up playing the best clubs around the world and amassing a huge fan base before she died in 2014 aged 83.

In Philpott’s play, M.Rock is Mabel, an unassuming Australian grandmother who knits for charity and plays piano with a local group. Her impetuous granddaughter, Tracey, is on the verge of starting uni but instead takes off for a European adventure. She fails to return when scheduled, and Mabel drops

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her knitting needles and boards a plane, determined to find her errant granddaughter.

What she finds instead is her own reinvigorated youth and a talent for mixing she didn’t know she had.

Mabel and Tracey independently end up in the frenetic techno club scenes of Berlin, each on their own journey of discovery but ultimately learning about themselves and each other.

This is a story about coming of age and agelessness, about bridging generational gaps through love and mutual respect.

Acclaimed Australian-gone-international DJ, Venus Guy Trap, will provide the background grooves to make this a fully immersive, feelgood experience.

June 21-July 17. The Rebel Theatre, Pier 2/3, 13A Hickson Road, Dawes Point.

From $45+b.f. Tickets & Info: atyp.com. au/ATYP-productions/m-rock/

THE SWEET SCIENCE OF BRUISING

BY RITA BRATOVICH n an exciting co-production, Theatre Travels and One Good Act presents a new mounting of Joy Wilkinson’s The Sweet Science of Bruising this June and July in Marrickville’s Flightpath Theatre.

Wilkinson’s play about four disparate women whose worlds intersect in the boxing ring is as thrilling as it is thought-provoking. Set in London smack in the middle of the Victorian era, The Sweet Science of Bruising examines the circumstances that bring four women from varied backgrounds to strip down to their undergarments, put on boxing gloves, and step into the ring to face their demons, societal attitudes, and each other.

Violet Hunter aspires to be a doctor but is forced by social conventions to stick to nursing. Polly Stokes hails from the North and has all the pugilistic talent of her prizefighter brother but, alas, not the same opportunities. Irish woman, Matty Blackwell, is a sex worker who’d rather get physical in the ring.

Anna Lamb is a well-to-do new mother

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with a violent husband who is looking for somewhere to channel her own aggression.

Each of the women crosses the path of the eccentric trainer/promoter, Professor Charles Sharp, who coaxes them into the seedy, underground realm of competitive female boxing. There are more than jabs and right-hooks being thrown around the ring, however.

Wilkinson takes on issues such as domestic violence, abortion, queerness, feminism, fidelity, and quite a deal more.

Directed by Carly Fisher, this production of The Sweet Science of Bruising features an impressive cast, with Kian Pittman, Esther Williams, Kitty Simpson, and Sonya Kerr in the lead roles and Cormac Costello playing Professor Sharp.

Make sure you’re ringside for this riveting show.

June 15-July 2. Flightpath Theatre, 142 Addison Rd, Marrickville. $42-$48+b.f. Tickets & Info: www.flightpaththeatre.org/whats-on/ sweet-science-of-bruising

HubARTS REVIEW

BRING THE KIDS TO THE FUN HOUSE THIS JULY

NED MANNING’S PAINTING THE LIGHT

BY SWAGATALAKSHMI ROYCHOWDURY et in the backdrop of World War II, Painting The Light by Ned Manning is a story of love between two lost people and love for their country. An extraordinary tale of love and loss, this novel sheds light upon the unfolding political drama and the Australian landscape of the twentieth century. It is a book that takes you back to the roots.

The roots of Industrial era and capitalism.

The protagonist Nell Hope, who is the daughter of one of Australia’s leading merino breeders, is a free-spirited woman who dreams of becoming an artist in Paris. She spoke out against the double standards of how her parents treated her versus her brother Jock. She loved nature and aspired to capture the beauty she saw around her in her paintings. As a creative soul, all she dreamt of was to run away to fulfil her dreams.

Alec Murray, on the other hand, left the legal career his father had set out for him to try his luck at converting scrub country in Central western New South Wales into viable farming land. With an educated background, Alec finds it hard to not speak up against fascism, especially Nazism, in the 20th century.

He became one of the youngest people to represent his district at the Graziers’ Council meeting in Sydney. From there on, he went on to earn a safe seat in the parliament and then there was no turning back. Full of courage, Alec spoke up about the exploitation of striking abattoir workers by the “rich cockies”. He

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BY RITA BRATOVICH orget the bow tie and pearls - put on your sneakers, grab the kids and come down to the Sydney Opera House these July school holidays. This year, SOH’s Children, Families and Creative Learning program is brimming with unique and exciting entertainment and activities.

For something kinda gross, twisted and diabolically funny, Shake and Stir Theatre Co offers a live on-stage production of Roald Dahl’s The Twits.

It’s a visually astounding, engaging show, simultaneously delightful and disgusting, so the kids will love it (and so will most adults).

If you like the idea of sneaking in a bit of learning along with the entertainment, then Windmill Theatre’s Creation Creation is just the ticket.

Using a variety of props, sounds, visuals, and sheer imagination, two indefatigable educators/presenters/ improvisers will answer questions about life, the universe, and awkward things that children ask.

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How about encouraging your children to join the circus? The Flying Fruit Fly Circus, in The Studio Theatre, for their latest show, Tempo. This talented troupe of 11 - 18-year-olds will perform incredible feats of balance, strength, precision, flexibility, skill, and courage, and all on top of a grand piano!

Kids aged from 2 to 10 can also book in for the Let’s Make A Circus Show workshop, where the performers from the Flying Fruit Fly Circus will teach them how to juggle, balance, leap, or just clown around.

There’s a Cardboard Construction workshop and Hands-On Art for little hands that need to make things. Kids and their grown-ups can also take a guided Junior Adventure Tour around the Opera House, or experience the new Centre for Creativity and help theatre artist, Alison Bennett finds a lost baby alien.

For information on all school holiday activities, and to make a booking, visit: www.sydneyoperahouse.com/ learn/kids-and-families.html

was determined to join the war and fight against injustices. In search of their own journeys, Nell and Alec crossed paths.

They met at a nightclub in Sydney the next time they met.

“Not many women [get what they want], do they?” she rhetorically asked Alec when they danced together for the first time. I found that quote profound considering that society at that time was more patriarchal. Nell and Alec went on to fall in love. They rooted for each other even when they knew they would be shunned by their families and their friends.

One highlight in the book was the relationship Alec built up with Bernie, an Indigenous Australian who helped him build up Toongowan, the scrub country, into a working property. Alec learnt more about Bernie and his background in the Gamilaroi Country.

The bond between Alec and Bernie was especially endearing. Bernie is a reminder of the country the colonisers burnt down to build up their own.

Alec’s love for the land and his act of building up the land alongside Bernie was touching. They found comfort and strength working together and eventually opened up to each other.

The author Ned Manning based the novel upon real-life events that took place in the lives of his parents, Margot Body and Alan Manning. The novel highlights the ravages of war and the strength it takes to fight for one’s principles. The story was beautifully narrated and it was easy to lose oneself in the pages. Overall, it was a great read.

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THE WEAPONS OF RHETORIC BACH WITH BITE

BY RITA BRATOVICH azor-sharp wit and stunning virtuosity are among The Weapons of Rhetoric to be employed by the Bach Akademie Australia in two concerts this June. The convivial Madeleine Easton, artistic director of the Akademie and acclaimed violinist, leads an ensemble of equally gifted musicians in a program of Bach delicacies. They will be joined on stage by whip-smart quippers, Jonathan Biggins and Jonathan Horton QC who will host the event while debating the virtues of rhetoric.

The concert title references a book by Judy Tarling also called The Weapons of Rhetoric, and explores the concepts

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proffered by Tarling: “For centuries, musicians and orators have recognised and encouraged the use of accent and rhythm as essential for perfect communication. To ‘make music speak’ is the ultimate aim of both composers and performers alike.”

Easton and a troupe of extraordinary musicians including Neal Peres Da Costa, Laura Vaughan, Jenny Eriksson and Julia Fredersdorff, among others, will play a selection of Bach’s greatest hits in which they will demonstrate the persuasive, seductive effect of his use of light and shade. Meanwhile, Biggins and Horton will exchange intellectual barbs in a display of witty repartee.

The Bach works chosen for these concerts are a delight for the ear, heart, and mind.

“From his miraculous G minor Fuga for solo violin, showing how polyphonic music could be written on a monophonic instrument, to the 6-part Ricercar from his Musical Offering, ending with his much loved Double Violin Concerto, no other composer in history wielded the weapons of rhetoric with as much skill, grace and heart as J.S. Bach,” says Easton.

COULD YOU BE IN A CULT?

BY RITA BRATOVICH ou’ve probably at some point heard a variation of the phrase “drunk the Kool-Aid”, and understood it to mean that someone has fallen for a scam, conspiracy theory, or the teachings of a fringe religionstyled group. The reference (though incorrect - it was actually Flavor-Aid) comes from the infamous 1978 Jonestown Massacre in which more than 900 members of a cult called the People’s Temple, led by Reverend Jim Jones, drank a lethal concoction that included Flavor-Aid and cyanide.

Jonestown is one of dozens of horrific cult stories that have become entrenched in pop culture thanks to a growing fascination with the subject. Books, documentaries, and podcasts abound.

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However, the fixation on the sordid details of extreme cults belies the reality that many cults are much more nuanced and do not involve death, sexual deviance or bizarre practices. Most derive from established religions but are more intense and use the tools of coercive control to maintain membership. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t still utterly destructive to a person’s life.

Sarah Steel is a film maker, writer, and host of the award-winning, wildly popular podcast, Let’s Talk About Sects, which explores in detail various cults in Australia and around the world. She has just presented a panel talk for Vivid Festival called Sects, Lies and Cults, in which she interviewed three Australian women about their experiences in different cults.

Jun 11. Verbruggen Hall, Sydney Conservatorium Of Music, 1 Conservatorium Rd, Sydney. $30-$90+b.f. * Also live-streamed on www.australiandigitalconcerthall.com Jun 12. Our Lady of Dolours Church, 94 Archer St, Chatswood. $30-$75+b.f.

For more info and to book visit: www.bachakademieaustralia.com.au

Laura McConnell Conti was born into The Truth (aka the Two by Twos), Claire Ashman was drawn into The Order of St Charbel by her husband, and Laura Sullivan (Outreach International) was also born into the cult. In each case, the cults were Christian based with strict doctrine adhered to; the members were socially isolated, had all forms of self-expression suppressed; were told they were special and the “outside world” was evil; and were frequently admonished, criticised, belittled.

None of them described violence, sexual abuse, or disturbing ritual practices, but they all agreed they had been coercively controlled, stripped of identity and agency, rendered helpless. Moreover, each said that while they were in their respective groups they believed their lives were “normal” and never considered they might be in a cult. That thought only occurred in retrospect.

What each participant wanted to convey to the filled auditorium was that anyone, no matter how intelligent, gregarious, creative, strong-willed they are, can fall victim to a cult; that some cults don’t really look like cults, at least, not the popular depiction of cults; and that the persistent engagement of family and friends on the outside can eventually help someone leave a cult. And once someone leaves, they have a chance to rebuild their lives and become successful, as each of the women has.

On the back of her podcast, Sarah Steel has written a book, Do As I Say (Pan Macmillan Australia) out on June 28. It includes survivor stories, insights into human behaviour, shocking details about famous cults, and useful information about the mechanics of cults.

For more info about the podcast, book, and Steel, visit the Let’s Talk About Sects website: www.ltaspod.com

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LUNANA: A YAK IN THE CLASSROOM

MY FAKE BOYFRIEND

BY LINC JENKIN y Fake Boyfriend is a neat little queer-themed rom-com coming to a Prime Video screen near you, with a few good laughs and a delicious crescendo of squirming tension as things get more and more outrageous.

The three main characters, Andrew, Kelly and Jake, played by Sydney-born Keiynan Lonsdale, Modern Family - born Sarah Hyland and The Suite Life of Zack & Cody - born Dylan Sprouse, respectively, all have nice chemistry together, with the actors playing well off each other in the three individual couple relationships within the trio and then all having a lot of fun when it comes time to play together.

Andrew needs to find a way to get his toxic ex-boyfriend out of his life and his best mate since school, Jake, along with

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their gal pal Kelly, decide to use the dubious power of social media to invent a new boyfriend for Andrew, which predictably, gets out of hand quickly.

Supported by a cast of people you vaguely recall from other supporting roles in other movies, they are led by the two main supporting roles, Rafi and Nico, with Samer Salem playing Rafi, a charming love interest appearing at just the wrong time and Marcus Rosner doing a truly magnificent job of playing Nico, one of the most odious characters, figuratively and literally, to appear in a gay rom-com.

Andrew, who all the craziness is based around is played with aplomb by Keiynan Lonsdale, who got his start in Australian television with an episode in All Saints and a re-occurring role in the last two seasons of the Australian teen drama series, Dance Academy, which led to a move to America and then success internationally with roles in The Flash, The Divergent Series: Allegiant, Love, Simon and Legends of Tomorrow.

My Fake Boyfriend is available on Prime Video Now

BY RITA BRATOVICH his movie was filmed on location.

That doesn’t sound impressive until you learn that the location is one of the remotest villages in the world, requires an eight-day trek to reach, doesn’t have electricity or running water and has a population of roughly 50.

Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom is a stunning work of cinematography and story-telling by director, Pawo Choyning Dorji. It was deservingly nominated for Best International Feature in this year’s Oscars. Set in the tiny village of Lunana, high up in the Himalayan Alps of Bhutan, it tells the story of Ugyen, a young teacher on the verge of completing his mandatory five-year government service, after which he intends to head to Australia and launch a singing career.

His blatant apathy towards teaching angers his superiors who punish him - or

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perhaps try to inspire him - by sending him to Lunana. Utterly resentful, he petulantly hikes the gruelling eight-day journey with two persistently optimistic villagers, all the while with headphones. The entire village comes down to meet and escort him for the final two hours of the trek, but it still doesn’t melt his icy resistance.

It is only once he meets the children and starts teaching, that the thaw finally starts to set in and he finds his humanity.

The villagers, including all the children, play themselves in the film, despite the fact that none of them has ever actually seen a movie before. Pem Zam, the 9-year old school captain, has big soulful eyes and a smile like tinsel, and steals every scene she’s in.

This is a truly gorgeous film, both in terms of the extraordinary landscape and the emotional topography it captures.

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ABLAZE BENEDICTION

BY RENEE LOU DALLOW od was in his heaven, and there were sausages for breakfast.”

Terence Davies’s new film, Benediction, is about the life and poetry of Siegfried Sassoon, a World War I poet.

In the film, he is asked by a military tribunal if he is pro-German, to which Siegfried replies, “I’m pro-human.” Sassoon was antiwar and spoke out about the powers of the day failing to state conditions for peace.

He thought the war had been deliberately prolonged by those who had the power to end it. “Soldiers marching all to die, Lovely lads and dead and rotten.” He spoke about war being like theatre for the masses and was disgusted with the “callous complacency” of those back home.

The film then goes on to cover Sassoons conflict with his homosexuality. A long passionate affair with actor Ivor Novello and a somewhat more sensitive and empathetic

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relationship with Stephen Tennant follow before Sassoon marries Hester Gatty and has a son, George. All the while he is questioning both his past and his future.

As an old man, he seeks answers in Catholicism because he considers it to be, “Permanent and Unchanging.”

This film is an epic and there is so much in it, including real footage of the trenches, that one review cannot possibly do it justice.

The last scene, one of the longest close-ups ever, is truly one of the most poignant in cinema history.

The last poem being, not by Sassoon but by Wilfred Owen, another great WWI poet and mentored by Sassoon, is also heavy on the soul.

A beautiful and gut-wrenchingly sensitive performance by Jack Lowdon as Sassoon and an equally moving performance by Calam Lynch as Stephen Tennant.

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BY OLGA AZAR he documentary Ablaze is a paean to Aboriginal rights activist William Onus, and a fascinating tour of suppressed Australian history. Filmmakers Tiriki Onus and Alec Morgan have created a gripping film exploring the life and times of William Onus, Tiriki’s grandfather.

It’s something of a mysterious treasure trail. Tiriki discovers a suitcase in his mother’s house containing William’s photographs and memorabilia. Puzzled by these unlabeled mementos, he embarks on a journey to trace the details of his grandfather’s life and times. What follows is an immersive, fully engrossing tale that intertwines his “Uncle Bill” with Australian history.

Starting with a “lost” film in an Australian archive, Tiriki pieces together his grandfather’s life, and it’s a wild story concerning activism, displacement,

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government surveillance, union rights and theatre and more.

Supporting the evident research are interviews with relatives and historians, and plentiful archival footage.

There are many insights into the fight for culture in the film. A striking one is possum-skin cloaks traditionally given to a child, their life story told in fire engravings on the pelt. As they age into adulthood and elder status, they are buried in their life cloak. At one time, Aboriginals were forbidden to wear these cloaks, whilst socialites wore furs and donated blankets.

The doco opens with Tiriki wrapping his newborn in possum skins.

The life of William Onus, as depicted in Ablaze, is one that reflected and created his time. His legacy is shouting everywhere in Australia. And maybe his grandson’s film is the one he was meant to make.

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