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HubNEWS

Inner city train station upgrades underway (See p. 13)

NSW council grant program ‘lacked integrity’

BY PATRICK MCKENZIE nner West Mayor Darcy Byrne has decried the NSW government’s “systemic rorting” of grants, following the release of a report by the NSW Auditor General last month.

The report, which investigated the integrity of the administration of the Stronger Communities Fund (SCF), found that the NSW Office of Local Government’s (OLG) assessment and approval process for allocating $252 million to local councils “lacked integrity”.

It found that the funding was prioritised for councils that had worked constructively with the government during the 2016 council merger process, an overwhelming percentage of which (96 per cent) were in coalitionheld state seats.

The Stronger Communities program was established to provide funds to support newly amalgamated councils and others subject to merger proposals from 2017 to 2019.

I HubARTS: Stay Woke “This is not only a brown role but we’re seeing a lot more brown bums on seats as well” (See p. 21)

PUBLISHED DATE 10 MARCH 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: Daniel Lo Surdo Contributors: Daniel Lo Surdo, Patrick McKenzie, Wendy Bacon, Sharlotte Thou, Seja Al-Zaidi Arts Editor: Jamie Apps Contributors: Irina Dunn, Rita Bratovich, Mark Morellini, Renee Lou Dallow, Rida Babar, Olga Azar, Jarrod Wolfhunter, Tessa Pelle, Lucinda Garbutt-Young, Iki Minogue Cover Photo: Daniel Boud. David Campbell 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

 This is a test for Premier Perrottet Cr Byrne, who made the initial request to the auditor general to investigate the program, called on NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet to act on the report’s findings and to compensate $24 million in funding that the Inner West was wrongly prevented from accessing.

“The Auditor General’s report is a scathing indictment of this $252 million slush fund and it is now time for the government to compensate communities like ours that were cheated out of funding,” Cr Byrne said.

“Ninety-six per cent of the funds were handed over to Liberal and National Party electorates with no proper assessment process and zero transparency.”

In July 2017, the NSW government established that SCF funds should be used to cover councils’ legal costs associated with amalgamation, reimbursement of costs incurred by councils who were unable to merge but had participated constructively and to fund community initiatives in councils that had amalgamated.

Inner West Council was formed in May 2016 as a merger of the former Ashfield, Leichhardt and Marrickville

Inner West Mayor Darcy Byrne has described the council grant program, whereby 96 per cent of funding was awarded to Coalition-held state seats, as “systematic rorting”. Photo: Facebook.

councils. It was allocated $300,000 at the time, which was distributed across a number of community groups.

In October 2020, Inner West Council and the City of Canterbury-Bankstown began a joint campaign for an investigation into the program.

IN THE EAST

Woollahra Council was an outlier in how the three major eastern suburbs councils were impacted by the program.

The council received no SCF funding after its merger proposal with Waverley and Randwick was abandoned and court action was launched. The area includes the state seats of Vaucluse (held by Liberal Gabrielle Upton) and Sydney (held

by Independent Alex Greenwich).

Randwick and Waverley Councils both received funding, $2.58 million and $2 million respectively, however, the OLG did not publish any information about the funding, and there is no documented rationale for the reason particular projects were funded or how much they received.

LACKING TRANSPARENCY

The report also identified that program guidelines were not published, nor did they contain details of the selection and assessment processes.

Instead, the report says that projects across 24 councils were identified by former premier Gladys Berejiklian, former deputy premier John Barilaro and the Minister for Local Government and were communicated to the OLG with “no merit assessment of identified projects”.

Hornsby council, whose Mayor Phillip Ruddock is the President of the NSW Liberal Party, received $90 million (36 per cent) of the funding alone.

Ms Berejiklian’s approval of the grant was previously the subject of an ICAC inquiry in October 2020, during which the government admitted that signed approval documents for the grants administered prior to the 2019 state election did not exist.

The report notes that for the 22 councils where funding was determined

by Ms Berejiklian and Mr Barilaro, “the only record of their approval is a series of emails from their staff”.

“This is a test for Premier Perrottet,” Cr Byrne said. “He has said he wants to end his government’s systemic rorting of grants. It’s time now to act and show that he is the Premier for all of NSW, not just blue-ribbon Liberal electorates.”

“We still desperately need financial assistance for infrastructure, and the Premier should stand up today and commit to working with us on a compensation fund.”

When asked on February 8 whether he could assure people that pork barrelling would not occur at the next state election, Mr Perrottet put forward a ‘zero tolerance’ approach.

“I’ve made it abundantly clear to every single one of my ministers – they are the ones responsible for the decisionmaking in relation to those grants programs and the outcomes,” he told The Sydney Morning Herald.

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HubNEWS

Progress Pride flag soars across city colour. The black stripe also represents those living with AIDS, and those who have passed away from the disease.

Chris Terry, a volunteer at the Gender Centre, which serves the transgender and gender diverse community, said that the new flag was a reminder that the LGBTQIA+ community shares “an ambition of being true to ourselves”, rather than sexuality, cisness, transness or colour.

 The City supports all within the LGBTIQ community

Linda Chalmers and her trans daughter Indica sit in front of a Progress Pride banner at William Street, Darlinghurst. Photo: City of Sydney

BY DANIEL LO SURDO he Progress Pride flag has soared across the inner city this Mardi Gras season, with the new flag to also fly permanently at Taylor Square.

City of Sydney lord mayor Clover Moore said that the flag demonstrates that “our precincts are inclusive and safe and that the City supports all within the LGBTIQ

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community”.

The Progress Pride flag, which was designed by non-binary artist Daniel Quasar in 2018, adds a five-colour chevron to the left of the LGBT rainbow flag, with the new colours of pink, light blue and white representing the Transgender Pride flag, and the black and brown stripes representing marginalised LGBTIQ communities of

The new flag will fly at Town Hall throughout the Mardi Gras season, which began in February and concluded with the Parade, which took place at the Sydney Cricket Ground on March 5, following concerns over COVID-19 safety.

Organisers say that they plan to return to Oxford Street for Mardi Gras’ 45th anniversary next year, which will also be when the Sydney WorldPride festival will take place.

The Progress Pride flag was also adorned across banner poles throughout the city.

CHANGING FLAGS In September, the City of Sydney unanimously decided to fly the Progress Pride flag rather than the Rainbow Flag across the inner city to “visually celebrate” and support its LGBTQIA+ communities, following an item from Cr Moore.

It came after Sydney Mardi Gras organisers adopted the Progress Pride flag during the 2021 Festival, with “overwhelmingly positive” feedback affirming the flag’s place in the following year’s festivities.

The City has flown rainbow banners along Oxford Street every Mardi Gras since 2006 and has held a rainbow flag raising ceremony at Town Hall since 2010. Under the successful recommendation, the existing rainbow flags and banners would be recycled so that they have ongoing use, and the costs to replace and recycle these flags would be absorbed into the 2021/22 City Life operational budget.

The City of Sydney held its annual flag raising ceremony at Town Hall last month, to mark the beginning of this year’s Mardi Gras festival, with Cr Moore saying that “we are very proud to fly” the Progress Pride flag in the inner city.

Waverley Council Update Mayor’s message

submissions is 31 March 2022. To lodge a submission, visit parliament.nsw.gov.au/committees/inquiries.

To learn more about our campaign to Save our Buses, please visit the Save Our Buses page on our website.

Save Our Buses

SkyParks launch

In October 2020, the NSW Government announced the privatisation of the last remaining State Transitoperated bus regions in NSW, including region 9 (eastern suburbs). The transition for region 9 to private operators is due to conclude next month.

Waverley Council is opposed to the privatisation of buses in Sydney and any further removal of bus services including the emptying out of the Waverley bus Depot. We do not agree with the state government that passengers will be better off through bus privatisation. To that end, I encourage the Waverley community to make a written submission to the Upper House inquiry into the privatisation of bus services in NSW. The inquiry will examine the modelling, rationale and process of privatising bus services, and assess the impact that privatisation has had on the community who use the services and the workers who provide them. The closing date for

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CITY HUB MARCH 2022

Waverley Council has this month unveiled its first SkyParks gardens created in collaboration with Westfield Bondi Junction. SkyParks is a sustainability project aimed at cooling our cities and as part of this project, SkyParks gardens will be established on car parks and rooftops in the local region, providing opportunities to research and measure cooling and species suitability, but also understand potential business, community wellbeing and education benefits of installing vegetation in hot urban spaces.

Lack of vegetation in parts of the Bondi Junction CBD make the area extremely hot during summer with temperatures likely to increase further under projected climate change. With limited ground-level space available to establish new parks or canopy, capturing opportunities to grow plants on top of built structures is increasingly important. Council is delivering the project in collaboration with Scentre Group, owner and operator of Westfield Living Centres, Good Start Learning, BioFilta and UNSW.

The project is assisted by the NSW Government and supported by Local Government NSW. We invite the community to visit the SkyParks bushtucker and coastal native gardens located near Good Start Learning Centre on Level 6 of the shopping centre. To learn more, visit tinyurl.com/skyparksfactsheet.

Severe weather warning Waverley Council is urging people to stay safe during this period of severe weather warnings. Surf and swell conditions have been hazardous for coastal activities including swimming, surfing and rock fishing, and as a precaution, swimming at ocean beaches should be avoided for up to one day after heavy rainfall or for as long as stormwater is present. Council is responding as quickly as possible to reports of damage in the area, including potholes. If you see something that needs our attention, please lodge a request via the free Snap Send Solve app or call Customer Service on 9083 8000. For emergency help in floods and storms, ring the State Emergency Service on 132 500. For weather alerts, visit bom.gov.au or for stormwater alerts, visit sydneywater.com.au.

Paula Masselos, Mayor of Waverley

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HubNEWS

Streets program an inner-city hit

BY SHARLOTTE THOU fter taking off in Glebe and Surry Hills, the City of Sydney’s Summer Streets program moved to Harris Street in Pyrmont last month as part of an initiative to support local businesses and provide outdoor entertainment for residents as Sydney emerges from the pandemic.

The event followed the success of the previous festival in Glebe, where patrons were offered a plethora of dining options, had the opportunity to partake in free Latin dancing and painting workshops, and to watch native bug and fire performers.

challenging times. People want to get out of the house and enjoy what Sydney has to offer, safely.”

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Our main streets can be put to better use than just driving City councillor Linda Scott embraced the popularity of the festival, saying that “for so many years I’ve advocated for this, so it’s great to see it finally implemented”.

The Pyrmont festival featured native bird and fire performers, and LED dancers after dark, along with local dining options. Music acts included the Kate Wadey Trio, Ephemera Jam, Daniel Francis Band, George Washingmachine and the Crawfish Po’Boys.

FUTURE THINKING

The City of Sydney’s Summer Street series shifted to Pyrmont following success in Glebe last month. Photo: City of Sydney

Keyna Wilkins, musician and manager at Ephemera Jam, believes COVID safe events like the Summer Streets series will help local musicians recover by providing a “ready-made audience and great atmosphere”.

Musician George Washingmachine said that “staff sickness [and] numbers down due to audience confidence” has led to “venues finding it difficult to operate as they once did”. He said that the festivals

presented a “terrific” opportunity to play on the streets of Sydney.

“Being able to shop, dine or drink on our footpaths and roadways makes it easier for us to enjoy those things and support local businesses in a COVIDsafe way,” City of Sydney lord mayor Clover Moore said.

“Expanding outdoor dining remains an essential part of what we’re doing to support business through these

Urbanist Jason Packenham praised the program, saying that it was a “wonderful display of public life”. He added that it “demonstrates that people want to get out and socialise in our neighbourhood centres and streets”.

“It’s also highlighting the fact that our main streets can be put to better use than just driving and parking cars. I think it’s the perfect indication that we need more public spaces for coming together and socialising,” he said.

Looking to the future, Packenham hopes the festivals will “start a discussion about how our main streets can better serve our communities”.

“If permanent closures are a step too far, then maybe we start with weekly or monthly events that get us all thinking about what’s possible.”

The Pyrmont festival was the penultimate event in the council’s Summer Streets Series and will be followed by Stanley Street in Darlinghurst on March 12.

Latest IPCC Report Issues Urgent Call for Climate Action Now After 2 and a half years of bushfires, lockdowns, canceled plans and disappointments, it seems so cruel that communities have been hit with a flood crisis that has seen people losing homes and livelihoods all over again. So much of the joy of life comes from planning for the future - something which has become so difficult these past few years.

The floods in Qld and NSW this month were worse than the predictions modeled for a “one-in-500-year” flood.

But the truly scary thing is that Lismore experienced a “one-in-100” year flood just 7 years ago and the Hawkesbury experienced a similar major flood just last year.

The most recent report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was released the same week as Qld and northern NSW saw their towns and homes submerged, and people losing their lives in the flood waters.

The frequency and intensity of these extreme weather events is exactly what @jennyleong.newtown

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CITY HUB MARCH 2022

the IPCC report predicts will become a common reality the more the earth heats up.

In Australia, we have already reached 1.4 degrees of warming - and we are already seeing the hugely disruptive impacts that catastrophic floods and fires are having on our daily lives.

In this report, scientists issued their “bleakest warning yet” for humanity.

We do still have the capacity to act, but the window is closing rapidly and the urgency is extreme.

The science is clear: the mining and burning of coal, oil and gas are the cause of the climate crisis. Every tonne of carbon matters. And the speed with which we act matters.

The urgency of the climate crisis means that the bulk of our actions to reduce the burning of fossil fuels needs to happen this decade - before 2030. And we have already squandered 2 precious years.

Scientists are telling us that it’s possible @jennyleong

to cut our greenhouse gas emissions by 75% before 2030 and get to net zero or net negative Australian greenhouse gas emissions by 2035. We just need to get on and do it.

It’s important that we all take a stand - we all have the capacity to be part of the solution in our homes, in our communities, but taking collective and political action is by far our best bet.

School kids around the country, supported by older folks who know the younger generation are leading the way, will be taking to the streets again on Friday March 25 and they have asked anyone and everyone to support them by attending.

Visit www.schoolstrike4climate.com for the most up to date details. And see you on the streets!

Jenny Leong MP Greens Member for Newtown

@jennyleong.newtown

Caring for cats since 1958

For all your cat care information and support visit

www.catprotection.org.au

Rehoming Organisation Number R251000224

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HubNEWS

COVID-19 SUPPORT

STAY HOME

IF YOU CAN

Sydney councils agree to $180m deal

COVID-19 DISASTER SUPPORT PAYMENT Scan here to access support payments for workers adversely affected by a state public health order.

NSW RESTRICTIONS Scan here for the the latest health orders from the NSW Government.

TESTING CLINIC LOCATIONS Scan here for a list of COVID testing locations.

COVID-19 BUSINESS SUPPORT Scan here to access financial support for businesses and not-for-profits impacted by the recent COVID-19 restrictions.

VACCINE ELIGIBILITY Scan here to find out when and where you can receive a COVID-19 vaccine.

THANKS TO YOU, we are saving lives and stopping the spread of Covid-19. We’re all in this together, so let’s continue to keep each other safe.

Waverley, Woollahra and Randwick councils have all chosen to use 100 per cent renewable energy as part of a new electricity agreement. Photo: Waverley Council

BY DANIEL LO SURDO averley, Randwick and Woollahra councils have all confirmed that they will be using 100 per cent renewable energy for their local facilities from July 1 this year, as part of a landmark $180 million, 25-council deal that was announced last month.

The deal, which was brokered by the Southern Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils (SSROC), will provide electricity to participating councils from three state-based solar farms, with 19 of the councils opting for 100 per cent renewable energy.

The three eastern suburbs councils have all elected to use 100 per cent renewables in their electricity portfolio from July, with Randwick Council estimating that the deal would save approximately 7,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year, delivering on their 100 per cent renewable energy goal three years ahead of schedule.

Waverley Mayor Paula Masselos said that the renewable energy sources would power eight major facilities in the area, 45 smaller sites and thousands of streetlights, adding that the agreement would help to meet the targets designated in council’s environmental planning.

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KICKING GOALS

TANYA PLIBERSEK MP Federal Member for Sydney

1A Great Buckingham St, Redfern NSW 2016 T: 9379 0700 E: Tanya.Plibersek.MP@aph.gov.au

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CITY HUB MARCH 2022

Waverley Council last year fast-tracked their net-zero carbon emissions target to 2030, after identifying their original 2050 net-zero goal as “too long in the future”, with Cr Masselos saying that “urgent action was required”.

“Council will be able to meet the new

target by purchasing the 100 per cent renewable energy, phasing out gas and switching to electric vehicles, whilst ensuring ongoing energy efficiencies,” Cr Masselos said.

In the Waverley Environmental Action Plan, changing the council’s energy mix to establish a lower carbon footprint was regarded as “an opportunity with the falling prices of renewable power”.

One of council’s key climate and energy deliverables in the report was to “collaborate with other councils and stakeholders to increase the proportion of cost effective renewable electricity purchased by council”.

Council will be able to meet the new target Randwick Mayor Dylan Parker said that electricity usage accounted for 60 per cent of council operation’s total greenhouse gas emissions, calling the deal a “significant step in reducing our emissions as we transition to net-zero emissions”, adding that it showed the “collective power of local government to work together to deliver real savings and sustainability benefits for our communities”.

According to the SSROC, 83 per cent of the councils’ total electricity supply will be covered by solar farms in Moree, Hillston and Nevertire, with the agreement to run until 2026 and an option to extend until 2030.

The participating councils, which also includes the City of Sydney and Inner West Council, represent almost three million people, or about 38 per cent of the NSW population.

HubNEWS

Randwick waste collection almost doubles

BY DANIEL LO SURDO andwick Mayor Dylan Parker has lauded residents for embracing a new household food waste program, with a recent waste audit showing that the collection of food and garden organics has nearly doubled during its first year of operation.

Randwick Council launched its food organics and garden organics (FOGO) waste collection program in March last year, following the neighbouring Woollahra Council to become the second inner-city council to adopt the program in all of its residences.

Since its inception, over 14,000 tonnes of food and garden waste has been diverted from landfill, where it would otherwise go to and release methane into the atmosphere, with Cr Parker congratulating the Randwick community on a “tremendous effort” during the past year.

“The content of red bins, which goes straight to landfill, has been reduced by 25 per cent and the contamination rate in the green bins is an incredibly low 1.5 per cent,” Cr Parker added.

Food and garden organics collection in the past year has increased 97 per cent from the previous period, with a monthly

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average of 1,211 tonnes being collected from Randwick residents, while there has been a 26 per cent reduction in garbage collection during the same period.

Cr Parker said that the results showed how “making a small change in lifestyle can make a big difference for our environment”, adding that “every single person who has used our FOGO service has made a difference”.

 We will be working very hard and fast Following reports last year from residents finding the kitchen caddies poorly constructed and the liners difficult to use, Randwick Council delivered a larger size of caddy liners to residences in July, while also encouraging people to use “whatever storage device works best for them”.

INNER-CITY FOGO

During a February meeting, Inner West councillors unanimously supported a motion to extend their FOGO program from multi-unit dwellings to all residences, with the item committing

Food and garden organic waste in Randwick has been in place since March 2021. Photo: Reddit

the council to implement the new program during its current term, as well as requesting staff to provide a progress report, including its place in the 2022/23 budget, in April.

Waverley Council, the only eastern suburbs council without a FOGO service, recently announced a new subsidy that residents were eligible to receive for a compost bin or worm farm to divert food scraps from landfill.

The City of Sydney began a trial involving the separate collection and recycling of food scraps from residential properties in July 2019, with the project expanding the following year. All apartment buildings are eligible for the trial, as are houses and terraces in the residential areas of the city. Currently, the trial comprises 17,000 households, including over 1,000 houses and 210 apartment buildings.

SILVER SESSIONS ARE BACK! Silver Sessions are a series of free workshops for LGBTQ women aged 55+, presented by ACON and City of Sydney. Each workshop has a different focus and will be a fun, social and engaging way to meet people and access information. This year, we’re running Silver Sessions in the afternoon and in the evening – hopefully we’ll see you there!

FIND OUT MORE

Wednesday evenings:

Wednesday afternoons:

Wed 30 March Wed 13 April Wed 27 April Wed 11 May

Wed 6 April Wed 20 April Wed 4 May Wed 18 May

Time: 6pm – 8:30pm

Time: 2pm – 4:30pm

Cost: Free Location: Erskineville Town Hall, 104 Erskineville Rd, Erskineville Register or for more info: acon.org.au/women or women@acon.org.au | 9206 2000

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HubNEWS

Anti-racism sign removal push fails

BY PATRICK MCKENZIE welve ‘Racism Not Welcome’ signs in the Woollahra area will remain, after a motion in a council meeting to remove them was narrowly defeated last month.

The motion was put forward by Woollahra Liberal councillors Toni Zeltzer, Peter Cavanagh and Mary-Lou Jarvis, who wrote in the motion that the area “has had no reported racist incidents that would justify these signs in our streets”.

“The signs do not properly represent our community … on streets where these signs have been erected, locals have been made to feel like racists,” the motion continues.

During a four-hour council meeting, the motion failed 8-7 as councillors decided that the signs would remain.

Residents First councillor Luise Elsing, who has sat on Woollahra Council since 2012 and who first moved the motion to introduce the signs said that “racism exists in Woollahra”.

“All of us need to stand up against racism and the Racism Not Welcome signage is one way Woollahra Council can support their residents,” she told SBS News.

“Liberals in the eastern suburbs are moving to have these signs removed, as they say they find them offensive. This campaign started in the Inner West, not as an accusation, but as an expression of commitment to ending discrimination.

The signs are here to stay on our streets,” he said.

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 The introduction of the signs

was ‘another example of wokeism’

A Racism Not Welcome sign at Addison Road Community Organisation. In February, a motion to remove the signs in Woollahra was defeated. Photo: Addison Road Community Organisation.

Speaking to the motion on Monday, Cr Jarvis said that the introduction of the signs was “another example of wokeism which I understand was copied from a Sydney inner-city council”.

“Rather than make everyone feel good about themselves it has created angst in our community,” she said.

The Racism Not Welcome street sign campaign was adopted in Woollahra

A great start at I N T E R N AT I O N A L G R A M M A R S C H O O L

last year and was launched by Inner West Council as part of a program with the Inner West Multicultural Network and Addison Road Community Organisation in 2020, following an increase in racist attacks throughout the community.

On Sunday, ahead of the meeting, Inner West Council Mayor Darcy Byrne spoke out against the motion on social media.

Greens councillor Nicola Grieve, who was pleased that the signs would remain in place, called the motion “embarrassing” and said it had brought “Woollahra into disrepute”. In the defeated motion, it was said that the signs gave a “false impression that Woollahra locals are racist, while there has been no evidence presented to that effect”.

WOOLLAHRA LEADERSHIP

The motion was tabled in Woollahra Council’s first ordinary meeting of 2022, following an extraordinary meeting in January where councillors Susan Wynne and Isabelle Shapiro were respectively voted to the positions of mayor and deputy mayor.

Seniors Friday 25 March to Sunday 3 April

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Central location near Sydney CBD

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Out of School Hours Care (OSHC)

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Celebrating diversity and personal achievement

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Join our local school with a global outlook

Find out more and book a tour: igssyd.nsw.edu.au | 9219 6700 admissions@igssyd.nsw.edu.au 10

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CITY HUB MARCH 2022

Festival Enjoy a great program of free events and activities: – free entry to our 6 pools* – yoga, pilates and other exercise classes – live comedy at Sydney Town Hall – open days, workshops, music and more.

See what’s on at city.sydney/seniors-festival or call 02 9265 9333. *Aquatic centres require proof of age and address.

Addi Road meets Abbey Road album track list Side one: Community.a.Fair (“come together”) Addi Road Moves (“something in the way we move”) Let Me Drive Your E.Vehicle #RacismNOTWelcome Community Garden Addi Road Writers’ Festival

Addi Road meets Abbey Road

Side two: Here Comes the Sun (Solar Power @ Addi Road) You Never Give Me Your Money (#RaiseTheRate) Food Relief Hub #HampersofHope Food Pantry Marrickville Food Pantry Camperdown Fair Trade Emporium Return and Earn StirrUp Gallery / Public Schools Art Festival Honour Roll for Peace Book medley: The Hollow Tree / Ten Ordinary Men / One Small World

“One thing we can tell you is you got to be free!”

CEO Rosanna Barbero; Addi Road Ambassador and Stan sports analyst, Craig Foster; renowned actor and regular Addi Road volunteer, Bryan Brown; and our Administration and Venues Manager, Gurwinder Kaur.

Taking our cues from the iconic cover for The Beatles’ Abbey Road, Addison Road Community Organisation has started work on a fresh visual project with an ever-expanding supergroup we’ve been referring to as The Peoples.

The title of The People’s new album? ADDI ROAD, of course.

With Mardi Gras happening across Sydney, it was an especially proud and lovely day to stride together as one over a rainbow-crossing to celebrate Addison Road Community Organisation’s long-time unity with the LGBTQI community.

“Come together, right now!”

The first to step out for The People’s Addi Road photo shoot were our CEO Rosanna Barbero; Addi Road Ambassador and Stan sports analyst, Craig Foster; renowned actor and Addi Road volunteer, Bryan Brown; and our much-loved Administration and Venues Manager, Gurwinder Kaur.

Rosanna Barbero brought the revolutionary attitude, dressing all-in-white a la ‘John Lennon’. Our agent in black, Craig Foster, was nominated to serve as ‘Ringo Starr’ thanks to the social justice heartbeat he always provides for us. Bryan Brown was our method-acting livewire and comic relief, a bare-footed and

Flood Relief At the time of going to press Addi Road have been in intense dialogue with Turbans 4 Australia and Good360 Australia on how to best respond to the floods. Turbans 4 Australia have been on the ground in Lismore consulting with locals about what is most needed, establishing a transport network and warehouse spaces to receive deliveries and redistribute them. They’ve also set up a kitchen supplying hot meals to the community. Addi Road are packing goods to assist immediately. We’re also coordinating a campaign appealing for financial assistance in partnership with Good360 and Turbans 4 Australia. What’s vital is we supply people with exactly what they are asking for – right now, that means using your donations to buy everything from shovels and mops to buckets and cleaning materials, as well as baby formula and other urgent essentials.

By taking advantage of our agility as smaller organisations, we can make a targeted and

bare-chested ‘Paul McCartney’ complaining about “the lack of a make-up trailer” and – when no one could get in step – “working with amateurs!”

Gurwinder Kaur, anchored the occasion, bringing some authentic Punjabi spirit and genuine cool to her role as ‘George Harrison’.

Over the coming year, we will be inviting supporters and volunteers, partner organisations and friends to come on down to our site in Marrickville to help reinvent the iconic photo as an ongoing symbol of community energy and creativity across the city – and across the universe, for that matter.

Was there something in the way they moved? Well, marching in step is not as easy as it looks! Rock ‘n’ roll photographer Tony Mott (our visual ‘George Martin’) did his best to orchestrate a rhythm on the crossing and produce fine images. Having been personally invited to tour with everyone from the Rolling Stones to Paul McCartney and Wings we knew Tony was THE man we needed for this photo shoot. We are now his top gig!

The pandemic has been getting us down. The news of war has been distressing. Even the weather has been awful: nothing but endless rain for weeks on end. And now the most terrible floods and their aftermath to contend with.

Tanya Lee (working hard behind the scenes as our manager ‘Brian Epstein’) brought all the individuals and ideas into line, creating another ray of light from the apple of her eye, The CorriLee Foundation. Kerry Rawlins donated the use of her little darling, ‘Bridget’, a blue 1968 VW that planted us in time. Atticus Mordue brought us into the present and the future with his Tik Tok media campaign. And Danielle Harte zoomed in as the photographer assist and behind-the-scenes paparazzi with the mostest!

Vivienne Moore meanwhile brought grooving authority as our traffic controller and sunglasses roadie. It was a group effort in every way. The first incarnation of The Peoples right there.

substantial impact. We aim to avoid getting in the way and creating an unnecessary burden. By the time you read this, the first trucks will be on the way. We need your financial support to keep rolling. Our website and social media has detailed information.

‘Addi Road meets Abbey Road’ was devised as a fun campaign to raise our profile and boost the work we do with others as well as some general spirit along the way. But it suddenly felt feather light against the ongoing weight of the news in recent weeks. A few very small steps indeed. We nonetheless hope it still connects to something more about who we all are and imagine we can be. Especially at this difficult time.

We know what matters most is walking the talk for real. Check out our ‘album track list’ for what we have been involved in these last twelve months or more.

And watch this space, or keep an eye on our website and social media, to see where we are heading.

Written by Mark Mordue

Addi Road Writers’ Festival 2022 We are back for a second year of words, conversation and performance with Addi Road Writers’ Festival 2022. It be held on Saturday, 14th May at the community centre in Marrickville. Our Artistic Directors are Mark Mordue and Sheila Ngoc Pham. More news to come!

addiroad.org.au

CITY HUB MARCH 2022

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HubNEWS

First greyhound of new year killed

The first death of a greyhound at Wentworth Park this year took place in February. Photo: Dictionary of Sydney

BY SEJA AL ZAIDI eteran greyhound Bide Your Time has been the first dog to be killed after racing at the Wentworth Park racetrack this year after suffering a fractured leg last Friday.

Bide Your Time is the fourth dog lost in NSW in 2022, and the 21st nationwide.

The five-year-old dog was euthanised after his 85th race on February 18th

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by the on-track vet, after suffering a fractured hind leg as a result of a collision with another dog on the racing track.

Bide Your Time’s most recent races resulted in several falls and injuries, including lower back injuries and abrasions to his hind leg and stopper pad.

Independent State Member for Sydney Alex Greenwich, who last month carried

the Companion Animals Amendment (Rehoming Animals) Bill 2021 to the Legislative Assembly, described greyhound racing as an “archaic industry”.

State Member for Balmain Jamie Parker said that it has “such a significant impact on animal welfare that it shouldn’t be able to continue”, noting that “the greyhound racing industry is driven by gambling, and it’s not paying sufficient attention to animal welfare”.

“These contradictions can’t be resolved,” Mr Parker said.

Advocates for greyhound welfare said that the industry was ill-suited for Sydney’s inner city and posed little else but health risks and abuse to greyhound dogs.

“Sydney is a dog-loving city and the aging Wentworth Park track has no place in the inner-city area,” Kylie Field, the Director of the Coalition for the Protection of Greyhounds (CPG), said.

PUBLIC PROPERTY

Mr Parker also noted that the track was taking up valuable space in inner Sydney that could be used for other public purposes, saying that “very few people actually even visit the site”.

“At Wentworth Park, we have such huge demand for open green space for recreation and sports, these critical pieces of public space should be used by the public, and not just for activities like greyhound racing.”

CPG Director Kylie Field also called for the land to be returned to public hands, saying that she hopes that when the Wentwork Park lease expires in 2027, the “abuse of these beautiful dogs” will end.

 Critical pieces of public space should be used by the public Nationwide, 86 per cent of racing deaths in 2021 was by euthanasia resulting from leg fractures; the figure for 2022 is 90 per cent.

The Lethal Tracks Report 2021 from CPG, released last month, states that 92 greyhounds were killed in track-related incidents in NSW last year, and more than 3,000 were injured.

In the 2018/19 financial year, Greyhound Racing NSW provided over $500,000 to Wentworth Park to fund track reconstruction and infrastructure upgrades.

Wentworth Park Greyhounds has been contacted for comment by City Hub.

Expired marine flare collections

Coulson St Rail Bridge maintenance

Are your marine flares out of date?

8pm Fri 18 – 6am Mon 21 Mar 2022 We will be undertaking maintenance works on Coulson St Rail Bridge at Erskineville.

Coulson St will be closed between Flora St and Eve St. Parking on Concord St will be affected.

Traffic controllers will be in place to direct motorists.

BLZ_SB3030

For more information, visit transport.nsw.gov.au/sydtraincommunity

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CITY HUB MARCH 2022

Expired flare collections will be held in your local area this month.

Scan the QR code or visit: nsw.gov.au/topics/waterways-safetyand-rules/lifejackets-and-safety-equipment/flare-disposal for information on how and where to dispose of expired flares safely.

nsw.gov.au

BLZ_SB2986

When was the last time you checked the expiry date on your marine flares? Most flares have a use-by date of three years, and they must be replaced before the expiry date.

HubNEWS

Stations set for new upgrades Upgrades at Inner West train stations, including at Erskineville Station, are underway. Photo: Supplied

BY SEJA AL ZAIDI mproved accessibility measures have been introduced at various train stations in the Inner West as part of a spate of new upgrades in the area.

Major works have taken place at Petersham, Erskineville and St Peters train stations following calls from residents for enhanced accessibility, with a variety of changes made to address the concerns that community members have raised during “years of campaigning”.

“People are thrilled that everyone will now be able to use the stations, no matter what their mobility challenges are,” State Member for Newtown Jenny Leong said.

“The changes to accessibility are a credit to the tireless effort of the community writing letters, gathering signatures on petitions and holding actions.”

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The Petersham station upgrades include improved amenities such as new male and female ambulant toilets, a new family accessible toilet, and CCTV video surveillance, as well as a new access ramp from the station entrance to the footbridge, and two new lifts connecting the existing footbridge to the Terminus Street entrance and the station platform.

 People are thrilled Station upgrades at Erskineville are still underway and include improved facilities and a new pedestrian crossing and footbridge at Bridge Street, with both a lift and stairs to connect the footbridge to the platforms.

St Peters station is also undergoing upgrades, with two new lifts, two kiss and ride spaces, an accessible

parking space and two canopies to be introduced.

Station upgrades have been welcomed by local residents, Inner West councillor Liz Atkins said.

“Residents in the Damun-Stanmore Ward have given me positive feedback about the upgrades at Petersham. They are looking forward to the upgrades at Stanmore Station which Transport for NSW are currently consulting on.”

Stanmore Station, which currently does not meet the required standards for the Commonwealth Disability Discrimination Act 1992 and the Disability Standards for Accessible Public Transport 2002, is in the planning stage, with concerns being raised about the potential destruction of local flora and fauna as part of the

designed upgrades.

Cr Atkins confirmed that, along with Ms Leong, she has written to Transport Minister David Elliott about the potential removal of a “significant tree” as part of the station upgrades.

Cr Atkins has also requested that council write to Mr Elliott to revise the current station upgrade designs to ensure the retention of a 10-metre high Lilly Pilly tree near the station, and if that isn’t possible, commit to “new large sapling plantings as replacements”.

MOVING FORWARD

A review of the provided community feedback to Transport of NSW is currently underway following the proposal for changes at Stanmore station earlier this year.

Ageing Support Supporting people living with HIV aged over 45, through the maze of aged care, disability, and healthcare services in NSW Contact Positive Life NSW on (02) 9206 2177 or 1800 245 677 (freecall)

CITY HUB MARCH 2022

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HubNEWS

Councillors clash over cycleways

Councillors have clashed over concerns for the inner city’s cycleways. Photo: City of Sydney.

BY SHARLOTTE THOU n amended motion to increase safety on cycle paths by providing status updates and community consultation reports on the inner city’s cycleways was passed last month.

The original motion proposed by City of Sydney councillor Yvonne Weldon requested that council provide community consultation reports to councillors on the pop-up cycleways, status updates on plans to make these cycleways permanent (including Dunning Avenue, Pitt Street, Henderson Road, Moore Park Road, Fitzroy Street, Oxford Street and Bridge Road), and safety audits for each pop-up and permanent cycleway installed in the City of Sydney LGA for the past 10 years.

City of Sydney lord mayor Clover Moore told City Hub that there are plans to make the Pitt Street, Henderson Road, Railway Parade and Bridge Road cycleways permanent. The remaining pop-ups will be kept in place “while [council] explores design options, which will help [council] ensure cycling is a safe transport option”.

Deputy lord mayor Jess Scully amended the motion to exclude the original request that council provide audit reports for cycleways installed over the past 10 years.

Councillor Weldon said she was “surprised and disappointed” that Cr Scully deleted “important statements” from the original motion.

“It is the public duty of the City to ensure that any cycleway (including a pop-up cycleway) is safe before it is opened,

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only encouraging cyclists to use it after all safety issues have been fully addressed,” Cr Weldon said.

“It is also the public duty of the City to properly consult with residents and other stakeholders affected by installation of cycleways by loss of access, convenience and enjoyment of their residences or places of work, removal of parking spaces, including disability parking and safety impacts.”

 The best way to save lives is to build separated cycleways Cr Weldon maintained that “safe cycleways and effective community consultation are the responsibility of every councillor” and that while she supported cycling use, it was important to “not [make] people who are already vulnerable to be excluded even more [excluded]”.

In response, Deputy Lord Mayor Jess Scully said “[council] have doubled the participation in cycling in the city since 2008”, and “in that time we’ve reduced the number of injuries to a third of the 2008 figure”.

Additionally, Cr Scully explained the City of Sydney and Transport for NSW have introduced measures such as a childcare drop off at Moore Park Road, overnight parking and disability and loading zones to alleviate issues experienced by people affected by the installation of cycleways.

Cr Weldon referred to an independent road safety audit conducted by DC Engineering for the Bridge Road cycleway in 2020, which states that the project team

instructed the auditor to exclude parts of the cycleway and safety issues from the assessment. These issues include the intermittent arrangement of cycleways, the start of the scheme near Lyons Road Camperdown and the impact of the eastbound bus stop near Alexandria Drive.

Cr Scully countered that the independent audit was conducted before the cycleway was completed, making its findings less valuable and that there are “risks inherent with using any form of public transport”.

She added that “the best way to save lives is to build separated cycleways”.

She also said audits do not provide the full picture as they fail to account for the safety of the road before the implementation of cycle paths.

Cr Weldon said that remarks made by Cr Scully about the Bridge Road safety audit during the council meeting were “incorrect”, which “concerns [her] as Councillor Scully claims to be an expert on the Bridge Road cycleway”.

“Councillor Scully also dismissed concerns about the safety of the Bridge Road cycleway expressed by former Transport Minister Andrew Constance to Glebe residents during a visit he made to assess the Bridge Road cycleway for himself in October 2020,” she added.

Cr Scully described the request that council provide safety audits for cycleways installed in the inner city as “overly onerous”.

“There is no substance or evidence to suggest that the [safety of the] cycleways established 10 years ago is in question,” she said.

A spokesperson for the City of Sydney said that the request went “beyond the

scope of [Cr Weldon’s] particular motion”, and would be “resource-intensive and not provide any additional insight about the pop-up cycleways program”.

MOVED MOTION

The amended motion was passed by councillors Sylvie Ellsmore, William Chan, Emelda Davis, Lyndon Gannon, Robert Kok, Linda Scott, Clover Moore and Jess Scully.

The passing of this motion will make community consultation reports available to councillors and will provide greater clarity on future plans to make pop-up cycleways permanent.

PRIOR APPROVALS

New urban cycleways were approved on Oxford and Liverpool Street by councillors this year, with the new transport routes set to service multiple areas and create new linkages across the city.

The pop-up cycleway system was developed in the earlier stages of the COVID-19 pandemic to provide a ventilated, socially-distanced form of transport for people throughout the inner city, and has received support from the state government following its introduction by the City of Sydney.

Routes covering Pyrmont Bridge, Pitt Street, Moore Park Road and Fitzroy Street, Ashmore to South Eveleigh, Sydney Park Road and Dunning Avenue were implemented, with many of these initial pop-up cycleways set to be made a permanent fixture in the city’s transport portfolio.

HubNEWS

Activist warns ‘more to be done’ the first to be targeted by these forces and organisations, because we don’t fit into the box of how they perceive life to be,” de Waal said.

BY PATRICK MCKENZIE foundational member of an LGBTQI+ activist organisation established in Balmain has warned that there is “still much more to be done” in reaching equality, 50 years on from the country’s first public gathering of gay and lesbian people.

Inner West Council celebrated the work of the Campaign Against Moral Persecution (CAMP) with a flag-raising ceremony at Balmain Town Hall as part of its 2022 Mardi Gras festivities last month and unveiled a new sign recognising the organisation on its 50th anniversary.

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 We are the first to be targeted by ... forces and organisations CAMP was founded in February 1971, just down the road from the town hall at 393 Darling Street, Balmain. The organisation marked the first public gathering of gay and lesbian people in Australia and quickly expanded beyond Sydney to establish branches in Adelaide, Perth and Brisbane by the early 1970s.

Foundational CAMP member Peter de

“Our so-called leaders need to stand up and give us some public recognition.

Show some solidarity and understanding that we still need a lot of their support.”

De Waal regards community support and activism as a twofold practice.

“For me, activism has been on two levels: Very public and upfront, demonstrating in the street and giving oral evidence to royal commissions, but also a lot of work with individual people,” he said.

COUNCIL COMMEMORATION

The unveiled signage provides a detailed overview of CAMP’s early initiatives, including a volunteer lesbian and gay telephone helpline called ‘PhoneA-Friend’ as well as ongoing public education initiatives.

De Waal said that he was “overwhelmed” when he first saw the sign. “[It] is like a monument, something physical people can go to … instead of doing something on paper or giving a talk, it’s a permanent thing.”

Peter de Waal next to the new signage outside Balmain Town Hall. Photo: Damon Amb

Waal – who spoke at the event – was elated at the progress that has been made since he met his late partner Peter “Bon” Bonsall-Boone in 1966.

“To have marriage equality is something we couldn’t even have dreamed of … the changes have been phenomenal, but of course, we shouldn’t forget that there is still much more to be done,” he told City Hub.

“For many younger people, to be part of the Mardi Gras parade can be an enormous boost to how they feel about themselves.”

While enthusiastic about greater freedoms, de Waal noted that community work is important while global attitudes and governments continue to challenge the rights of LGBTQI+ people.

“For marginalised communities, we are

PROPOSAL TO UPGRADE OPTUS MOBILE PHONE BASE STATION WITH 5G AT THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS

PROPOSAL TO UPGRADE OPTUS AND VODAFONE MOBILE PHONE BASE STATION WITH 5G AT THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS 1.

2.

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 equipment and associated works as follows: equipment and associated works as follows: • Installation of three (3) new 5G panel antennas (0.81m in length) • Installation of three (3) new 5G panel antennas (0.59m long) • Replacement of three (3) existing 4G panel antennas (2.68m • New ancillary equipment including remote radio units, cabling long) with three new 4G panel antennas (1.5m long) and antenna mounts • New ancillary equipment including remote radio units, cabling • Reconfiguration of existing equipment on the facility and within and antenna mounts the equipment shelter • Reconfiguration of existing equipment on the facility and within • The antennas are at rooftop level and there is a slight increase in the equipment shelter; the antennas are at level 10 plant room the overall scale of the facility • Optus regards the proposed installation as a low-impact facility in • Optus regards the proposed installation as Exempt Development accordance with the Telecommunications (Low-impact Facilities) in accordance with State Environmental Planning Policy Determination 2018 based on the description above (Infrastructure) 2007 based on the description above Existing Monopole, 19 Harris Street, Pyrmont NSW 2009 Rooftop Facility, 65-71 Belmore Road, 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 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: • Installation of three (3) new 5G panel antennas (0.81m long) • Installation of three (3) new 5G panel antennas (0.59m long) • 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) • Provision for three (3) future panel antennas (up to 1.5m long) with two new 4G panel antennas (2.69m long) • New ancillary equipment including remote radio units, cabling • Provision for three (3) future panel antennas (up to 1.5m long) and antenna mounts • New ancillary equipment including remote radio units, cabling • Reconfiguration of existing equipment on the facility and within and antenna mounts the equipment shelter • Reconfiguration of existing equipment on the facility and within • The antennas are at rooftop level and there is a slight increase in the equipment shelter the overall scale of the facility • The antennas are at rooftop level and there is a slight increase in the overall scale of the facility • Optus regards the proposed installation as Exempt Development • Optus regards the proposed installation as a low-impact facility in in accordance with State Environmental Planning Policy accordance with the Telecommunications (Low-impact Facilities) (Infrastructure) 2007 based on the description above Determination 2018 based on the description above

Rooftop Facility, 209-211 Harris Street, Pyrmont NSW 2009 Optus Vodafone Ref: S0969, www.rfnsa.com.au/2009003 The proposed facility consists of the addition of new 5G equipment and associated works as follows: • Installation of three (3) new 5G panel antennas (0.81m long) • Installation of three (3) new 5G panel antennas (0.75m long) • Replacement of three (3) existing 4G panel antennas (2.68m long) with three new 4G panel antennas (2.1m long) • Replacement of three (3) existing 4G panel antennas (2.68m long) with three new 4G panel antennas (1.83m long) • New ancillary equipment including remote radio units, cabling and antenna mounts • Reconfiguration of existing equipment on the facility and within the equipment shelter • The antennas are at rooftop level and there is a slight increase in the overall scale of the facility Rooftop Facility, 48 Chippen Street, Chippendale NSW 2008 Optus Vodafone Ref: S2145, www.rfnsa.com.au/2008003 The proposed facility consists of the addition of new 5G equipment and associated works as follows: • Installation of three (3) new 5G panel antennas (0.75m long) • Installation of three (3) new 5G panel antennas (1.35m long) • Replacement of three (3) existing 4G panel antennas (2.69m long) with three new 4G panel antennas (2.1m long) • Replacement of three (3) existing 4G panel antennas (2.68m long) with three new 4G panel antennas (1.5m long) • New ancillary equipment including remote radio units, cabling and antenna mounts • Reconfiguration of existing equipment on the facility and within the equipment shelter • The antennas are at rooftop level and there is a slight increase in the overall scale of the facility Rooftop Facility, 134-138 William Street, Wooloomooloo NSW 2011 Optus Vodafone Ref: S8901, www.rfnsa.com.au/2011002 The proposed facility consists of the addition of new 5G equipment and associated works as follows: • Installation of three (3) new 5G panel antennas (0.75m long) • Installation of three (3) new 5G panel antennas (1.35m long) • Replacement of three (3) existing 4G panel antennas (2.53m long) with three new 4G panel antennas (1.83m long) • Replacement of three (3) existing 4G panel antennas (2.53m long) with three new 4G panel antennas (2.78m long) • New ancillary equipment including remote radio units, cabling and antenna mounts • Reconfiguration of existing equipment on the facility and within the equipment shelter Optus and Vodafone regard the proposed installations as Exempt Development in accordance with State Environmental Planning Policy (Infrastructure) 2007 based on the description above Notification is being undertaken in accordance with Section 7 of Industry Code1,C564:2020 Mobile Phone StationJunction Deployment 2020 5. Notification is being undertaken in St, accordance with Section 7 of Industry Code C564:2020 Mobile Phone Base Station Deployment.

Level 149 Oxford St, Base Bondi | 1/299 Elizabeth Sydney 2000 Members of the public may obtain further information on the proposed work, and we invite you to provide written comments about the 6.

Members of the public may obtain further information on the proposed work, and wealextees invite you to provide written comments about the Phcomments 0409should 813be622/9281 | c/E admin@legalexchangelawyers.com | Whatsapp +61 409 813 622 | Weechat proposal. Further information and/or directed to Optus’ 3230 representative James McIver, Catalyst ONE Pty Ltd; phone: proposal. Further information and/or comments should be directed to Optus’ representative c/- James McIver, Catalyst ONE Pty Ltd; phone: 02 4022 9533; email: consultation@catalystone.com.au and post: PO Box 1119, Crows Nest NSW 1585 by 26 February 2021.

02 4022 9533; email: consultation@catalystone.com.au and post: PO Box 1119, Crows Nest NSW 1585 by 26 February 2021.

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CITY HUB MARCH 2022

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HubNEWS

Calls to investigate after ‘78er ejection

Outdoor dining fees waived until June

BY SEJA AL ZAIDI he City of Sydney will continue to waive all outdoor dining permit fees until June 2022, following the success of the free, fast-tracked application process launched in December 2020.

As well as enlivening the inner-city, the new initiative has allowed venues to conduct business in a more ventilated and COVID-safe manner.

The new process will allow cafes, bars, restaurants and cultural venues that currently don’t trade outdoors to apply for footpath dining permits and to take over car parking spaces for outdoor dining purposes. Venues that already have an existing outdoor dining permit can apply to change their current permit so they can potentially trade for more hours and extend their dining space.

Suburbs like Surry Hills, Darlinghurst, Redfern, Pyrmont and Glebe will continue to be reinvigorated by the alfresco opportunities.

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Barbara Karpinski, an original ‘78er, was ejected from the Mardi Gras parade on Saturday night. Supplied

“It’s helped build customer confidence,” says Rebecca O’Shea, Managing Director of Arms’ Length Hospitality and co-owner of Bar Nina in Darlinghurst.

“It allows us to get customers that maybe did feel uneasy about going out in this climate.

 It’s a net benefit for everyone “I think it just gives us benefits all round.

We should be utilising the great weather that we have here in Sydney,” O’Shea added.

EUROPEAN FLAIR

In addition to the waiving of outdoor dining permits, inner-city venues will also be enabled to expand their trading hours, subject to location. Late-night management precincts will be allowed to trade until 1 am, with city living precincts allowed to trade until 11 pm.

BY WENDY BACON ydney Mardi Gras chief executive Albert Kruger has called for a full NSW police investigation into the circumstances that led to the ejection of one of the original ‘78ers Barbara Karpinski from her seat in the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) during the Mardi Gras parade on Saturday night.

poster, which carried symbols and words for peace, war and love was offensive or under what powers she was acting.

Ms Karpinski handed over the poster but a short time later, police returned and told her that she had to leave the premises. They escorted her to the gate where they took her details. She was left to walk home in the dark alone, without her glasses and other belongings.

He has also initiated “Barbara Karpinski was an internal Mardi Gras What happened was trying to explain to the investigation. very disappointing and police that her sign was Mr Kruger told City about peace and opposed upsetting Hub that he is in no to war, but they were at doubt that the incident best sceptical,” Peter happened. He said that the police action Murphy, who is also one of the original was “unacceptable” and that he is ‘78er protesters and witnessed the “upset about it”. incident, told City Hub. “I have already expressed my absolute “Barbara did not raise her voice, swear at disgust as to what happened on the them, or engage physically with the police.” night and they are taking it quite Ms Karpinski said that “what happened seriously,” he said. was very disappointing and upsetting”. Mr Ms Karpinski was removed after standing Kruger agreed, saying that making political briefly in the stadium seating area holding statements was “the point of Mardi Gras”. a handmade poster calling for peace and “This is the time for the community to an end to war in Ukraine. She was wearing have their say.” a T-shirt of a news photo of herself as a schoolgirl getting arrested at the first POLICE POLICY Mardi Gras. After the photo was taken, Asked whether Mardi Gras had agreed she was sitting in the stand when she was to the policies for policing inside the approached by a female police officer who stadium, Mr Kruger said that “there is a process”, adding that “whenever asked her to hand over the poster. When something happens on the grounds, Karpinski asked for an explanation, she said that displaying “offensive messages in they need to connect with the police commander”. a licensed premises” was not allowed (the City Hub has contacted NSW police for whole of the SCG is a licensed premises). comment.

The police officer did not explain why the

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Outdoor dining permits will be waived until June in the inner city. Photo: City of Sydney

“We’ve seen outdoor dining all across the city take off,” City of Sydney councillor Lyndon Gannon said.

“If you look down Crown Street, a lot of businesses have been able to utilise additional outdoor dining space, and it does create a really vibrant atmosphere “Businesses have taken [the on the street,” said Lachie Thompson, opportunities] up in droves. It’s a really venue manager at The Winery in Surry important measure that’s assisting Hills, a restaurant that had an existing businesses to bounce back better. alfresco dining space prior to the “It’s a net benefit for everyone. It’s initiative’s launch. bringing people back into the city and “I think it sort of adds a European flair to the surrounding suburbs and villages; I’d inner Sydney. It merges a business with love to see the adoption of it long term.” public space, which creates a really nice flowing atmosphere.”

Business owners and venue operators were quick to show appreciation for the More than 200 permits have been initiative. granted across inner Sydney.

HubNEWS

Opinion

Perrottet’s train wreck strands millions

Trains across the NSW network, including at Central Station, were shut down last month, affecting commuters throughout the state. Photo: TripAdvisor

BY WENDY BACON he NSW public is still waiting for answers to questions about what Transport Minister David Elliott knew about a planned stoppage of the state train network when he went to sleep on a Sunday night last month.

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Fair Work Commission documents have revealed that NSW Transport made plans as early as one week before the Sydney train shutdown to close the network for two weeks. As Opposition Leader Chris Minns has argued either the Minister knew more than he has said, or he is incompetent and completely out of touch with what is happening in his own Department.

What Mr Elliott did know when he went to bed was that he would have breakfast in the morning and that a car would be available to take him wherever he wanted to go.

He slept well because no one rang him to tell him Transport management had initiated the shutdown action. Even if they had rung, he says he wouldn’t have picked up the phone. By the time he was up, thousands of low-paid and other workers were turning on the news or heading straight for their local stations to discover that someone had turned off the rail system in a city of five million people.

Others were waking up to find out that the trains that they were relying on to take them to important appointments, work or classes would not be there. Some unable to leave home were anxiously wondering why home care workers that usually help them to shower had not arrived.

By early morning both NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet and his Transport

Minister knew of the disaster, and they had one thought in common. Blame the Rail, Tram, and Bus Union (RTBU) in the most aggressive language possible. Elliott made the extraordinary claim of accusing the union of ‘terrorist-like’ action. Mr Perrottet seized an opportunity to use one of his favourite rhetorical tactics: “I’m incredibly disappointed in the union”, he said, sounding more like a pompous father talking to a naughty child than the premier of a state. By the time Prime Minister Scott Morrison got on board, he was thinking of the angry public mood could be turned to his advantage in the coming Federal election. So he tapped into it by commiserating with those forced to take expensive ubers. “Make no mistake this is a coordinated attacks by the unions and the Labor Party.” He was right. Lots of people were forced to spend extra money but that was due to the NSW government.

Even if they had rung, he says he wouldn’t have picked up Unfortunately, some media did what they have always done – amplify lies spoken by powerful people without checking if they were based on fact or providing the other side of the story or even better still, getting the facts themselves and exposing the lies.

Their quick decision to blame the union led to even more unfair treatment of the rank and file railway workers who have kept Sydney’s trains moving during the pandemic. Faced with no trains, some disappointed travellers turned on the news and hearing the government

version of the shutdown first, wrongly abused those directly in their line of vision – the workers at the stations – for their wrecked morning.

FINDING FACTS

Railway workers unable to work wasted no time in using social media to contact newsrooms. The union also hit the phones. It didn’t take long for journalists to realise that they were being misled by the NSW government’s outrageous and irresponsible claims. They were forced to change the narrative. It was the NSW government, not the union, that was responsible for the shutdown.

For the rest of the week, the union pursued their limited campaign of industrial action which is protected by the Fair Work Commission.

Since then we have had evasion, unconvincing explanation and continuing blame games from the Premier and his hapless Minister. So much so that not much attention has been paid to the actual impact of the dangerous ‘lockout’ action. This lack of focus on the impacts on the community reflects an insensitivity and arrogance that has become a hallmark of this LNP government.

It’s the same arrogance that lies behind hidden decisions and a failure to listen to community concern about political rorting, massive infrastructure projects that can destroy a community’s quality of life and unfair tolls. WestConnex, the Western Harbour Tunnel, Badgery’s Airport, the destruction of stadiums, the privatisation of buses, the quiet creation of the Greater Sydney Parklands. The budget black hole that is the Transport

Asset Holding Entity (TAHE) and the ex-Police Commissioner’s horse racing connections come to mind.

A LARGER PROBLEM

Should we be surprised that the Minister’s first response was to blame others rather than show genuine concern for those affected by the fiasco?

Before he entered parliament, David Elliott worked for the Civil Contractors Federation, which represents the interests of big road builders, and the Australian Hotels Association which represents the alcohol interests. So it’s not surprising that vulnerable, disadvantaged and millions of others whose lives were made more difficult by the chaos were not front and centre of his mind when he woke up on Monday morning.

Labor Opposition leader Mr Minns called for the removal of Elliott from his position. Greens Transport spokesperson Abigail Boyd also called for his sacking. “David Elliott was a Perrottet appointee, and responsibility for this massive disruption ultimately rests with him … Perrottet must now act swiftly and decisively to remove Elliott from the portfolio and put someone in the job who can get the trains running”.

Whether the Minister survives the coming weeks or not, the government’s arrogance and insensitivity may finally be catching up with it. The Premier has certainly been exposed as a person who is prepared to lie about his opponents, rather than accept his own share of what he likes to call ‘personal responsibility’.

CITY HUB MARCH 2022

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COFFIN ED’S NAKED CITY

BUDGET MEALS ON A SHOESTRING

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ike most big cities, Sydney has its share of urban myths – some almost believable, others consigned to the realm of fantasy and a good old fashioned leg pull. My all time favourite is the supposed jazz concert at the Elizabethan theatre in Newtown that billed the legendary pianist George Shearing as their featured attraction. When the curtains parted there was a guy shearing a sheep with a t-shirt emblazoned ‘George’.

Kings Cross has always enjoyed a colourful and nefarious reputation and you would think it would be reeking with all kinds of urban myths.

99 CENT SOUP AT THE NEW YORK RESTAURANT: The original New York Restaurant was a KC institution for decades, serving basic low cost meals to bohemians, students and working class locals. In the 1990s a basic meat and veg could be bought for a few dollars and a plate of chicken soup for a bargain 99 cents. Many wondered how soup could be priced so reasonably until the rumour became widespread that the cook had a chicken on a string which he lowered into a pot of boiling water for five or ten minutes, each time a plate was ordered.

THE ONE HORSEMAN OF THE APOCALYPSE: Here’s one I can actually verify as I dropped into the Mansions Hotel on New Year’s Eve to catch a set from the legendary saxophonist Merv Acheson sometime in the mid 80s. The band was still playing when a horse and rider burst into the bar, much to the astonishment of all within.

WHEN THE STREETS WERE LINED WITH GOLD: Well not exactly the precious metal but a substance just as much sought after – cocaine! In the 1980s the Cross was awash with coke as dealers and crooked cops made it as easy to buy as a bottle of milk. Occasionally somebody would drop their deal on the pavement and hence the curious scene I witnessed one night, outside the somewhat notorious Manzil Room. Two young men had come upon just such a discarded deal, and down on their hands and knees, they were snorting it up through straws they had commandeered from a nearby convenience store. Waste not, want not!

THE RESPONSIBLE SERVICE OF ALCOHOL: The Cross has always had a reputation for drunkenness and drinking to excess yet at the Paradise Jazz Cellar on Darlinghurst Road it was almost impossible to get inebriated if you

PROPOSED UPGRADE WORKS TO AN EXISTING MOBILE PHONE TELECOMMUNICATION FACILITY AT 8 MARY STREET NEWTOWN 2042 ON LAND DESCRIBED AS LOT 100 ON DEPOSITED PLAN 1087885. RFNSA NO: 2042003, TELSTRA SITE ID: NEWTOWN TE - NEWY - 44083.

1. Raising of three (3) existing (5G) antennas from 29.30m to 29.80m, installation of one (1) new panel antenna (5G) at 29.80m, installation of two (2) new panel antennas (4G) at 30.00m, repan (alignment of antenna angle) and reconfiguration of four (4) existing antennas at 30.00m. Site specific information, can be found at: www.rfnsa.com.au/2042003 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 a Low-impact Facility under Part 1, Item 4 and Item 5 of the Telecommunications (Low-impact Facilities) Determination 2018 (“The Determination”) 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 planning.qld@servicestream.com.au, via post to PO Box 510 Lutwyche, QLD 4030 or at www.rfnsa.com.au, RFNSA No. 2042003, by 5pm 24th of March 2022.

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CITY HUB MARCH 2022

were drinking spirits. The 80s venue was owned by Abe Saffron and the drinks were so watered down, you would get a bigger buzz from drinking cold tea. Punters left the late night venue, their wallets well and truly skinned, but at least they were stone cold sober!

And finally...

NUDE CHESTING AT THE PICCADILLY HOTEL: Yes, I have touched on this one before but even today there are skeptics who believe that it never happened.

Again the 1980s and a midweek ‘grunge’ night at the Piccadilly Hotel on Victoria Street, hosted by the band Lubricated Goat and their friends. At the end of the night, a couple of the band members would strip off completely naked and engage in a kind of jousting, bumping their chests together in an almost primeval ritual – right in front of the bar. Occasionally a couple of late night drinkers would enter the pub, just as the chesting had begun and wonder what the hell they had walked in on.

Sadly today such good natured nudie shenanigans would probably see a hotel losing its licence, you’d probably need to go to an outback roadhouse to see horses anywhere near the bar, coke is too expensive to drop on the street and six or more shots of Jack Daniels is actually going to get you molo. On the other hand somewhere in this city of five million souls, there’s at least one chef preparing plates of budget priced chicken soup by lowering a well plucked bird into a boiling pot of water, with just a pinch of salt for

PROPOSAL TO UPGRADE VHA AND OPTUS MOBILE PHONE BASE STATION AT 299B LIVINGSTONE RD, MARRICKVILLE NSW 2204 WITH 5G 1. The proposed upgrade to the existing facility on the rooftop includes: • Removal of existing Vodafone and Optus antennas and equipment • Installation of five (5) new panel antennas at 18.5m (antenna centreline) on new mounts • Installation of three (3) new panel antennas at a height of 19.5m (antenna centreline) • Installation of two (2) new panel antennas at a height of 18.4m and 17.4m (antenna centreline) • Installation of three (3) new panel antennas at a height of 13m (antenna centreline) • Installation of two (2) new panel antennas at a height of 14m (antenna centreline) • Installation of Remote Radio Units (RRUs) on new and existing mounts adjacent to the proposed antennas • Installation and reconfiguration of equipment within existing equipment cabinets • Other associated activities to ensure the proper functioning of the telecommunications facility including new filters, new combiners, new or replacement antennas mounts, new mast head amplifiers, feeders, cabling, electrical works, new GPS antenna, signage, safe access requirements and other associated activities 2. VHA regards the proposed installation as Low Impact under the Telecommunications (Low-Impact Facilities) Determination 2018 and does not require Council development consent based on the description above.

3. 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: Emma Lachlan at CommPlan Pty Ltd on 02 9363 3815 or at emmal@commplan.com.au or send document to PO Box 267, Edgecliff NSW 2027 by 5pm, 24 March 2022. Further information may be obtained from the RFNSA website at www.rfnsa.com.au/2206003

DAVID CAMPBELL IN NORTH BY NORTHWEST

BY RENEE LOU DALLOW ike parachuting down the rapids, North By Northwest, has a storyline that changes at such a fast pace that you feel you’ve got to hang on for dear life. Hang on tight until it reaches its giddy climax or you’ll fall off your perch in the process. In the opening gambit, scenes from the original film version are recreated, before the stage production gathers its own momentum. As the play progresses the audience is drawn into the world of, Alfred Hitchcock, the great master of suspense.

“Hitchcock’s tight dialogue drives a high end pace.

Essentially this is a story of mistaken identity... Losing our identity is something we all fear on a daily basis from online hackers,” explained David Campbell. In North By Northwest Campbell plays the lead role of Roger Thornhill, a smooth talking, suave advertising director attempting to reclaim his identity. “Roger is mistaken for a spy by the name of George Caplan & then spends the entire course of the play trying to get his identity back.”

David Campbell is an all-round star of television, radio, film and stage, whose credits include hosting the Today Extra show on channel 9 weekdays and Smooth FM radio on the weekends. The rest of his time is spent performing in musical theatre productions and recording music. Campbell has won many awards including The Helpmann Award for the role of Bobby Darrin in Dream Lover along with a ‘best actor in a musical’ award for Sunset Boulevard. Amongst his singing accolades Campbell has won The Mo Award for ‘best vocalist’ in his role as Marius in (Les Miserables). When asked if all these accolades go to his head, Campbell replied, “humility is very important and to quote lyrics by Skyhooks, ‘ego is not a dirty word.’”

Campbell is well suited to the role of Roger Thornhill, a role previously played on screen by Cary Grant. Reflecting on Grant’s performance Campbell said it was, “very high stakes at all times, harnessing comic timing like a motormouth. He’s like a duck madly paddling underwater but on top he’s a swan. Timing is everything.”

Hitchcock himself described the film version as being a study of the vagaries of the nervous system under pressure. It is uncanny how timely this production is. So many people have been fearful of the effects of vaccines on our nervous systems in recent years. And while Thornhill does not have to deal with a pandemic, he does have to deal with the terrible anxiety of being caught up in circumstances which are seemingly completely out of his control.

“Identity is something we all struggle with and nowadays we are all susceptible to losing our identities online, explained Campbell. “If that happens, it’s beyond our control and raises our anxiety levels to incredible heights.”

During the course of North By Northwest three mysterious men are after Thornhill. These mysterious men are trying to prevent Thornhill from smuggling a microfilm containing

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Star of stage & screen David Campbell recently spoke with City Hub about his role in upcoming theatre production North By North West. government secrets out of the US and into the hands of the Russians. In eerie shades of what is now happening during the invasion of the Ukraine? What a lead up! Do we know what is real anymore?

So much speculation on what is and what is not possible.

We are now in ‘interesting times’ to quote one Chinese diplomat. As Campbell said “[this show] is all to do with geopolitical standoffs and fake news as more and more countries become weaponised.”

Hitchcock was renowned for being a meticulously detailed director, with his unique style of direction focused on creating the unexpected. If you have seen The Birds, Vertigo, Rear Window or any of Hitchcock’s other films you will know that he often liked to play tricks on the mind. He does this in order for the audience to feel a similar level of

geopolitical standoffs and fake news as more and more countries become weaponised. disorientation as the character involved in the events unfolding before them.

What a task any director has bringing this level of suspense to the stage.

Director Simon Phillips has had to find a way of, not only replicating Hitchcock’s manic attention to detail, but he has

David Campbell.

Photo: Daniel Boud

Until April 3. Sydney Lyric Theatre, 55 Pirrama Rd, Pyrmont. $81.26-$142.43+b.f.

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also had to make this a play of his own. For this reason there are many secrets behind the production which were kept secret, even from the cast.

“Simon wanted to create an atmosphere where the stomach gives way, a sense of vertigo is achieved and devices are flipped on their heads,” recounted Campbell.

Those familiar with Hitchcock will also be familiar with his propensity for casting a cool blonde. Some of Hitchcock’s most famous leading ladies included luminous stars such as; Grace Kelly, Kim Novak and even Doris Day. A cool blonde was a femme fatale who was able to keep her emotions under control, seduce with quiet cunning and keep the audience guessing as to her true intent. All of which are qualities Amber McMahon has had to negotiate and incorporate into her role as Eve Kendal, all whilst making it her own. In the role of Eve Kendall, Amber is cool as a cat. A panther actually. Amber manages to be seductively warm and enticing, with a few secrets of her own tucked away.

Bert Labonte as the charming but cruel and calculating Vandamm is perfectly cast. With Vladimir Putin now on the rampage in the Ukraine, Labonte has the perfect example to model his character after. Vandamm must be smooth as silk but as deadly as a cobra as he weaves his way to the final kill. Unfortunately for Vandamm though Mount Rushmore stands in the way of his prey and proves to be an impenetrable fortress. Again shades of political irony when viewed through today’s lens.

There are many tense scenes in North By Northwest which will have the audience literally on the edge of their seats. Two of which occurred when an actual crop duster lands on stage. This then happens again when the main characters are stuck atop Mount Rushmore with seemingly no way out, whilst being pursued by the bad guys.

The score is also a cliffhanger with the overture being integral to the creation of suspense throughout. This is a superb adaptation by Carolyn Burns and directed by Simon Phillips.

North By Northwest is a show not to be missed!

Tickets & Info: www.northbynorthwesttheplay.com CITY HUB MARCH 2022

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SPENDING A DAY IN...

RANDWICK Planning a weekend in Randwick? Look no further, here’s the only guide you’ll need, read on to find all of the best places to kick off autumn in Randwick. By Rida Babar.

Royal Randwick Racecourse

Access this unique reserve from Bligh Place to the north of Randwick, or Alison Road to the south, for the half hour walk that’ll become your favourite morning pick-me-up.

Environmentally Friendly Cafe – Cat & Cow Café

Fred Hollows Reserve

Cat & Cow Café

A café that’s zero-waste and good for the environment? Say no more.

Randwick’s very own Cat & Cow Café prides itself on sustainability, with no single use plastic on site yet an abundance of delicious, wholesome food and coffee.

Locals say that Cat & Cow has the best coffee in the area, but if coffee isn’t your thing they also have a range of smoothies, milkshakes, and tea. Along the road to Clovelly Beach, this café is the best place to have brunch before hitting the waves.

In their commitment to the zero-waste protocol, Cat & Cow encourages visitors to dine-in, but also have eco-friendly takeaway boxes and cutlery, as well as a ‘borrow’ system in place for takeaway coffee jars.

Seaside Swim – McIver Ladies Baths Soul Burger

Off To The Races – Royal Randwick Racecourse

For a day filled with elegance and excitement, the Royal Randwick Racecourse is the place to be. With the Autumn Racing Carnival beginning on March 12, it is the perfect time to plan a trip to the racecourse, with $34m in prize money up for grabs over the sixweek carnival period, and hospitality experiences available at all events.

While the Royal Randwick will only be host to the second half of the carnival season, this is when the grand finals will take place – a rare chance to see all of the stars of horse racing battle for the top spot. Book your tickets to the races now, on the Australian Turf Club website.

Fresh Air Walk – Fred Hollows Reserve

If you’re looking to plan a day spent in nature, look no further. Randwick’s Fred Hollows Reserve is the ideal place for a morning walk, with a footbridge built across the creek that provides plenty of photo opportunities and a chance to revel in the fresh air–an unbeatable break from the hustle-bustle of the city. Those who venture into the canopies will be treated to various heights of the reserve, with the boardwalk moving between higher and lower levels.

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Nestled in Grant Reserve, Coogee, McIver Ladies Baths is a heritage-listed natural swimming pool for women. A relatively secluded spot, the baths boast jawdropping ocean views and remains the last women-only seawater pool in Australia.

Entry costs $2, and the pool is open from sunrise to an hour before sunset.

Locals swear by the place, saying that it is a fantastic spot to swim and relax, with grass areas and rocks to lounge on. If you’re looking to get away from all of the commotion at Coogee Beach, the quiet McIver Ladies Baths is for you.

For those seeking natural swimming pools not exclusive to women, Wylie’s Baths is a nearby option that comes highly recommended.

Mouth Watering Vegan Burgers – Soul Burger

This all-vegan burger joint is the place to be for those who are plant based, or for those wanting to try something new!

Randwick’s Soul Burger have been serving plant-based goodness since 2015, and were one of the first restaurants to make the switch to wholly vegan food. Since then, they have amassed both loyal customers and new.

Soul Burger have perfected their plant based beef, chicken, pork, and everything in between burger patties. For those looking to eat a vegan meal that makes

you question whether it actually is vegan, Soul Burger is the place for you.

Tapas Treats – Del Punto Restaurant & Bar A Spanish restaurant and bar located in the heart of Randwick, Del Punto offers delicious food and ambience to boot.

The Spanish music and décor within the restaurant adds a touch of authenticity and adds to the experience.

With the paella and cocktails being their most raved-about items, customers have said that the restaurant is also well priced, with the food quality being almost as good as the service. Del Punto sits opposite the Ritz Cinema, and is the perfect pair for a dinner and movie night, or catch-up with friends.

by night, Bat Country’s impeccable atmosphere is a hit with locals and newcomers alike. Customers recommend the coffee during daytime, and the cocktails at night.

Take A Dip – Pro Dive Coogee

Always wanted to learn how to drive, but haven’t had the time? Pro Dive Coogee’s weekend diving course is the one for you Suited towards all levels of experience, there are a number of different courses you can take at Pro Dive. The open water course is one of the most fundamental lessons in scuba diving offered by the centre and offers you the chance to learn a new and essential skill, opening you up to a number of new adventures and putting you face to face with a number of Coogee’s marine life. Complete the course alone or book with friends, and find the perfect course for you on the Pro Dive website.

Cinematic Wonders - Ritz Cinemas

Ritz Cinemas is the ultimate art deco lover’s dream, with all of the newest blockbusters with an interior that’ll make you feel like you’ve walked into the 1920s (in a good way).

The Ritz is also a frequent host to not only the latest films, but also a number of special events, including screenings of cult classics including The Godfather, Oscar nominated films including Dune and House Of Gucci, and special film festivals. A heritage listed site in central Randwick, the Ritz is the perfect place for a quiet, yet extravagant night out.

Mclver Ladies Bath

Ritz Cinemas

Become A Pinball Wizard - Pinball HQ

A blast into the past, Pinball HQ is a perfect place for those who want to take their love for pinball one step further.

The HQ offers a two-day intensive course teaching visitors how to work and troubleshoot the machines, covering a number of technical systems including Williams/Bally WPC System, WPC 95 System, and the Stern SAM System. The course is suitable for beginners, advanced tech whizzes, and everyone in between.

Pinball HQ is the perfect outing for arcade enthusiasts or anyone looking for a unique experience and a new skill to have up their sleeve. The HQ now offers online courses as well, which can be found and booked on the Pinball HQ website.

Pinball HQ

Bat Country

Cocktail Hour - Bat Country

Locals say it’s the best bar in Randwick, give it a try yourself! Bat Country is a quaint bar and restaurant on St Paul’s Streett, the venue boasts an array of global recipes and cocktails that are sure to make this your new go-to.

Brunch hotspot by day, and lively bar

Pro Dive Coogee

HubARTS

THE BATMAN: Robert Pattinson may just become your favourite movie Batman of all time (See p. 23)

STAY WOKE REVIEW

9 TO 5 THE MUSICAL Photo: Phoebe Powell

BY JAMIE APPS veryone has been at a social dinner party or family holiday when suddenly the conversation turns political. The Darlinghurst Theatre’s newest show, Stay Woke, explores this very experience and the influence “woke culture” has had on society.

Written by Aran Thangaratnam & Directed by Bridget Balodis Stay Woke sees two brothers, Niv and Sai, attempting to put there ideological differences aside in order to enjoy their trip to the mountains together. In a recent conversation with City Hub Dushan Phillips & Kaivu Suvarna spoke about how important it was for them as actors of colour to be performing in this show.

“It’s super important,” Kaivu said before expanding in more detail. “I haven’t really been able to inhabit a brown character that was written as a brown character with a real sense of humanity and importance to the story before.”

Dushan was then quick to add, “This is not only a brown role but we’re seeing a lot more brown bums on seats as well... It’s just so humbling to see people genuinely back this show and recognise that our stories are being told. It’s really nice to have our work be recognised by more than just the conventional theatre audience but also those that otherwise wouldn’t frequent the theatre.”

With the show focusing on telling an authentic “brown” story neither Dushan or Kaivu had to look far for inspiration for their characters. “To be honest this is the closest that we have ever been cast to ourselves,” said Kaivu, “I would argue that this project has been more about letting myself into the character rather than looking elsewhere.”

Despite these roles being very similar to their own personalities Dushan explained that is was still a very challenging role to prepare for.

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Photo: David Hooley

BY MARK MORELLINI fter a few postponements owing to COVID-19 lockdowns Dolly Parton’s highly anticipated smash-hit West End production of 9 To 5 The Musical has finally opened in Sydney and what a show it is!

Based on the 1980 hit film by the same name the musical surrounds three female protagonists working in an office in the 80s where they have a sexist, egotistical and gross boss who mistreats them. They come together as unlikely friends, kidnap the boss and take over the office running it their way with job sharing and flexible hours, changing the workplace for the best. All goes well until the boss returns!

The principal cast is headed by Marina Prior, Casey Donovan and Erin Clare as the fabulous three and Eddie Perfect plays Hart, the boss from hell.

Caroline O’connor is hilarious as Roz the only employee smitten by Hart. The production boasts an 8-piece orchestra and an ensemble cast of 18 performers.

The leading ladies are outstanding, but Casey Donovan steals the show with her characterisation of Judy and her incredible singing voice. Visually stunning

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with dazzling costumes there’s never a dull moment throughout the show. Scene changes are swift, and the humorous dialogue ensures that the laughter is free flowing throughout and take note - the fun continues into the intermission!

There’s singing, big Broadway style dance numbers, fantasy sequences, flying sets and Dolly Parton makes an appearance as the narrator! Not in person but on screen at several interludes, an added bonus as her cheeky style of humour adds to the enjoyment. Dolly is the Mozart of this musical and her involvement can be felt throughout as she wrote the music and lyrics which have received four Tony award nominations.

This musical should be a nostalgic trip down memory lane for audience members who lived during the 80s.

The younger generation who has never seen the movie should also enjoy the musical if the positive reaction from the audience on opening night is anything to go by.

Until May 1. Capitol Theatre, 13 Campbell St, Haymarket. $69-$185+b.f. Tickets &Info: www.9to5themusical.com.au

“The biggest challenge for me with this role was to realise that I had my defences up towards people being racist towards me, but my character didn’t have that. So I had to learn to undo a lot of the defences that I had built as Dushan. In turn that made this a very deeply personal experience in preparing for this role.”

In regards to the writing of this show Dushan and Kaivu both agreed that despite Stay Woke being billed as comedy it leans more heavily into the drama, which then in turn builds upon the comedic element.

“I would say that we lean very heavily into the drama and in doing so the humour seems to also elevate alongside that as each mounts on top of the other,” explained Dushan. “This show unapologetically ventures down the path of being crass or in your face whether you are white, brown, vegan, non-vegan, etc. The show then uses humour as a way to allow you to process those thoughts so that ultimately we can all unite through the recognition that it’s all just a laugh.”

For that very reason Dushan says Aran Thanganaratnam’s writing was “actually quite genius” because Stay Woke doesn’t “dumb anything down” but it also simultaneously won’t make the audience “feel dumb” if they don’t understand a particular reference.

In closing Kaivu said to Sydneysiders, “If you simply want to come out for a night at the theatre you will get that here. But, if you want to have a night of deep discussion then this show will be very scintillating.”

Mar 26 - Apr 17. Darlinghurst Theatre, Eternity Playhouse, 39 Burton St, Darlinghurst. $58-$68+b.f. Tickets & Info: www.darlinghursttheatre.com/ staywoke CITY HUB MARCH 2022

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LIGHTWORX GALLERY PRESENTS: MAX PATTE AND THE SPHERES OF INFINITY

BY RENEE LOU DALLOW ax Patte, an internationally renowned artist, has now set up a showing of his unique artworks in Darlinghurst. This new exhibition comes after having had his works hanging alongside other artists in the Lightworx Galleries in Auckland & Queenstown, New Zealand.

Famous for his life-sized sculptures, Solace Of The Wind of which there are seven - including one somewhere in outback Australia, Patte is interested in expressing the intricacies of light and space. The sway back figure named Solace Of The Wind embraces the light whilst being pulled into space by his solar plexus. Whilst this work has sold out to collectors all over the globe, Patte has many more works of equal merit.

In the Darlinghurst Lightworx Gallery Patte will be going solo by exhibiting his cluster series entitled, Infinity. A series of led-lit spheres which hang on the wall and can be remotely controlled to alter the mood of a room. Explaining the process, Patte

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said, “Made with a combination of stainless steel, plexiglass and resin, each one is welded together with a valve on top. The valve inflates with water pressure and is then routed into a sphere, polished and painted in different hues.” When asked how he manages to recreate natural light in his studio, Patte said, “I spend a long time staring at the sky, working out how to reproduce it with electronic and digital technologies.”

Along with his spheres of light wall hangings Patte will also be exhibiting figure sculptures. Brightly coloured life sized male figures, all modelled on himself. With names like Division, Revision and Subdivision, these cubist style sculptures are sure to resonate with the cool Darlinghurst crowd.

Life, colour and tone all have an effect on mood and emotions.

“One of my favourite pieces is called Fade Into You which has over 100 colours. It’s a very romantic piece which changes colours all day long, with midnight being a deep

DRIFTWOOD

‘BREAKING FREE OF CREATIVE SHACKLES’

BY JAMIE APPS s a creative being able to look back on your work & be proud, whether it was a hit or not, is the most important thing to consider when judging success.

For Sout Sydney based multidisciplinary artist Driftwood this mindset has guided his passions for music & filmmaking from the very beginning right through until today.

In a recent interview with City Hub about his newest single Bremfields, we discussed how Driftwood produced his new single with a collaborator on the opposite side of the world in the middle of a global pandemic & the importance of that sense of self satisfaction/pride in your work.

Driftwood’s latest single, Bremfields, sees him following his hip-hop passion

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more intently due to sense of wanting to be personally proud of his work. That can be said because this particular track has been a passion project which has been dabbled with & tweaked numerous times over the course of many years.

“This single is all about breaking free of the shackles of creativity,” explained Driftwood. “I had this record just sitting on my hard-drive for a couple of years but I knew I eventually wanted to explore it more because it really showed who I was as a creative.”

That opportunity to explore further came when Driftwood was introduced to British rapper Still Greedy. At that moment a friendship & musical partnership was formed. The two men would go on to collaborate on

red, signifying the moon,” Patte explained.

Patte’s spheres of light and space are like looking at the natural world through a kaleidoscope. Other titles like Deep Orbit, Let Forever Be and Wulu Mist, give an insight into Patte’s deep connection to the

Bremfields despite being on opposite sides of the world in the middle of a global pandemic. A process which according to Driftwood wasn’t a difficult as you may think.

theme of light and space which is always changing yet always with us.

Indeed an expression of Infinity.

Max Patté’s debut Sydney exhibition is now open at the Lightworx + Max Patté pop-up gallery.

Until Jul 29. Lightworkx, 89 Crown Street, Darlinghurst.

“Interestingly enough it actually wasn’t that hard, purely because of this new plugin which allowed us to work on the song in our DAW [digital audio workspaces] together in realtime,” Driftwood explained. Before elaborating further. “That process was so interesting to me to be able to have a live session together even though we were on opposite sides of the world. I actually really enjoyed the process & it really opened my eyes to what we could possibly do in the future.”

In closing our conversation we asked Driftwood how he goes about blending his creative desires in music & filmmaking in order to be fully satisfied with his portfolio of work.

“The process of creating a video to accompany a song is very important to me. I always have a mood board to create the aesthetic that I want. Much like when you walk through a heavily curated art gallery I want my YouTube or music videos to be an online gallery.

When you go through the videos they are all curated both visually & sonically with my artistic vision. As I always say, ‘you better be doing this for yourself so that you can look back on your work & be proud even if other people don’t necessarily like it.”

Follow Driftwood on Instagram: @IamDriftwood & Y ouTube: Driftwood Music

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THE BATMAN

BY JAMIE APPS n Matt Reeves’ dark, grimy, noir detective story of The Batman the Caped Crusader returns to rid the streets of Gotham City from crime once again.

This time around Robert Pattinson dons the iconic cowl as a younger version of Bruce Wayne who is only two years into his double life as Batman. This version of Batman is still struggling with the loss of his parents, finding his place in the world & ultimately establishing his reputation & legacy in Gotham. So when he is suddenly thrust into the midst of an investigation of the murder

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of the Gotham City mayor the truth Batman uncovers about The Riddler & his father leaves the young dark knight rattled.

When Pattinson was initially cast in the role of Batman there was a public outcry, but with this performance he may soon become one of the most revered. Yes there is still something slightly off when Pattinson is sans bat suit as Bruce Wayne - he doesn’t quite have that suave, sophisticated, debonair gravitas that you expect from Bruce Wayne - but once Pattinson slips under the cowl he is brooding, brutal & imposing.

Visually The Batman is cold, dark & depressing - just as it should be. As a viewer you really feel the dour nature of a Gotham City being overrun by crime & corruption.

Reeves’ vision for The Batman sees the film return to the noir detective style stories of early Batman comics.

There are still a plethora of big action sequences & moments with brutal hand to hand combat, but overall this portrayal is much more cerebral & emotional. The Batman is about finding one’s place & establishing a legacy.

The Batman sits on it’s own little perch within the DCEU & immediately became one of my favourite Batman films of all time.

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P.S. unlike other comic book movies of the modern era there is no post-credit scene to wait around for.

THE LAST MOUNTAIN -

A BEAUTIFULLY TRAGIC DOCUMENTARY

BY JAMIE APPS he Last Mountain is a documentary which explores the tragic deaths of Allison Hargreaves & her son Tom Ballard, both of whom passed in climbing accidents whilst scaling some of the world’s highest mountains in the Himalayas.

Whilst for some people the inner drive to summit the world’s highest peaks is hard to pin down. But for Tom Ballard the source of his passion is easy to pinpoint. Growing up Tom would witness his mother become the first woman ever to reach the top of Mount Everest without bottled oxygen or assistance from Sherpas. Sadly just a few months later Tom, and his younger sister Kate, would learn that their mother & five other climbers had died on K2 when they were engulfed by a storm.

In the years following Tom would blaze a trial of his own & become a world renowned mountaineer in his own right. Then tragically

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history would repeat itself when Tom would never return from a climb of Nanga Parbat, a mountain just 100 miles from his mother’s resting place.

It is here that Chris Terrill’s heart-wrenching documentary The Last Mountain really begins to take shape as we witness Kate once again make a journey to the Himalayas to witness the final resting place of a family member.

Using archival footage, social media clips & video of very intimate moments alongside Kate The Last Mountain is a very emotionally moving film. First & foremost this is a film about a young man following his passion & thriving doing what he loves.

It is also a film about tragedy, heartbreak & the danger of obsessing over a passion. And finally, The Last Mountain is about grief.

This is a film which will sit in your thoughts & heart long after the credits roll. A truly beautiful but sullen film.

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JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL 2022

BY MARK MORELLINI he Jewish International Film Festival returns to the big screen this year with a program of 55 feature films and a shorts package from 20 countries around the world.

With a program that includes 31 feature films of which two are world premiere screenings of Australian produced films, 25 documentaries, episodes from a television series, six short films, live music and cabaret, there’s sure to be something of interest for all festival attendees.

“Adapting to change has been a theme for all of us over the past two years and our selection of films only highlights the challenges that come with adapting to change; a story all too familiar to Jewish people,” Jewish International Film Festival Artistic Director Eddie Tamir explained to City Hub. “Amongst the cacophony of infinite entertainment choices available to us today, we are privileged to present this wonderfully curated program of incredible stories for the 2022 edition of JIFF, alongside a lively program of events and experiences.”

With so many films to choose from the following are some of the highlights:

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Greener Pastures should be a crowd-pleaser for lovers of comedic cinema. This is the story about an elderly man who is forced into a nursing home by his family. His plan is to sell weed to the ‘inmates’ of this ‘prison’, escape and re-purchase his home again. A light-hearted and hilarious Israeli comedy.

I Am Here is an insightful documentary detailing the life journey of Ella Blumenthal, a South African Holocaust survivor. Her memories of the unthinkable experienced during one of the darkest chapters in

history translates into a revealing narrative about courage and resilience of the human spirit.

Tiger Within is an inspiring story of the unlikely friendship that builds between a 14-year-old runaway and a Holocaust survivor. Ed Asner makes a rare appearance on the silver screen in this tender story that concerns overcoming fear, forgiveness, and new beginnings.

Speer Goes To Hollywood is an extraordinary documentary that explores the horrifying true story of Albert Speer, the highest ranking Nazi in Nuremberg who was freed and attempted to erase his past by writing a screenplay for a major Hollywood film studio based on his memoir. Supplemented by rare archival footage this is astonishing but must-see viewing.

The Conference is the haunting account of that fateful morning on 20 January, 1942 when the leaders of the Nazi regime assembled to discuss the Final Solution to the Jewish Question which led to the systematic murder of millions of Jews.

Until Apr 4. Ritz Cinema, Randwick.

45 St Paul’s St, Randwick. $23-$175+b.f.

Tickets & Info: www.jiff.com.au CITY HUB MARCH 2022

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