The biggest mystery is how they’ve kept the ending a secret.
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criticising the NSW government’s decision to knock down blocks of social housing in Waterloo have been posted all throughout the Sydney suburb. The signs are opposing a state government plan forcing Waterloo Estate tenants to relocate in a proposal to demolish 749 public homes.
The colourful signs have been posted up across Waterloo and Redfern and read ‘NO EVICTION’ and ‘NO DEMOLITION’.
Waterloo Estate resident, Karyn Brown, has lived in Waterloo for thirty years and faces losing her home due to the demolition plans. Also a member of community groups advocating for social housing, Brown explained to City Hub how the eviction and relocation from her Waterloo home will have devastating impacts on the community.
“They do say that one day I can come back to Waterloo, but it won’t be the same, it will be different people and a different landscape” Brown said.
She, like many others in the community were outraged when it was revealed that the government’s redevelopment proposal would evict residents from and demolish 749 public homes in Waterloo South to add just 98 units.
Brown expressed concern over the wasteful nature of the proposal.
“It is an environmental travesty to put that many homes into landfill, and it’s not just in Waterloo- they’re doing it all over the state.”
“Since they first began this over six years ago it has been fairly offensive and demeaning.”
Housing advocacy group Action for Public Housing is working with Waterloo and Redfern residents to fight the demolition proposal, calling for the plans to be abandoned.
“The signs draw attention to the plan to demolish public housing throughout Waterloo and show public housing tenants and private residents alike that the community supports public housing” Alistair Sisson of Action for Public Housing said.
“We invite public and private residents of Waterloo to come together to stop the demolitions and save public housing.”
neighbourhoods and long-standing communities.
“Residents will be relocated to public housing which could have gone to someone on the public housing waiting list, which has blown out to 50,000 households in NSW and over 1000 households in the inner city of Sydney.”
SHELTER NSW CONCERNED
Promoting a sustainable housing system and a secure home for all, Shelter NSW is concerned about the current residents, people waiting for social housing, and the many more suffering from insecurity in the private rental market.
“Current residents of this long-standing public housing community, including many First Nations people, are rightly concerned about where they will live once the demolition starts” said Shelter NSW Senior Policy Officer Cathy Callaghan.
Fabyini,
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Heath,
Barrett, David Ivani,
Brown explained her perspective of why she believes the government is evicting the residents from the Waterloo Estate, stating that the land they live on is valuable, and that they believe it is ‘a bit too good’ for public housing.
“It’s a bit nasty” Brown said.
Another Waterloo Estate resident, 83-year-old Lorraine Byrnes, says she doesn’t know where she is going to go after eviction.
“It is very stressful, I can’t leave the area that has my doctor, my pharmacy, my neighbours. Not only will I lose my home, I will lose my friends and routine, which are very important to me” Byrnes said.
“What’s so beautiful about public housing is that the community is a community that cares for each other.”
Action for Public Housing is calling on the government to build new public housing without demolishing existing public housing to meet the needs of the 50,000+ households waiting for housing in NSW.
“The wait time for public housing in the inner city is currently 5-10 years and this entire new development will only add 98 new social housing units, a drop in the ocean compared to what is needed” Sisson said.
The outrage towards the proposal stems from Sydney’s major lack of public, social and affordable housing. Sisson told City Hub that residents face evictions and relocations, disrupting
“For many Waterloo South residents, moving away from the estate means moving away from their circles of support – their friends, neighbours, GP, local chemist, cultural connections, and other services. The disruption is huge and unsettling.”
Shelter NSW urges the NSW Government to take a staged approach to the development, to maximise the opportunity for people to remain living locally through the redevelopment.
“The NSW Government isn’t just any ordinary ‘landlord’ or ‘property developer’. It has the responsibility to treat tenants with decency and respect” Callaghan said.
BY SASHA FOOT
The proposed conversion of the heritage-listed Ballamac House, alongside plans to construct a luxury apartment block on the vacant land in front, has raised concerns about the design’s heritage value. Submitted by developer Central Element, the design has subdivided the Victorian mansion into two residences and proposed a further eight apartments in a new fourstorey apartment building.
Ballamac House was one of the first homes ever built in Coogee, constructed in 1860 and first owned by Charles Moore, a Randwick Councillor and Mayor – who later went on to become the Mayor of Sydney.
The placement of the home on the headland above Coogee Beach was about optimising the high-vantage point.
Under the proposed plans, the new apartment block will have sweeping ocean views.
The Heritage Impact Statement maintains that changes to the land around the home, such as subdivisions which have given rise to apartment buildings, have altered “the relationship of the house to its immediate context”.
A spokesperson for Randwick Heritage Action Group, Linda Avramides, said that while the developers have promised to restore the home, the specific renovations are “not very transparent”.
Dunningham reserve, the public park across the road.
numerous alterations to the home have “resulted in a loss of significance”.
Long-term Coogee resident Maria Bradley says the plans raise “serious” environmental issues, including the removal of 15 trees.
“Not only will there be the loss of trees and green space, but it is a cement building which has a huge urban heat load,” Bradley told City Hub
“To lose heritage and see impacts to the public space and the environment all for luxury apartments, is not acceptable.”
Ballamac House is not part of the State Heritage Register, instead belonging to the Randwick Local Environmental Plan (LEP).
Avramides says the apartment block will “overshadow heritage” by obstructing the view of the home from
She says the plans to remove the home’s later additions disregards the history of past owners - such as the demolition of the 1904-1944 additions made by Sir James Joynton Smith, the former Mayor of Sydney and owner of the Arcadia arcade, which the street is named after.
But according to the heritage statement,
The Randwick LEP controls the council’s heritage-protected items and determines changes to the land.
However, Avramides cited her concerns about the council’s heritage conservation efforts, “[the area] keeps losing buildings to developers”.
“It would be wonderful to have a council that employs heritage architects not being paid off by developers.”
Waverley Council has voted not to proceed with the Streets as Shared Spaces Trial at Hall Street, Bondi Beach, also known as Destination Hall Street. Instead, a report will go to Council in February 2023 detailing a community and business consultation and engagement strategy to determine parameters for a full streetscape upgrade of Hall Street between Glenayr Avenue and Campbell Parade. Council looks forward to continuing to work with the community on ways to transform Hall Street into a pedestrian-friendly space with outdoor dining, street gardens and resting places for the community to enjoy. Council will use these next few months to investigate how an upgrade can best meet the needs of people who live and work in and around Hall Street, and look more closely at traffic solutions generated from an expanded local area traffic study bounded by Warners Avenue, Blair Street from Warners Avenue to Wairoa Avenue, Wairoa Avenue, Campbell Parade, Francis Street and Old South Head Road.
A reminder that voting is now open for the People’s Choice Prize in the Nib Literary Award. The Nib is presented annually by Waverley Council with support from Principal Sponsors Mark and Evette Moran. The Nib remains Australia's only major literary award of its kind presented by a local council. Judging criteria includes high literary merit, quality of research, readability and value to the community. This year’s shortlisted authors are Tim Bonyhady, Carol Major, Colin McLaren, Rachel E. Menzies and Ross G. Menzies and Steve Toltz. To vote, visit waverley.nsw.gov.au/recreation/arts_and_culture/nib. Winners of the Nib People’s Prize and Mark and Evette Moran Nib Literary Award will be announced on 16 November.
After a two-year hiatus, Waverley Council’s annual business awards are back brighter than ever with round 1 judging complete across 11 categories including beauty and health, professional services and creative industries. The awards are a “thank you” to our hard-working and innovative local businesses who have faced unprecedented challenges during the pandemic. We’ll be unveiling our winners at a glittering awards ceremony on 21 November at Bondi Pavilion!
It is an absolute pleasure to see our newly restored Bondi Pavilion come back to life with people keen to catch a live performance, workshop or exhibition. Be sure to keep an eye everything happening at the Pav during the summer months including Flickerfest International Short Film Festival in January and the opening of our dining tenancies Surfish, Glory Days Bondi and Bondi Promenade. Venue hire is also available! For more, visit bondipavilion.com.au.
Just a reminder that nominations for the Waverley Garden Awards close 5pm, Sunday 16 October. There are some great prizes to be won across several categories including shared gardens, gardens within childcare centres and schools and habitat gardens. Nominate online through the community section of our website or for more information or assistance contact publicgardening@waverley.nsw.gov.au or phone 0466 428 560.
The Pav is back!
developments will have, saying residents “enjoy living in the area, because they know their neighbours, they’ve lived there a long time, then [they are]... feeling that it’s all going to change”.
“We want more time for everybody to consider this, we want more face-to-face opportunity for people to meet and talk to Councillors, and talk to Council staff.”
She said that she is “appreciative of the leadership” that Council has shown in relation to their work on “the lowcarbon precincts”.
Save Marrickville expressed similar concerns over consultation, telling City Hub “it is crucial that as many members of the community understand what is being proposed”.
“Council needs to ensure that all residents are properly consulted, with plenty of time to consider these proposals and provide input” Cr Langford said.
“Community needs time to catch up and get across it all.”
Community
groups are speaking out after the Inner West Council (IWC) released new plans for re-zoning and development in Marrickville, Dulwich Hill and North Ashfield. The latest plans are part of the ‘Our Place Inner West’ strategy by the IWC; additions to the portfolio of high-rise developments planned on train lines by the NSW government. The IWC released Urban Design and Heritage studies in relation to the developments late last month.
Resident group Save Marrickville say they are concerned over the rezoning of key residential streets in Marrickville.
A Save Marrickville spokesperson told City Hub that “many residents” are worried about proposed 8-storey buildings along Illawarra Road and Petersham Road, along with “suggested pockets that accommodate up to 12 storeys”.
“If you have ever walked down these streets you will know that they are narrow. We are worried that the rezoning may turn Marrickville Town Centre into a cold and windy canyon” the spokesperson said.
“Once the fabric of a suburb is changed by rezoning it can’t go back.”
Save Marrickville also said they are “disappointed by the lack of heritage
protection for Marrickville”. The spokesperson said they would like to see more thought given to heritage protection for Marrickville Town Centre and shops in the area.
“We are not against development” the Save Marrickville spokesperson said.
“People do not want their homes demolished,” Cr Langford told City Hub “They love where they live and don’t want to lose their homes and their community. They also don’t want to live in a construction zone.”
The IWC responded to City Hub’s questions over concerns about the consultation period with a statement from then Deputy Mayor Jess D’Arienzo, saying that council would extend the consultation period for the Urban Design and Heritage Study.
“We are fighting for reasonable heights, sympathetic and sustainable design of new buildings with an allocation of genuine affordable housing tied to a NFP housing provider”.
Inner West Councillor Justine Langford said that she received many phone calls from concerned residents who are “expressing shock, alarm and distress at Council’s proposal to rezone their homes into high-rise”.
Cr Langford attended a drop-in info session as a part of the IWC’s ‘Local Planning for Local Communities’, and found that locals “turned up to voice their strong opposition to the proposal”. She also attended a community meeting in Dulwich Hill held last month, and encountered similar sentiment towards the proposal at this meeting.
CONSULTATION COMES UNDER FIRE Dulwich Hill based community group Save Dully voiced similar concerns over re-zoning and development in their local area. Additionally, they believe the consultation period given to residents to understand the Urban Design Study and the Heritage study are insufficient, and called for the feedback period to be extended.
“The engagement has been really poor and inadequate” President of Save Dully, Liz Locksley, said.
Locksley said that many residents were informed their homes were going to be re-zoned under the new proposal through a post card from the IWC being dropped in their letter box.
She said that it would have been “more helpful” if Council had “written directly to those people who are most affected by the proposal”.
Locksley explained that “not everybody has the time or inclination to download quite complex documents”.
Locksley said that Save Dully has found residents are concerned over community impact that the
“Councillors have heard requests from the community that an online survey should be extended until the end of October, and this will be approved at next week’s Council meeting” Cr D’Arienzo said.
Shortly after this promise to extend the consultation period, Inner West Mayor Darcy Byrne tabled a motion at a council meeting calling to halt all progress on the Local Environment Plan (LEP), which includes the Dulwich Hill and Marrickville developments.
Cr Byrne cited that council needed to consult with the Office of Local government about conflicts of interests for Councillors.
Cr Langford, who tabled a motion calling to extend consultation on the proposal said that she was “very disappointed” that her motion was not discussed at the meeting.
“Residents are very upset and shocked by the plans and very disappointed and angry with Council about the consultation. Large numbers of residents turned up to speak about the issue at the meeting, only to find that it was not discussed” she said.
Cr Langford said deferring the issue until the next council meeting, which will take place on October 25, is putting residents in “limbo”.
People do not want their homes demolished
TheUniversity of Technology Sydney (UTS) has entered into a partnership with the Powerhouse Museum Ultimo, cementing the museum’s shift towards a fashion and design focus. The NSW Government announced that UTS will invest $10 million to create an educational and professional meeting point for creatives, and expand Australia’s fashion and design reputation at the Ultimo museum.
Elizabeth Mossop, Dean of the Faculty of Design, Architecture and Building at UTS, maintains that the museum does not have a STEM identity, but a shared science and creative industry focus.
intersection of science and technology and the arts and creativity”.
Powerhouse museum advocacy groups have been campaigning against the museums’s shift away from science and technology since the first plans were revealed.
world are only a fraction of the size of the Powerhouse; a fashion and design facility could easily move to a smaller premise elsewhere in Sydney.”
overwhelm the wider scope with such personal preference,” she said.
Cochrane said the historic adjacent Harwood Building is likely to be overrun by “fashion events and programs for the benefit of UTS”.
“Partnerships are useful but not if they inhibit access to other important collection categories.”
Members of Save the Powerhouse consider the partnership “a real estate deal” by allowing the university to rent spaces for student classes.
“The Powerhouse has always been a museum encompassing the creative arts, design and technology as well as science,” she told City Hub.
“Australia does not have an outstanding design museum, so this will be a real boon to the Powerhouse identity.”
Mossop added that design is “at the
Members of Save the Powerhouse Patricia Johnson and Jean-Pierre Alexandre said the fashion and design theme has been “dominant for some time”. Johnson and Alexandre told City Hub the Powerhouse building is not an appropriate space for fashion and design.
“The largest fashion museums in the
“The very high ceilings of the Powerhouse are well suited to large objects such as locomotives, steam engines and aeroplanes.”
Grace Cochrane, a former senior curator of decorative arts and design and a member of the Powerhouse Museum Alliance, called the renewed creative industry focus a “major concern”.
“Fashion is just one part of this broad collection, and it is ridiculous to
Mossop states that the partnership will provide educational programs for rural and Indigenous children focused on creative subjects.
She also noted that UTS will collaborate with the museum on exhibitions and events to “provide opportunities for students and researchers” while engaging with external creatives.
NSW Minister for Skills and Training Alister Henskens said that the university’s creative and practical approach to education enhances the museum’s educational programs.
With rents increasing at the fastest rate in fourteen years, evictions on the rise, and homelessness surging by 10% across the state, it’s clear renting is in dire need of an overhaul. But instead of tackling this cost of living issue head-on, the NSW Liberal-National government is prioritising reforms to allow first home buyers to opt out of stamp duty — cold comfort for the 33% of people who rent and might never afford to buy a home in our overheated property market.
For many renters facing skyrocketing rents and a rental home deteriorating due to a lack of maintenance, their pressing concern isn’t “getting onto the property ladder”: it’s having a safe, secure, and affordable place to live.
But the current lack of rental protections means many people who rent can’t even rely on this basic right.
While rental laws in other countries are designed to give tenants long-term security, in NSW many renters don’t know where they’ll be living from year to year.
At the end of a rental agreement, which is typically just six or 12 months, a landlord can force a tenant from their home for no reason — even if they’ve met all their responsibilities and paid the rent on time.
This week the Greens will introduce a Bill in NSW Parliament that will fix this major power imbalance between landlords and renters by ending unfair no grounds evictions. This would mean the two million people who rent in NSW could end the year with housing security, rather than fear of eviction over asking for basic repairs or negotiating against a rental increase.
I’m calling on all members of the NSW Parliament to listen to the renters who
are being hit with rent increases and unfair evictions in their community — and vote for this long overdue reform.
Sign our petition to end no grounds evictions and fix the rent crisis:
Jenny Leong MP Greens Member for Newtown
Despite the NSW Government ensuring they plan to improve connections to the Precinct, Community group ‘REDWatch’ continues to voice major concerns about the connectivity of the proposed precinct redevelopment from North to South Eveleigh for pedestrians.
“The Transport for NSW strategic vision is not seeking to integrate with South Eveleigh, be that in terms of immediate connectivity or leveraging movements from Waterloo Metro and Alexandria to Sydney University and RPA Hospital” REDWatch said in a statement.
“It also is not looking at how it integrates with the high-tech tenants at South Eveleigh and how that might improve agglomeration and incubation.”
“Transport for NSW has failed to envisage North Eveleigh as part of the wider precinct connected across barriers created by the railway line and the twin arterial roads.”
REDWatch Spokesperson Geoff Turnbull asked, “If the bridge has been considered and the design allows it why is it not there?”
Community organisation BIKESydney has also joined the movement calling for the bridge, and are pushing for non-car centric options to be incorporated into development plans.
BY AMBER GRIFFINA“Build a Bridge” campaign has emerged from community groups in response to the state government’s plans to overhaul massive blocks of Redfern and Eveleigh into a new precinct. The campaign is a joint effort from community groups ‘Alexandria Residents Action Group’, ‘REDWatch’, and ‘Friends of Erskineville’, calling for an active transport corridor connecting North and South Eveleigh over the train tracks.
“We need an active transport corridor to connect Waterloo Metro, Alexandria and South Eveleigh on one side, to Carriageworks, North Eveleigh, Darlington and Sydney University on the other” the ‘Build a Bridge’ petition says.
“For a long time a bridge has been proposed in planning for North Eveleigh to remedy this, and we believe that with Transport for NSW reviewing plans for this site the time has come to build it.”
The ten-hectare Redfern North Eveleigh Precinct will comprise of three subprecincts named after heritage buildings on the site: The Clothing Store Sub-Precinct, The Carriageworks Sub-Precinct and The Paint Shop SubPrecinct.
NSW Minister for Infrastructure, Cities and Active Transport Rob Stokes said the draft master plan for Redfern-North Eveleigh sets a vision for affordable and diverse housing, a start-up hub and entertainment precinct within walking distance of Redfern Station.
Stokes said in a statement that the land where the development is happening has been “off limits to the general public for more than a century”.
“We’re transforming the old rail yards by restoring and protecting their heritage value, building new homes and offices while creating more than 14,000 square metres of public space, including a new town square and public parkland” Stokes said.
When asked by City Hub why a connection over the train tracks is so important, a ‘Friends of Erskineville’ spokesperson said that the number of people living and working in the vicinity is growing rapidly, soon to be exacerbated by the government’s plans for the large new precinct. But merely getting from one side of the precinct to the other will take an estimated 20 minutes, when it could take only
2 minutes on foot if a bridge were introduced.
“We hope the petition can build enough awareness and enough pressure on the NSW government so that they cannot ignore us, and they will just build it” the spokesperson said.
The ‘Friends of Erskineville spokesperson also shared that they believe this redevelopment has not consulted the community until a very late stage in the planning.
“The redevelopment is over-sized and too car-centric. This is a prime site for heavily prioritising walking, cycling and public transport over basement car parking” BIKESydney said about the Redfern North Eveleigh precinct.
“This is the opportunity to finally provide the walking and cycling bridge across the rail corridor to South Eveleigh that was promised as part of that development.”
Transport for NSW (TfNSW) assured City Hub that accessibility and connectivity were considered during the development of the master plan.
“Very disappointingly, the communities’ call for an active transport bridge over the tracks to South Eveleigh has been ignored. This is despite over 750 residents writing to Rob Stokes, the Minister for Active Transport, calling for it to be built.
“We ask, what is the point of an active transport minister if he won’t build the active transport infrastructure the community is crying out for? In contrast 3 new bridges are planned near Central.”
“While a bridge is not part of the scope for the Paint Shop Sub-Precinct rezoning proposal, this has been considered when developing the masterplan. The design has ensured that any potential future pedestrian connection could be integrated within the proposed rezoning proposal” a TfNSW spokesperson said.
The spokesperson also said that existing and future crossing options will be provided at Redfern and Macdonaldtown Station.
“Transport for NSW will ensure key stakeholders, including the community, continue to have their say on the project as plans progress to ensure the best outcomes are achieved.”
Garage Sale Trail returns to the Inner West Come along to sell, shop and learn about the circular economy. It’s a fun way to connect, make some money and stop good stuff going to landfill or being illegally dumped.
Special appearances from Barry Du Bois, Annabel Crabb and Craig Reucassel, alongside experts in fashion, home renovations and the circular economy.
29 October – 20 November Online and on the streets of the Inner West. Register your sale and find out more at garagesaletrail.com.au
Tuesday 22 November, 6pm, Marrickville / Midjuburi ward, St Peters Library39 Unwins Bridge Road, Sydenham
After two long years, Leichhardt’s ‘Little Italy’ will once again celebrate what makes the suburb special.
The event will feature stalls and entertainment for all ages; foodies can enjoy free cooking demonstrations, muso aficionados can enjoy live entertainment and dancing, and families can enjoy a day of carnival rides, jumping castles, animal farms and more.
Sunday 30 October, 10am – 5pm, Norton Street. nortonstreetfesta.com.au
Following my motion at the September Council meeting, Inner West Council will train 1000 local citizens in a civic education program to build awareness about the Uluru Statement from the Heart and the upcoming Referendum on the Voice to Parliament.
The Referendum is potentially only months away and there isn’t a moment to lose in building public awareness about this historic opportunity. Now is the time for the Inner West community to step up and contribute to educating our neighbours about the Uluru Statement from the Heart.
We are aiming to train 1000 local citizens to talk to their neighbours but also travel to
other communities in Sydney and NSW to build awareness there too.
Council is partnering with the Sydney Alliance to provide the training program and coordinate the recruitment campaign as well as making town halls and facilities available for the training free of charge. Find out more and register at innerwest.nsw.gov.au/ 1000Volunteers
Stanmore will come alive with the sound of music at this festival created in honour of the late Richard Gill AO, a former resident who had a vision to bring music to the masses on the streets. Proudly supported through EDGE Inner West, Council’s major initiative to fund and build capacity of the creative sector. Saturday 5 November, 12-6pm. stanmoremusicfestival.com
Inner West is partnering with Sydney Local Health District Mental Health Services to raise awareness of Mental Health Month with an open mic afternoon, Heaps Mad, featuring special guest Jordan Raskopoulos (pictured). Marrickville Library and Pavillion, Thursday 27 October, 4-7pm. innerwest.nsw.gov.au/ MentalHealthMonth
Comment on our suggested approach to making Inner West the best place in Australia to own and operate an electric vehicle.
Last day to provide feedback is Wednesday 9 November –yoursay.innerwest.nsw.gov.au
execute their critical work in protecting local communities”.
Reports
that a State Emergency Services building in the Inner West is ‘sinking’ and undergoing significant structural damage have emerged.
Inner West Mayor Darcy Byrne said that the Ashfield-Leichhardt building has sunk into the ground by 10 centimetres due to construction on the WestConnex tunnel, which runs underneath. Cr Byrne sent a letter to the NSW Government asking for the relocation of the SES from the Ashfield-Leichhardt building to a new premises.
pipes to break, damaged electrical wiring and caused the roof to leak”.
“SES volunteers do an amazing job protecting our community. It’s shocking that they now need protection themselves” Cr Byrne said in a Facebook post.
“It is an unacceptable risk for our SES volunteers.”
Cr Byrne said the sinking has caused structural damage to the SES building, adding that the corruption of the building “has prevented fire escape doors from shutting, caused plumbing
A NSW SES spokesperson confirmed to City Hub that while the AshfieldLeichhardt building has suffered structural damage, it has not been abandoned, and is currently being used with precaution. Safety rules and signs have been added until a relocation space is found.
“The Unit has not vacated the building and it continues to be used following assessments” the spokesperson said.
“As a precaution some parts of the facility have warning signs and the Unit continues to monitor the situation.”
NSW SES also confirmed they are working alongside Transport for NSW to help the Inner West Council make sure the volunteers have appropriate access to facilities, and a safe environment to work.
“The NSW SES and Transport for NSW remain committed to working with the Inner West Council to ensure that NSW SES volunteers have suitable facilities to
A Transurban spokesperson said that the contractor of the WestConnex tunnel project has been working with the Council and the SES in order to minimise any damages.
“Throughout the project, the Contractor has worked to minimize any disruption and reinstate or repair any issues.”
The spokesperson also said that a structural engineer has cleared the building for use, and that interim repairs had been carried out.
The spokesperson said the “Tunnel Contractor has consulted with Inner West Council to ensure regular specialist independent inspections have been made at the SES site”.
“Ground settlement in this area has also been monitored regularly by the Contractor and it remains within the project’s strict limits and consistent predictions”.
NSW SES are waiting for full relocation of their staff, volunteers and facilities by the local councils.
an absolute sweetheart!
polite little purring machine may take a moment
but once he gets to know you, he will happily curl up somewhere close by and
a
or three. He is a super smooch at heart and when he’s feeling more
be treated to a constant supply of snuggles. Spike is looking for a relaxed forever home where he can explore at his own pace and enjoy some peace and
Nothing much phases this affectionate kitty, Spike takes it all in his stride and his gentle
is purr-fectly content spending his days lounging around. Spike would benefit from an indoor forever home due to his allergies and sensitive skin. You’ll see a
in
good moods and a lift in your spirits with this terrific tabby around!
Sport has immense power for change, too little used.
Qatar 2022 to be played between November and December this year is an example of both the extraordinary power of sport to effect social change and of how reluctant it is to use this power for those without a voice.
Awarded twelve years ago, the tournament has become an exemplar of the increasing influence of petro-dollars from the gulf region in the economy, administration, sponsorship and broadcasting of global sport and the effect this has on silencing the sporting community en-masse.
Holding major sporting events in every corner of the world is an aspiration that we hold dear, part of the founding principles of inclusion and human solidarity across boundaries and of bringing people together to share common passions but Qatar has raised the question as to the human cost that is paid without a strong foundation of human rights.
With vast commercial influence built through the purchase of high-profile clubs and gargantuan contractual arrangements with former stars like David Beckham, for example, Qatar has been able until now at least to quieten voices of dissent around the human impacts of the World Cup aside from human rights organisations and some publications.
But in recent weeks the noise is escalating as more fans and those in the game become aware of the environment they are stepping into on November 20.
It is no longer possible to turn a blind eye and play on as, for instance, LIV Golf seems to be able to do under the auspices of the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia and the football community is having to address its own conscience. In the process, importantly, the cause and movement of human rights is furthered.
In the past twelve years and mostly before overdue labour reform was implemented in Qatar under the duress produced by their hosting of the event, many thousands of migrant workers died. This was foreseeable, given the inhuman conditions in which they laboured as FIFA prepared to transfer all responsibility for preparation for the tournament to the local organisers and wash their hands of blood.
But the numbers kept stacking up along with the pressure. One thousand, two thousand, three
shifting towards the oil-rich nations and as part of China’s international ambitions?
Future hosting agreements for both the Olympic Games and FIFA World Cups carry an obligation to identify, mitigate and remedy salient human rights risks, but what does sport do when Qatar criminalises same sex relations? Where is the minimum threshold below which hosting any major event is impossible unless change is guaranteed?
All of these important questions are at the forefront of what is a very important World Cup in which, for the first time, human rights take the field with the players and will fill commentary boxes and lounges around the world.
The Captains of ten European nations have united to wear a multi coloured armband with the message of ‘One Love’ in an attempt to raise the discrimination of LGBTI Qataris’ and by extension any gay or lesbian football fans so the issue will be at the epicentre of the action.
Standing in direct solidarity with affected communities with the recognised rainbow symbol and speaking directly to human rights as the German and Norwegian teams did in their qualifiers of last year would have been far more powerful however, we take what we can get.
And while the Danish Federation, against whom Australia will compete in the group stage have agreed to alter their national uniforms to raise the alarm, no statement of support as yet from the Australian
Federation and we expect that the players will
I have decided to acknowledge the immense social value that football has to Australia through its multicultural nature, value in social cohesion, connectivity and bringing people together across boundaries by broadcasting the event with SBS and also lift up the voices of affected groups by supporting the global campaign for compensation for
#PayUpFIFA is calling for US$440 million compensation for affected families in Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and elsewhere,
And I am donating my entire broadcast fee for the month directly to families who have lost a breadwinner as well as organisations promoting
Sport has always refused to acknowledge immense harm that it creates and enables in countries that host its showpiece events from the displacement of homeless in Atlanta 1996 Olympics and Rio 2016 to crackdowns on journalists and dissidents by the military junta in Argentina 1978 World Cup or Beijing 2008 but today, the globalised nature of media means that the public relations cost as host has risen.
FIFA have been forced into using their political and economic leverage to ensure that the host nation, Qatar implemented important, albeit too little policy reform and too late for far too many.
The future of sport resides in deciding what the basic condition and protections constitute the minimum benchmark to participate in the world’s most loved cultural event, the World Cup.
I’m looking forward to having these conversations with you as we watch Australia wrestle with its ambitions on field.
-Craig Foster AM
Australian Multicultural Council
As your local representative, I can assist with enquiries or problems you have with Federal Government departments and services like Centrelink, immigration, superannuation, Child Support payments, Medicare, the Pharmaceutical Benefit Scheme (PBS), Veterans’ Affairs, the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), the National Broadband Network (NBN), universities, employment, training, Commonwealth funding and grants.
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My office can arrange messages of congratulations for people who live in my electorate and are celebrating their golden (50th) and diamond (60th) wedding anniversaries; and 90th and subsequent birthdays. Please allow for 6-8 weeks for congratulatory messages from dignatories.
My office in Redfern will be facilitating Tax Help again this year. Tax Help is free and helps people earning $60,000 or less lodge their tax return online. If you need help lodging your tax return, you may be eligible for assistance through this program. Please contact my office on 02 9379 0700 or Tanya.Plibersek.MP@aph.gov.au to book an appointment.
Ellsmore, the City of Sydney’s newly elected Deputy Lord Mayor, says that the City of Sydney “needs to do much more” to improve housing affordability.
The City’s affordable and social housing targets state that by 2030, 7.5% of all housing will be affordable rental housing, and 7.5% of all housing will be social housing. Cr Ellsmore believes the City of Sydney is “currently not on track” to meet its housing affordability targets, which she describes as “relatively modest”.
“We’re losing the public housing we have; we’re losing the affordable housing we have, and we’re not building enough of it as the city grows”, she told City Hub.
In the 9 months she’s been in office, Cr Ellsmore has established the ‘Housing for All’ Working Group. In her term, the City of Sydney has also renewed the $10 million affordable housing for all fund and increased developer contributions. Her policy aims to protect the affordable housing that already exists and ensures that there is adequate affordable housing built as the city grows. The NSW government has been criticised for selling approximately 4205 social housing properties – equivalent to $3 billion – since 2011.
She acknowledges that affordable housing – defined as housing that costs less than a third of a person’s income – comes in many forms. While including public and social housing, affordable housing also encapsulates housing for artists, students, and older people, which “might look like co-ops, or might look like more supportive accommodation for people exiting homelessness”. Cr Ellsmore partly attributes this shortcoming to the state government, which she says, “refuses to let local councils do what [they] want with reasonable targets”. She stressed the need to “push the state government to do more”, particularly in the leadup to the upcoming state election.
While the state government has focused on placing affordable housing in the hands of developers as opposed to local council, Cr Ellsmore says there is a “real window of opportunity”, as both the state and federal government have “talked about equity and governments investing in housing in a different way”. While these ideas have not materialised into direct policies yet, she believes it shows that “everyone acknowledges, even across all different political parties, that the scale of the crisis means we can’t keep doing things the same way”.
Cr Ellsmore said the response from councillors to her policies has been “unanimous, no matter what their political party or independent status is”.
“There’s been a real openness to new ideas, but the challenge is going to be implementing them [by] getting people to agree that the city is right place to trial them”, she said.
BY SHARLOTTE THOU
developments approved by private certifiers in Rosebery are going to be permitted after an exception to a NSW government policy has not been extended.
The exception, which was applied to the ‘Rosebery Estate’ in order to preserve the suburb’s heritage and specific urban features, was granted for the Sydney suburb from May 2021 until December of 2022. The exemption meant twostorey house developments were not allowed to be built in the area.
NSW Minster for Planning Anthony Roberts advised Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore that the Rosebery Estate exemption will not be extended beyond December.
Cr Moore wrote a letter to Rosebery residents explaining the decision.
In the letter to Rosebery residents, Cr Moore stated the exception mitigated “threat[s] to the special character of the Rosebery Estate” caused by allowing two-storey developments to be approved
by a private certifier “without appropriate setbacks to protect Rosebery’s singlestorey bungalow streetscape”.
Rosebery’s ‘special character’ refers to its original design as a ‘model industrial suburb’, which was advertised in 1913 as the “ideal of the manufacturer and mechanic alike”, with “model factories and model homes”.
The Rosebery Covenant, established in 1914, attempts to protect the suburb’s character by detailing the “type of
housing” that is permitted. This includes restrictions on the number of storeys of a property, the materials of the front façade and the number of dwellings on a lot. A report released by the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment in 2020 revealed that adherence to this covenant was “not applied consistently” by private certifiers, as there were at least 11 two storey developments that were lodged as Complying Developments from July-December 2020.
Cr Moore remains concerned that private certifiers may incorrectly issue Complying Development Certificates for two-storey developments. Moore told residents that if this happens, council will have “no regulatory power to stop the work”, and “it would be up to individual residents to take legal action to enforce the contract”.
The NSW Department of Planning and Environment has agreed that any two-storey development addition in the Rosebery area must be assessed as a development application rather than being approved as a Complying Development.
Cr Moore has written to the NSW Planning Minister to ensure that private certifiers are aware they are unable to issue Complying Development Certificates for two storey developments and to ask how his department will prevent these private certifiers from incorrectly issuing Complying Development Certificates.
The NSW Government proposes to upgrade Warrane/Circular Quay Subject
Area (see image). The upgrade includes new and accessible wharves, redesigned Circular Quay Station, reconstructed First Fleet Park, a new pavilion, expanded Cahill Walk and new amenities including a new visitor information centre.
Transport for NSW invites Aboriginal people and Aboriginal groups who hold cultural knowledge relevant to determining the significance of Aboriginal objects and places for the Circular Quay Renewal project to register to be consulted.
The proposal may result in Transport for NSW:
• Applying for an Aboriginal Heritage Impact Permit (AHIP) under Part 6 of the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974, and/or
• Undertaking investigations in accordance with the Code of practice for archaeological investigations in NSW 2010, and/or
• Undertaking an environmental impact assessment under the Environmental Planning & Assessment Act 1979
To register your interest, please contact the Circular Quay Renewal project team at projects@transport.nsw.gov.au or call 1800 684 490 Registrations must be received by email or phone by 27 October 2022.
opposition from senators such as Jacqui Lambie.
“This is a difficult but grown-up conversation that we need to have,” Spender said.
Spender is also calling for an increase to the national housing stock as we have one of the lowest number of dwellings per thousand people in the OECD.
Home ownership in 2021 was down to 67 per cent from 70 per cent in 2006, and the latest census shows that 1 million homes were unoccupied, representing 10 per cent of all housing stock.
With some 27 thermal coal projects being considered across federal and state jurisdictions at the moment Spender has made it clear from her earliest campaigning that she is firmly against any new coal projects.
“When you look overseas there are increasingly a number of countries trying to get out of coal and country like China are trying to get out of Australian coal,” Spender said.
“The last thing I want is for companies to open new mines and go broke and have the Australian tax payer to foot the bill and clean up these places.”
BY JOHN MOYLEWith a very healthy 54 per cent of the two-party preferred vote Allegra Spender achieved the seemingly impossible when at the May 2022 federal election she took the seat from Liberal incumbent Dave Sharma.
Running as part of the loosely knit “teals” campaign, Spender and five other independent women across Australia changed the federal political landscape as votes fell away from the two main political parties, creating, with the Greens, a strong and viable cross bench. This could keep Labor and the Liberals from forming a majority in their own rights for at least two elections.
“The truth is that the landscape has changed so much and has really shifted under their feet,” Allegra Spender, Member for Wentworth said.
“People are still getting their heads around this, the coalition members so not quite know what to make of us, and I would say that is true of Labor as well, and I say that there is something different here now.”
Despite scare-mongering from both main parties that the rise fo the independents would be the end of democracy as we know it, parliament
currently seems to have a renewed energy and is more orderly that what we have seen in years.
“There is a bit of surprise that myself and the others do not always vote wth the government as I have voted with the coalition and vice versa,” Spender said.
“What I think is doing really well is that we are working in collaboration with the other independents where it makes sense.
Another of Spender’s key issues regards tax reform at both federal and state level, citing that in its current form tax complexity acts as a brake on productivity.
“The Research and Development tax incentive is so complicated that people are spending up to 30 per cent to get professional help to apply for it,” Spender said.
ENVIRONMENTAL SUMMIT COMING November will see Spender and others host an environmental summit in Wentworth that will connect the community with the latest progress in the environmental movement.
“We will take a national policy around climate and ask how can we drive local actions, and how does Wentworth businesses, families and households take local action on climate change?” Spender said.
“There are so many volunteer organisations in Wentworth who are supporting a better environment and I want to make sure that everybody in Wentworth knows what they can do.”
“We are still getting to know each other.”
While the teals ran their own campaigns centred around local issues, there were also common causes such as action on climate change and the call for an anticorruption bill.
“We worked very collaboratively and constructively on the Climate Change Bill and the National Anti-Corruption Commission, and I think that all members of the cross bench are feeling the process very positively,” Spender said.
“I am very confident that we can take the lead on many issues such as Sophie
“There is a debate going on at the moment about Stage 3 tax cuts and what the income structure shoulder like, and we need to face up to the fact that we need a tax system that drives an efficient, transparent and productive economy that raises enough money for the services that we want.”
Stage 3 tax cuts refer to creating a flat tax of 30 cents in the dollar for anyone earning between $40,000 and $200,000 per annum.
The reforms are expected to cost an extra $243bn in the budget over the next 10 years, supported by both major political parties, but has also created
One of Spender’s most vocal campaign pledges was to lobby for a new public high school for the Wentworth electorate, an electorate crowded with expensive private schools but lacking in affordable public education options.
“I have been working with Alex Greenwich and we have put to the state minister of education that this is one of the biggest local issues,” Spender said.
“Wentworth needs to have great educational choices.”
In a few short months Spender has taken her place alongside a formative cross bench that is poised to reshape federal politics into a more progressive landscape that is also promising to pay dividends for the seat of Wentworth.
per day, yet has not released the daily passenger numbers to the public.
residents are currently pushing to save the on-demand Blackwattle Bay ferry that jets its passengers from Glebe to Barangaroo in under 13 minutes. The Glebe ferry service is currently on a NSW government trial to decide if the ferry will continue to run.
The Blackwattle Bay F10 ferry service began its trial earlier this year as a test to see if the demand was high enough to keep the service permanently.
“It’s a mystery as to why the government won’t release these figures, obviously that information is key to understanding the viability of the service” Glebe Society Convenor Allan Hogan told City Hub “It would be informative for the public to understand why the government has chosen the figure of 150 passengers a day as the key determinant of the future of the service. We believe these numbers should be made public.”
The NSW Government has established a high level of secrecy around information regarding the ferry trial and are reluctant to share clear figures determining whether the service will continue or not.
Greens MP Jamie Parker shared in a newsletter last month that the usage numbers are “ranging around the 120 per day mark”.
The Government shared with the Glebe Society that the ferry service will only continue to run if it has 150 passengers
“It’s obviously useful for Glebe commuters who wish to travel quickly to Barangaroo, but more generally it’s a pleasant way for tourists to make a short harbour trip, especially if they want to visit the Fish Markets or the Tramsheds” Hogan said.
“Any form of public transport that relieves pressure on our overcrowded roads is welcome.”
Transport for NSW was asked by City Hub when the F10 ferry service trial will come to an end, as well as usage data.
The spokesperson told City Hub that the
F10 ferry route from Blackwattle Bay to Barangaroo was introduced following the reduction of Inner West light rail services for essential fleet repairs in 2021.
“With Inner West light rail services expected to return to full capacity in coming months, Transport for NSW is considering options regarding the
ongoing operation of the F10 service.”
The Glebe Society published a petition hosted by University of Technology ‘Bachelor of Management’ students. The students are trying to determine current and potential demand for the ferry service in order to work out a strategy to promote the ferry service.
Woollahra Council General Manager Craig Swift-McNair.
Under the first option supplied by Woollahra Council in the ‘Have Your Say’ information, no rate increase would take place. However, Council notes this option will “not provide financial stability”.
Option 2, the more moderate of rate increase options, would see a SRV of 10% in 2023/2024, making the average residential rate $1665 for the year. Option 3 brought forward the 15% rate hike.
projects that are a priority for residents and businesses” Swift-McNair said.
Woollahra’s rate hikes are not isolatedcouncils across Sydney and NSW are applying for SRVs to keep in line with rising costs from inflation. IPART approved 86 NSW councils for SRVs of between 1.6% and 2.5% this June.
BY ERIN MODAROin Woollahra Council
could continue to see rate increases in 2023 and beyond, as council is considering submitting an application to the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) for a Special Rates Variation (SRV).
Special rates variations allow councils to increase yearly rates at a percentage beyond the cap, or rate peg, that the IPART has set.
Woollahra Mayor Susan Wynne said in a statement that the “reality” is that under the current rate peg, “[council] simply do not have the income and funds we need to undertake the projects we know are important to you, our community”.
“The rate peg amount is still considered to be too low as it doesn’t allow Council to achieve financial sustainability or meet the growing demands of the community on priority projects” said
Both option 2 and option 3 would cap rates at the IPART rate peg after 3 years, and decrease the special variation by roughly 5% for 2024/2025. This means that if the special variation were to go ahead, rates would go up by either $42, $70 or $96 per annum on average depending on which model is decided upon.
Residential ratepayers in the Woollahra LGA paid a base rate of $645 for 20212022, plus additional rates proportional to land value.
“We consider it important to let the community know where we stand financially and what we need to do if we are to secure financial sustainability and undertake the
A neighbouring eastern suburbs council was approved for a 2.5% rate increase as well as a domestic waste fee increase of 2.2%.
Now, The IPART is predicted to set the rates peg for many NSW councils at 3.7% in the next financial year.
Woollahra Council says that the increased incomes from the special rates would go towards heritage, infrastructure, transport, climate response, and other key community projects and developments.
PROPOSAL TO UPGRADE VODAFONE & OPTUS MOBILE PHONE BASE STATION AT 777 OLD SOUTH HEAD RD, VAUCLUSE NSW 2030 WITH 5G
1. The proposed upgrade to the existing facility includes:
• Removal of existing Vodafone and Optus antennas and equipment
• Installation of three (3) new 5G antennas for Vodafone, 0.8m long and six (6) new 5G antennas for Optus, 0.9m long (9 in total) on new mounts
• Installation of three (3) panel antennas for Vodafone and three (3) panel antennas for Optus, 2.7m long, on new mounts
• Installation of ancillary equipment including 32 remote radio units, antenna mounts and cabling
• Installation and reconfiguration of equipment within existing equipment shelters.
2. Vodafone & Optus regards the proposed installation as a Low-impact Facility under the Telecommunications (Low-impact Facilities) Determination 2018 (“The Determination”) 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:
Sienna Yarali at Nokia Solutions & Networks on 0406 001 832 or at communityrelations.vha@groups.nokia.com by Friday 28th October 2022.
Further information may be obtained from the RFNSA website at www.rfnsa.com.au/2030003
1. The proposed upgrade to the existing facility includes:
• Existing three (3) panel antennas shared between Vodafone and Optus to remain.
• Installation of ancillary equipment including MHAs, and cabling
• Installation and reconfiguration of equipment within existing equipment shelters.
2. Vodafone & Optus regards the proposed installation as a Low-impact Facility under the Telecommunications (Low-impact Facilities) Determination 2018 (“The Determination”) 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: Sienna Yarali at Nokia Solutions & Networks on 0406 001 832 or at communityrelations.vha@groups.nokia.com by Friday 28th October 2022.
Further information may be obtained from the RFNSA website at www.rfnsa.com.au/2034010
growing demands of the community
2929 Botany: Port-Air Industrial Estate, 1A Hale St, Botany NSW 2019 (RFNSA 2019002)
The proposed facility consists of the addition of new equipment and associated works, including 5G, as follows:
• Removal of existing Vodafone and Optus antennas and ancillary equipment
• Installation of three (3) Vodafone panel antennas, 2.7m long, a new shared headframe
• Installation of three (3) Vodafone panel antennas, 0.8m long, a new shared headframe
• Relocation of three (3) existing Optus antennas onto the new headframe
• Installation of one (1) Optus panel antennas, 2.7m long, on the new shared headframe
• Installation of four (4) Optus panel antennas, 0.8m long, on the new shared headframe
• Installation of four (4) Optus panel antennas, 0.6m long, on the new shared headframe
• Installation of ancillary equipment including up to fifteen (15) Vodafone remote radio units, up to sixteen (16) Optus remote radio units, antenna mounts, cabling and works within the equipment shelter
1. Vodafone and Optus regard the proposed installations as Low-impact Facilities under the Telecommunications (Low-impact Facilities) Determination 2018 (“The Determination”), based on the description above.
2. In accordance with Section 7 of C564:2020 Mobile Phone Base Station Deployment Code, we invite you to provide feedback about the proposal. Should you require further information or wish to comment, please contact Archie Aparicio at Axicom, 02 9495 9000, community@axicom.com.au or Level 1, 110 Pacific Highway, St Leonards NSW 2065 by Friday, 28 October 2022. Further information may also be obtained from www.rfnsa.com.au/2019002.
Being property situated at 50 Yarranabbe Road, Darling Point NSW 2027
Notice is given of an intention to apply to the Registrar General for an order terminating the above Strata Scheme and the consequent winding up of the Owner Corporation, pursuant to section 142 of the Strata Schemes Development Act 2015 (NSW).
Any person having any claim again the Owners Corporation of the above Strata Scheme or any estate or interest in or claim against any of the lots comprised in the Strata Scheme is required, on or before (a date not less than 14 days after publication of the advertisement), to send particulars of the estate, interest or claim to (address for service of notice).
165-169 Holden Street, Ashbury NSW 2193
Through the Critical Communications Enhancement Program (CCEP), NSW Telco Authority is expanding and enhancing the Public Safety Network (PSN) to improve operational communications for emergency services organisations (ESOs) and essential service providers.
The network provides critical, secure and reliable radio communications to ESOs and was pivotal in protecting communities and supporting the emergency response to the Black Summer bushfires and the recent flood events in NSW.
To expand the network, NSW Telco Authority proposes to install a radio communications facility at 165-169 Holden Street, Ashbury NSW 2193.
The proposed works will be assessed under Part 5 of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979. For further enquiries or comment contact NSW Telco Authority, c/- James McIver, Catalyst ONE Pty Ltd, PO Box 1119 Crows Nest NSW 1585, or by email at: consultation@catalystone.com.au
The closing date for comments is 7 November 2022.
For information regarding the program, please visit the website at www.telco.nsw.gov.au/ccep or call on 1800 794 862.
PROPOSAL TO UPGRADE A TELSTRA MOBILE PHONE BASE STATION WITH ADDITIONAL 4G & 5G TECHNOLOGIES AT: 295-299 NEW SOUTH HEAD ROAD, EDGECLIFF NSW 2027
1. The proposed works will remove all the Telstra Infrastructure from the rooftop of the Post Office at 287 New South Head Road, and reconfigure, remove/relocate and add Telstra infrastructure on the adjoining Telstra Exchange Rooftop at 295-299 New South Head Road, including:
The removal of 16 panel antennas and associated steelwork
The installation of (3) panel antennas 0.717m long
The installation of (3) panel antennas 2.688m long
The antennas will be accommodated on a new mounting frame on the Telstra Exchange Plant Room on the rooftop
Ancillary equipment including (6) Tower Mast Amplifiers, (3) Radio Remote Units and (3) Junction Boxes will also be accommodated on the mounting frame
upgrades within the Telstra Exchange building
Telstra regards the proposed installation as Low-impact Facilities under the Telecommunications (Low-impact Facilities) Determination 2018.
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: Emily Wardlaw on behalf of Telstra, 0422 685 472, consultation@acquirecomm.com.au by Friday 28 October 2022. Further information can also be obtained from www.rfnsa.com.au/2027014
information, they’re told they can’t have it. The independent panel assessing their claims are told they can’t have it.”
“It is quite unbelievable, incredibly frustrating for residents, but it also sets a dangerous precedent.”
“You can’t tell people on one hand you have put all possible monitoring measures in to protect their interests and then turn around and say it’s not in their interests to know what that information is” Allen said.
Omni Bridgeway and Dentons Australia are currently investigating potential claims by property owners who have suffered loss and damage as a result of the construction of the WestConnex tunnel underneath their properties. The companies invite any Sydney residents who believe their property has been damaged due to WestConnex construction to register their interest for a potential class action claim.
“The time and cost of proving WestConnex damaged their homes is placed on the residents’ shoulders,” Stated WestConnex Action Group (WAG) spokesperson Rhea Liebmann.
“They’re told dry weather, wet weather, cracked pipes, dripping taps and not the massive toll road built metres under or next to their house is responsible. Yet contractors flatly refuse to provide any of their technical documentation to anyone including the panel assessing damage.
BY AMBER GRIFFINResidents
whose homes and properties have been damaged by the construction of Sydney’s WestConnex motorway are looking to join a class action lawsuit against the $16 billion project.
Due to WestConnex drilling and development, property damage has occurred across Sydney as a result of tunnelling vibration and changes in soil moisture content and soil settlement, causing ground movement underneath the property.
Over 65,000 homes could be impacted by the construction of the ‘Road Tunnel Time Bomb’ across Sydney from Merrylands to Botany according to independent satellite analysis.
Owners of some of the 10,000 plus properties directly above or aligned with the tunnels stated that they’re facing demolishing their homes entirely due to structural damage.
The WestConnex Class Action website states that despite Transport for NSW and the Government publicly stating that the obligation to repair damage from construction or tunnelling is
with the WestConnex contractors, the Planning Approval conditions for each stage make it clear that RMS, as the Proponent of the project, is responsible for repairing any damaged caused.
A joint project of the state and federal governments, The WestConnex is a 33-kilometre predominately underground motorway scheme connecting major roadways through Sydney.
The construction of the motorway has been rife with controversy and community opposition. A pile of toxic methane waste left from construction was discovered at the St Peters Interchange, potentially causing community health risks.
Dentons law firm have been closely following damage to residents’ homes from WestConnex construction since 2018, and with countless damage claims coming to fruition from the M4-M5 Link and Rozelle Interchange, Dentons and litigation funders Omni Bridgeway are now actively exploring
the commencement of a class action.
“The proposed class action will be led by the legal team that won a landmark settlement from the Federal Government in 2020 for PFAS-related chemical contamination of homes and land including at Williamtown, north of Newcastle” Dentons said in a statement.
“It’s farcical and frustrated residents have had enough of these delay and deny tactics.”
With less than a year until the proposed 2023 WestConnex grand opening, opposing Sydney community members are doing everything they can to advocate for a ‘WestConnexless’ Sydney.
With some homeowners forced to employ their own engineers and geotechnical engineers to assess the damage and facing repair bills of up to $100,000+, a class action lawsuit is gaining traction.
“Those constructing WestConnex have made lot of noise about having in place a whole range of systems to monitor any potential ground movement or damage to property” Dentons partner Ben Allen told City Hub .
“Yet when residents with damaged properties have asked for that
“If the NSW government had built new train lines instead of #WestCONnex toll roads, then we could’ve had a park with green public artwork but without toxic exhaust stacks” the ‘NO WestConnex: Public Transport not Motorways’ Facebook Group stated.
“The legal team at Dentons have spent a significant amount of time looking into both property damage and diminution of value for properties associated with WestConnex” Allen said.
“We also know that some community members feel isolated, helpless, or afraid to speak up. The reality is there is a window in which a class action can be launched in Australia, and many will risk losing potential compensation if they later decide to take legal action for worsening damage” Allen stated.
Proposed termination of Strata Scheme No. 63790 being property situated at 289 Liverpool Street, Darlinghurst NSW 2010.
Notice is given of an intention to apply to the Registrar General for an Order Terminating the above Strata Scheme and the consequent winding down of the Owners Corporation, pursuant to Section 142 of the Strata Schemes Development Act 2015 (NSW).
Any person having any claim against the Owners Corporation of the above Strata Scheme or any interest in or claim against any of the lots comprised in the Strata Scheme is required, on or
before 28 October 2022, to send particulars of the estate, interest or claim to: janine@jandjlegal.com.au or J&J Legal, PO Box 606, Surry Hills NSW 2010.
To improve service reliability and reduce the need for ongoing maintenance, we’re repairing, blasting, and painting the rail bridges at Burwood Station. Temporary full closure of Burwood Road underpass to motorists will occur across several upcoming weeks and weekends until the end of the year:
• From 10pm Friday 14 October to 4am Monday 17 October 2022
• From 10pm Friday 16 December to 4am Monday 19 December 2022
• From 0.01am Tuesday 27 December 2022 to 11.59pm Sunday 8 January 2023.
Pedestrian access to the Burwood Station and businesses will be always available throughout the works.
Please scan the QR code for more information.
Contact us
To report environmental concerns (24 hours) 1300 656 999
In April 2022 the NSW Government decided to privatise the remaining public buses in Sydney through company TransDev, who now operates Region 9 services.
Waverley Mayor Paula Masselos said that Waverley council also “maintains the commuters are worse off under privatisation”.
“I am pleased that the Committee is now calling on the NSW Government to consider taking action to bring privatised Regions back into the operation, control and ownership of the NSW Government” Cr Masselos said.
Privatisation has also been met with public outcry across Sydney, with commuters speaking out against a lack of bus services to and from the CBD. Eastern suburbs residents have expressed issues accessing health care facilities, getting to work, completing shopping duties and visiting friends and families.
In late 2021, the NSW government removed 50 stops and 25 bus routes across Sydney’s eastern suburbs. These cuts are an addition to the previous 6 routes the government had reduced and eventually cut services to.
BY DALE BARRETTservice quality and higher prices for commuters.
Legislative Council report has found that the privatisation of busses in Sydney’s public transport network has come at a significant cost to commuters.
The report found that privatisation of public transport incentivised the implementation of cost-cutting strategies that unjustly impacts vulnerable people, and ultimately leads to a decline in
Chair of the Inquiry, MP Abigail Boyd MLC, assessed that privatisation has been “nothing short of a disaster”.
Region 9 bus services, which covers the eastern and southern suburbs of Sydney and the CBD, has the highest patronage of any region in the Sydney bus network, with 68 million trips recorded across the network every year.
In 2019, Cr Masselos submitted an urgent motion to the Strategic Planning and Development Committee which called on the state government to reverse privatisation.
The Mayor also gave a submission to the parliamentary inquiry stating that “Council strongly objects to the public purse being used to subsidise commercial operations that are geared to making a profit rather than fulfilling a social contract between the government and the people of NSW”.
In his recent appearance on the podcast Coogee Voice, Divisional Secretary of the Australian Rail, Tram and Bus Union, David Babineau, said that “We have a system specifically designed so the vulnerable people within our society are cared for”.
“It’s about providing a service to the community” Babineau said.
The report recommended that the NSW government consider restoring public ownership and operation once the contracts in the Northern beaches, Inner West and Inner Suburbs expire.
After a lengthy 2-year restoration, the refreshed Bondi Pavilion reponed to the public with a free opening night. The anticipated reopening was packed with live music and performances, visual art, installations, workshops, and cultural activities.
Waverley Mayor Paula Masselos said that the event was an “evening of discovery and exploration” at the iconic Bondi landmark.
“This is our beloved Bondi Pavilion, but not as you remember it. Keeping true to its original architecture, the restoration has been designed and built to last for decades to come” Mayor Masselos said.
Included in the multiple influential music artists who performed on opening night is the Sydney-based band Mess. The two-piece drums and guitar combo band
said that contributing to Bondi Pavilion’s major reopening event was a “great experience”.
“The band and I all loved growing up with The Pavilion and the community around it, the Bondi Wave program especially” band-member Floyd Ives said.
Ives said that it was “real nostalgia trip” to see tutors and friends from the Bondi
music community come together for the opening night.
“It was a great experience for us all, and a big part of our musical journeys so we’re super stoked to be some of the first to showcase the renewed musical facilities as part of the reopening.”
The $38 million dollar restoration proves the Pavilion has been an
important location for residents and visitors to the famous Bondi Beach.
The Pavilion is backed with over 100 years of history, first opening for use in 1911. Upgraded facilities will ensure the building remains a community hub, established as a leading arts and cultural venue.
Lead Architect of Tonkin Zulaikha Greer Architects, Peter Tonkin, said that the restoration of the Pavilion has been “among the most inspiring” of his career.
“The Bondi Pavilion is a fine example of how an old building located in a hostile coastal environment can be reimagined through ingenuity and innovation in design,” Tonkin said.
last for decades
Frank Thring was an actor, television critic, raconteur and larger than life celebrity, renowned for his appearances in a number of Hollywood biblical blockbusters and his notorious acerbic wit. The one-time King Of Moomba, who died in 1994, was better known and better loved in his home town of Melbourne than he was in Sydney, but is universally remembered as a unique Australian character.
Amongst his many television appearances were a series of decidedly offbeat commercials flogging everything from cigarettes to toilet cleanser. It was just one of these ultra-quirky adverts that originally captured the attention of Sydney writer, cartoonist and musician Mark Cornwall. Mark has just published To Be Frank – A Fictional Memoir, and makes no secret that it was Frank’s portrayal of the devil for Little Lucifer barbeque starters that ‘sparked’ his original interest. Rather than write a traditional biography Mark has chosen to adopt the persona of Frank himself and address the reader in the first person, making for a far more intimate engagement. He had originally chosen to write a straight bio, the book’s original draft, but soon realised he had “managed to take this most fascinating of Australians and turn him into a bit of a bore, a fairly un-engaging individual”.
Mark, who incidentally does a remarkably accurate impersonation of Frank’s highly theatrical voice, plunged deep into his inner psyche, backed up by
years of fastidious research. Juggling his bread-andbutter day gigs, he made numerous trips to Melbourne tracking down old colleagues of Frank and spending hours in various State libraries, thumbing through old
copies of publications like TV Week, many that had yet to be digitised.
Whilst fictional liberties have certainly been taken, the wealth of factual content makes for a fascinating and highly convincing first person narrative. Witten in a rapid fire, at times diary style, Mark explains that by looking at the facts and planting himself in Frank’s shoes, or “whatever costume wardrobe he had whipped up for the circumstances”, he was able to speculate how he would have responded. He adds:
“I was lucky to get some terrific advice from Meredith Rose, a former editor at Penguin, who schooled me in the basics of how to capture the storyteller’s voice, creating a narrator who enables the reader to form a sonic and visual impression of what this person is like, indeed why they are the way they are, just from how they say things…”
Frank Thring led a flamboyant, outspoken and at times controversial lifestyle, one that could easily have been consumed by the sensationalising, tell all, tacky biography. Mark’s first person approach eschews the typical Hollywood beat up with a sympathetic but at times brutally honest account. He points out: The result is not only a valuable record of Australian cultural history but a highly engaging fun read.
You’ll find To Be Frank online at the usual outlets or grab a copy at The Bookshop in Darlinghurst, Better Read Than Dead in Newtown, Urchin Books in Marrickville or Hill Of Content in Balmain.
by Jack Thorne, the BAFTA-winning writer of Skins, Shameless and Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.
t is just such a beautiful production, both to look at and from a story-telling perspective, and the cast is so well cast,” says Jacinta John, associate director for the Australian production. “They all get along so well… there’s a real generosity of spirit and love, and that is infectious and filters out into the auditorium.”
Moulin Rouge! was first a film by Baz Luhrmann - a visually and musically stunning film that would seem impossible to duplicate on stage. But that’s not necessarily the intent.
“It very much relates to the film but it’s also unique to the theatre experience. And I think that’s what the theatre’s all about, right? When you come to the theatre you want to see something that you can’t see in any other medium, and this is a fine example of that,” says John.
While Baz Luhrmann worked very closely with the original creative team, he handed off to director, Alex Timbers who found a way to transfer Moulin Rouge! The Musical to the confines of a theatre without losing any of its fabulous visual volume. The result is a show that is similar but different to the film, and is unlike any other theatrical production anyone has seen before.
“The moment you walk into the auditorium you’re walking into the Moulin Rouge, and so I think your senses are stimulated and delighted from the beginning right through to the end,” says John.
However, John says it is really the romance at the centre of the story that makes this musical such a beloved success. She credits the leads in this production, Alinta Chidzey (Satine) and Des Flanagan (Christian) with bringing depth and authenticity to that romance.
Kylie Clarke is highly respected and much in demand for her expertise in wigs, hair and make-up. She worked on Luhrmann’s film version and is responsible for making all the heads look magnificent in Moulin Rouge! The Musical.
“Just to be involved with such a rich, lush design process has been amazing. I was lucky enough to work on the film,
so the stage production is a bit of a full circle moment, which has been amazing,” says Clarke.
But, as you can imagine, a show of this size comes with some challenges.
“I’ve never done a show in my whole 36 years that has got so many huge quick changes and big costume elements involved in those quick changes as well.”
Each performer has a customised wig or wigs made especially for them. Once their character and look have been determined, their stockinged heads are measured. Clarke sources all her materials from overseas, including Swiss lace and real human hair which she hand blends. It’s a very involved process that can take from 60 to 80 hours per wig, but in the end, it can make all the difference to a character.
“The wig is kind of the icing on the cake… so many times I have the performer in the chair and then you pop that wig on and they’re like ‘oh wow. I know the character now.’ It just seals the deal,” explains Clarke.
“Satine’s [wig] is beautiful because we use very high quality hair that I import from Rome and it’s really beautiful hair… On stage it looks amazing under the lights.”
Simon Burke has been an actor since the age of 12. His career spans film, television, theatre and live
performance. Yet, with all that history, he ranks Moulin Rouge! The Musical as one of his most treasured experiences.
“Nearly 50 years I’ve been doing this, but I’ve never been in a cast that has been so uniformly excellent and so supportive of each other. We went through quite a bit with COVID and lockdowns and hotel quarantines between Sydney and Melbourne, and shows getting canceled and 34 out of 35 of us getting COVID, but it is the most beautifully diverse and loving … it’s just… it makes it easy to go to work every day. And I don’t say that lightly… There’s a great kinship between us which is really, really special.”
Burke plays Harold Zidler, a rambunctious, slightly mischievous but loveable MC who acts as an intermediary between the performers and the audience.
“As a performer it’s an opportunity to be sort of over the top and embody all things theatrical,” says Burke. “It’s an event, really, more than a show…It’s immersive and my job, as the MC is to make that immersion feel real.”
It’s the energy generated by the show itself that reinvigorates Burke for what might otherwise be a very exhausting, difficult role to maintain; that, and the response from the audience.
“My favourite moment to watch that I’m not in is the staging of “Roxanne”, because the way Des sings it is just phenomenal, and the choreography and the dance is just…to me it’s where the dancers really get to shine. And the opening number - which I am involved in - is something like 12 or 13 minutes long and it is incredibly exciting to do.”
For Burke, being able to perform again and seeing people return to the theatre is heartwarming and he believes Moulin Rouge! The Musical is a celebration of all things that are great about live theatre.
“It’s fair to say that if you haven’t been in a theatre for 18 months then this will give you 18 months worth of entertainment in one night.”
Moulin Rouge! The Musical defies description - spectacular, sumptuous, incredible, stupendous. Now in the fifth month of its Sydney run, it continues to play to full houses. Why?
“I
It’s an event, really, more than a show.
he highly anticipated production of Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella arrives in Sydney after having enjoyed successful seasons in both Melbourne and Brisbane.
The Tony Award winning Broadway show is one of the most beloved musicals of all time and the Australian production has an A-list cast and huge ensemble headed by Shubshri Kandiah as Ella (Cinderella), Nicholas Hammond as Lord Chancellor Sebastian and Tina Bursill as Madame, Ella’s stepmother.
“It’s absolutely beautiful, the costumes, the setting and the lighting
are extraordinary so it captures you immediately and triggers a lot of images and emotions of the fairy tale and a world beyond,” explained Bursill who spoke to City Hub recently Bursill is enjoying playing the role of Madame, Ella’s stepmother whom she describes as a ‘barbed wire powder puff’. “Meaning, for all her brittleness and everything else there is a softness underneath. Every human being has to have that and I always try to find the sweetness and heart in every character that I play.”
It must also be satisfying performing in a musical that gives audiences so much
pleasure, transporting them to another time and place.
“Call me old-fashioned but I’m standing in the wings and as soon as I hear the music, I stand on the side of the stage waiting and watching these extraordinary balloon puffs of costumes lifted into the air, and the joy on everyone’s face – I’m gone!” enthused Bursill.
“You know by the end of the show that you’ve transported everybody. During the curtain call there’s a lot of love coming at you and I get really teary in these situations.”
Bursill believes that this musical should appeal to everybody.
From Oct 23, Sydney Lyric, 80 Pyrmont St, Pyrmont, www.cinderellamusical.com.au
BY LINA NAFIE BY RITA BRATOVICHO
n October 6, 2022, Agatha Christie’s crime thriller, The Mousetrap, will have been running on stage continuously for 70 years (notwithstanding a brief hiatus due to the pandemic). It is a record-making achievement.
The plot of The Mousetrap uses boilerplate Christie elements: an eclectic group of mostly middle-class English people confined by circumstances to a fixed location; a murder; a motive and reasons to suspect each of the characters; a tenacious investigator; a twist.
The play is set in Monkswell Manor, a newly converted guest house which is owned by recently wed couple, Mollie and Giles Raslton. They and five guests are trapped by a snow storm one
evening, soon after they learn about a local woman being murdered. The guests are: the highly strung Christopher Wren; unlikable retired magistrate Mrs Boyle; retired British military officer Major Metcalf; the quiet and distant, Miss Casewell; and surprise guest, Mr Paravicini. Detective Sergeant Trotter arrives at the guesthouse on skis and the intrigue quickens.
The Australian production is directed by legend of Australian theatre, Robyn Nevin, and features: Anna O’Byrne, Alex Rathgeber, Laurence Boxhall, Geraldine Turner, Adam Murphy, Charlotte Friels, Gerry Connolly, and Tom Conroy.
Oct 8 – 29, Theatre Royal, 108 King St, Sydney, www.theatreroyalsydney.com
After a dress rehearsal as a Neglected Musical in 2021, Nice Work If You Can Get It returns in full glory for a proper season at the Hayes, with Cameron Mitchell once again doing direction and choreography. The story follows the adventures of playboy Jimmy Winter, who is living the good life in the middle of Prohibition until he is forced to marry Eileen Evergreen. Things really go awry when Billie Bendix, a tough-as-nails bootlegger, accidentally hides 400 cases of gin in Jimmy’s basement and Jimmy is forced to deal with his highstrung fiancée and an assortment of bootleggers, prohibitionists, chorus girls, and a moralistic senator. This 2012 Broadway musical features songs by award-winning brothers, George and Ira Gershwin and a book by Joe DiPietro. The Gershwin brothers collaborated during the early 20th century to write some of the most memorable songs of all time, some of which feature in this show, including the title song and “Let’s Call The Whole Thing Off”, “Someone To Watch Over Me”, “Fascinating Rhythm”, “S’ Wonderful”, “But Not for Me”, “Lady Be Good”, “I’ve Got a Crush on You” and more.
includes Rob Mallet as Jimmy Winter, Grace Driscoll as Eileen Evergreen and Ashleigh Rubenach as Billie Bendix.
“I am so thrilled to be part of bringing the wonderful music of the Gershwin brothers to life,” says Grace Driscoll. “Oh, and have a barrel of fun while doing so!”
From Nov 18. Hayes Theatre, 19 Greenknowe Ave, Potts Point, hayestheatre.com.au
The phenomenally successful Halloween series is ending
Art in the Heart of Haymarket is a new festival being launched this October at the south end of the city. The diverse and exciting program is being presented by 4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art, which has been at the forefront of supporting and promoting Asian art and artists in Australia since 1996. 4A nurtures emerging artists and advocates for established artists, and has established a two way flow of Asian-Australian culture and artists with international organisations. Haymarket has long been a hub for Asian communities, with Chinatown at its core, the Chinese Garden of Friendship on its verge, and dozens of traditional eateries and businesses throughout the precinct.
Events take place throughout October and include performance, music, dance, visual arts and unique experiences.
This November, the Sydney Opera House will host an exceptional outdoor concert series as part of the venue’s year-long 50th anniversary celebrations. The Forecourt, Sydney Opera House’s largest performance space, will offer a spectacular backdrop between the white architectural sails and city skyline for the six-night event showcasing live music.
The performances include: Ngaiire and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra (10th November) – A free, one-off performance from ARIA nominated First Nations neo-soul artist Ngaiire, joined by the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. The performance will combine classical orchestral power with Ngaiire’s advanced R&B sound. Fat Freddy’s Drop (11th November) –New Zealand’s seven-piece powerhouse funk collective, Fat Freddy’s Drop will bring their funk, soul, jazz and high-tech beats to deliver one of the greatest musical celebrations of the year.
Tim Minchin (12th November) –Australian music and comedy rockstar Tim Minchin returns for a comeback show to deliver a set of brilliant songs that call upon the hilarity, music and slight madness of his celebrated career. Wahnha! Journey to Arnhem (17th November) – This free concert will engross you with storytelling, song
and traditional Yolŋu language and dance. Wahnha are touring outside the Northern Territory for the first time to showcase the strength of the music, activism and art from Arnhem Land. Vance Joy (18th and 19th November) – ARIA award winning folk-pop star Vance Joy returns to the Opera House with new music. Supporting Vance will be Indigenous singer-songwriter, Budjerah, who combines old-school soul and contemporary R&B to dazzle audiences nationwide.
10 – 19 Nov, Forecourt, Sydney Opera House, Bennelong Point, sydneyoperahouse.com.au
The program includes kids activities such as drawing workshops with Korean comic artist, Meg O’Shea; a dance battle in the streets with Destructive Steps Dance Association; and a Queer Haymarket Tour with MaggZ and Michael Sun. The festival will peak over two weekends. On October 22 and 23, the Haymarket gallery will launch the Bollywouldn’t exhibition and feature two days of exciting free events across LGBTQIA+
and South Asian diasporic performance, music, poetry, installations, workshops and food.
Art in the Heart of Haymarket will have a continuous grand finale celebration spanning October 29 and 30, featuring over 50 artists and performers and a program of arts, live music, tarot, tea, food, live shows, beats in the evening and lots, lots more.
For full details visit: 4a.com.au/ahoh
BY EVIE MCLOUGHLIN
P
acific Runway 2022 will take place at the Powerhouse Museum. The annual event, originated in 2012 by Jannike Seiluli, celebrates Māori and Pacific Islander models, designers, stylists, event managers, and photographers with a program of workshops, cultural talk sessions, hair and beauty demonstrations, live music, and Pacific Runway’s famous fashion show.
Denver White, a Polynesian woman, has the exciting opportunity to participate in this year’s show.
“The Pacific Runway production allows for the Polynesian culture to be shared. It showcases our heritage and stories about our beliefs, as well as cultural traditions in an entertainment manner which can be portrayed and absorbed exactly as presented,” she told City Hub.
“Being a half-caste Polynesian myself, there’s not much representation within these sectors such as fashion. I have always been proud of my heritage and this production allows me to be a representation for my niece and nephew and any of the younger generations to come. Pacific Runway paving the way on inclusivity and how we can share our culture in the future.
“It gives not only designers of Pacific
descent a platform to showcase their art, designs, and talent, but it also allows for more inclusivity within the modelling realm. It showcases the vast difference in appearances of people e.g., facial and body structures to colouring of skin and hair and its diversity across the whole Pacific.” Oct 27, 5pm – 9pm, FREE entry, Powerhouse Museum, 500 Harris St, Pyrmont, www.pacificrunway.com.au
Hoerder is a Rotuman-German designer who will present at Pacific Runway.
Photo: Facebook_ Pacific Runway
T his year marks 100 years since the very first Vinnies Shop opened on King St, Newtown, and the charity is celebrating this October. Back then, in 1922, the shop sold bags of horse manure; these days it sells just about everything else. Vinnies Shops now dot the landscape throughout NSW and the rest of the country, raising funds for the St Vincent de Paul Society to assist people experiencing hardship and disadvantage.
To celebrate the centenary of Vinnies Shops, the organisation has placed 100 brand-new clothing, accessories, and homewares items in select shops around the state. The goods have been generously donated by brands including Alex and Trahanas, Bassike,
Blanca, Double Rainbouu, Dylan Kain, Ellery, Furla, Henne, Jac + Jack, Jets, Kathmandu, Lee Mathews, Matteau, Mulberry, Mulberry x Acne Studios, Reliquia, Sarah Jane Clarke, Seafolly, Shona Joy, and many more.
The brand-new feature items have a gold ticket attached and will sell at the usual Vinnies bargain price. You can hunt down the goodies at Vinnies Shops in Armidale, Belmont North, Bondi Beach, Brookvale, Casino, Dubbo, Paddington, Parkes, Picton, Newtown, Springwood, Sutherland, and Wagga Wagga.
Finding a golden ticket isn’t the only way to win a prize. Buy any item from any Vinnies Shop from October 24 to November 6, scan the QR code at the counter and you’ll go into a draw to win one of several big-ticket items.
But, no matter what happens, when you visit a Vinnies Shop you’ll feel like a winner, because not only have you saved yourself loads of money, you’ve helped save the planet. Vinnies charity Shops divert tonnes of usable goods away from landfill.
By promoting re-use and extending the
lifespan of so many items, Vinnies is helping to change the social mindset of “fast fashion” and disposability that leads to waste and excessive production. Furthermore, the money raised by Vinnies Shops goes towards funding St Vincent de Paul Society in its support for people
experiencing hardship with food, clothing, household bills, crisis accommodation, healthcare, educational programs and much more.
So it’s a win, win, win when you shop at a Vinnies Shop. www.vinnies.org.au/shops
Stockland (the proponent) proposes to develop a two-storey warehouse at 2-8 Baker Street, Banksmeadow, NSW 2019 (the study area). The study area is located in the Bayside Local Government Area (LGA) and within the boundaries of the La Perouse Local Aboriginal Land Council (LALC).
The proponent has received approval of its proposed development as a State Significant Development (SSD) under the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979. Planning Secretary’s Environmental Assessment Requirements (SEARS) SSD-48411467 were issued on 12 September 2022. Item 18 of the SEARS requires provision of an Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Assessment Report (ACHAR).
The proponent has engaged Artefact Heritage to complete an ACHAR to assess the heritage values of the study area including consultation in accordance with the Aboriginal cultural heritage consultation requirements for proponents 2010 (DECCW 2010).
The contact details for the proponent are:
Marcus Meadows Development Manager Commercial Property | Stockland
Stockland, Level 27, 133 Castlereagh Street, Sydney NSW 2000 Phone: 02 9035 3034 Mobile: +61 418 408 717
Artefact Heritage is inviting registrations of interest in the project from Aboriginal groups and individuals who hold cultural knowledge relevant to determining the significance of Aboriginal objects and/or places in the Banksmeadow area. Please note that the consultation guidelines require us to provide details of the Registered Aboriginal Parties to Heritage NSW (formerly Office of Environment and Heritage) and to the La Perouse (LALC). In your response could you please advise if you would not like your details to be included.
Please register your interest in the project by 27 October 2022, by contacting:
Kelly Barton
Artefact Heritage
56, Jones Bay Wharf, 26-32 Pirrama Road
NSW 2009
The Darlinghurst Theatre Company will mount one of its most challenging and evocative productions to date – Let The Right One In – adapted for the stage by Jack Thorne. The TONY and BAFTA-winning writer of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Shameless and Skins based his script on John Ajvide Lindqvist’s best-selling 2004 novel.
Let The Right One In is quintessentially Nordic noir. Violent, macabre, unnerving; it blurs the line between supernatural evil and the darkest elements of human nature.
There have been several film and television adaptations, and the better ones have been unflinching in their depiction of the haunting, stark Swedish landscape and extreme, very graphic violence.
On the stage, however, productions need to strike a delicate balance between emotional nuance and Shakespearean-level bloodbath.
Thorne’s script retains Lindqvist’s unmitigated horror, while allowing room to explore the themes of adolescent discovery, feelings of displacement, intolerance, uncontrolled anger and love in all its wondrous forms.
Directed by Alexander Berlage who brought American Psycho: The Musical to the stage (at The Hayes), Darlinghurst Theatre Company’s Let The Right One In has, in its central roles, two incredibly talented, versatile performers: Will McDonald and Sebrina Thornton-Walker. McDonald plays Oskar, a young, awkward boy who is ruthlessly bullied. He lives with his mother in an unappealing neighborhood on the edge of town. When a strange young girl, Eli (Thornton-Walker) moves in next door, she and Oskar are immediately drawn to each other by their mutual alienation from society.
“I think, at its heart, what you’ve got is a really tender, beautiful, teenage romance and coming of age story, with some super cool, horror and supernatural elements sprinkled on top. But I would say at the core of it, it’s really a beautiful love story between two outsiders who find a kind of hope – not only for themselves, but also for a better world and a better life – in each other,” says McDonald, giving his take on the play.
Thornton-Walker agrees, adding, “It’s a very hauntingly beautiful show, and as much as it is a vampire story or a supernatural story, it really does speak a lot on humanity and how love affects us and what people will do for love …
It’s a wonderfully diverse show in all forms of that word.”
The violence and horror that occur on stage are vivid but not gratuitous, nor overly graphic. Both actors feel that the juxtaposition of this violence with
the tenderness of their relationship intensifies each thing.
“I feel like you can’t have successful dark moments in a show if there aren’t beautiful light moments … like it would be a very exhausting experience. This show does have wonderful moments of sunshine that really do contrast with those horrific moments of darkness.
And so, without giving anything away, it’s a whirlwind of emotions. A bit of a rollercoaster and I think that’s what
makes the show so beautiful,” explains Thornton-Walker.
McDonald believes that the mix of elements gives it ambiguity, which begs certain philosophical questions.
“Where is the horror element coming from? Is it coming from what we perceive to be the supernatural and the inhuman, or is that violence […] coming from a place of very deep humanity. And what is our own role or complicity in allowing those acts of violence or excusing those acts of violence?”
McDonald and Thornton-Walker were close friends before being cast in this show, and that helped a lot in terms of feeling comfortable with each other and being able to try different things with their characters.
To prepare for their respective roles, McDonald went back to source material, especially the book, but ultimately relied on the script itself; Thornton-Walker, who is trans, already felt an affinity with Eli, and used much of her own life experience to inform the character. Neither actor wants to give too much away in terms of production elements, but (despite their earlier disclaimer) they do say there is “lots and lots of blood”. Also, a lot of theatre magic, including a “cheeky theatre trick” to make it appear as if they are exhaling cold air.
McDonald makes particular reference to the original music (James Peter Brown) and sound design (Daniel Herten).
“The music and the soundscape of the show … like, I think sonically it’s really going to aid in creating that world for people. It’s quite special.”
Thornton-Walker adds, “The discussions of horror and violence shouldn’t put anyone off. In the end, this is a sensitive story of two disenfranchised people who find each other. And it is a seat-gripping thriller. Whether or not you are familiar with the story via the book, film, TV series or have seen the play before, the Darlinghurst Theatre Company’s version of Let The Right One In promises something new.”
“This production is wonderfully diverse in the [sense] of our cast, our crew and our interpretation of the script. I think that’s quite a refreshing twist on this story that has been needed – and it lives within the text; it just hasn’t been done this way before. I think it’s going to touch a lot of people.”
The stage musical biography of one of the greatest living legends of popular music, Tina Turner, will open in Sydney in May 2023 but if you’re hoping to get tickets, you’d better get them now.
The Theatre Royal box office went into virtual meltdown when pre-sales opened for Tina - The Tina Turner Musical last month. It proves that the 82-year-old mega-star whose career began when she was just 18 years old, still has plenty of fans.
Anna Mae Bullock was born on November 26, 1939 in the city of Brownsville, Tennessee. Her family lived in a tiny rural community called Nutbush, located - you guessed it - on the city limit. Her childhood was filled with upheavals and instability and very strict religious doctrine. It was through singing for the Baptist Church choir that she - and the
world - first discovered she had been given a vocal gift from God. She met future collaborator, professional partner, husband and abuser, Ike Turner, in a nightclub and, as Ike & Tina Turner they became one of the major musical acts of the ‘60s and ‘70s.
After an acrimonious split, Tina Turner kept herself visible through television and other guest appearances, but it wasn’t until the massive break-out album, Private Dancer, in 1984 that she returned in all her glory to the spotlight. Her life has been told in film and television bio-pics, but arguably, only the glamour, sound, and big production elements of a stage musical can really do it justice.
Tina - The Tina Turner Musical comes to Theatre Royal, Sydney in May 2023. www.tinathemusical.com.au
BY RITA BRATOVICHOne of Australia’s most lauded musicians, Sarah Grunstein returns to the Sydney Opera House for a single performance this October. Grunstein is highly regarded and much in demand around the world. She is considered one of the foremost exponents of Bach, though she is equally engaging as an interpreter of classical and romantic composers.
Grunstein’s talent was evident from an early age. As a young teenager she played the classical piano parts for the score of Bruce Beresford’s iconic Australian film The Getting of Wisdom, which featured pieces by Beethoven, Schumann, and Thalberg, among others. From there, Grunstein established her career by graduating from the prestigious Juilliard School in New York and going on to perform in Italy, Austria, Hungary, the
U.K., New Zealand, and Australia. Over the course of her career, Grunstein has developed a keen affinity with the music of Bach and has drawn praise for her sensitive and intuitive renditions of his work.
“People ask me how I do what I do […]
Even though I am playing music that was composed for the harpsichord, I treat the piano as a piano and let my ‘pianist-voice’ speak. And keeping in my mind and heart Bach’s compositional language and what I believe his creative intent was, I go to town with it,” explains Grunstein.
She will perform Bach’s complex and beautiful Goldberg Variations on piano.
Grunstein will play in the intimate Utzon Room which has excellent acoustics and a stunning view over the harbour.
Oct 24, 7:30pm, Utzon Room, Sydney Opera House, Bennelong Point, www.sarahgrunstein.com
There is one theatre production element that has changed over time more than any other: sound. Sound represents anything auditory, be it the voices of the actors, background music and soundscapes (i.e. moving train carriage), sound effects, or silences (heightening the audience’s emotions). These sounds are either generated live (voice), outsourced via the internet, CD copies, or created/ recorded prior to a theatre play.
Sound Design consists of selecting, from the infinite options, a sound that perfectly reflects every emotion, scene, and moment - gunshots, ringing telephones & doorbells, automobile engines, music.
It works to captivate the audience and bring them into the realm of the play. It greatly contributes to the physical stage, filling in the sense of involvement
for the audience. For instance, the sound of modern nightclub music will set a completely different tone to 1950s jazz music.
Good sound design adds fluidity to the mood of the scene, while at the same time, it logically plays into the visual side of the play. Music can act as an exposition, notifying the audience about what to expect in the upcoming moments on stage and assisting them in making that mental transition swiftly and effortlessly.
From a technical perspective, the sound should ideally originate from the same direction as the performers, in order to provide consistency in the visual and auditory aspects. Technology, such as ‘directional loudspeakers’, ensure that sound travels in a set path to improve the quality of the play, instead of spreading across the entire audience landscape.
One of the biggest film franchises of all time, the James Bond series, will get a retrospective screening at this year’s British Film Festival.
James Bond is a fictional Cold War-era operative created by Ian Fleming in his 1953 novel, Casino Royale. He proved popular and Fleming featured him in an ongoing series of spy novels. Ten books and nine years later, in 1962, the first James Bond film was released: Dr No, directed by Terence Young.
Decades later, the James Bond franchise now encompasses twenty-seven films. The first actor to play James Bond was Scotsman Sean Connery, who was responsible for one of the most famous quotes in movie history: “My name is Bond. James Bond”.
The other Bonds include, David Niven, Geroge Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy
Dalton, Pierce Brosnan, and Daniel Craig.
The famous James Bond theme was composed by Monty Norman in 1962 for the film Dr No. Each movie also features its own theme song, with many popular hits being produced by the franchise over the years. The theme songs have been recorded by well-known artists including Frank Sinatra, Sheena Easton, Louis Armstrong, Shirley Bassey, Duran Duran, Madonna, Paul McCartney, and more recently, artists such as Adele, Sam Smith, Alicia Keys, and Billie Eilish. The Cunard British Film Festival Bond retrospective will feature 14 films, with seven separate double feature screenings over four different Sydney locations. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit: britishfilmfestival.com.au
One of the most successful horror films ever made is the American slasher flick Halloween, released in 1979, and starring Donald Pleasence as a concerned psychologist and Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie Strode, the young damsel in distress. The film was written and directed by John Carpenter. The story centres on a murderous character named Michael Myers who escapes a mental institution fifteen years after murdering his sister on Halloween night in 1963, and returns to the small town of Haddonfield to continue the barbaric slaughter. It wasn’t long before Halloween II surfaced in cinemas in 1981, followed by Halloween III: Season Of The Witches - a disappointment as the original cast was absent and the movie followed a completely different storyline. Pleasence returned for the next three
sequels, but it wasn’t until Curtis resurrected her character in Halloween H20: 20 Years Later in 1998, that interest was reignited.
Curtis appeared in the next sequel and skipped two.
Forty years after the original film, Curtis returned for Halloween (2018) and then Halloween Kills (2021), both monstrous hits.
To date this cinematic low budget horror franchise has earned US$775 million worldwide.
Just in time for Halloween this year, the final chapter in this highly successful franchise comes to cinemas. Halloween Ends brings Curtis back to the big screen in what promises to be the most violently horrific in the series, as her character Laurie Strode and Michael Myers have a confrontation like no other and fight to the bitter end!
In Cinemas Oct 13
BY MARTIN FABINYIcontroversial end to the “forever war”.
I
n its 11th year, the Antenna Documentary Film Festival screens an eclectic range of local and international non-fiction films during ten days in October. Along with feature and short documentaries, it also provides forums, seminars and Q&A sessions.
Festival programmer Tristan Deardon has curated a mix of 52 Australian and international documentaries. It has become the largest documentary film festival in Australia, with touring films an important part of the festival experience. Opening the festival is the Australian premiere of Retrograde by Academy Award nominated director Matthew Heineman (Cartel Land, City of Ghosts), which just had its world premiere at the Telluride Film Festival. The film follows the last months of the 20-year war in Afghanistan, capturing the turmoil as American troops pull out. A heartwrenching look at the aftermath of the
In collaboration with the National Film & Sound Archive, the festival will hold a retrospective of the American filmmaker, Les Blank with a curated selection of four features and three shorts from throughout his career.
One of the most important sessions is DocTalk, a full-day industry event featuring a curated program of masterclasses from Australian and international filmmakers. This year the international guests include Yvonne Ashley Kouadjo, the series producer of the award-winning short documentary series from the New York Times; Alon Schwarz, the director of Tantura; and Oli Harbottle, Chief Content Officer for Dogwoof, the distributor behind the Michael Hutchence biopic Mystify.
Oct 14 - 23, Dendy, Palace Cinemas, the Randwick Ritz, the MCA and Event Parramatta. www.antennafestival.org
BY RITA BRATOVICH
Christoffer Boe’s Danish culinarythemed film is quite beautiful to look at and the performances are all very good, but the plot suffers from lack of credibility and not enough character development to build empathy. It also doesn’t help that the narrative has been chopped and reassembled out of chronicle order making it difficult not only to follow but to get invested in. Carsten (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) and Maggi (Katrine Greis-Rosenthal) have just opened their own haute cuisine restaurant in Denmark. Carsten is a master chef, Maggi is an astute, impartial critic of his creations. At the level at which they wish to operate it is imperative that they be awarded a Michelin star.
One night, a suspected Michelin inspector comes to dine and is
inadvertently served over-fermented lemon in the restaurant’s signature dish. Though the diner is never confirmed to be a Michelin inspector, Carsten goes into a tailspin of anger and despair. Maggi rushes out into the night in an ostensive attempt to find the inspector, but in reality, to confront the person who wrote a letter she intercepted that was meant for her husband, informing him she is having an affair.
The narrative jumps back and forth in time, filling in the details of the story. There are no real twists or surprises, if anything, most of the elements are pretty cliched. The gorgeous dish preparation in the opening scene is never repeated with the same intricacy and so the film doesn’t even have the same food-porn allure that similar-themed films do.
