City News 5 June 2014

Page 3

citynews.net.au

Sydney’s most comprehensive What’s On guide

Asbestos found in Waterloo Green public housing

Don’t fence me in

Page 16

Page 4

June 5, 2014

FREE weekly newspaper

Line crossed in police crackdown on jaywalking

the reel deal Our picks for the Sydney Film Festival

Page 13

BY Declan Gooch A police blitz on jaywalkers and cyclists has begun in the CBD, despite ongoing concern about the lack of pedestrian-friendly design in the cardominated inner city.

The crackdown is part of Operation Pedro, launched by NSW Police at the end of last month.

An Alternative Media Group of Australia employee, who wishes to remain anonymous, reported seeing clusters of police at Town Hall last week, handing out $67 fines for pedestrians illegally crossing the road.

The employee told City News that two officers said they had each personally issued around 85 jaywalking fines each by about 7.30pm with many more police in the area. .

The crackdown appears to reinforce the dominance of vehicle traffic in the CBD. This conflicts with calls by councillors and experts to make the area more amenable to the 600,000 pedestrians who make their way through the city centre each day.

“It’s my strong preference that we ... encourage people to get on their bikes and to walk where possible,” said City of Sydney councillor Linda Scott.

“I think always in the first instance, seeking to make the city safer and a friendlier place for pedestrians and cyclists would be far more preferable.”

Fellow councillor Angela Vithoulkas is also strongly critical of the operation.

“People are actually very terrified and upset when they get pulled over and issued a fine for walking across the road,” Cr Vithoulkas said.

“Pedestrians are not the menace … most of the city is not pedestrianfriendly and we do our best to get from one side of the street to the other.”

In NSW, pedestrians can be fined if they cross against the red signal, if they cross the road less than 20 metres from a marked crossing, or if they obstruct traffic, according to Pedestrian Council chief Harold Scruby.

“It’s a pedestrian-hostile city,” Mr Scruby said. “You’ve got to get people

walking through cities and you’ve got to make it feel like the pedestrian is king, not the car.”

Mr Scruby argued that shifting the city planning focus from cars to people would give business a boost.

“People don’t shop from cars, they shop when they walk,” he said.

Despite calling for greater harmony between pedestrians and motor vehicles, the Pedestrian Council has worked extensively with NSW Police in developing Operation Pedro.

Police issued 346 jaywalking-related infringements alone on May 29, the first day of the operation, across the Sydney, Parramatta and Liverpool CBD areas. However, police reported issuing only seven infringements for jaywalking-related offences the following day. Cyclists were hardest hit, with 174 infringements issued for riding offences that day.

The city’s hostility to pedestrians was underscored during a 2007 visit by renowned Danish city planner Jan Gehl. His report to the City of Sydney found pedestrians, who make up 90 per cent of all trips in the CBD, often had to wait up to two minutes to cross.

“We do sympathise with pedestrians who find it hard to wait that long at an intersection,” Mr Scruby said. “But at the same time, we don’t advocate breaking the law.”

Buttons at pedestrian crossings do not have any effect between 7am and 7pm Monday to Friday, and the timing is controlled automatically based on vehicle traffic flow, rather than pedestrian numbers.

Mr Scruby supports the antijaywalking measures as a move to save lives, following three pedestrian deaths in Sydney over the last six months.

A 40km/h city centre speed limit has also been announced by the state government in an effort to prevent more fatalities.

“The City is working on a range of initiatives to make Sydney a safer and more attractive place for pedestrians,” the Lord Mayor Clover Moore said.

Survey shows postal changes needed in Pyrmont

BY Declan Gooch Experts are calling on local retailers to adopt more flexible hours as apartment residents in Pyrmont raise concerns about problems receiving online shopping deliveries in the post.

A survey by residents has found that nearly half of all respondents have had deliveries returned because they were unable to collect them in time.

“There are a large number of people in Pyrmont who work in town and don’t get back to pick up their mail during normal hours,” said John Brooks of the Council of Ultimo/Pyrmont Associations.

“What happens is that ... if the

person isn’t home, [the courier] will leave a card that says the parcel’s at the post office. If the person doesn’t pick it up within seven days, it goes back to the mail exchange,” Mr Brooks said, adding that it would usually be returned to the sender from there.

Mr Brooks circulated a survey to around 2000 residents across five apartment buildings in Pyrmont.

Nearly 20 per cent responded, and nearly half the respondents said they have had deliveries returned.

In Mr Brooks’ own building of 180 apartments, there were 360 missed deliveries in one month, all of which are taken to the Pyrmont post office where they were waiting

Ross Muir of the PUCC hopes to see Saturday trading at the Pyrmont post office

for collection by the addressee.

The Pyrmont-Ultimo Chamber of Commerce vice-president Ross Muir sees the difficulty in receiving online shopping orders as a key opportunity for local retailers.

“There’s a little bit of reacting to consumer needs and their buying patterns that I think a lot of stores should look at, because ... people want to buy on their way to and from work,” Mr Muir said.

Karen Stiles, executive officer of the Owners Corporation Network, a representative body for apartment owners, said that dealing with post is often a problem with high-rise living.

“For those buildings that do have building managers, they may not have the time or storage capacity to manage the volume of incoming parcels,” Ms Stiles said.

“Residential buildings have not traditionally been designed to cater for this situation.”

Mr Brooks would like to see the Pyrmont post office open a hatch which faces onto Harris Street so that it can begin trading with minimal staff on Saturdays.

This may not be just a fantasy for long. An Australia Post spokesperson confirmed that while not all post offices would be open for business on the weekend, the organisation will begin to deliver parcels on Saturdays by the end of the year.

“The extension of weekend trading is a direct response to customer demand,” the spokesperson said.

Lockout laws: tough on crime, bad for business

BY Xiaoran Shi Despite recent reports of a considerable drop in the rate of violent crime in Kings Cross, business owners in the area are calling for an immediate review of the state government’s lockout laws.

NSW Police released figures this week indicating that violent offences committed inside licensed premises, particularly those located in Kings Cross, had fallen by 30.5 per cent during the past two years.

However, the laws only came into effect on February 24. As such, the figure is not a reliable metric for measuring the efficacy of the 1:30am lockout and 3am last drinks laws in curbing incidences of assault in the inner city.

NSW Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione nonetheless saw the statistic as a reason to congratulate the police force in carrying out the Baird Liberal government’s lockout laws.

“Police across the state are doing a great job in preventing violence in our pubs and clubs,” Mr Scipione said.

Small business owners in Kings Cross are less enthusiastic about the implications of the lockout laws.

Kings Cross Liquor Accord (KCLA) chief executive officer Doug Grand says that feedback from various KCLA stakeholders has suggested that the area is undergoing a greater decline in daytime trading than it has known in the past 50 years.

“If this continues without a proper review, then the area will be decimated,”he said.

Mr Grand estimates that a total of 200 jobs have been siphoned from Kings Cross since the laws were first implemented a little over three

months ago.

The KLCA CEO is also sceptical about the effectiveness of the laws in hindering violence.

Mr Grand instead drew a parallel between the diminished number of assaults with the diminished number of late-night patrons to the CBD’s pubs, bars and clubs.

But, the state government is showing no signs of backing down from its tough stance on alcohol-fuelled violence in the near future. A new spate of laws further tightening the service of alcohol in central Sydney was announced last Wednesday, and is set to come into effect in July.

It is worth noting that while assault offences committed inside licensed premises fell in the CBD by 15.1 per cent, figures for assaults committed outside them did not change, or at worst, increased marginally. This has raised concerns that the lockout laws have failed to address the root of the problem, and has succeeded only in pushing violence out onto the streets.

Kings Cross businesses suffering due to lockout laws

Rushcutters Bay locals fenced in over oval concerns Published weekly and distributed in the CBD, Pyrmont, Ultimo, Surry Hills, Woolloomooloo, Darlinghurst, East Sydney, Potts Point, Elizabeth Bay, Rushcutters Bay, Chippendale and Glebe. Distribution enquiries call 9212 5677. Published by the Alternative Media Group of Australia. While every effort is made to ensure accuracy of content, The City News takes no responsibility for inadvertent errors or omissions. ABN 48 135 222 169 Group Publisher: Lawrence Gibbons Group Manager: Chris Peken Group Editor: Xiaoran Shi City News Editor: Xiaoran Shi Contributing Editors: Paul Gregoire Contributors: Paul Gregoire, Declan Gooch, Xiaoran Shi, Nick Possum, Peter Berner, Joshua Tassell, Georgia Fullerton Arts Editor: Leigh Livingstone Live Music Editor: Chelsea Deeley Dining Editor: Jackie McMillan Advertising Managers: Toni Martelli, Robert Tuitama, George Tinnyunt & Mike Contos Design: Joanna Grace Publisher’s Assistant: Mirjana Laglija Distribution Manager: Danish Ali Cover: God Help the Girl Email: question@alternativemediagroup.com Advertising: sales@alternativemediagroup.com Contact: PO Box 843 Broadway 2007 Ph: 9212 5677 Fax: 9212 5633 Web: altmedia.net.au

If you have a story you’d like to tell us: citynews@alternativemediagroup.com

altmediagroup

altmediasydney

BY Declan Gooch Rushcutters Bay residents are up in arms over an upgrade to Reg Bartley Oval that they believe will fundamentally change the passive nature of the park.

The City of Sydney council is proposing replacing the timber picket fence around the oval, which was built in 1885, with a metal lookalike for maintenance reasons. Council is also planning a significant lighting upgrade for the oval, which would see an increase in brightness, and the height of existing lights doubled.

Former Deputy Lord Mayor Dixie Coulton opposes the planned changes, which she says will drastically alter the purpose of Reg Bartley Oval.

“Obviously, what they’re planning to do is to hire that space out on a professional basis to … [sporting clubs] there at night,” Ms Coulton said. “It’s not an SCG oval, it’s not a sports stadium. This is a community.”

In a report presented to council at a meeting in February, director of city projects and property Michael Leyland wrote that the lights will be upgraded in order to meet the Australian standard for outdoor sports lighting.

“The new lighting will meet Australian quality standards and make the oval, canal path and foreshore safer in winter for the hundreds of existing park users,” a council spokesperson said.

But Ms Coulton sees any upping of the oval’s capacity to host sporting matches as a threat to its heritage significance.

“It’s really changing the nature of that park away from a passive park where you do have low-key sporting events and enjoyment to walk around and do what you like,” she told City News.

Ms Coulton is also concerned about the potential for light to spill into surrounding residential apartments, despite arguments made by council that the taller light posts will help better direct light downwards.

“Do you know any lights that don’t spill? [This is] one of the most densely populated areas in Australia,” Ms Coulton said.

Another point of contention for local residents has been council’s intention to replace the 129-year-old picket fence around the oval.

According to Mr Leyland’s report to council, the fence “requires regular repairs to address broken pickets, wood rot in the support structure and vandalism (graffiti), and is in need of full replacement”.

Potts Point and Kings Cross Heritage Conservation Society president Andrew Woodhouse says council has been inconsistent in answering residents’ questions.

In a letter from the council’s legal department responding to Mr Woodhouse’s enquiries about the fence, it is stated that no

decision will be made until reports are circulated at a future council meeting where “members of the public will be able to address the committee in relation to the matter.”

However, a council spokesperson has told City News that the City will go ahead with its plans.

The spokesperson also said that the council meeting to facilitate community consultation regarding proposed changes to the fence, which was mentioned in the letter, will be to assess the two tenders received to replace the fence.

“Cricket balls hitting a timber

fence will bounce off it, but cricket balls hitting a metal fence will dent the fence. It will also probably require more maintenance in the long run,” Mr Woodhouse said.

Both Mr Woodhouse and Ms Coulton argue that council should submit a development application for the site, which is on Crown land, but this idea was rejected by a City spokesperson.

“A development application is not required for these works under state planning laws,” the spokesperson said.

Dixie Coulton at Reg Bartley Oval

3

Asbestos found in Waterloo Green public housing

Photo: Paul Gregoire

BY Paul Gregoire City News can exclusively reveal that the six high-rise public housing buildings located at Waterloo Green contain asbestos.

The hazardous material was found to be decaying in sealing joints around windows.

A tenant from the Marton building on Cope Street approached City Hub after a contractor told her the building would not be waterproofed as it was riddled with asbestos.

But, the NSW Land and Housing Corporation (LHC), which is part of the Department of Family and Community Services (FACS), has affirmed it is in the process of replacing window joint sealers in all buildings.

“The Land and Housing Corporation is

The Marton building in Waterloo Green

4

currently undertaking work to replace window joint sealers in Waterloo Green to help fix water leaks,” a FACS spokesperson said.

“Traces of asbestos may be found in the sealing material around the windows during this work and the accepted industry standard is to either remove the material or to cover and encase the material.”

Public housing tenant Ross Smith said that although asbestos is present, he does not believe it is a health concern.

Mr Smith also argued that while the contractor did have the equipment to remove asbestos, LHC took the cheaper way out.

“The property owner took the short-term, cheap option against the long-term, better value option,” he said.

The anonymous Marton building tenant said she suffers from cancer and is concerned about the effects of asbestos on her condition.

“I can’t imagine how just sealing it over somewhere would be sufficient. They’re drilling stuff as they’re sealing and I know that drilling compromises the integrity of it,” the tenant said.

City of Sydney Greens councillor Irene Doutney says asbestos is a common problem in public housing and believes that the only way to address the problem is removing it.

“I would have thought knowing the terrible consequences of even a small amount of asbestos being released [would mean] that the optimum solution would always be to remove asbestos if possible,” Cr Doutney said.

“I think the evidence is in on the effects of asbestos and the fatal effects it can have on people many years after their initial contamination.”

Aboriginal tent embassy reclaiming the Block

BY Paul Gregoire An Aboriginal tent embassy was established at the Block in Redfern on National Sorry Day last week to protest the Aboriginal Housing Company’s (AHC) planned Pemulwuy project.

The project, which had its development application recently approved, will provide for a commercial precinct, student accommodation and affordable housing for the Aboriginal community.

While funding for the retail precinct and student accommodation is guaranteed, no funding for the affordable accommodation aspect of the project has been secured.

One of the founding members of the AHC, Jenny Munro, who also camped at the original tent embassy in Canberra in 1972, is concerned that current AHC chief executive Mick Mundine may not go ahead with the affordable housing component.

“It should be our people housed first, not last. Mick is effectively dispossessing us again,” Ms Munro said.

“His statement … that this is private land, not Aboriginal land, is the biggest insult you can give to Aboriginal people.”

Ms Munro believes that as the AHC already has backing for the commercial development from construction company DeiCorp,

this will be the focus of the project.

Mr Mundine dismissed this claim, arguing that the AHC was currently negotiating with the government about funding for the affordable housing component.

“Our main focus is affordable housing. On the Block land itself, we are building 62 affordable houses. That’s approved in the DA,” Mr Mundine said.

“Building for the commercial part will start this year and we’ll work hard with the government to start the affordable housing next year.”

The AHC was established in the early 1970s to provide lowincome housing for the Aboriginal community. However, the last tenant in the original terraces on the Block was evicted in 2011, and the terraces torn down soon after.

Kaye Bellear, who was also a founding member of the AHC along with her late husband Bob Bellear, the first Indigenous judge in Australia, is calling for a return to the original AHC mandate.

“The membership should be opened up … a new board should be voted in and then people need to sit down and work out how they can house Aboriginal people on that block,” Ms Bellear said.

Ms Munro said the tent embassy would remain in protest until the community “[got] satisfaction ... and these issues are addressed by the membership and the board.”

The tent embassy has grown from one tent set up on the first day, to a ring of tents, on what has become one of the highest priced vacant blocks in the inner city.

Photo: Chris Peken

exclusive

Jenny Munro (second from left) says the Aboriginal tent embassy is here to stay

Another stolen generation as forced child removals increase in NSW

6

Ms Collins calls for a system where FACS would work in conjunction with families and communities in order to encourage families to stay together.

“We’re demanding a better way to prevent removals, rather than the first response be to come in, take our babies and then we’re left to fight for years for the return of them,” Ms Collins said.

Social justice activist Olivia Nigro said that there are more Aboriginal children being forcibly removed from their homes now than at any other time in Australian history.

She advocates that families must be given more control.

“FACS is conducting the removals without the necessary consultation both with the family themselves nor with the Aboriginal-run services within the community,” she said.

“Aboriginal communities must have control over the decisions that affect their lives. The care and protection of Aboriginal children must be decided by Aboriginal families and their service providers.”

Ms Nigro pointed out that the underlying cause of the forced removals is a lack of understanding within FACS of cultural differences in parenting methods.

“A child may not be parented by two parents alone. They might be parented by ten family members because of the collective parenting model that is culturally historic to

Aboriginal families,” Ms Nigro said.

“Neglect is often the biased opinion of a case worker. If children run around barefoot, that’s neglectful. That’s not neglect. That’s a different way of being.”

Debra Swan was a FACS child protection case worker for 13 years until earlier this year, when she quit her job due to her disagreement with the department’s lack of consultation with Aboriginal families. “[The department] does assessments and they make comments about people, but they don’t give them reasons as to why they’re unsuitable,” Ms Swan said.

Photo: Chris Peken

BY Paul Gregoire A nationwide crisis in the forced removal of Aboriginal children has been labelled as another stolen generation by many Indigenous community leaders.

The most recent Productivity Commission report outlines that New South Wales has the highest number of forced child removals in the country, with one in ten or a total of 6200 Aboriginal children in out-of-home care.

In NSW, forced removals of children are carried out by the Department of Family and Community Services (FACS).

A group called Grandmothers Against Removals (GMAR), which formed in Gunnedah at the beginning of this year, organised 15 protests across the country on National Sorry Day, May 26, to highlight the crisis.

Hazel Collins, a founding member of GMAR, knows from past experience that the effects of forced removals will impact future generations.

“I’ve had grandchildren removed.

My grandmother and my aunty were removed. The impacts of their removal and the experience that was inflicted on them is still devastating,” Ms Collins said.

“This [process] is continuing and we grandmothers of today are suffering the same atrocity, racism and violence.”

“Everything they do is Westernised so it makes it difficult for Aboriginal people to meet their expectations.”

NSW Greens MLC David Shoebridge said that since the 1997 Bringing Them Home report was released, there has been a five-fold increase in the number of Aboriginal children removed.

But, Mr Shoebridge is hopeful about potential change in the future.

“The national day of action saw some 15 protests and it’s that act of self-will by Aboriginal communities that’s going to ultimately demand and achieve change,” he said.

“I don’t think change will be driven by the department, by FACS. It’s going to be forced upon them by the community.”

Hazel Collins and Debbie Swan are united in opposing forced removals

news in brief Food system flawed says new book A new book exploring the political side of food by a senior lecturer at the University of Sydney will be launched this Thursday, June 5.

In addition to being a key researcher at the Sydney Environment Institute, Dr Alana Mann also teaches media studies, public opinion and international relations at the Department of Media and Communications.

Her latest book Global Activism in Food Politics: Power Shift examines a grassroots movement instigated the Latin American peasants’ organisation, La Via Campesina. The movement is campaigning for “democratic alternatives to an industrial food system controlled by agribusiness companies and the architects of unfair trade agreements”.

Fellow academic Dr Bill Pritchard, who is associate professor in human geography at the Faculty of Science, believes the book is a stepping stone to raising awareness about the dark side of food production.

“This is an important book for anyone interested in

understanding the failures of the current world food system, and wanting to find pathways towards a better one,” he said.

Flying Spaghetti Monster wants legal recognition The Australian Pastafarian Lobby (APL) has launched a campaign to make the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster an officially recognised religion in Australia.

This localised move came after a court in Warsaw, Poland recently overturned a 2013 decision barring the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster from registering as a religion.

An APL spokesperson who goes by the name of Cap’n Cannonballs Pasta said the tide was turning for Pastafarianism, with recognition of the religion’s legitimacy growing worldwide.

“We’re takin’ this opportunity to declare that we’ll now be pushing for the same religious equality in this kangaroo-infested land,” the spokesperson said.

As well as worshipping “a sentient levitating mass of carbohydrate-rich pasta” known as the Flying Spaghetti Monster, the APL website also describes the religion as aiming to “foster a more compassionate, just and moral society”.

By Joshua Tassell As work begins on the State government’s Albert ‘Tibby’ Cotter Bridge across Anzac Parade, political and community groups have called for work to cease. The $25 million pedestrian and cycleway aims to connect Central Station, Moore Park and the Sydney Cricket Ground, positing improved pedestrian and cyclist safety as a major benefit.

Parliamentary Secretary for Roads and Transport, Ray Williams, described the Moore Park area as ‘one of Sydney’s key cultural precincts…attracting almost 1.5 million spectators and event patrons and up to 350,000 pedestrian and cyclists annually.’

Roads and Transport Minister Duncan Gay described the rationale for the bridge, pointing out its’ positive safety and transit aspects.

‘Anyone who attends events at the Sydney Cricket Ground or the Sydney Football Stadium well knows the safety aspects of walking back to the city. It is difficult to get across Anzac Parade, and that is why the Government is building this bridge.’

However, community and parliamentary groups have expressed outrage over inconsiderate placement and design of the bridge. There are concerns that the bridge will be underutilized since it is a block away from Fitzroy Street, which is the usual pedestrian route to the SCG. Greens MP Dr. Mehreen Faruqi has called for work to stop and for the state government to go back to the drawing board on the proposed Moore Park Bridge.

An artist’s rendering of the proposed Albert Tibby Cotter bridge

8

‘Despite widespread condemnation and concerns with the proposed Moore Park Bridge, the government has already begun work on this expensive bridge that doesn’t meet the needs of the community,’ she stated.

Sydney Cricket and Sports Ground Trust chief executive Jamie Barkley is confident the bridge will satiate community needs, citing the SCG Trust’s master plan that aims to make the Moore Park sporting precinct world-class.

‘The Tibby Cotter Bridge will be a boon for fans and the broader community, allowing them to cross one of Sydney’s busiest arterial roads safely and easily.’

City of Sydney Councilor Jenny Green expressed outrage over the blithe consideration of 78 community objections to the proposal.

‘To have submissions close on April 13, and have these plans ready to start on May 19 clearly indicates that Roads and Maritime Services was merely ticking a box requesting submissions in regard to this proposal.’

Lord Mayor of Sydney Clover Moore is also critical, stating that ‘the design of the bridge is highly intrusive with an excessive impact on Moore Park; its assessment does not address cumulate impacts and alternative access options in conjunction with planned light rail;

and there are significant concerns that the bridge will not provide an effective pedestrian and cycle link.’

Ms. Moore has asked for a State-City working group to be established to formulate long-term alternatives to pedestrian and cyclist issues.

Despite increased bike patronage across the City of Sydney, the bridge will not link established cycleways, requiring cyclists to cross a set of busy bus lanes to rejoin the Anzac Parade cycleway.

President of BIKESydney David Borella expressed concern over the lack of multi-model integration considered for the bridge.

‘There are obvious alternatives that serve the interest of all stakeholders including cyclists and pedestrians, such as including a crossing of Anzac Parade for pedestrians and cyclists in the tram tunnel they’re about to build. It doesn’t stack up.’

Minister Gay responded to community concerns in Parliament, stating ‘this bridge has been widely lauded by mainstream communities and the sporting community… This bridge will provide a high-capacity pedestrian link from the city to the events precinct at Moore Park.’

Ms. Faruqi labeled Mr. Gay’s comments as ‘condescending and outrageous.’

‘Given the significant opposition to the bridge in its current form, and the complete lack of meaningful consultation, the government must go back to the drawing board and cease work.’

Cartoon: Peter Berner

Mounting calls to cease construction on “intrusive” Moore Park bridge

A mad act of infrastructure vandalism

By NICK POSSUM I got back to Central station just after six on Friday evening. The intercity was comfortably populated going out of Newcastle station, nearly full leaving Broadmeadow, and packed to the gunwales fr m Gosford on. Lots of folk were going down to Sydney for the weekend to take in the Vivid light art festival.

I’d spent a couple of days in Newcastle investigating the link between local politicians and developer groups.

It’s a seedy story that’s been going on for an awfully long time and the recent ICAC hearings have only given the public a peek at it.

Of course I went up on the intercity train. It’s a trip I’ve

10

always loved. Coming down the Cowan Bank from Cowan to the Hawkesbury River in the early morning, with mist on the river, and rolling right alongside Mullet Creek is a beautiful experience. From Gosford on, the line winds through forest most of the way to Newcastle.

The train takes you right into the heart of Old Newcastle with its atmospheric streets and fine, old buildings. Once, just a few years back, the place had a seedy, unloved feel to it – a lonely, early-Sundaymorning sort of quality, but not any more. Over the last few years, good, organic, redevelopment began.

Businesses came back and new residents moved in.

I had an hour before my first meeting, so I walked through the riverside parkland to Nobbys and the beach and back past the old fort at Flagstaff, through the old streets with their terrace houses and back into town.

Later, waiting for my contact at a bar at Queens Wharf overlooking the river I felt I could almost reach out and touch the container ships and tugs as they slid by, going upriver on the glassy water.

But my whole happy experience might be doomed, my contact explained. The Baird government appears to be rushing towards the closure of the two and a half kilometres of the rail line between Wickham and Newcastle station.

For the last 20 years, a seedy

collection of developers have lobbied successive governments to rip up the tracks, add the railway corridor to the narrow strip of land between the rail lines and the river, and open the land up to “revitalisation”.

Successions of developer spin doctors have presented the railway as some sort of ghastly barrier between the people and their waterfront. They were only interested in what was best for the city and its people, they claimed.

On the ground it rapidly becomes apparent that it’s a nutty pitch. There are already six pedestrian bridges between Newcastle and Wickham and a level crossing.

Over the years, any number of cost-effective and attractive schemes to create more pedestrian crossing points under or over the lines, or even across them, have been proposed. But the developers just stick to their story and their lobbyists just keep lobbying.

Actually, they’re interested in getting their hands on the only remaining land in the CBD where they can build high-rises.

The rest of the district is undermined by old coal mines and remediation before any site was suitable for 20-storey buildings would be an expensive nightmare, involving the pumping of tens of thousands of tonnes of concrete into the old workings.

This grand developer conspiracy has bubbled along for years,

involving a succession of halfwitted government ministers and developers like Nathan Tinkler’s Buildev Group. All the while, the renewal they said would depend on closing the rail line quietly went ahead. Indeed it depended on the existence of the line.

The Baird government has just closed the deal to sell the Port of Newcastle on a 99-year lease, with the promise that, when they close the line at Wickham, they’ll replace it with a new interchange station and a light rail line running along Hunter Street at a cost of $460 million.

Anybody wanting to get to the CBD would have to transfer at Wickham

to get to the shops, businesses, hotels, parks and the beach.

Essentially what Baird is doing is using the proceeds of the port sale to build a very expensive and inferior transport solution so they could virtually gift the freed-up real estate to their developer mates.

A recent survey by the Newcastle Herald showed that 72 per cent of Novocastrians are opposed to the plan. They tend to agree with the very active Save Our Rail group who’ve been fighting this nonsense for the best part of two decades.

With just nine months until the next state election, the question is whether the government already reeling from the ICAC revelations can be stopped from a mad act of infrustructure vandalism.

Novocastrians demonstrate against closure of the city’s rail line outside state parliament recently

Local film raises awareness about women’s homelessness Historic newsagency

By Georgia Fullerton Bondi local Genna Chantelle Hayes is set to premiere her latest film, which delves into the plight of women’s homelessness in Sydney.

Surviving Bug, directed and written

by Hayes, follows the journey of a 17-year-old girl struggling to live on the streets after she finds she is pregnant.

Ms Hayes said that filmmaking seemed like a natural career choice for her as she grew up telling stories from a young age.

“I always loved writing and acting. There are more great actors than there are great stories out there. I wanted to start creating on the story side and one thing led to another,” she said.

The film stars Sydney actress Zoe Carides, who believes it’s refreshing to see young female storytellers.

“I had a strong feeling that I wanted to be involved in something like Surviving Bug, something that would elucidate some dark area of life like this has,” Ms Carides said.

“I’m always fascinated to see young women writing and directing, I think it’s excellent.

[Women’s homelessness] is also a very worthy thing to shine a light on.”

The significance of the film’s subject matter also ensured that Ms Hayes was able to secure funding with relative ease.

“I wanted to keep the budget as small as possible. It’s a passion project, therefore I wanted

12

everybody to get involved because they really cared about the project. We contacted [CEO of Homelessness NSW] Gary Moore and within twenty minutes of talking to him, he contacted Domestic Violence NSW and they matched each other for funding.”

Mr Moore says Surviving Bug is just one way of raising awareness about domestic violence in the community.

“Domestic violence remains on the rise. It is so important for the broader community to understand that it is never acceptable and that we can all do things to prevent it.

Genna’s film is one way to help drive this message home,” he said.

Pursuing an acting career that led her around the world, Ms Hayes found the issue of homelessness to be inescapable.

“In cities from San Diego to Marrakech to Sydney, it’s an issue that is so widespread. There are people suffering everywhere and it is really hard as the cost of living is getting higher and higher, which is a major contributor to women and young girls becoming homeless,” she said.

Out of the 1.3 billion people who are homeless in the world, 70 per cent are estimated to be women and children.

“While equality is moving forward, women in many countries

are still not seen as equal. There is a lack of access to education that limits women being able to make their own money and take care of their children independently,” Ms Hayes argued.

The issue is a timely one, with the state government recently cutting funding for women’s shelters in Sydney. Five million dollars will be diverted to regional areas, meaning 20 homes around the inner city will close in July.

“It’s just crazy. How can homelessness in our society not be a priority? We have to take care of each other,” Ms Hayes said.

Bondi local Genna Chantelle Hayes’ film Surviving Bug sheds light on the plight of homeless women in Australia

in the Rock set to close

BY Xiaoran Shi A historic retail storefront in the Rocks shut its doors for the final time last Tuesday.

Sydney Cove Newsagency, which is a hop, skip and a jump away from some of the city’s most expensive real estate, closed down on May 27 due to rent-related issues.

City News was informed of the closure by the previous proprietor, who began leasing the space more than 20 years ago. The man, who wished to remain anonymous, alleged that the Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority (SHFA), as the body responsible for land management in the Rocks, had increased rent for the property by “about 60-80 per cent”.

The SHFA dismissed this allegation, saying that as per the stipulations of the five-year lease signed by the tenant in 2009, the rent would increase by three per cent upon renewal.

The tenant told City News he believed the closure of his business was reflective of the government’s neglect in nurturing ongoing entrepreneurship in the Rocks.

He pointed to initiatives such as the Rocks Pop-Up Project,

which encouraged artists to make temporary use of vacant buildings, but did not plan, in his opinion, for long-term solutions to vacant space.

“It’s the Liberals in power.

Aren’t they supposed to support small business owners like me?” he said.

However, the SHFA pointed out that commercial vacancy rates in the Rocks have been in decline, dropping to 6.27 per cent, and outperforming the rest of the CBD which sat at more than nine per cent.

Although the Authority said it had been lenient in extending the lease beyond its expiry “to assist the tenant’s exit of the premises,” the tenant claims the SHFA informed him the nature of his business was not “necessary” and could be taken “out of the Rocks”.

When approached for comment, a SHFA spokesperson affirmed that according to industry research, “newsagencies, as a retail category, are in significant decline”.

The tenant was initially given orders to vacate the premises by May 31, but the matter is now under mediation.

The 61st Sydney Film Festival

By Mark Morellini The Sydney Film Festival promises to be bigger and better this year, screening 183 films, shorts and documentaries from 47 countries, of which 122 are Australian premieres. With attendances steadily climbing in recent years, this festival’s longevity resonates its popularity.

This year the SFF will screen in even more venues including the Skyline Drive-in Blacktown, which will present a special 40th anniversary screening of the Texas Chain Saw Massacre.

The vast array of provocative, controversial and entertaining films will ensure there’s something for everyone, with selected screenings also being attended by the stars of the films.

The opening and closing night extravaganzas, after parties, exhibitions, public talks, live performances and 25 free events highlight that this festival has thrived into Sydney’s biggest cultural event.

There are so many high quality films to choose from, and we’ve narrowed down the best Alternative picks to see at this year’s SFF: You’re Sleeping Nicole is a quirky and delightful film which revolves around a girl in her twenties who plans a quiet time away whilst house-sitting during summer.

But when her brother moves in with his band intent on rehearsing and a younger boy falls madly in love with her, her plans go awry. Beautifully filmed in black and white.

Jun 12, Dendy Opera Quays; Jun 15, Events Cinemas, George St. Tamako In Moratorium is a bitter-sweet comedy divided into four seasons, about a girl who returns from college and defies her father’s expectations of making something of her life. He instructs her to look for a job but she stays at home evading responsibilities, whilst her father goes to work and handles all the household chores. Will Tamako arise from her slumber?

Jun 9 & 14, Event Cinemas, George St.

We Are The Best is the energetic and feel-good story of three vivacious 13-year-old girls growing up in ‘80s Stockholm, Sweden. Klara and her best friend Bobo have no musical talent whatsoever, but through sheer determination set up an all-girl punk-band.

Incorporating a wonderful punky soundtrack, this film is suitable for the whole family.

Jun 8, Event Cinemas, George St; Jun 15, Dendy Opera Quays.

Starred Up is directed by David Mackenzie and written by Jonathan Asser. Starring Jack O’Connell and Ben Mendelsohn, the film is based on Asser’s experiences working as a voluntary therapist. When a troubled teenager is sent to jail he clashes with a prisoner who coincidently is his father. This gritty

and violent prison drama is one for action enthusiasts.

Jun 15, Dendy Opera Quays & Event Cinemas, George St. Miss Violence is the story of an 11-year-old girl who mysteriously suicides by jumping off a balcony. The police investigate what they believe to be a suicide, but the mystery deepens, as her family seem unmoved and claim the girl’s death was accidental. What is the secret that Angeliki took to her grave?

Jun 5, Event Cinemas George St; Jun 10, Dendy Opera Quays.

For Those Who Can Tell No Tales centres on an Australian lady who travels to Bosnia for a summer holiday. Upon her return she discovers the hotel she stayed at was utilised during the Bosnian War to

Goal Of The Dead

torture and rape women. More than 3,000 Bosnians were murdered there as part of the ethnic cleansing.

Unnerving but vital viewing.

Jun 5 & 7, Event Cinemas George St. Of Horses And Men is a wondrous and at times hilarious film which explores the relationship between people and horses in Iceland. A romance blossoms between two locals and their respective horses and this sets off a chain of tragic, funny and erotic events.

Filmed in the mesmerising beauty of Iceland.

Jun 12, Event Cinemas George St; Jun 15, State Theatre.

Goal Of The Dead is a comedy horror film which will have soccer and horror film fans flocking into the cinemas. When a player takes a questionable performance-enhancing substance, he transforms into a blood-thirsty zombie and soon zombies multiply, feeding off the flesh of unsuspecting spectators and causing mayhem.

Jun 9 & 15, Event Cinemas George St. In Order Of Disappearance is a hilarious actionpacked comedy which audiences won’t soon forget.

Nils is a model citizen but when his innocent son is needlessly murdered, he jumps on his snow plough intent on revenge. War is declared on the mafia lords involved and Nils’ hilarious and murderous quest for justice commences.

Jun 7, State Theatre; Jun 11, Event Cinemas George St. The Fake is a dark and sinister animated drama which aims to expose Korean Society. Religion is utilised to rob the poor of their savings, as seen when the new pastor in the village expects everyone to donate their monies to the church. Thought-provoking and brutal.

Jun 9, Event Cinemas; Jun 15, Dendy Opera Quays.

Sydney Film Festival: Jun 4-15, various venues incl.

State Theatre, 49 Market St; Event Cinemas, 500525 George St; Dendy Opera Quays, 2 East Circular Quay; Sydney Film Festival Hub at Town Hall, 483 George St; $19:50-$145 (10 film pass), sff.org.au

13

EAT & DRINK

The Tilbury “We smash Kingsleys!” Chef Elton Inglis – who has worked with Gordon Ramsey and Jamie Oliver – isn’t backwards about coming forwards regarding the quality of his cooking or his chosen produce.

In this case, it’s New Zealand’s Riverlands beef fillet served en croute in Beef Wellington ($35). It has a neighbouring table of British nationals smiling and keen to share their recommendation. We cement the friendship by sharing our Truffle Oil and Parmesan $ - mains less than $15

$$ - mains between $15-$22

ROCKS & CBD Seawall Bar & Restaurant With the controversial Barangaroo precinct drawing closer, neighbouring Walsh Bay has seen some interesting developments.The immediate good news for residents and theatregoers is that Seawall have scored Chef Dion Green (ex-Bondi Hardware) in the kitchen. His silky Ricotta Gnocchi with Moreton Bay Bugs, Peas, Zucchini Flowers and Pecorino ($25) is worth the visit. Imaginative dishes, including a beautifully presented Stuffed Calamari with Chorizo, Potato, Onions, Squid Ink Vinaigrette and Tomato Jam ($20), are supplemented by a small but interesting wine list including a citrusy, seafood-friendly 2012 Jamsheed Madame Chardonnay ($10/glass). Or

By Jackie McMillan Mash ($7) – possibly order overkill – because Elton’s crisp Berkshire Pork Belly ($29) already came adorned with black pudding, savoy cabbage, carrot fondant, onion puree and compressed apple. His modern interpretations of British comfort food are perfect for a drizzly Sunday afternoon. Alongside his silky Pappardelle with Braised Oxtail Ragout ($29), my menu highlight was Chicken Liver Parfait ($16) with an architecturally arranged pile of curved toast, golden raisin, pickled cauliflower, hazelnuts and kiwi berry. Pan-seared Scallops ($24) on a bed of watermelon fried off in scallop juices and deglazed with raspberry vinaigrette provided a great foil for the 2013 Oliver’s Taranga Vineyard Vermentino ($12/glass). It’s but one option from their short but interesting by-the-glass list that we explored thoroughly, as neither of us were in a hurry to leave the light-drenched setting, or the comfortable, long, leather banquette…

12-18 Nicholson Street, Woolloomooloo (02) 9368 1955 tilburyhotel.com.au Modern Australian, Pub Bistro $$$-$$$$ $$$ - mains between $22-$30

indulge in Oysters ($3.50/each) - best with mignonette vinaigrette - and the cocktail list standout: the Don Fulano Blanco Tequila Jalisco Mule ($19).

Shop 6, 17 Hickson Road,Walsh Bay (02) 9252 7995 seawallrestaurant.com.au Seafood $$$ Chefs Gallery The duck pancake is dead – long live shredded Peking Duck Roti Wraps ($16.90/6 pieces)! They’re my highlight of the revised menu, centring upon Chapas – Chinese style tapas. Before you wince, recall the Chinese have shared small dishes – dim sum – since the Han Dynasty; and reduced portions means more things! Start with vinegarbased Seaweed Salad ($6.90) before moving onto Chinese dude food: tasty Macanese Style Pork Fillet and Floss Mini Burgers ($15.90/3 pieces). Unleash

$$$$ - mains over $30

you inner noodle star at a Hands On Noodles and Chapas Feast ($69/head) where the Master Noodle Chef will take you through stretching, piping (and eating) noodles including handstretched Squid Ink Noodles ($20.90) wok-tossed with mussels, calamari and buttery garlic sauce.

Shop 12, Ground Floor Regent Place, 501 George Street, Sydney (02) 9267 8877 chefsgallery.com Chinese $$-$$$ DARLO, KINGS X & SURRY HILLS Sugarcane Restaurant In hip Reservoir Street, it pays to stay relevant, so Sugarcane Restaurant has morphed into a South East Asian hawker canteen.The welcoming interior features stripped-back walls,Thai street-

Greenheart Espresso Bronte’s loss is the city’s gain, with the owners of much-loved La Locanda, Andrea Vagge and Fiona Bloomer, setting up shop on Kent Street. Fiona cites kids and fitting in with “a Monday to Friday lifestyle” as the reason for their shift, adding (with a laugh) that since opening they’ve learned city “people like salads and not so much sandwiches.” While sangers might have been Andrea’s initial idea, he seems to have made a seamless shift from cooking Italian cuisine to style graffiti and colourful hanging silk handbags.While the updated menu reflects Sydney’s obsession with smaller, sharing portions, favourites like Crispy Chicken, Blood Plum ($17) remain. Bitesized Prawn, Rice Cake, Caramelised Sugarcane ($4/each) suit cocktails like Jasmine-Tea Infused Gin, Lime and Sugar ($17).They’ve also got a cracking little wine list. Jamsheed ‘Le Blanc Plonk’ 2013 ($9/glass) was equally at home with flaky Malay Roti ($10), as it was with Pork and Prawn Dumplings ($16), stretching to accommodate Green Papaya Salad ($19) with chef’s unique salmon update.

40A Reservoir Street, Surry Hills (02) 9281 1788 sugarcanerestaurant.com.au Pan Asian $-$$ Bishop Sessa With Chef Paul Cooper’s cooking already on point – my beloved Scallop Ceviche ($18) with cucumber, avocado

coming up with bespoke salads. His belief in premium ingredients remains evident across the ever-changing selection that includes Roasted La Ionica Chicken, Israeli Cous Cous, Moroccan Carrots ($14) with yoghurt dressing. My pescatarian friend tucked into a half’n’half selection of Tuna, Green Beans, Shaved Fennel and Radicchio ($14) in balsamic, and the vegetarian Soba Noodles, Tofu, Bean Sprouts, Chilli and Crispy Shallots Thai-style ($14). If you’re not carbohydrate phobic – as the largely female clientele appear to be – there’s also an excellent house-made Chicken Sausage Roll ($6.50) or daily pizza sold by the slice. Hipster designer favourite, Matt Woods, responsible for Bloodwood and Newtown Social Club, has transformed the small space into a vibrant aquamarine break from the drabness of the central business district. His fixation with exposed light bulbs and dangling cords continues unabated.

432 Kent Street, Sydney (02) 8084 5954 facebook.com/pages/GreenheartEspresso/648104028564490 Café $

and ginger beer sorbet remaining on his updated menu - restaurateur Erez Gordon has focused his tender care elsewhere. Upstairs he’s added a wall-length, quintessentially Sydney cityscape. Downstairs he’s very invested in the floor, explaining the nose-totail philosophy, constructing original cocktails, like the appetite-inducing Gin Yum ($17.50), and providing personalised wine service.The 2008 Tibooburra Solitude Vineyard Pinot Noir ($77) over-delivered with a surprising floral edge against Aylesbury Duck Breast with ‘Ducketta’ ($33).

The best dish I ate – an unctuous jowl of Melanda Park pork with Hawkesbury River calamari and corn – is on the outstanding value six-course Degustation ($69/head).

527 Crown Street, Surry Hills (02) 8065 7223 bishopsessa.com.au Modern Australian $$$$ Jonkanoo

Just when you’re bored with Mexican and Korean spinoffs, authentic Caribbean bursts onto the Sydney scene. In a beautifully decorated pale blue and white weatherboard setting, you’ll eat small tings and bigga tings; indeed heaps of tings you will adore!

Lusting for the accompanying coconut bread and ‘slaw, I ordered Jerk Pork ($16/half pound, $32/pound).While Oysters Natural with ‘Jamaican Gravy’ ($3.50/each) amused with pickled vegetable ‘gravy’ served in a Captain Morgan Rum bottle, my favourites were Trini Carnival Doubles ($12) overflowing with curried chana, pepper and mango. Soused Mackerel ($16) served with ginger ale and sweet potato chips tastes quite fishy, suiting a good slather of the on-table Uncle Tyrone’s Caribbean sauces.

583 Crown Street, Surry Hills (0415) 922 240 jonkanoo.com.au Jamaican $$$

EAT & DRINK

Hotel Centennial As I peruse the menu, ABC Radio’s Simon Marnie is tucking into three courses of roast pheasant at a neighbouring table. Catching his eye, he ventures over and, with the assurance of a regular, recommends Fig and Caramelised Onion Flatbread ($19) dotted with goat’s curd and lemon thyme.

It’s but one way to try out the glowing wood fire oven, which adds to the homely nature of this EASTERN SUBURBS

GoodTime Diner While The Eastern’s newest diner still looks very much like the former ill-fated Greek restaurant Anatoli, the food comes through with the goods. As the big sister to GoodTime Burgers, they pride themselves on ‘low and slow’ cooked meats like 6-hour BBQ Pork Ribs ($39). If you don’t want a feast, the snacks - like Tortilla Chips with Guacamole and Salsa ($12) and tasty little Mac’N’Cheese ($8) – are good too.

You can also get sizeable burgers – Juicy Lucy ($15.50) had us in awe over her mozzarella-stuffed wagyu patty.The pick of the cocktail list is the Texas Old Fashioned ($17) with bacon-infused bourbon, garnished

By Jackie McMillan refurbished pub. Homely if you live in The Hamptons that is - oozing casual, spacious luxury. The kitchen delivers a similar style of modern comfort food to neighbouring Chiswick, but let me tell you, when Executive Chef Justin North writes: “flavour is the only true hand to guide you”, it’s no glib aphorism.

His dishes – from Shank and Shoulder Shepherd’s Pie ($26) to Wood Roasted Lamb Loin ($36) with rich, juniper pickled blueberries, a tangle of pea sprouts and goat’s curd relief - contain flavour in spades.

Green harissa sees Broccoli, Flat Beans and Smoked Almonds ($15) pop like fireworks; and golden Royal Blues Roasted in Duck Fat ($9) might even make new Aussie restaurateur Heston Blumenthal smile.

Clever steering to a fruity yet dry 2013 Aubuisières Vouvray ‘Cuvee Silex’ Chenin Blanc ($64), and the Chocolate Ale Cake ($14), ensure I’m already plotting when to return for more.

88 Oxford Street, Woollahra (02) 9362 3838 hotelcentennial.com.au Pub Bistro, Modern Australian $$$$

with a bacon ‘swizzle stick’. Loosen your belt buckle and indulge!

The Eastern, Level 1, 500 Oxford Street, Bondi Junction (02) 9387 7828 goodtimediner.com American, Burgers $-$$ Shuk Bagels may have started the ‘Jewish food’ craze but Shuk continues it with a melting pot of traditional and modern Israeli flavours with some Mediterranean touches. By day it’s a bakery/restaurant/pickled food store. By night, you can be tempted

by Haloumi ($12) with walnut, honey and coriander seed, or share Cured Beef with Kale and Provolone ($16). House-Made Gnocchi ($24) with mint pesto (from their garden), tomato and baked ricotta is delicious, but it’s hard to beat juicy Roast Chicken ($28) marinated in

Spakka-Napoli Positioned right at the end of a weirdly shaped arcade, and saddled with a quirky spelling of Spaccanapoli (the main road that bisects historic Naples), this restaurant certainly makes you work for your reward. Those handy with map apps and Google searches are remunerated with lightly charred, puffy-crusted Neapolitan pizzas, emerging from a central wood-fire oven. Danny Sibillo and Luigi Peluso met whilst working

INNER WEST The Workers This’ll bring a tear to the eye to Labor Party faithful who remember the glory days of Whitlam, Hawke and Wran.

They’re the dudes on the roof – the question Bar Manager Jeremy Baldi gets “asked the most”. Mosey across the Astroturf,Woodlands Margaret River Chardonnay ($43/bottle) in hand, to gaze at photographic

in a Naples pizzeria, so all is forgiven when Danny – whom I last met at his Watsons Bay Sicilian: Gusto – tells me: “the name reminds us of home”. He’s quick to offer us the Monday/ Tuesday special – three “tapas” dishes and a cocktail for thirty bucks. The Amalfi ($14.50) makes me rethink my ambivalence toward limoncello by teaming it with vanilla vodka and orange juice; while their namesake Spakka Napoli ($13.50) is robust sangria. It’s guaranteed to complement their generous terracotta pots of Meatballs ($9.50), Eggplant Parmigiana ($10.90) and my favourite – Pollo Alla Cacciatore ($9.90).

Each dish comes with a unique red sauce, and with a side order of bread, they leave us just enough space to share the Eggplant Sausage Pizza ($22.90) special. It’s further improved by chilli sauce, which probably should come with a warning label, or at least an imported red-label Peroni ($7) to ease the pain.

Shop 13, 166-174 Military Road, Neutral Bay (02) 9908 7045 spakkanapoli.com.au Pizza, Italian $$

cooking prowess on the high-tech grill.There’s Grass-fed Sirloin ($27/250g), grain-fed beef and Royal Cricketers Arms Snags ($20/3) – best have a James Thirty minutes and thirty years Squire The Chancer ($9/pint) while from Sydney is a pub where you decide. strangers chat, and Bar Manager Cricketers Arms Road, Prospect John Mundy uses common sense (02) 9622 6498 mycricketers. and conversation to enforce com.au the rule of law. Over an Old Pub Bistro, British $$-$$$ Speckled Hen ($11.50/pint) you Skyline Drive-In Diner might enquire after his jar of Collect a carload for a retro-style Pickled Eggs ($1.10/each). Eat “the dinner and movie ($10/head) at manager’s hangover cure” doused the recently remodelled Blacktown in Worcestershire and Tabasco right at the bar.Tuck into traditional Skyline Drive-In.You’ll feel like you’ve stepped onto the set of Toad in the Hole ($21) - three good-quality English pork sausages Happy Days with smiling staff in red-and-white candy striped baked in a Yorkshire pudding with mash and onion gravy; or flex your uniforms, Creaming Soda Spiders

GREATER SYDNEY

Mediterranean spices, with burghul pilaf and labne. Crème Caramel ($10) spiced with ginger and topped with pistachios ends the evening swimmingly. Go and break bread at Shuk – you won’t be disappointed.

2 Mitchell Street, North Bondi (0423) 199 859 shukbondi.com Middle Eastern, Mediterranean $$

($6) and the smell of buttered popcorn wafting through the air.

Their Peanut Butter Milkshake ($7) is so good you won’t want to share.The Classic Beef and Cheese Burger’s ($8) plump, chargrilled Angus beef patty leaves surrounding fast-food joints for dead.You can also indulge in Original Buffalo Wings ($9) served with ranch dressing; or follow my recommendation and gently squeeze a fat, smoked Frankfurt between a Chilli Dog’s ($8) soft white buns.

Cricketers Arms Road, Blacktown (02) 9622 0202 aturablacktown.com.au/food-drink/ American $

La Scala on Jersey

By Alex Harmon La Scala is very old meets new. While we wait for a table, somebody’s ‘Nonna’ arrives with a basket of heirloom tomatoes and is greeted by a handsome young waiter in a denim apron. This is the new look La Scala, with Tasmanian-born, Naples-raised Massimo Mele at the helm. His ‘everyone to the memorabilia.Tuck into Chihuahuas ($5.50/each) – mini Mexican hot dogs with grilled franks, jalapenos and cheese – searching for the birth of land rights: Gough pouring sand into Vincent Lingiari’s hands. Dude food like Más Verduras ($5.50/each) – fried zucchini tacos - and Quesadillas de Espinica ($13) – grilled spinach and ricotta tortillas - with a Blood and Sand ($16) Whisky cocktail help Wednesday night comedians go down.

1/292 Darling Street, Balmain 9318 1547 theworkersbalmain.com.au Bar Food,Wine, Cocktails $ JamVybz Restaurant & Café Despite Jerk Chicken ($17.99) creeping onto bar menus, there isn’t much authentic Jamaican in Sydney.

This brightly coloured Glebe flagship cooks it over wood-fire, coated with tasty jerk marinade producing bona

table’ philosophy is evident in the selection of tasty share plates on the menu. Do yourself a favour and order the Chickpea Pancakes ($18) – they’re crunchy cigars filled with mushroom and spinach, then topped with Gorgonzola sauce. Tuck into the Spicy Fried Calamari ($20), which actually is spicy and comes with a creamy aioli. Even his mains are presented with big scissor-like servers, so share away - even if you want to keep the whole bowl of Oxtail Ragu ($28) to yourself, like I did. The Barossa Elderton “Estate” Shiraz ($69/bottle, $14.50/glass) will smugly cut in on this dance. Slow-cooked Suffolk Lamb Shoulder Chops ($38) are melt-in-your-mouth good and come with a cute jar of salsa verde. Meanwhile, a side of Witlof, Radicchio and Pickled Beetroot ($12) almost steals the show with candied walnuts, goat’s curd and sour cherries. With city views, warm timber fixtures and engaging staff, La Scala certainly hits the high notes.

Corner Jersey Road & Melrose Lane, Woollahra (02) 9357 0815 lascalaonjersey.com.au Italian $$

fide falling-off-the-bone goodness.

Initiate yourself with the Chef’s Sample Platter ($18.99) bearing codfish fritters, jerk chicken wings and jerk prawn kebabs.With homemade ‘slaw and pineapple to sweeten the deal, it appeals to both seasoned and unseasoned Caribbean eaters.

“Reggae dancehall favourite” Curried Goat ($19) is deliciously tender, while Coconut Curried Shrimp ($22) is mild and easy to eat. Sweet Potato Pudding ($8.50) is warm and deliciously sweet, leaving you feeling the good vibes - driven home by the Bob Marley posters and tunes.

72 Glebe Point Road, Glebe (02) 9571 1158 jamvybzrestaurant.com.au Jamaican $-$$ Botany View Hotel The front bar feels like a scene from

Cheers - for locals, it’s clearly a place where everybody knows your name.

Drink specials abound: from ten-buck Aperol Spritzes “all day every day” to twelve-buck jugs of mainstream beers, to quirky Absolut Vodka ($25/4) mixes. On the menu put out

by Darley Street Bistro, the regulars are divided. One tells me: “it’s a bit over-rated, they put too many things on the plate,” but others swear by it. Greek Style Chicken Breast ($23) with skordalia, feta, oregano, tangy mash and a well-dressed tomato and cucumber salad was beaten by Beef Fillet ($31), loaded with bacon/thyme hash-brown, eschallot puree, garlic spinach, truffle brisket croquette and jus.

597 King Street, Newtown (02) 9519 4501 botanyviewhotel.com Pub Bistro $$$

FOOD NEWS With quirky names and crafty packaging under a brand that leverages off the Aussie birthplace of craft brew, the Sail & Anchor in Fremantle, I certainly picked up these beers thinking I was drinking craft brew. So it was a surprise to hear they’re actually fairly mainstream, available on tap in Australian Leisure & Hospitality (ALH) group pubs, like the Woolloomooloo Bay Hotel.After trying the range I will admit that for me, they outperform many mainstream beer competitors, so hopefully they’ll be an accessible bridge to consumers taking the plunge into drinking more of Australia’s smaller craft brews. So, having tasted the lot, the one I’d go back for is the nutty Boa’s Bind Amber Ale with the toasty malt Lark’s Foot Golden Ale coming in as a close second.You’ll also find a light, quaffable Cat’s Shank Kölsch; fruity Monkey’s Fist Pale Ale; and a seasonal autumnal red ale release called The Bloke designed in collaboration with the San Diegobased Karl Strauss Brewing Company. www.sailandanchor.com.au

BAR FLY

TAPEO Everybody needs a local; a place that’s warm and cosy and familiar. My first trip to Tapeo was for the welcoming daytime coffees of Dan the Man at sister Tapeo Bakery.

Next door,Tapeo Café is open 7 days from 7am.

The good news is that the café also has a night-time offering of Wednesday to Sunday tapas, wine, and cocktails. Before our visit, the Bar Bloke was excited about the wine list, which

By Rebecca Varidel unfortunately had a few black lines through it once we were there. Still we enjoyed whites, rose and reds by the glass, to lubricate the delicious small share plates, like scallops on rosemary skewers in a cream sauce. Had we had room, we would have stayed in theme and tried the sangria. Conclusion: Redfern and Tapeo are not just for locals - time to visit.

82 Redfern Street, Redfern (02) 8084 7237 tapeo.com.au

15

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Enlightened

It will be their largest and most ambitious collaboration to date, allowing Omega Ensemble to play some of the greatest and most technically difficult chamber symphonies.

Artistic director and clarinettist David Rowden is particularly excited for John Adams’ Chamber Symphony. “It’s very virtuosic, very difficult for every individual player to get it all right and then all right together,” he says.

“The story goes, in the final movement, Adams was listening to his son watching Roadrunner, the cartoon, and was inspired by it.”

For Omega Ensemble, who have just become the ensemble in residence, it’s a great honour to play at “arguably the finest concert hall in Australia”.

“The atmosphere and the acoustics in the recital hall – it’s the best hall I’ve ever played in.You can play the softest note possible and it can be heard in the back row,” says Rowden.

Wherever they are sitting, Rowden promises audiences will be “overwhelmed by the music they hear”.

Enlightened is sure to be an enlightening experience. (MT) Jun 7, City Recital Hall, 2-12 Angel Pl, Sydney, $65, (02) 8256 2222, cityrecitalhall.com

Why Torture is Wrong and the People Who Love Them Torture is how startlingly relevant it is to Australia now, it’s a very clever piece.”

The cast includes New Theatre debuts from Peter Astridge, Annie Schofield and Ryan Gibson. Rowston says: “It’s great writing, full of snappy one-liners and cutting wit. It explores not only what’s wrong with our governments, but also gender roles, relationships, notions of the nuclear family and what it means to live in a modern, global society. Even as audiences pick up on the more serious subtext, they’re going to find it highly entertaining.” (GF) Jun 3-28, New Theatre, 542 King St, Newtown, $17-32, newtheatre.org.au

Photo: Bob Seary

New Theatre will bring a provocative and sharp political satire to its stage over June. Why Torture Is Wrong and the People Who Love Them is the latest from acclaimed playwright Christopher Durang, who wrote it as a response to the ongoing war on terror.

A drunken blackout leads Felicity to wake to a startling reality; a quick-tempered, dubious stranger is lying beside her, convinced he’s her husband.Throw in a ministerturned-porn-director, a government operative in malfunctioning underpants and a secret agent with a talent for impersonating cartoons.

Director Melita Rowston says: “What really struck me about

16

a&e

Tales from Sydney’s colonial past largely come, it is impossible to deny, from one viewpoint - that of the colonisers, and often focus on conquest over cooperation.

Australia’s largest Indigenous performing arts organisation, Bangarra Dance Theatre, now brings to the stage a tale of trust and friendship from the opposite vantage point.

Patyegarang is based on the true story of a young Eora woman, who befriended Lieutenant William Dawes when he landed on Sydney’s shores in the 18th century.

Dancer Jasmin Sheppard, who plays the title role, reveals feeling inspired by her character,“I’m really fascinated with the fact that the two of them both really saw beyond the exterior and connected on a much deeper level which had nothing to do with the world’s they both came from,” she says.

For Sheppard, the medium of dance was ideal to describe the story of a woman who was,“not separate from her environment. She breathed the Eora land of Sydney Cove... and it’s more about creating an essence, and a spirit, rather than spoon-feeding

Winter

The essence of human experience is about connection with others and taking chances.

Theatre company Perosophia explore the concept of trying to find a way thorough the maze of relationship miscommunication in the Australian premiere of the Jon Fosse production,

The Boat People Inspired by one of the most hotly debated social issues of our nation, director Benedict Hardie’s latest project has been in the works for several years.

“This issue has been a difficult one in this country. In my mind it should not be an issue at all and I’ve been frustrated about it for a very long time,” Hardie explains. “When I could come up with a story that I felt engaged with this subject matter in a non-didactic way I got really excited.

I thought ‘This story stands on its own two feet rather than just a play about an issue or an idea’.”

Focusing on Sarah, who sailed to Australia with her husband, it follows

Patyegarang

her journey through their highly controversial business in Bondi all the way to parliament house. Starring talented comedians Susie Youssef and William Erimya, this brazen barrel of laughs will be a talking point.

“I hope that audiences find themselves watching a story that they would never have seen before, listening to voices that they’re not used to hearing onstage and gaining perspectives that they may not have had before,” Hardie says “But it is, first and foremost, a comedy,” he laughs. (CD) May 29-Jun 21, Bondi Pavilion Theatre, Queen Elizabeth Dr, $21-35, rocksurfers.org

17 STAGE 18 SCENE 20 SOUNDS 21 SCREEN

Arts Editor: Leigh Livingstone Music Editor: Chelsea Deeley

For more A&E stories go to www.altmedia.net.au

the audience.”

Performing this piece at the Sydney Opera House is of particular significance for Sheppard, as she notes, “Bennelong Point was a traditional site, which has been really amazing to learn of. I hope that [this piece] will really empower Sydney Aboriginal people to feel that there is a sense of reclaiming the whole city, the harbour, the Opera House.This is their story, this is their place, their stomping ground and it is time for them to have the limelight.”

(SW) Jun 13-Jul 5, Sydney Opera House, Bennelong Point, $29-89, (02) 9250 7777, sydneyoperahouse.com Photo: Greg Barrett

Omega Ensemble are pulling out all the stops for their upcoming performance, Enlightened. Not only are they collaborating with the prestigious Australian National Academy of Music, but are also joined by renowned French conductor Paul Meyer and principal cellist of the Australian Chamber Orchestra Timo-Veikko Valve.

Winter.

Director Jonathan Wald says the relatable production focuses on a man and woman who meet in a park and start a very odd relationship.

“It is a mystery around who they are and what they want,” he says.

“So many people in the world pass a stranger and have a fantasy of what it would be like to know them and never act on it, these people actually do act on it.”

The production focuses on the characters trying to figure out each other and forming a connection, as they are both lonely and longing for intimacy.

“Over the course of the play they explore both of their needs for comfort, intimacy and sex,” Wald says.

He also says the production is still inherently European, with added Australian theatre elements, creating a fascinating blend.

“Australia is creating their own theatre aesthetic based on European traditions, with the Australian character melded with it, I really love the combination,” Wald says. (SOC) Jun 7-22,The Old 505 Theatre, Suite 505, 342 Elizabeth St, Surry Hills, $18-28, venue505.com/winter

Contributors: Alexandra English, Alexis Talbot-Smith, Anita Senaratna, Anthony Bell, Catherine Knight, Cheryl Northey, Ciaran Tobin, Craig Coventry, Elise Cullen, Georgia Fullerton, Greg Webster, Hannah Chapman, Jamie Apps, Leann Richards, Lena Zak, Luke Daykin, Lyndsay Kenwright, Marilyn Hetreles, Mark Morellini, Mel Somerville, Melody Teh, Michael Muir, Michelle Porter, Peter Hackney, Rhys Gard, Rocio Belinda Mendez, Ruth Fogarty, Sean May, Sharon Ye, Shauna O’Carroll, Siri Williams

Photo: Blueprint Studios

Ruthless!

Shadow puppets may be child’s play but critically acclaimed theatrical performance, Shadowland, transforms mere silhouettes into an engaging and enigmatic night of surreal entertainment.

Created by experimental dance company, Pilobolus, in collaboration with Sponge Bob Square Pants’ lead writer, Steven Banks, Shadowland is an amalgamation of shadow play, music and dance.

Through an inventive weight-sharing approach to partnering and sculptural creation, bendy bodies are gymnastically transformed into various animals, shapes, monsters and objects behind a stage-size screen.

Set to a rhythmic original score by American musician, producer and film composer, David Poe, Shadowland is an

energetically innovative performance, which aims to entice and delight the whole family.

With an impressive number of performances in over 64 countries, Shadowland has established a name for

Shadowland

itself as a pioneer in modern theatre and dance.

Lauren Yalango, who plays the young and naïve Dog Girl, believes that the show’s success is due to its unique form, “It is accessible, non-pretentious, and simply fun. Shadowland has opened up a new medium to the world,” Yalango explains.

The performance not only pays homage to the transformative power of the dark but also the outstanding capability of the human body.

“There is no other show like Shadowland out there,” Yalango proclaims, “we also have a surprise finale for Sydney specifically, so come check it out!” (EC) June 17-20,The State Theatre, 49 Market Pl, Sydney, $89.90-98.90, 136 100, ticketmaster.com.au

Review

If Nine Network’s Power Games:The Packer-Murdoch War didn’t satiate your desire to see the country’s media moguls stripped, tarred and feathered, then The Young Tycoons is for you.

Darlinghurst Theatre’s current production marks the second revival of CJ Johnson’s unapologetic and funny satire on corruption, excess and the petty family feuds which play out in the public eye.

With a razor-sharp wit, Johnson paints a scathing portrait of generation X’s heirs to the media monopoly, while making a wider comment on the toxic masculinity and macho rivalry that pervades

The Theatre Division will produce the Sydney premiere of Ruthless! The Musical, a hit off-Broadway musical that won the New York Outer Critics Circle Award.

Ruthless! is a witty, dark comedy with an all-female cast. It centres on the entertainment business and the women who would do anything to get ahead in the industry.

“The director is female too. A nice powerhouse of women,” says Caitlin Berry, who plays the character Eve, who isbased on Anne Baxter’s character in the 1950 film All About Eve. The musical promises to deliver bright, bold show tunes while parodying Broadway and classic Hollywood films such as Gypsy, Mame,The Women and The Bad Seed.

“It’s fantastic if you want to come for THEATRE &

PERFORMANCE CRUISE CONTROL Three couples travel on the Queen Mary II seeking luxury escape. Instead, they find themselves confronted by a series of tensions – marital, sexual and cultural – that erupt when they all sit down for dinner.

Written and directed by Australia’s most celebrated playwright, David Williamson, the script is sharp and peppered with ironic one-liners and puns. There is a synergy between story and performance, creating a rhythm that makes the play absorbing and hilarious.This is helped by convincing

a laugh,” says Berry. “But it’s also a period piece, so if you’ve ever admired that period of classic Hollywood you’re going to love it.”

Ruthless! features an all-star cast with Katrina Retallick, Meredith O’Reilly, Margi de Ferranti, Caitlin Berry, and the iconic Geraldine Turner.

“It’s amazing to be in the same room as someone who is so revered,” says Berry on working with Turner.

“Her voice is so big and brassy, and it really tells of that era of the Broadway diva stars.”

This show won’t disappoint fans of the golden Hollywood era and Broadway.

(SM) Jun 19-Jul 5, Reginald Theatre, Seymour Centre, City Rd & Cleveland St, Chippendale, $39.20-49+bf, seymourcentre.com

performances from a superb cast, such as Peter Phelps as Darren, the brutish Australian.

Perhaps one fault is the staging of the dinner table. When seated some actors are turned away from the audience, but in a nutshell, Cruise Control is one of the best plays onstage in years. (MP) Until Jun 30, Ensemble Theatre, 78 McDougall St, Kirribilli, $30-69, (02) 9929 0644, ensemble.com.au MOJO Jez Butterworth’s savagely comic play is a thriller which examines the dark underside of the halcyon days of rock ’n’ roll with grim humour and strong language.

Mojo debuted on the West End in 1995, receiving the Olivier

Photo: Noni Carroll

The Young Tycoons Australian culture. Much of the absurdity and humour in the play comes from the sheer plausibility of the outrageous scandals it imagines.

In the wake of the recent Bondi street brawl between James Packer and TV executive David Gyngell, this is a show that feels more relevant than ever. Be prepared to laugh hard yet leave with the sobering knowledge that these are the characters pulling the strings in our commercial media. (CK) Until Jun 15, Eternity Playhouse, Darlinghurst Theatre, 39 Burton St, Darlinghurst, $30-43, darlinghursttheatre.com

Vedanta Ten-Minute Play Festival

Award for Best New Comedy. It also started a new wave of British gangster movies during the late ‘90s, including Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.

The testosterone-fuelled cast and local blues-rock outfits depict the London club scene of the 1950s.

The battle for power is revealed through zinging dialogue, live music and action-packed scenes. (CT) Until Jul 5,The Wharf, Hickson Rd,Walsh Bay, $50-99, sydneytheatre.com.au EIGHT GIGABYTES OF HARDCORE PORNOGRAPHY Greene’s play skews the stark contrast between our public and private selves. It examines two,

The creative energy of over 70 actors, writers and directors will explore the life and teachings of 19th century Indian reformer Swami Vivekananda through 22 plays set in the suburbs of both contemporary Australia and 18th century India.

The Festival is curated by Alex Broun, the former festival director of Short+Sweet Sydney and one of the world’s leading experts in ten-minute plays, he is assisted by festival coordinator Robert Grant and Eleni Panayi.

Grant says, “The plays present tales of the inspired and the troubled, the pious and the mysterious, the mystical and the humorous, the young and the old, from the Australian suburbs to the temples

average, middle-aged individuals who find themselves a long way off from the fantasy figures they see online.

With each of these individuals looking to the online realm for a little something more out of life, Greene aims to examine the “conflict between a digital pornographic fantasy and reality and how that vagueness bleeds into online dating.”

Acknowledging that there could be a fair amount of bleakness construed by audiences from the subject matter, Greene sees it differently.

“It is a comedy,” he says, “and it is important to me that the play is funny. It’s important that we can

and train stations of India.”

Eleni Panayi, writer and director of The Book - a play about a flamboyant Indian bookshop owner who becomes a mentor to a curious schoolgirl - says she hopes “people will develop a better understanding of Swami Vivekananda’s teachings through these powerful short plays and connect to a man who is still a major influence in India today.”

Robert Grant invites audiences to come on a journey of self-discovery with these diverse plays, which are all linked by the theme of humanity’s search for meaning and peace. (CN) Jun 6-8, King Street Theatre, 644 King St, Newtown, $15-25, kingstreettheatre.com.au

laugh at how bleak the world is sometimes.” (SW) Until Jun 14, SBW Stables, 10 Nimrod St, Kings Cross, $32-49, (02) 9361 3817, griffintheatre.com.au STRICTLY BALLROOM:THE MUSICAL Baz Luhrmann’s latest creation is bursting at the sequined seams of the Lyric Theatre in an explosion of colour and feathers.

Luhrmann’s holistic creative approach and boundless imagination means his hand is involved in every aspect of the production, from the design, to the direction and the music.The notes feel like they were written for the stunning co-lead Phoebe Panaretos (Fran)

who outshines all except the hilarious Heather Mitchell (Shirley Hastings). The talented Thomas Lacey (Scott Hastings) gives a solid performance as the male lead but is sometimes underwhelming on a very busy stage.

Catherine Martin’s costumes are yet another ‘win’ for the designer, referencing familiar elements from the film and successfully amplifying them for the stage.

Strictly Ballroom:The Musical is an entertaining, lively night at the theatre that will delightfully overload the senses. (LL) Until Jul 6, Lyric Theatre, Pirrama Rd, Sydney, $55-145, strictlyballroomthemusical.com

17

THE NAKED CITY

Vale the greasy spoon

Modulations

A new addition to Sydney’s Vivid Festival will host a collaboration of electronic music, performance art and installation.

Modulations is an initiative of Modular and Carriageworks and will take place over the June long weekend.

Organiser of Modulations, Stephen Pavlovic, thought up the idea after curating Vivid in 2011: “We wanted to do some things that were more expansive, I said I’d like to do something that would engage a little more of the visual, food, wine and lifestyle.

Carriageworks approached me a year ago about doing a music event for them, my idea was Modulations.”

Electronic duo The Presets will support iconic UK pop duo Pet Shop Boys. The Australian Chamber Orchestra will also provide accompaniments, taking audiences on a time-altering musical odyssey through 42,000 years.

Pavlovic says: “It’s a toe in the water at the moment but it will be a weekend of exploring different interests across food and music.”

Sydney restaurant Porteño will supply a rockabilly pop-up bar and grill, with Los Angeles-based experimental band, Liars, also set to play.

Liars frontman Angus Andrew says, “The essence of art is the mixture and the collision of different mediums. Modulations works with a lot of the ideas we’ve had as a band.”

Liars have been experimenting musically for 15 years now says Andrews, “Our music isn’t defined by any particular style, its all about the exploration. I want to feel like a child when I pick up a new idea because that’s a really exciting position to be in.”

Mess is the band’s seventh studio album and has seen them pushing the boundaries more than ever before.

“It was an exciting record to make because I put the parameters down. I wanted to make it really fast and I didn’t want to spend too much time overthinking decisions, in that way it became a very impulsive record.”

Andrews says their recording process can sometimes feel Schizophrenic.

“As soon as something starts to feel like I’m learning or I’ve figured it out and it starts to become easy then I feel the need to switch things up and start in a completely different direction.”

It seems as though Liars and Pet Shop Boys are the perfect headliners for an exploration of how music performance, art, installation and contemporary ideas intersect, overlap and influence at Modulations. (GF) Jun 6-9, Carriageworks, 245 Wilson St, Eveleigh, free-$135.60, carriageworks.com.au

Pet Shop Boys

Art – Nature – Wellbeing

By Coffin Ed, Miss Death & Jay Katz The U.K. still has plenty of them and in America they survive in respectable numbers despite massive competition from the all-consuming fast food and restaurant franchises. We’re talking greasy spoons, el cheapo, no frills, working man’s cafes and sadly in Australia they seem to be a thing of the past.

Whilst they still survive around the country in some of the smaller outback towns and the odd urban environment, in the greater city of Sydney they appear all but extinct.

The remarkable Oceanic Café at the Central end of Elizabeth Street survives and surely awaits a classification from the National Trust that will ensure its operation for decades to come.

Elsewhere around town it’s hard to think of anywhere you can get meat and three veg, or a big greasy breakfast, and still see plenty of change from a 10-dollar bill. For many years Kings Cross was the last bastion of the cheap sit-down meal with venues such as the Astoria and the New York Restaurant catering for a loyal crowd of old-school residents, itinerants and low budget travellers.

The New York, which for over a half century was housed in a number of locations around the Cross, occupied its final premises in Kellett Street up until a few years ago when increasing rental forced the owners to quit. It was legendary for its basic

18

old-style meals, quickly served with a minimum of fuss. For decades a bowl of chicken soup was available for less than a dollar and the rumour was a whole cooked chicken tied to a string was lowered into a pot of boiling water each time a bowl was served.

Apart from a cheap and nourishing meal, what the Astoria and the New York did offer, was solace for the solitary diner. These days the restaurant experience is generally shared by either a couple or a group of friends or family. Ask for a table for one and you’ll probably be viewed as some kind of social pariah. In the Astoria and New York solitary dining was more the norm than the exception and both venues were free of the kind of endless psycho-babble that can become deafening in many Sydney restaurants. The atmosphere was sombre, sometimes bordering on the melancholy, but not without the odd burst of laughter and a sense of camaraderie amongst the low-budget diners.

These days the Cross has plenty to offer when it comes to fast food outlets and restaurants but nothing that comes even close to the classic greasy spoon or a 99-cent bowl of chicken soup. Ironically a new kind of solitary diner has been spotted in the cheaper cafes and coffee shops around the area, staring vacantly into a laptop or iPad as they avail themselves of the free Wi-Fi. At least the noise level from conversation is kept to a minimum.

On the face of it, the world of art and the milieu of psychotherapy are two different domains. However, the field of art therapy combines them both.

An increasingly popular tool to address mental health conditions, art therapy is used in settings such as schools, detention centres, prisons, hospitals and private practice, with patients communicating their issues through painting, drawing and other artistic endeavours.

Inner West artist Martin Roberts explains: “It’s a useful way for people to express what mightn’t be easy to put into words. Clients can include people with learning disabilities, those for whom English is a second language, and sufferers of extreme trauma or abuse.”

Roberts, who is completing his Masters in Art Therapy at the University of Western Sydney, is co-curator of the Art – Nature – Wellbeing exhibition at Verge Gallery, Darlington.The exhibition will feature artworks by 40 artists (including Roberts and co-curator Dr Joy Paton) encompassing painting, drawing, textiles, sculpture, installation and digital media. (PH) Until Jun 8, Verge Gallery, University of Sydney, Jane Foss Russell Plaza, City Rd, Darlington, free, (02) 9563 6218, verge-gallery.net

‘Landscape’ by Hannah Factor, from the Art - Nature - Wellbeing exhibition.

One Year Performance 1980-1981 – Tehching Hsieh One Year Performance 1980-1981, documents 12 months in the life of artist Tehching Hsieh. During that period he committed to punching a clock each hour of every day and photographing the process. The result is a series of snapshots which display a man in various states of distress, sleep deprivation and boredom.

The pictures also demonstrate a disturbing uniformity.

In each image, Hsieh wears an anonymous grey shirt embroidered with his name. There is nothing to prove the passage of time in these stills except the slow growth of the artist’s hair. It is this comment on the bland sameness of working life, complemented with the blankness of his gaze, which conveys the power of the exhibition.

This piece is a confronting look at a society which insists on conformity and slow destruction of individuality. In this performance, Hsieh reflects on the futility of ordinary existence, and ironically its value and opportunity. (LR) Until July 6, Carriageworks, 245 Wilson St, Eveleigh, free, (02) 8571 9089, carriageworks.com.au

Michael Jackson Xscape Let’s be very blunt – you can’t turn shit into gold. Everyone knows this except, it seems, the producers behind this album of very ordinary Michael Jackson cast-offs.

Produced to within an inch of its life in an attempt to wring another hit album out of MJ, five years after his death, the songs here are turgid, boring and forgettable – everything MJ wasn’t.This reviewer intends to pretend this ‘new’ release never happened and enjoy MJ’s excellent back catalogue instead.

Oh, and a song called Do You Know Where Your Children Are? Seriously? (PH)

Astronomy Class Mekong Delta Sunrise Mekong Delta Sunrise is a juxtaposition of culture and tone.

Mixing modern rap and traditional Cambodian culture, spoken word and music in this controlled album; withheld energy never lets it break loose.

Astronomy Class brings a measured combination, with strange but harmonised elements for the pleasure of the listener.

Beginning with the calculated and thoughtful rap in Astronomy for the Masses, floating Asian influences and instruments stream through the album, blending dark and light sides of life across cultures.

This is a well considered album that enlightens the listener and allows them a view of the world outside. (SP)

Liars

Angus Andrews is a highly eloquent and analytical individual. As vocalist and guitarist of electro-rock trio Liars, he’s across every facet of their existence with a refreshing passion for the intricacies of their music and image. But ask this Aussie ex-pat about the decision regarding their coming performance for food and music celebration Modulations, and it’s a fairly simple response.

“It was friends mostly who suggested it and family living nearby,” Andrews says. “I feel like this trip is really just a pop in to say ‘g’day’ and then we’ll be back later to get stuck in and play around.”

As a band with seven albums under their belt, they’ve maintained a career that has spanned over the best part of a decade, with Andrews remaining the only original member of the trio. But rather than the usual negative connotations, it’s a cathartic and huge motivator for the creative

LIVE WIRE

Nai Palm: Very little artists follow their instincts no matter where it takes them musically. More power to this Melbournian madam whose fame with neo-soul group Hiatus Kaiyote has seen her earn a Grammy Award nomination for their song Nakamarra. This year she has been valued for her own merits. Prepare to be enlightened as to why high-profile musicians such as DJ Jazzy Jeff, Flying Lotus and The Roots claim themselves fans of her unique soulfulness.

processes of Liars.

“I think mostly it has to do with constantly challenging ourselves to evolve,” explains Andrews. “I’ve never been comfortable revisiting ideas and so each time we make a record it feels like a brand new experience. It’s kept Liars fresh and exciting.”

For many of its lovers, electronic music contains an enthralling and incredibly stimulating vibe, but for Andrews the process of making this kind of music is just as riveting.

“I think the tools are one of the most attractive things about this music, the electronic landscape is really an exciting and endless frontier of sounds right at your fingertips,” he reveals. “also it’s incredibly immediate.With more traditional methods of recording, I felt forced to remake songs in the studio with proper microphones and engineers.When you work primarily within the computer, the sounds you create are final. It removes the need for demos. I love that because nothing is lost in translation.”

Bringing them full-circle to their latest

Sydney Live Music Guide

Thu, Jun 5th, Newtown Social Club, King St. Laneous & The Family Yah: Their music feels like a sugar hit straight to the vein, so let loose to their punk-like electro mishmash. Bris-vegas born and raised, the quartet manage to envelope elements of hip-hop and rock and roll topped with ever-changing vocals to create a sound entirely their own. It’s been a career of non-stop touring for them so far, as they claim much cheering and positive reviews along the way – there’s very

little evidence of their chameleon-like music slowing down.

Fri, Jun 6th,The Basement, Circular Quay.

Ron Pope: His music has featured on major television shows such as The Vampire Diaries, 90210, and So You Think You Can Dance, as well as ten independently curated albums – impressive for a career that is only in its ninth year of existence.

Raised in Georgia, USA, Pope’s 2014 offering Calling Off The Dogs earned him a place on the legendary South-by-South West Tour

release, the January baby that is Mess - a creation that proves just how instinctive their musical tendencies are.

“It was much more up-tempo, immediate and positive than quite a few of our other works,” Andrews says. “For a while now I’ve felt like our music has veered toward a very cerebral and conceptual vein.

with rave reviews.

Sat, Jun 7th,The Factory Theatre, Marrickville.

Schoolboy Q: Showing his label-mate Isaiah Rashad our Australian landscape, this Californian MC will visit with his successful debut studio album Oxymoron under his belt. It contained collaborations with fellow hip-hop comrades A$AP Rocky, Action Bronson, Danny Brown and the happiest of them all, Pharrell Williams. The album has seen the rapper propelled alongside his idols Nas and 50 Cent.

Sun, Jun 8th, Enmore Theatre.

“I wanted it to be quick, to not give us any time to second guess impulsive decisions,” Andrews states. “It made it fun, experimental and immensely rewarding.” (CD) Jun 6, Modulations, Carriageworks, 245 Wilson St, Eveleigh, $49.80+bf, carriageworks.com.au

Delta Bombers: In a day full of sweet grub from Sydney restaurant Porteño, what better way to soundtrack your exploding taste buds than with some of the best bands from LA label Wild Records.Venturing non-stop to bring their rock and roll souls to attention, they travel down under with the ruckus riffage of Luis & The Wildfires and powerfully raw vocals of LA songstress Gizzelle.

Mon, Jun 9th, Carriageworks, Eveleigh.

The Mango Balloon: Jazzgroove you’ve done

it again.Yet another brainchild of local muso Julian Curwin, he weaves elements of jazz, western, Indian, gypsy and other exotic sounds to create an audible landscape fit for the most travelled nomads.

Featuring the talents of genre-bending violinist and viola extraordinaire Shenzo Gregorio, be prepared to hear those fantastic moments from his earlier release Volume 3 as well as unprecedented improvisation of the highest calibre. (CD) Tue, Jun 10th, Foundry616, Ultimo.

Edge of Tomorrow Tom Cruise returns to the screen in Edge of Tomorrow, the latest epic action thriller which is a cross between Groundhog Day and Aliens.

Set in the near future, the Earth has been invaded by aliens and Major Cage (Cruise) joins forces with Special Forces Vrataski (Emily Blunt) in a bid to eliminate these creatures.

Major Cage acquires the ability to time-loop, which is the resetting of his day every time he dies. This grants him endless attempts at defeating

the enemy.

The concept of the constant rewinding of the story is potentially laborious, but is surprisingly well-executed with clever editing and humorous elements within the script.

Edge Of Tomorrow is fanciful and far-fetched, in which the fundamental theories of physics and time travel have been re-written, but is indisputably an engaging and entertaining film.

(MM) WWWW

Kumiko, The Treasure Hunter

Kumiko,The Treasure Hunter is a drama which explores the ideal that obsession can lead to disillusionment and a slow path to self-destruction.

Kumiko (Rinko Kikuchi) lives a lonely and mundane life in Tokyo. Upon viewing a discarded copy of the American film Fargo, she obsesses the hidden fortune is real and embarks on a desperate quest to America in search of it.

She loses touch with reality and fantasy leads to danger.

Scripted with just the right balance of humour

Disney’s reimagining of the classic Sleeping Beauty tale is dark and beautiful. Maleficent brings the fairy world to life with stunning visual effects and fantastical characters.

The costumes and styling are perfect and aptly reflect both the mood and scenery.

Angelina Jolie gives a powerful performance as the scorned, infamous Maleficent. Shifting the focus from Aurora to Maleficent could have been dangerous but a well-written backstory and clever plot twists ensure that the character is enthralling enough to carry such a weighty project.

And it bears repeating – Jolie is magnificent. She revels in

the delicious malice of the character and reaches into the very depths of her soul to convey pain in the moments that change everything.

There comes a point when Aurora must fall victim to her sleeping curse and this is unfortunately the only downside in an otherwise entertaining film. Suddenly scenes become esoteric and trippy. The style is not in keeping with the rest of the film and it feels strange, especially considering director Robert Stromberg’s strong background in visual effects.

Perhaps this is the point, but it is jarring (LL) WWWW

Maleficent THE TRIP TO ITALY Comedians Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon reunite for a road trip around sun-drenched Italy in this entertaining follow-up to The Trip.

Once again, it’s an absolute blast watching the duo compete in a never-ending game of one-upmanship in which the currency is rapid-fire quips and uncanny, albeit increasingly loopy impersonations.

Yes, it’s inherently self-indulgent, and some of the humour is recycled from the previous instalment, but it is more than a Coogan/Brydon vanity project

– the pair’s musings on middleage, family, mortality and legacy will resonate with viewers long after they die of laughter. (JH) WWW½ GODZILLA America is “under attack” in this epic action adventure which sees the mega-monster’s return. In this mammoth-scale reboot, the imminent mating of menacing radiation-hungry mutations will render humanity defenceless.

The clichéd and cheesy storylines are interwoven with explosive CGI and eye-popping 3D effects, but sadly lack the

Eastern Boys

Eastern Boys is a controversial new film from France which will intimidate and unnerve audiences.

When middle-age Daniel (Olivier Rabourdin) invites a young male prostitute named Marek (Kirill Emelyanov) into his apartment for a discreet meeting, he inadvertently falls into a trap and has a gang of illegal immigrants to contend with. This is the catalyst to a psychological journey of fear, danger and desire.

Performances are powerful, notably from Daniil Vorobyev who is incredibly frightening as edge-of-your-seat excitement.

Momentum is slow and extended scenes of the monsters at war aimlessly rampaging become dull and repetitive.

Fans will be delighted, but others will question whether the world needed another Godzilla disaster film. (MM) WW CHILD’S POSE Cornelia (Luminita Gheorghiu) is an overbearing and overprotective mother. When her son, Barbu (Bogdan Dumitrache), is involved in a car accident that kills a child, she uses her

‘Boss’, the unhinged leader of the gang.

The script is risqué and gritty, effectively combining gang culture and the story of a building homosexual relationship. Sexual content is highly graphic which may offend some viewers.

Eastern Boys is a suspenseful and provocative film which will leave audiences extremely conscious as to who they invite into their homes. (MM) Sydney Film Festival, Jun 9 & 12, Event Cinemas, 500-525 George St, Sydney, $19.50, sff.org.au WWW½ wealth and affluence to stop the manslaughter charges.

Child’s Pose is incredibly worthwhile viewing because of its examination of contemporary Romanian society and an enlightening but tragic story.

However, the film does not allow the audience to feel empathy towards the main characters.

Both harsh and unforgiving, it is not until the last scene that guilt, love and social inequality come to a head. (ATS) WWW THE DOUBLE Based on the novella by Fyodor Dostoevsky, The Double stars Jesse Eisenberg

and drama, audiences will anticipate the direction this film is taking. Comic elements stem from the delightful and quirky characters Kumiko meets on her journey, characters who are complete opposites to her.

Kumiko,The Treasure Hunter is an enjoyable film which thrives from its originality and good performances from a little known cast. (MM) Sydney Film Festival, Jun 9, State Theatre, 49 Market St, Sydney; Jun 10, Event Cinemas, 500-525 George St, Sydney, $19.50, sff.org.au WWW½

French Director Olivier Dahan has taken artistic licence to heart with Grace of Monaco, played by a plastic Nicole Kidman.

The film is set six years after Grace Kelly’s marriage to Prince Rainier III (Tim Roth).

While Monaco struggles with political tension with France, unsurprisingly Kelly finds herself caught between her royal duties and the temptation of returning to Hollywood.

Although a potentially

interesting story, the screenplay by Arash Amel, coupled with Dahan’s direction, creates a film that is heavy-handed and needlessly glamourised. They suggest the conflict with France is partly due to the controversy surrounding Kelly, which only serves to diminish her personal conflict. Kidman remains one-dimensional, relying heavily on close-ups of her tear-stained face. (ATS) WW

Grace of Monaco (The Social Network) as Simon, a timid office drone in the midst of an existential crisis.

Simon is – in the words of a tactless co-worker – “a bit of a non-person”. The unexpected arrival of Simon’s roguish doppelganger is a catalyst but also a mixed omen: will he seize control of his life or disappear completely?

Marrying melancholy and black wit with an oppressive, dystopian setting, The Double is a haunting satire. (JH) WWWW HEALING is an Australian film that is worth watching, full

of beautiful cinematography.

Based on true events it is set in a low-security prison farm 200 kilometres outside of Melbourne.

Don Hany (Underbelly) stars as Viktor Khadem at the end of his 16-year stint in prison. Hugo Weaving (Lord Of The Rings) is his caseworker, Matt Perry.

Together they set up a bird sanctuary to help heal, not only the majestic creatures, but also the broken inmates.

The mise-en-scène and the elegant movements offer thoughtful symbolism in this evocative story with great characters. (LK) WWWW

21

F R E E W I L L ASTROLOGY

by Rob Brezsny

a

ARIES (March 21-April 19): “We are born with whirlwinds, forest fires, and comets inside us,” writes novelist Robert R. McCammon.

“We are born able to sing to birds and read the clouds and see our destiny in grains of sand. But then we get the magic educated right out of our souls. We get it churched out, spanked out, washed out, and combed out. We get put on the straight and narrow path and told to be responsible.” That’s the bad news, Aries. But now here’s the good news: The next 12 months will offer you a series of excellent opportunities to re-magic yourself. If you have not yet caught wind of the first invitation, I bet you will soon.

b

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): “When given a choice between owning an object and having an experience,” says art critic Holland Cotter, “I always choose the experience.” He prefers to spend his money on adventures that transform his sense of self and his understanding of the world.

I recommend that approach to you in the coming weeks, Taurus. The most valuable “possessions” you can acquire will be the lessons you learn, the skills you hone, and the relationships you ripen.

C

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): In Marcel Proust’s novel *Swann’s Way,* the narrator speaks of how profoundly he

is inspired by an older writer named Bergotte: “Each time he talked about something whose beauty had until then been hidden from me, about pine forests, about hail, about Notre-Dame Cathedral . . . with one image he would make that beauty explode into me.”

I bring this to your attention, Gemini, because in the coming days I suspect a great deal of beauty will explode into you. Why? I think it’s because you’re more receptive than usual to being delighted and enchanted. The triggers could be anything: exciting people, eavesdropped conversations, good books, surprising music, and who knows what else?

d

CANCER (June 21-July 22): “Little horses cannot carry great riders.”

So says a Haitian proverb.

Now, in accordance with the astrological omens, I’m urging you to meditate on its meaning for your life. Here are four possible interpretations: 1.

Are you a “little horse” trying to carry a “great rider” who’s too much for you? 2. Are you a little horse that could grow into a bigger, stronger horse worthy of a great rider? 3. Are you a “great rider” who is in need of a horse that is big and strong enough to serve your big, strong ambitions? 4. Would you like to be a “great rider,” but you can’t be one as long as you have a horse that is too small and weak?

e

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Declare victory, Leo. Even if victory is not quite won yet. Even if your success is imperfect and still a bit messy around the edges. Raise your arms up in elated triumph and shout, “I am the purified champion! I am the righteous conqueror! I have outsmarted my adversaries and outmaneuvered my obstacles, and now I am ready to claim my rightful rewards!” Do this even if you’re not 100-percent confident, even if there is still some scraping or clawing ahead of you. Celebrate your growing mastery. Congratulate yourself for how far you’ve come. In this way, you will summon what’s needed to complete your mission and achieve final, total victory.

f

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Give special attention to what will last the longest. That’s my main recommendation for you in the coming weeks.

Devote less of your energy to transitory pleasures and shortterm hopes. Turn away from the small obsessions that demand far too much of your energy.

Withdraw from the seemingly pressing concerns that will soon start to fade because they really aren’t that important.

Instead, Virgo, devote your love and intelligence to the joys and dilemmas that will animate your life well into the future. Express reverence and care for the mysteries that will teach you and teach you and teach you for years to come.

g

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): My favorite bridge in the world is the Golden Gate Bridge. In the hundreds of times I have driven on it over San Francisco Bay, it has never let me down. I’ve always gotten from one side to the other without any problem. In addition to its reliability, it uplifts me with its grandeur and beauty.

What’s your most beloved bridge, Libra? I suggest that in the coming weeks you make it your lucky charm, your magical symbol. Why? Because the next chapter of your life story requires you to make a major crossing. You will traverse a great divide. Having your favorite bridge as a shining beacon in your imagination will inspire your strength and courage as you travel.

h

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): U2’s Bono has called Leonard Cohen’s song “Hallelujah” “the most perfect song in the world.” It is mournful and triumphant, despairing and uplifting. It’s a riddle that improbably offers cathartic release. Over 300 recording artists have done cover versions of it, and it has even been the subject of books. And yet it was a challenge for Cohen to compose. He wrote more than 80 verses before choosing the few he would actually include in the final version, and in one famous session he resorted to banging his head on the floor to stimulate his creative flow.

“To find that urgent song,” he

said, took “a lot of work and a lot of sweat.” I nominate “Hallelujah” to be one of your sacred symbols for the next 12 months, Scorpio. From your strenuous effort, I predict, will come masterful creations.

up for some entertaining resurrections.

k

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Let me outline the breakthroughs I hope to see for you in the coming months.

First, what is pretty good about you will not interfere with what is potentially great about you, but will instead cooperate with it and boost it. Second, your past accomplishments won’t hold back your progress; you will not be tempted to rely on them at the expense of your future accomplishments. And third, the brave ideas that have motivated you so well won’t devolve into staid old dogmas; you will either renew and reinvigorate them or else move on to a new set of brave ideas.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): I wish I could tell you that your power animal this month is the eagle or dolphin or panther. Having a glamorous creature like that as your ally might boost your confidence and charisma. To be paired with one of them might even activate dormant reserves of your animal intelligence. But I can’t in good conscience authorize such an honor. That’s not what the astrological omens are suggesting. In fact, your power animal this June is the bunny rabbit. Please understand that there is no shame in this.

On the contrary. You should be charmed and appreciative.

It signifies that you will be fertile, fast, a bit tricky, and very cute. (To read an essay on the mythology of the rabbit as trickster, go here: http://tinyurl. com/rabbittrickster.)

j

l

i

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): If you are in even moderate alignment with cosmic rhythms during the next 12 months, you will be a connoisseur and master of recycling. I’m speaking metaphorically here.

What I hope is that you will reanimate worn-out inspirations and convert faded dreams into shiny new fantasies. You will find ways to revive alliances that went off track. A once-vibrant shtick or trick that lost its cool could be retrieved from the ash heap of history and turned into a fresh, hot asset. Gear yourself

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): The Buddhist meditation teacher Chogyam Trungpa said that one of the best ways to become fearless is to cultivate tenderness. As you expand your heart’s capacity to feel compassionate affection for the world, you have less and less to be afraid of. That’s the opposite of the conventional wisdom, which says you become brave by toughening up, by reinforcing your psychic armor. Of all the signs of the zodiac, you Pisceans are best set up to benefit from Trungpa’s method -- now even more than usual.