CITY HUB October 2024

UNDERGROUND ARTIST

Angelica Mesiti fills up The Tank

TANYA PLIBERSEK

FEDERAL MEMBER FOR SYDNEY

The Albanese Government is fighting HIV and rebuilding the public health system

The Albanese Government is ensuring thousands of Australians, with or at risk of contracting HIV, are protected by securing additional supplies of anti-viral medicine, Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) at a subsidised price through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).

We know that PrEP is highly important for Australians living with or at risk of HIV, that’s why we’ve taken swift action to ensure they are protected from current global shortages.

From 1 October 2024, the Laurus Labs, USA registered brand will be listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), to allow supply at a subsidised cost for the period of the shortage.

We are securing the supply of tens of thousands of units to resolve the shortage of PrEP by early November with more deliveries on the way to meet ongoing demand.

By listing Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) on the PBS, a Commonwealth procurement system for delivering affordable life-saving medication to Australians created 80 years ago by a Labor Government, we are again demonstrating our commitment to re-building our public health system.

The listing means over 27,000 eligible patients will have continued access, at an affordable price to this important anti-viral medicine which lowers the chances of contracting HIV.

People with concession cards will pay just $7.70 per script. Everyone else will pay just $31.60 per script because the Albanese Government cut PBS prices for non-concession card holders.

Cheaper medicines are just one of the many ways we’ve been helping people pay the bills to assist with cost of living pressures.

It's also part of our $43.9 million investment to put Australia on track to eliminate the transmission of HIV on our shores by 2030.

Earlier this year the Albanese Government signed onto the multinational Prevention Access Campaign, U=U, meaning undetectable = untransmissible.

We were the fourth nation to sign on, continuing our global leadership in combatting the transmission of HIV/AIDS first blazed by Australia’s Labor Government when Health Minister, Neal Blewett, led the way in fighting the disease while also establishing Medicare, the Disability Services Act and a national Drug Offensive to tackle tobacco and alcohol addiction.

Save our Sydney Harbour

(See p.12)

HUBARTS: BACK TO LIFE

All-Aussie Frankenstein production as relevant as ever.

(See p.19)

Calls to improve Sydney buses, overhaul major corridors

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BY WILL THORPE

Sydney’s “neglected” bus network, the oft-forgotten cousin of the city’s railways, must be overhauled, according to a governmentappointed task force.

The Bus Industry Taskforce released its final report in September, identifying a suite of issues with buses and advocating four areas of focus – passenger experience, operator contracts, safety, and relations with the workforce. One of the report’s key findings was that buses “have been neglected, and are underfunded and largely misunderstood, undermining both economic and social value for the community.”

The task force “confirmed the economic and social value of buses and the contribution the bus mode makes to the life of the community of NSW,” wrote its chair John Lee to transport minister Jo Haylen. “However, we have also seen how current practices and levels of commitment are failing to deliver this value,” he remarked.

UNDERINVESTMENT AILS SYDNEY BUSES

The report emphasised the relative affordability of bus routes, as well as the underinvestment the network has faced. Lee stated that the development of a bus rapid transit network across Sydney would cost a quarter of a new metro rail line – a pointed comparison.

The city’s rail modes have seen significant investment over the past decade, with new metro, suburban, and

light rail lines opening, prompting thentransport minister Andrew Constance to label Sydney a “train city” in 2020.

Calls for such a wide-ranging overhaul of Sydney buses are not new. The Committee for Sydney released a report in July calling for much of the same, chiefly the creation of a rapid bus network across the city.

“Sydney buses are almost always the Plan B. When given the option, most people choose the car or train. But our existing buses have huge potential to transform how we get around our city –making it more accessible, equitable, and sustainable,” the committee argued.

Sydney’s bus network has been neglected, are underfunded and largely misunderstood

Today, a web of bus routes converge on Parramatta Road and Victoria Road as they trundle towards the city centre. Transport minister Jo Haylen agreed that more B-Line style rapid bus corridors would be beneficial for Sydney – “We need to look at frequent and rapid services,” she remarked.

Such investments would be likely to have a significant effect on innersuburban and inner-city bus users. The eight-kilometre trip from Spit Junction to Wynyard station takes thirteen minutes on the B-Line with one immediate stop, the same time as it takes to drive.

A comparable trip from Arlington Street in Five Dock to Railway Square takes about 22 minutes on the 461X express, nearly ten minutes more than driving, with sixteen intermediate stops. Additionally, B–Line stops are easily identifiable and the service makes use of high-capacity double-decker buses.

UNION SUPPORTS REFORMS

Buses are the second most used form of public transport in and around Sydney, with 19.6 million trips made in July compared to 24.9 million on suburban and intercity trains. 228.8 million bus trips were made in 2023, compared to 293 million suburban or intercity train journeys. Bus figures include the Outer Sydney Metropolitan Service Areas, extending to Newcastle, the Hunter, Port Stephens, the Blue Mountains and Wollongong.

The opposition expressed support for investment, with shadow transport minister Natalie Ward remarking that “delivery needs to match the government’s rhetoric.” While investing extensively in the city’s rail network, the Liberal–National government oversaw the privatisation of bus services, also pursuing a public-private partnership model with metro, light rail, and ferry services.

The Rail Tram and Bus Union has also expressed support for reform, advocating changes to the public-private model saying it has created workplace issues. The government has given in-principle support to the report’s recommendations.

Transport For NSW. Photo: Facebook

End of the race?

BY FRED RAHI

The campaign to end greyhound racing at Wentworth Park, Sydney, is gaining significant traction as local communities intensify their efforts to close the racetrack. Recently, more than 500 letters from concerned residents were delivered to Emma Hurst MP of the Animal Justice Party. More than 13,000 signatures have been collected in petitions calling for an end to greyhound racing at Wentworth Park.

The action group ‘End Greyhound Racing at Wentworth Park’ consists of local residents, members of the Animal Justice Party, and the Coalition for the Protection of Greyhounds. Their collective goal is to shut down the racetrack and reclaim the space for the community.

“The local community is against dog racing in the inner city and supports the 2020 Pyrmont Peninsula Place Strategy, which gave the racetrack area back to the community. However, the greyhound racing industry is working

behind the scenes to get the lease for the Wentworth Park track extended beyond 2027,” said Kylie Field, from the Coalition for the Protection of Greyhounds.

DEVASTATING TOLL OF GREYHOUND RACING

Field pointed out the devastating toll greyhound racing takes on animals. Since the ban was overturned in 2016, 64 greyhounds have died, and over 2,200 have been injured at Wentworth Park. This year alone, around 60 greyhounds have been injured at Wentworth Park.

Greyhound racing is on borrowed time. It doesn’t belong in Sydney

Field stressed the importance of shifting public land from the racing industry to the community, saying, “The racetrack needs to be replaced by things

that will benefit local residents, such as green space and housing.”

Prominent figures such as Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore, Alex Greenwich MP, and Dr Alex Brittan, the former chief vet for Greyhound Racing NSW, have voiced their opposition to the racetrack. According to Dr Brittan, dog racing is “cruel, barbaric, immoral, and unsustainable.”

“The public is sick of the gambling industry and its harmful impact on people and dogs. Greyhound racing is

on borrowed time. It doesn’t belong in Sydney,” added Field.

The action group has also launched the Greyhound Card Project, in which “Get Well Soon” and “Condolence” cards are sent to politicians to mark each injury or death of a racing dog. The symbolic initiative highlights the brutality of the sport, with injuries and fatalities occurring in nearly every race.

A protest is being held during the Million Dollar Chase final on October 18.

Photo: Pixabay

Clover Moore reflects on her legacy and leading Sydney’s first minority council

BY DOUGLAS MAGALETTI

On September 14 2024, Sydney

Lord Mayor Clover Moore was reelected to a historic sixth term.

In a new interview with City Hub, Moore discussed her goals for the new term, her legacy, and governing Sydney’s first minority council.

Moore has outlined her plans for this term, which include advancing the revitalisation of Oxford Street and Chinatown, addressing the need for affordable housing, enhancing crucial links in Sydney’s bike network, and establishing Special Entertainment Precinct status in areas with late-night trading.

LEADING SYDNEY’S FIRST MINORITY COUNCIL

This council term is significant for another reason. It marks the first time in Sydney’s 20-year history that a minority council has been established, meaning no single party holds a majority – a first for Clover Moore.

In addition to Moore and her three councillors (Robert Kok, Jess Miller, and Adam Worling), the current council includes two Labor councillors (Zann Maxwell and Mitch Wilson), two Greens councillors (Sylvie Ellsmore and Matthew Thompson), one Liberal councillor (Lyndon Gannon), and one Independent Councilor (Yvonne Weldon).

“For the first time in the council’s twenty-year history, the community has delivered a minority council, with no one group in control,” said Greens Councillor Sylvie Ellsmore.

Ellsmore continued, “Alongside reelecting the current Lord Mayor, the community has elected the youngest council ever. It is a renewed, minority council with a mandate for reform.”

The lack of a majority for the first time in her mayorship doesn’t phase Moore.

“It’s clear [the elected councillors, regardless of party affiliation] all share a desire for an economically, culturally, environmentally, and socially sustainable city,” Moore said.

‘All candidates voiced a commitment to addressing housing challenges, breathing new life into our night time economy, and supporting

our community with world-class infrastructure and services. I’m certain we can work together to service all our communities and ensure the City of Sydney continues thriving.”

According to Labor Councillor Zann Maxwell, “Throughout the election, I heard all the candidates put forward ideas that I thought were worthwhileso I’m looking forward to working on them with my new council colleagues.”

CONCERNS ABOUT SYDNEY’S HOUSING AFFORDABILITY

A major issue of discussion this election was housing affordability. Moore explained, “Sydney is in the grip of an increasing housing affordability crisis, which is making owning or renting unaffordable for many.”

 For the first time in the council’s twenty-year history, the community has delivered a minority council, with no one group in control

She continued, “We are on track to build over 5,273 affordable and diverse dwellings by 2036. This includes 1,950 affordable dwellings under the City’s expanded levy scheme that covers the whole LGA since 2021.

“This term, we will continue delivering the State Government’s housing targets alongside the infrastructure necessary to support our growing communities, while levying developers and amending planning controls to help not-for-profit

providers deliver more diverse and Affordable Housing.”

Ellsmore reiterated this, saying, “The one thing every single candidate said was a priority – including the Lord Mayor - this election was housing.

“Housing affordability is the most urgent issue facing our community, yet remains the least funded of Council’s priorities.

“Twenty years of council schemes have left us with only 1% of affordable housing stock. We must do better.”

CLOVER MOORE’S ENORMOUS LEGACY

Elected in 2004, Moore shared what she saw as her legacy.

Moore said, “Throughout my public life, I’ve championed progressive policies and transformed Sydney into a more liveable, sustainable, and thriving city and villages.”

She continued, “Together, we’ve shown how effective a stable, progressive, independent, and corruption-free government can be. I hope that model continues well into the future because our city is better for it.”

Photo: Steven Markham , AAP

Photo: Steven Markham , AAP

Beloved pub regains outdoor dining permissions

BY DOUGLAS MAGALETTI

The Old Fitzroy Hotel in Woolloomooloo, also known as The Old Fitz, has regained approval for outdoor dining.

Following a public appeal from the pub on the petition website change.org, the Old Fitzroy Hotel can once again have outdoor dining until 10 pm, after an “error” reduced it to 8 pm.

The Old Fitzroy Hotel was built over 150 years ago. Billed as Australia’s last surviving theatre pub, the Old Fitz Theatre is located in the basement.

‘GLAD THEY’VE BEEN ABLE TO WORK THROUGH IT’

In a message on Instagram, Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore, shared the “wonderful news”.

“Wonderful news: Following their review, staff have approved outdoor dining to 10 pm at The Old Fitzroy.”

Moore continued, “Some of you would have seen the news last week that staff had recommended rolling their

Ph: (02) 9517 2800 E: newtown@parliament.nsw.gov.au

jennyleong.org

outdoor dining hours back two hours.

“The Lord Mayor and Councillors don’t assess and determine individual DAs, but when this outcome came to my attention I asked staff to expedite a review and work productively with the Old Fitz to resolve the matter.

“I’m glad they’ve been able to work through it and approve these operating hours.”

The Old Fitzroy Hotel received a notice following complaints from local residents

According to the change.org appeal, the Old Fitzroy Hotel received a notice from the City of Sydney on August 16.

Following a couple of complaints from local residents, it notified the pub that their licence to have outdoor dining was reduced to 8 pm.

“Our licence to operate in our beautiful alfresco dining area has been reduced

to 8 pm, despite our longstanding approval of nearly 20 years to operate until 10 pm along Dowling Street. This was done without any consultation with us, in response to the complaint of a neighbouring premises,” the appeal read.

“We’re incredibly disappointed to share this news, as the sudden reduction in hours means guests won’t be able to use our outdoor tables during dinner service each night. This unfortunately means that our popular pool room will now also need to close at 8 pm, as we have nowhere else to store the furniture due to the resulting mismatched operating hours.”

It continued, “We have had several conversations with people at council since Friday, many of whom have indicated that this decision was made in error, however as it has managed to slip through to a determination, our only recourse is to put in an application and wait.”

When the news broke that the outdoor setting would be reduced by 2 hours, Moore shared in a post to Instagram that the matter would be worked out.

“I’m advised there were some compliance issues, hence the Council officers’ initial recommendation. But I’m sure it’s not beyond us all to work this out,” she wrote.

Help shape the future of Campo Park

Camperdown Memorial Park is one of the most beloved greenspaces in our neighbourhood.

It’s the meeting place for folks bringing dinner from King Street, friends gathering for parties (because their terrace house or apartment is too small for such things), a practice area for tightrope walkers and tai chi lovers, a space for our four-legged friends, and the historical home of the Newtown Festival.

Recently, Inner West Greens councillors won upgrades for our local park including a long overdue gender-neutral toilet block that was installed in 2022. How far we’ve come since the line-up of portable loos during COVID lockdowns!

Now, the Inner West Council is developing a 10-year Plan of Management that will help shape what Campo Park looks like into the future.

As part of this process, Council is seeking feedback from local residents about what’s missing and what can be improved at the park.

The Greens are backing an upgrade to the kids’ playground, more native plantings, and improvements to drainage on the green where it gets boggy after the rain - and we encourage you to have your say during the consultation period, too.

As part of the Plan of Management, Council is also considering privatising parts of Campo Park by allowing the construction of a private deck by a business whose premises backs onto the park.

Lively nightlife and buzzy vibes are some of the things we all love about Newtown. But with housing density increasing in Newtown and Camperdown it’s important that we protect and expand

the greenspaces we have so everyone can continue to enjoy them - not cordon off sections of them for exclusive private use.

Whatever your view is, please get involved and have your say. You don’t have to live in the Inner West Council area to provide feedback, and it only takes 5 minutes to tell Council what’s missing and what can be improved at Campo park.

Have your say on the future of Campo Park by scanning the QR code below.

Jenny Leong MP Greens Member for Newtown

The Old Fitzroy Hotel. Photo: Facebook

NSW to ban ticketless parking fines

BY SHIBU THOMAS

Four years after the then-Liberal government introduced ticketless parking fines, the Minns Labor government has announced it will introduce legislation to ban the controversial parking fine system.

The NRMA had long advocated for changes to the “unpopular” ticketless system, and commended the reforms.

The ticketless parking fine system, which was introduced in May 2020, proved to be a windfall for councils, but was panned by motorists who were at the receiving end of the unfair system. The law allowed councils to issue fines without leaving physical notices on the vehicles. Motorists would learn they had received a fine weeks later, which meant they had less chance to dispute penalties, leading to widespread frustration.

In the 2023/2024 financial year, councils issued around 822,310 ticketless parking fines, up 49% from the 551,441 issued in 2022/23. The councils had issued ticketless fines to

the tune of over $155 million last year, according to The Daily Telegraph

‘DOES NOT PASS THE COMMON SENSE TEST’

“No one ever likes to get a parking fine, but the idea you only find out about a fine weeks later doesn’t pass the common sense test,” Minister for Finance Courtney Houssos said.

Houssos acknowledged that the ticketless parking fine system had led to frustration among motorists and community members.

Motorists have driven off with no idea they might be liable for a parking fine

NSW Premier Chris Minns said the blame was squarely on the former Liberal government for introducing a system without enough safeguards to protect drivers.

“We’re fixing that,” Minns said in a statement. “Drivers deserve better than the current system. Too many motorists

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have driven off with no idea they might be liable for a parking fine.”

Under the new legislation, councils will be required to provide on-the-spot notifications to drivers. This could be in the form of a full penalty notice or a brief description of the offence, informing drivers that a fine will be sent to them.

Councils must also capture photographic evidence of alleged traffic offences, which will be made available to Revenue NSW for driver review purposes.

The law will address the issue of repeat fines by invalidating multiple ticketless parking fines issued before a driver becomes aware of the first infringement. Certain exceptions will apply such as enclosed parking areas using licence plate recognition technology, and national parks with limited mobile connectivity will be exempt from the on-the-spot notification requirement. To protect the safety of infringement officers, the legislation will allow for discretion in situations where leaving a notice might be hazardous or unsafe.

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Minister for Finance Courtney Houssos. Photo: Facebook

Latham ordered to pay $140,000 to Greenwich

BY MICHAEL JAMES

The highly publicised defamation case between Independent Sydney MP Alex Greenwich and expelled One Nation member Mark Latham concluded in court in September.

The Federal Court, Justice David O’Callaghan deemed that comments by Latham painted Greenwich, a gay man, as someone who “engages in disgusting sexual activities”.

Latham has now been ordered to pay Greenwich $140,000 over the comments.

Greenwich was targeted with a barrage of homophobic and threatening messages after Latham posted homophobic tweets and “grooming” slurs against him in March 2023.

ALEX GREENWICH VS MARK LATHAM

In 2023 Latham made a post on X (Twitter) that described Alex Greenwich as a “disgusting human being”. Latham’s tweets came after Greenwich condemned him over the attacks on peaceful LGBTQI protestors by around 250 far-right Christian men outside a Belfield Church where the One Nation leader was due to give a speech in March 2023.

The post came just a month after he had previously used a homophobic slur against Greenwich in a since-deleted tweet.

Greenwich testified to the personal toll the comments had taken on him. “Since this tweet was put out into the world… I have wanted it to go away. I’ve been in public life for a long time. I have during that time tried to just make the point that gay people are normal; we’re just like everybody else.”

MARK LATHAM ORDERED TO PAY FOR COMMENTS

The judgement issued has now ruled in favour of Greenwich.

Lawyers for Latham maintained that the comments made were not defamatory, however still conceded their vulgar nature. They further argued that Latham had been publicly attacked first before publishing the comments.

Justice David O’Callaghan rejected the defence from Latham’s legal team. Instead, the judge ordered Latham to pay Greenwich $100,000 for non-economic loss. Further to this, he has been ordered to pay $40,000 in aggravated damages to the Sydney MP.

community, and my family, to send a clear message that these Trumpstyle personalised attacks on political opponents have no place in Australian public life.

“Mr Latham’s Tweet exposed me to hatred, contempt and ridicule. I was inundated with hateful, threatening and abusive emails, letters and phone calls. Some of these people have been charged with criminal offences and one has so far been convicted. Justice O’Callaghan even remarked that he might be “forgiven for being lost for words to characterise many of the Tweets and comments” in relation to Mr Latham’s posts.

In response, on March 30, 2023, Latham tweeted: “Disgusting? How does that compare with sticking your d*** up a bloke’s a** and covering it with s***?”

Greenwich said the tweet was defamatory and carried the imputation that the out gay MP “engages in disgusting sexual activities” or that he “is not a fit and proper person to be a member of the NSW Parliament because he engages in disgusting sexual activities.”

Lawyers for Greenwich detailed the personal effects of the comments on him, revealing he had suffered panic attacks following the comments which saw him receive death threats from members of the public.

This led him to cancel public appearances and re-evaluate whether he should continue his role in public office.

‘TWEET WAS PERSONAL AND SEXUALLY AGGRESSIVE’

Following the judgment Greenwich expressed his relief and detailed the deep personal effects in an official statement.

“This victory is a major relief for me, my family, my staff, and the LGBTQ community. When Mr Latham published his Tweet, my life changed forever.”

“This judgment makes Australia a safer place for me, my community, and my parliamentary colleagues. This judgment sends a clear message that you can’t attack a gay person based on their perceived sexual activities; you can’t cross the line when it comes to personalised political attacks, and you can’t just say whatever you like online without consequence.”

“The sad truth is the bullying and harassment that I experienced as a result of the Latham tweet is what LGBTQ people face every day in NSW, the

Following the post Greenwich initiated legal action against Latham for the content, deeming it defamatory. The comments by Latham were widely condemned, with even One Nation leader Pauline Hanson calling him to apologise.

However, when the case was heard on May 23 this year Latham’s lawyers insisted that while the comments were “vulgar and shocking” they had not managed to damage his character.

“When it comes to serious harm, we can see a kind of… almost universal revulsion at the primary tweet, but that does not directly mark it as defamatory,” he said.

“The Tweet was, effectively, a reductionist caricature of me which caused me enormous damage.”

“I took legal action to repair my reputation. Mr Latham’s Tweet was personal and sexually aggressive. I wanted to stand up for myself, the LGBTQ

Latham’s Tweet exposed me to hatred, contempt and ridicule

Mark Latham Photo: Facebook

Alex Greenwich. Photo: Facebook

Class action against NSW Police over Strip Search

BY CHRISTINE LAI

The NSW Supreme Court has scheduled a trial date for the landmark class action challenging the legality of strip searches conducted by NSW Police at music festivals over a six-year period.

The class action launched by Slater and Gordon Lawyers and Redfern Legal Centre, is set to begin on May 5, 2025, and is expected to last for four weeks.

First filed in 2022, the class action focuses on allegations that NSW Police unlawfully strip-searched festival goers at music festivals. Hundreds of festival goers may be entitled to compensation from the NSW government as part of the landmark class action lawsuit.

Lead plaintiff Raya Meredith claims she was unlawfully searched at the Splendour in the Grass music festival

being instructed to remove her tampon and to turn around and bend over, during which a male officer briefly entered the cubicle.

She has also filed the claim on behalf of hundreds of other individuals seeking damages for illegally conducted strip searches between 2016 and 2022.

NSW GOVERNMENT FAILS TO SHUT DOWN LAWSUIT

The NSW government argued that the class action should proceed on an individual basis, but was rejected.

Justice Peter Garling said this would “not be in the interests of the administration of justice”, at the time, as reported by LawyersWeekly

The Supreme Court determined that a class action was the most suitable method for group members to challenge the legality of the strip searches and

NSW Police” report found that strip searches were conducted 5,483 times in the year ending June 30, 2018—an almost twentyfold increase from just 277 instances in the year ending November 30, 2006.

Class Actions Associate Meg Lessing, from Slater and Gordon, said the trial date was a significant step towards obtaining justice for the claimants.

Hundreds of festival goers may be entitled to compensation from the government

“In addition to the trial date being set, Justice Garling has ordered that police produce the contact details of everyone searched by police at relevant music festivals so they can be informed about their potential rights,” Lessing said in a statement.

“We encourage anybody who thinks they may be a group member in these proceedings to register on the Slater and Gordon website to ensure that they obtain updates about the case moving forward and any active steps they may

Photo: NSW Police/ Facebook

need to take to make a claim.”

‘INVASIVE AND HARMFUL’

Redfern Legal Centre supervising solicitor Samantha Lee told NewsCorp, “strip-searches are invasive, harmful and have a long-lasting impact”.

“We know that young people are stripsearched at disproportionate rates. We work with many clients who have been deeply traumatised by strip searches,” she said.

“We hope that this class action will achieve justice … and lead to legislative change to ensure strip searches only occur in circumstances of the utmost seriousness.”

time to phase-out single use plastics in NSW

Future generations deserve a liveable planet. But scientists are predicting that by 2050 we’ll have more plastic in the ocean than fish.

In NSW alone, we generate a shocking 800,000 tonnes of plastic waste every year. Too often, single use plastic items end up discarded in our environment, destroying habitats and killing our wildlife.

Plastic pollution poses a huge risk to our environment and to human health. If we want to protect our living planet now and for generations to come, we need to urgently phase out problematic single use plastics.

NSW is lagging behind other states when it comes to banning plastic bags, single use plastic cutlery and helium balloon releases.

The EPA released a detailed plastics plan late last year which the NSW Labor Government have so far failed to implement.

In light of this inaction, I introduced a bill to phase-out the release of helium balloons - one of the deadliest items for sea birds and marine life like turtles.

Disappointingly, Labor opposed this bill, further delaying even simple improvements to stop plastic pollution.

We don’t have time for further delays. I am introducing a new bill to phase-out single use plastics in NSW to protect our living planet.

Please add your name to our petition and tell the Labor Government you support a phaseout of single use plastics in NSW.

Help ban single use plastics in NSW.

New Sydney train timetable from October 20

BY WILL THORPE

Amajor shake-up to Sydney Trains will see a raft of changes to train services. While frequencies will broadly be increased across the network, some services will be reduced, whilst some trains will terminate sooner and intercity services will benefit.

Nine Newspapers obtained a confidential document outlining a number of service changes that are to be part of the new timetable slated for introduction on October 20, in line with the closure of the Bankstown line between Sydenham and Bankstown for conversion to metro.

Sixteen trains per hour, which works out to one every three minutes and 45 seconds, will run between Lidcombe and the City Circle in peak periods. This is slightly higher than Sydney Metro’s four-minute peak headways.

TIMETABLE CUTS

“Simplified” stopping patterns will be implemented on the Western line, with Richmond services calling at all stations from Parramatta to Richmond, and services to Emu Plains or Penrith stopping at all stations from Seven Hills. During the morning and evening peaks, two services per hour from Central to St Marys will be cut.

The document also reveals that the North Shore, also on the T1, will see a reduction of four services per hour to Hornsby during peak times. Interpeak trains to Lindfield will terminate at North Sydney instead, as will late-night trains to Gordon except on Fridays and Saturdays.

Stopping patterns are also to be simplified on the T2 Inner West & Leppington Line, with Parramatta trains to call at all stations and Leppington trains to operate to two variations of station stops. Although the document states that services terminating at Ashfield will be cut, the Herald reports that Transport for NSW disputes this.

NEW OFF-PEAK SERVICE

Trains will run from Liverpool to the city centre via Regents Park, replacing services to the City Circle via Bankstown. Services to and from Lidcombe terminating at Bankstown will also be introduced, allowing residents in or around Bankstown, Yagoona, and Birrong to access trains to the city centre from Regents Park and Lidcombe.

On the T8 Airport & South Line, sixteen trains per hour will run to the city centre in the morning peak, half of which will go via the airport and the other half via Sydenham – a reduction of two services via the airport. Fourteen services per hour will run in the evening peak, ten of which will go via the airport.

 A confidential document outlines the service changes slated for introduction on October 20

An off-peak service between Sydenham and the City Circle will be introduced. Erskineville & St Peters stations will be serviced by T8 trains only, as services to Bankstown will end with the line closure for the metro conversion. Cumberland Line services between Leppington and Schofields or Blacktown will be doubled in the morning peak, with four trains per hour as opposed to two at other times. Timing changes will also be implemented on the line.

INTERCITY SERVICES TO BENEFIT FROM NEW TIME TABLE

Several improvements to intercity services are identified. Some inter-peak Blue Mountains trains to Mount Victoria will be extended to Lithgow, with timing

changes to be implemented elsewhere on the Blue Mountains Line.

Most services from the Central Coast and Newcastle will overtake suburban trains between Epping and Hornsby, with “timing changes & stopping pattern improvements” also to impact Central Coast and Newcastle services.

The document states there will be an improved “‘window’ for Central Coast services to enter the [North] Shoreline.”

There will be timing changes for other intercity and regional trains. The changes to train services will coincide with bus service modifications.

RTBU LIFTS WORK BANS

Minister for Transport Jo Haylen said that following successful talks, the Australian Rail Tram and Bus Industry Union (RTBU) has agreed to lift a series of work bans.

The RTBU confirmed it had paused some of its industrial actions. “A huge win this afternoon for our members with a spectacular breakthrough with the minister,” the RTBU posted on Facebook. “Although a huge achievement, we are not done yet! While some actions are now suspended, we have more claims to work through and are hopeful for our next few rounds of intensive bargaining.”

Haylen confirmed that the Metro conversion of the T3 line from Sydenham to Bankstown will proceed. The government had previously stated

that delays to this conversion would cost taxpayers around $100 million per month.

The government appears to have climbed down from its plans for a driverless Metro on the new Southwest Metro.

“We recognise the questions the union has about the future operation of the Southwest Metro,” the Minister said. “Following today’s discussions, we have agreed to additional staffing on the Southwest Metro. Just like the current operation of the City Metro section, Southwest Metro will have a Metro Trains Sydney staff member present on every train and every platform once operational.”

The RTBU had lashed out at the Metro conversion and had termed the driverless Metro as “a distracting shiny new toy”.

The RTBU stated that as per the agreement, the new South-West metro would have staff “on every platform monitoring the platform-train interface as well as a member on every train who is qualified and competent to drive the train.”

The government has also agreed to “commence an intensive period of bargaining, to accelerate the work on a new Enterprise Agreement for Sydney Trains and NSW Trains”. The Minister added that she will meet with the rail unions to “progress all matters.”

Minister for Transport Jo Haylen. Photo:Facebook

Housing Crisis: Minns Government has a three-month window

BY CASSANDRA PACE

Amidst rising concerns about housing affordability in NSW, Urban Taskforce Australia (UTA) recently released a 10-point scheme for planning reform and housing supply. In May this year, the ‘State of the Housing System Report 2024, Sydney’ revealed that prices and rents are growing faster than wages, with 170,000 households on public housing waiting lists and a further 122,000 people experiencing homelessness. Essentially, Australia is experiencing an increased demand for housing, with a supply that cannot accommodate.

The time for a shift in planning and housing policy is now

Pressures are rising to relieve the strain on the housing market, with the upcoming Federal Election taking the spotlight in the next three months. As a result, a shift in focus will impact

the Housing Accord Target which needs to be the focal point of current government concerns.

“The time for a shift in planning and housing policy is now,” says Urban Taskforce Australia CEO, Tom Forrest.

“There are three months between now and the end of 2024, then all focus will shift to the Federal election, and it will be too late to make changes to planning that will help with the Housing Accord Targets.”

A CALL TO ACTION

UTA has a 10-Point Plan:

1. Designate all existing, new, and planned metro stations as “Tier 1” TOD Accelerated Precincts.

2. Declare specific heavy rail stations as Tier 1 TOD Precincts: Ashfield, Bondi Junction, Campbeltown, Central, Chatswood, Edgecliff, Granville, Hurstville, Lidcombe, Liverpool, Miranda, Newtown, North Sydney, Parramatta, Penrith, Redfern, Strathfield, Sutherland, and West Ryde.

3. Designate the Parramatta Road corridor (600 metres on either side) as a Tier 1 Precinct and

create a Parramatta Road Development Authority.

4. Shift Depar tment of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure (DPHI) planning to define growth areas and seek EOIs for feasible heights and densities, assessing on merit and including affordable housing.

5. Expand Low and Mid-rise Housing reforms to an 800-metre radius around town centres with a floor space ratio of 3:1.

6. Finalise Medium-density housing reforms for all non-TOD heavy rail and bus/light rail stops.

7. Mandate Residential Apartment Buildings in Low and Mid-rise areas.

8. Offer a 20-30 percent height and floor space bonus for 10-15 per cent affordable housing at a 25 percent rent discount for 15 years.

9. Limit affordable housing contributions in TOD precincts to 15 years.

10. Waive Housing and Productivity Contributions for residential projects with Development Applications submitted before June 2029.

Current planning within metro station areas such as Parramatta Road has remained conservative. Forrest has previously expressed his disappointment regarding Parramatta Road. “Parramatta road looks rubbish, it’s time we did something about it,” he said.

NSW Premier Chris Minns. Photo: Facebook

Save our Sydney Harbour

BY CHRISTINE LAI

Acommunity-led campaign to clean up Sydney Harbour is gaining steam as fears escalate that decaying vessels and abandoned infrastructure threatens to transform the iconic tourist destination into a harbour junkyard.

The Waterfront Action Group and other organisations, have launched an online petition urging the NSW Legislative Assembly to take decisive action against this pollution. Last month, Woollahra Council voted to support the e-petition aimed at addressing pollution in Sydney Harbour. Various local councils, including the Inner West Council and North Sydney Councils, have backed the e-petition.

The petition calls on the State Government to prioritise the restoration and protection of this iconic waterway.

Speaking to City Hub, Save our Sydney Harbour (SOSH) co-chair Stuart King explained the motivation behind the campaign came from collective frustration over “previous stonewalling and lack of action being taken to respond to community concerns about the poor stewardship of our harbour.”

“It seems commercial interests are being put way ahead of community ones. There is not a balanced response for the community. There has been a failure to safely remove failing structures that litter our harbour and create risk for harbour users,” King said.

The Save Our Sydney Harbour website outlines the petition’s purpose

as a reflection of the community’s desire to protect and restore the harbour’s environment. The initiative aims to compel the government to eliminate debris by removing redundant, derelict vessels and failing structures that pollute and degrade the area, and implement measures to enhance the harbour’s amenities.

According to the community group, millions of people flock to Sydney Harbour each year. However, international visitors and commuters travelling by ferry and leisure craft from Circular Quay to Parramatta are met with “derelict, redundant vessels, failing structures & junk.”

DEMANDING ACCOUNTABILITY: A COLLECTIVE CALL FOR HARBOUR RESTORATION

“Over the past 10 to 15 years it has been increasingly observed that we are paying a price for ineffective settings and inadequate legislation governing the mooring of commercial and private vessels in Sydney Harbour,” said King. “Community complaints have been regarded as ‘white noise’ and have not been given weight.”

“The ferry “Baragoola” sunk at its moorings in 2022 costing taxpayers $2M to recover it. Passion projects such as the Baragoola should be required to demonstrate they have enough funding to cover the cost of recovery should the vessel sink. It was clear it was at very high risk of sinking and yet it was allowed to happen. It was reckless toward the environment. The condition of the hull of

campaign in July, emphasising that the decaying vessels were a problem that the state government had the power to address immediately.

“While Sydney Water continues to address sewage pipe outflows, we also need to keep working on historic pollution, including derelict vessels. If you’ve been on a ferry or wandering around the Harbour you may have noticed these abandoned ships and structures,” Moore wrote in a Facebook post.

“They are not only just eyesore, they add dangerous toxins and heavy metals into the water and sediments of Sydney Harbour. This is a problem the NSW Government can address right now by issuing compliance notices and forcing their removal under the Marine Safety Act,” Moore said.

KEY TARGETS FOR PROTECTING SYDNEY HARBOUR

the 2,000-tonne Cape Don is bad and it’s currently rusting at its mooring in Balls Head Bay,” King said.

“Communities experience the practice of maritime authorities who respond only after years of community complaints simply to move the offending vessel elsewhere in the harbour. Only for the cycle of community complaints to begin again.”



Community launches campaign to tackle pollution and Harbour junkyard

“Over 1800 people are on a waitlist for a swing mooring of which it takes up to 25 years to be offered one... We know it costs between $20,000 and $30,000 to dispose of a fiberglass privately owned derelict vessel from a swing mooting. Hence NSW swing mooring lease holders allow their vessels to remain on moorings falling into disrepair. Once in a shocking state of disrepair, Transport For NSW may then place a notice on such vessel to commence seizure, recovery, and disposal processes. It becomes a taxpayer’s problem. It’s not fair, not reasonable. We need to do better,” King added.

LORD MAYOR CLOVER MOORE BACKS CAMPAIGN

The recently re-elected City of Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore extended her support for the Save our Sydney Harbour

Waterfront Action Group is advocating for plans to address these environmental threats and preserve the harbour for future generations. The petition is calling on the Government to take necessary action to ensure:

1. Sydney Harbour clears redundant, decaying vessels and failing structures.

2. An independent investigation is undertaken to determine whether NSW government agencies properly and fairly responded to community concerns regarding the management of moorings and ‘orphaned’ assets.

3. An independent environmental and visual impact assessment be properly conducted before permitting vessels to be moored in the bays and coves of Sydney Harbour.

4. The use of the dolphin wharves and moorings in the bays be strictly limited to their original intended and/ or approved purpose and not for long-term mooring of vessels.

King also urged Sydneysiders to sign the group’s community-led petition. “They can take a photo of a derelict vessel and email SOSH. Report a wreck. We want change for current and future generations. This petition is our message to the politicians who can make a difference. We need the community to really get behind our petition,” King said.

Save Our Sydney Harbour’s petition will remain open for signatures until December 26. For more information, visit saveoursydneyharbour.com.au.

Save Our Sydney Harbour. Photo: Facebook

Paddington boarding house residents face eviction

BY SHIBU THOMAS

Around 29 residents of four boarding houses in Paddington received news this week that they were being evicted after the owner-developer of the properties decided to close them down by the end of the year.

LFD Developments intends to turn the 32 boarding houses into four luxury homes. The plan was shot down by the City of Sydney and the owner has appealed the decision before the Land and Environment Court (LEC), where it is pending.

that the 29 male residents - some of whom been living here for decadesbroke down in tears when they heard the news at a meeting. The residents are currently paying between $150-200 weekly as rent.

However, without waiting for the outcome of the appeal, the owner is reportedly planning to close down the boarding houses, saying they were not financially viable. Nine News reported

The owner’s decision has received heavy criticism. “Boarding houses are one form of affordable housing in Sydney - a city where housing, particularly in Inner Sydney, is unaffordable for so many people,” Redfern Legal Centre said in a post on Facebook. “Residents of Boarding Houses should be protected

WRITERS WANTED

by better planning policies that cannot easily be circumnavigated by developers.”

SYDNEY

IS NOT JUST FOR THE RICH

Sydney has around 4,000 boarding houses, but this number is shrinking, with developers converting them into luxury homes, according to Lord Mayor Clover Moore.

“Sydney should not simply be an enclave for the rich. And we need more homes – not less,” Moore posted on Facebook in July.

“We’re in a housing affordability crisis, and governments must preserve and deliver affordable and diverse housing –including boarding houses.”

Moore had then urged the NSW Government to accept the recommendations from the statutory review of the Boarding Houses Act. “Boarding Houses are a crucial part of our housing mix and the State Government needs to take net dwelling loss seriously,” Moore said. The Lord Mayor said that the government should “consider the significant loss of individual homes as grounds for rejecting development applications; provide funding to boarding house owners to bring units up to standard, and support displaced residents to find alternative housing.” Federal member for Wentworth Allegra Spender supported the push to protect boarding houses. “Boarding houses, studios, and one-bedroom flats are a critical part of the housing mix our community needs. We have to preserve them. Especially in high-density areas like Paddington, Elizabeth Bay, and Potts Point,” said Spender.

DIVE INTO THE TANK WITH ANGELICA MESITI

Immerse yourself in a stunning exploration of humanity’s connection to the beauty and volatility of the natural cycles of the world with Angelica Mesiti’s The Rites of When –now on display at the Art Gallery of NSW.

BY JOSH KERWICK

The Rites of When is a highly engaging audio-visual experience composed of seven huge video screens, which explore humanity’s connection to nature – with all the love and all the hostility that an aeons-long relationship will always include.

This incredible piece is the first major commission of an Australian artist for The Tank, the Gallery’s newest exhibition and performance space.

It’s a project that’s been in the making for a long time, explains Mesiti.

“The conversation started in January 2020, and then it was interrupted for one and a half years by the pandemic,” she tells City Hub. “There was a long process of development of the ideas and concepts of the work, and then because it’s a work about the seasons we shot it over a year and a half because we needed to catch images in the middle of summer and winter.”

Across two major movements that relate to the winter and summer solstices, Mesiti captures a number

of striking images: celestial motions, sweeping landscape shots and human rituals that travel across the various screens and dance throughout the expansive space.

The experience of watching The Rites of When is uniquely entrancing – each image stirs an evocative sense of mood in the viewer, as it oscillates between the extremes of winter and summer effortlessly. One sequence depicts a dance around a fire in the middle of winter that’s equally stunning and overwhelming; another shows a group slowly moving through a shifting gradient. A sequence towards the end, dubbed Collective Ecstasy, is particularly stunning for the way it gradually takes over the entire Tank. Though it’s been used for a number of impressive exhibitions and events in the past, The Rites of When truly takes full advantage of the space with its wholly unique acoustics and aesthetics. It is impossible to view all seven screens at the same time, which means every viewer of The Rites of When each experiences a unique view and perspective on the installation.

“I was really aware of the columns in the space,” says Mesiti, “and that it wasn’t a place where a viewer would be able to sit in one place and watch the image all at once. I knew it had to be a work with multiple perspectives, and had to have multiple ways of looking at the work.”

“I’ve been interested for a long time in how a viewer or spectator moves

Mesiti feels very blessed to be the first Australian artist to fully dive deep into the possibilities of The Tank. “It’s an honour to be invited to produce work here,” she says. “When the idea first came up, I was really blown away, and it’s been an amazing adventure.”

“The Art Gallery has been super supportive, and the invitation is a really

The viewer… becomes the editor of their own experience

through a space, and how you can develop a choreography that guides the viewer and allows them to become the editor of their own experience.”

As a work fully commissioned and designed for The Tank, The Rites of When feels extra special and is an experience that can only be fully appreciated at the NSW Art Gallery, shared with the people standing alongside you in the dark.

generous gesture. It’s been a long process of conversations with the curatorial staff as the ideas developed, and I’ve been very well accompanied through the whole process.”

Mesiti hopes that audiences can enjoy entirely unique experiences with The Rites of When: “It’s a kind of a journey, and it’s a really open-ended experience. I think it’s very open to interpretation, more of a poem than a narrative film. So it really allows people to make up their own minds.”

Angelica Mesiti’s The Rites of When is on display at the Art Gallery of NSW now, until May 2025.

Photo: Jenni Carter via AGNSW

Photo: Jenni Carter via AGNSW

Still from The Rites of When. Photo: Angelica Mesiti

COFFIN ED’S NAKED CITY

SPACE AGE NOSTALGIA

Back in 2008 Australia was supposedly the only OECD country that didn’t have a national space agency apart from Iceland.

These days we have the Australian Space Agency which hosts the Space Discovery Centre in Adelaide, an educational facility where kids can pick up a $30 ‘Purra The Kanganaut’ at the gift shop.

The plush is billed as a “lovable kangaroo who is decked out in an Australian Space Agency space suit, ready for cosmic adventures.” Maybe when we stop slaughtering kangaroos for food and pelts, there’ll be some left to rocket into space.

The so-called ‘Space Age’ began in 1957 when the Russians got the jump on everybody and launched Sputnik 1. They claimed victory when Yuri Gagarin became the first astronaut to orbit the earth; the ‘space race’ was officially on as JFK called for human exploration of the moon. When Neil Armstrong and

Buzz Aldrin set foot on the moon in 1969 the world was captivated.

These days the conquest of space appears to have been hijacked by the likes of Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Richard Branson with their big boys’ toys: you have to wonder what their

real motivation is as they invest billions in rockets and other gadgetry. When it comes to joy flights in space, tickets on Branson’s Virgin Galactic or Bezos’ Blue Origin start around the milliondollar mark, with apparently average in-flight catering.

Judging by recent surveys, the public at large has lost interest in space. It might have been big news in China when their Zhurong rover landed on Mars but the rest of the world let out a big yawn. Every time we see footage from the International Space Station, we have to wonder just what the hell they’re doing up there.

Maybe the world is too screwed up with wars around the globe, environmental degradation and other serious problems. Any suggestion we might colonise Mars is treated with scepticism, the hopefulness once generated by setting foot on the moon fizzing out.

If you visit the Space Discovery Centre in Adelaide, maybe $30 for a fluffy ‘Kanganaut’ isn’t such a bad investment. In twenty or thirty years’ time when we still haven’t set foot on Mars, and kangaroos are wiped out, it could be a valuable novelty. In the meantime, try bingeing The Jetsons to remember a time where we naively believed the Space Age would change the world.

“A

HEART-WRENCHING EXPLORATION

OF THE BEAUTY AND COMPLEXITY OF QUEER

Photo: NASA

HubARTS

FLAT EARTHERS: THE MUSICAL

BY RITA BRATOVICH

Flat Earthers: The Musical is the highly anticipated new work from creative trio, Jean Tong, Lou Wall, and James Gales, whose 2017 one-act show Romeo Is Not The Only Fruit, launched them as a writing team to keep an eye on.

Flat Earthers will make its debut at the Hayes Theatre as a co-production with Griffin Theatre Company, featuring an impressive cast of performers who have cut their teeth in some of the Hayes’ most successful musicals of recent times.

Energised by the popular success and critical acclaim of their first show, the trio were keen to write another musical together with two acts and a more complex storyline. They started working on ideas as early as 2018.

SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE

BY CASSANDRA PACE

Timeless romantic comedy

THE WARM SHOULDER

Country artist Nick Shoulders speaks to City Hub

(See p.21)

“We were sitting around brainstorming what was interesting to us,” explains Tong. “At the time, it was the Trump-era, this post-truth world with a feeling that people were really struggling to talk to each other.”

The three writers discovered they all had a keen interest in the world of conspiracy theories, and during the pandemic found plenty of time to journey deep into the realm of tin-foil hats, secret cabals, lizard people and anti-vaxxers. And so, Flat Earthers: The Musical was born.

Ria and Flick are two lesbians who meet on the internet and immediately fall in love. Not long into the relationship, Ria discovers with horror that Flick is a Flat Earther; Flick is equally mortified to learn that Ria is a 'Globe Earther'. In an effort to help Flick see the truth, Ria pretends to be a Flat Earth convert.

Shakespeare In Love, premiering in Sydney this November, unravels the world of Shakespeare’s poetry with a theatrical twist.

Inspired by the Oscar-winning 1988 screenplay by writer Marc Norman and playwright Tom Stoppard adapted for the stage by Lee Hall, this exquisite play fuses humour with the chaos of love. Set in the 1590s, the play depicts William Shakespeare’s journey to writing one of the most timeless love stories in the history of theatre. Directed by Madeleine Withington, this play reveals how the art of storytelling overflows with passion, love and joy. The script starts off with a young William Shakespeare, in the midst

While there’s loads of satire and references galore to all things dark web, Tong is emphatic that the aim of the musical is to have audiences laugh with the characters, not at them. “It’s very hard to just tell people they’re wrong, like no one’s ever changed their mind because someone told them they’re wrong,” explains Tong.

In this premiere, Shannen Alyce Quan plays Ria and Manali Datar plays Flick. “We’re so excited to have them be the first performers that have sung these songs in public in this full length show,”

There will be lots of audio-visual ambience to recreate a sense of being on an odyssey across the internet. With a laugh, Tong says: “I think it’s gonna be like you’ve taken a bunch of acid and gone on the internet. But a good acid-trip!”

October 11 –November 9

TITANIQUE: A HILARIOUS PARODY

BY JOHN MOYLE

The Titanique goes down every night and, luckily for us, comes back up every day to repeat one of the most uproariously funny shows Sydney has seen in years.

With direction, choreography and musical supervision by the original Los Angeles team of Tye Blue, Ellenore Scott and Nicholas James Connell respectively, it is brought to larger-thanlife by a well-matched Australian team.

audience loathe him. Abigail Dixon as the “Unsinkable” Molly Brown is a newcomer whose performance will ensure that she has a big future.

Helming the house band, musical director Hayden Barltrop ensures the musicians perfectly execute the tight score and support the incredible vocals out front.

Titanique is an unashamedly gay romp through one of history's greatest maritime tragedies, but most essentially it never loses its heart.

of a creative stagnation. In his new comedy, ‘Romeo and Ethel the Pirate's Daughter’, Shakespeare feels the rising pressures of meeting his deadline to unveil his next marvellous creation. That is until he meets Viola de Lesseps, forming a romance with the aristocratic woman who holds a forbidden truth. With all eyes on Shakespeare, the playwright starts to question his own capabilities to fulfil the Queen’s royal request for a lighthearted comedy.

This highly anticipated show is set to deliver a whirlwind of unexpected twists and witty dialogue that will have you roaring with laughter. Mark your calendars for an unforgettable night in the heart of Sydney!

12 November - 14 December

Titanique is an irreverent take on James Cameron’s blockbuster film that’s been hijacked by Celine Dion (Marney McQueen), who bombs every scene she can.

The script blows the film’s characters out of the water with exaggerations of their frailties, foibles and social positions, pitting them against each other while forced to fit into Dion’s narrative of events.

McQueen is a commanding and demanding Dion with the vocal chops to back it up. Drew Weston and Georgina Hobson are perfectly cast with their chemistry palpable in their vocal duetting, having a ball as they camp up the couple’s scenes.

As Rose’s caddish fiance Cal Hockley, Keane Sheppard-Fletcher performs with gusto and is not shy about letting the

Until December 1

Photo: Supplied

Photo: Supplied REVIEW

Photo: Daniel Boud

FRANKENSTEIN COMES TO LIFE IN SYDNEY

BY JOHN MOYLE

This stage version of Mary Shelley’s achingly heartfelt classic Frankenstein has just opened at the Theatre Royal, with a cast and production values set to dazzle Sydney audiences.

Shelley’s 1818 story is a take on the Prometheus myth about the Titan who gave humanity the gift of fire, but not without consequence.

This compelling story about the relationship between creator and monster also has modern parallels with the introduction of AI and how humans will employ it.

In this production Darcy Brown (Animal Farm) plays Doctor Victor Frankenstein who creates ‘The Creature’ after recently losing his mother. “Victor Frankenstein is very ambitious and idealistic but has tunnel vision about his devotion to the occult, sciences and alchemy,” Brown said.

“He is amazed by the world and the magic of what lies under the material things around him and is perplexed by why the modern scientists are failing to delve deeper.”

Fresh from her role as Eliza in Hamilton is Chloe Zuel, playing Frankenstein’s wife Elizabeth. “You see Elizabeth from the start of their relationship where family life and things are going well,” Zuel said. “Then you see Victor’s demise and their

MEET MARIO, QUEEN OF THE CIRCUS

BY CASSANDRA PACE

The extraordinarily multifaceted performer Mario, Queen of the Circus has joined cabaret variety show La Clique to celebrate the 20th anniversary season at the Opera House.

Mario – a superfan of history’s campest rock band, Queen – brings an entertaining experience to audiences, combining his impressive juggling skills and universal sex appeal with the world renowned band’s exhilarating jams. Dressing to impress, Mario embodies the signature Freddie Mercury style, paying tribute to the beloved artist.

changes from song to song, it is like the variety acts, it is a variety”, said Mario, expressing his great appreciation for the band.

Freddie Mercury is not only Mario’s style icon, he also feels empowered by the superstar’s ability to handle a stadium. “Freddie Mercury is incredibly charismatic and a great powerhouse performer on stage and that is inspiring to me,” Mario expresses.

relationship deteriorate and how his reactions are affecting her.”

Jeremiah Wray plays The Creature, a role that Brown gave him great praise for. “He is an extraordinarily imposing physical presence who goes on an incredible physical and expressive journey that’s very touching,” he said.

Wray’s transformation into The Creature is aided by some very clever prosthetic works by Steve Boyle – a master of special effects known for many screen and television productions including Star Wars.

“Boyle has created the headpiece and the cowl, back piece and scarring and it takes you to another place,” Brown said, adding that Wray’s acting ability is transformative.

“There are some wonderful moments in the show where you see The Creature learning to walk and it’s an astonishing piece of work.”

Frankenstein is a large-scale theatrical presentation that has already wowed audiences in Brisbane and Melbourne. However, one of Frankenstein‘s biggest surprises is that it’s an original, home-grown adaptation from the Brisbane-based production company Shake and Stir.

“It’s nice for someone like me who has come from doing a lot of big musicals to be in this production,” Zuel said of being in a homegrown Aussie show. “I really feel at home.”

Until October 13

With a long standing history with La Clique as a cast member since 2007, Mario is excited to be back performing at the Sydney Opera House. “The last time I was in a show of this nature was in 2017, so it’s very exciting to be back”, said Mario as he reminisces on his time living in Sydney.

The born showman will juggle his bag of tricks to deliver an unforgettable experience, seamlessly transitioning between audience interaction and outstanding performances to the best of Queen’s hits. Effortlessly commanding the audience’s attention, Mario’s quirky personality captures the laughter of the crowd who can expect lots of surprises and beloved classics.

As a variety act, the performer feels inspired by the diversity of Queen’s music. “Queen is very theatrical music, it

Freddie’s eccentric uniqueness inspired Mario to be his own person, to find his individuality. “In the European circuit, it is imperative to be absolutely original,” he said, sharing that one must bring something new that an audience has never encountered before to be successful.

“Live entertainment is a need for people, we need to be in synchronisation with the people around us as an audience," Mario explains. "My job as a performer is to be a conduit for that feeling to synchronise the audience, whether that’s through laughing, singing or clapping at the same time, it’s all about making everyone feel in sync.”

With an incredible cast featuring firebreather Heather Holliday and contortionist David Pereira, La Clique fuses his creativity with the art of live entertainment – and it's even been praised by Queen’s Brian May. Don't miss out on this Australian exclusive! Until November 17

Photo: Jo Duck

Photo: Joel Devereux

JACQUI NORTH’S LIGHT PAINTINGS

BY JOHN MOYLE

Jacqui ‘Jax’ North loves shining a fresh light on our colonial past in projects that have attracted thousands of visitors across Sydney. North is an artist that paints with light and images thrown from the latest digital projectors, in a field known for being difficult but transformative.

“I really love drawing audiences into my world in surprising and interesting ways, so me telling stories on colonial walls is a way of inspiring organic connections between people,” explained North.

For many artists, the COVID-19 pandemic was a mixed blessing,

with some being able to adapt to the restrictions while others had to put projects on hold. For North, it turned out to be a productive period.

“The first light art I did was a series of three that we installed across the city during Covid, 2021,” North explained. “I adapted a short film I made called Love and Revolution into a light art work with an Arabic translation of a poem, and the poets were inside an Edwardian building in the Rocks.”

“There was another in that series called Bungaree and that was projected onto the back of the Paspaley Building, just above the Tank Stream where the

SYDNEY FESTIVAL GETS NEW DIRECTOR

BY JOSH KERWICK

The iconic Sydney Festival has announced that they will be welcoming Canadian Kris Nelson as the new Festival Director from 2026-2029. Nelson brings with him a huge amount of experience to the Festival Director role, with over two decades of experience and expertise working in the arts world as a curator.

The announcement of Nelson stepping into the role comes after current director Olivia Ansell revealed she would be stepping down – however, she will be curating the 2025 instalment of the festival.

The newly-appointed Nelson will step into the role in November 2025 following a six-anda-half-year tenure as Artistic Director and CEO of the London International Festival of Theatre (LIFT). This past festival cycle, Nelson and his team were

able to attract global stars like Jessica Gunning, Jodie Whittaker, Emilia Clarke and Toby Jones to the festival for special performances.

Before that, Nelson was also the director of the Dublin Fringe Festival from 2013 to 2017, and has worked across various curatorial roles at

travelling Magnetic North Theatre

On the news, Nelson said: “I love Sydney Festival’s DNA –it’s an instigator, a festival for adventurous ideas and brave performing arts. It’s one of the world’s great festivals – one that celebrates home with a global outlook.

“I’m so thrilled to be its next Festival Director, to work with Australian and international artists and inspire Sydney’s diverse audiences.”

City Recital Hall is. There was also Contact Trace, a photographic essay of me in lockdown that was narrated by Uncle Jack Charles.”

For Queer in Warrane during Sydney World Pride, North and a group

RANDWICK LIGHTS PROMOTING SAFETY

of artists including Dylan Mooney took over the exteriors of the Hyde Park Barracks, and over five nights transformed the space into a retelling of our queer history as told through our First Nations artists.

“We projected three light works over five nights on the front of the Hyde Park Barracks and people walking around the city could see them,” North said.

One of North’s current projects is for the National Maritime Museum, set to be installed inside the building. Called Wansolwara: One Saltwater, North explains its concept: “The subject is tracing the story and the survival of the Australian South Sea Islanders who were stolen from their homeland and brought here as slaves to build the wealth of Australia.”

“It’s a work-in-progress video in development and we are now looking for additional funds to complete it.”

With North’s ability and tenacity working to explore the fabric of Sydney’s history we look forward to seeing her latest project soon.

BY CASSANDRA PACE

Lunar Sway, a permanent artwork by multidisciplinary artist and senior lecturer Rochelle Haley, brings the Randwick Health and Innovation Precinct its second major art project in a new Laneway Art Program commissioned by the Precinct.

Funded by Transport for NSW’s Safer Cities program, a contribution of $30 million over the span of two years to the Precincts has instilled hope in the community to keep everyone safe in our local areas, especially women, girls and gender-diverse people.

The Randwick Health and Innovation Precinct is a 24-hour district, home to four hospitals and a prestigious university. Nearly 80% of front line staff are women who often walk through the campus streets after dark.

To enhance the safety and comfortability of walking in the late hours of the night, the art

installation acts as a guide to better their experience walking across the neighbouring campuses.

Minister for Health Ryan Park expressed his support in keeping our front line workers safe at all times:“Our health workers are critical to keeping the community safe and well, so they deserve to feel safe as they travel to and from the hospital at night.”

Influenced by lunar cycles and the colours that shine through the sunrise and sunset, the radiant glow illuminates a pathway through the campus that directs people to public transport.

Visitors are encouraged to immerse themselves into the art display, and follow the illuminated installation that leads to local area attractions such as the Newmarket dining Precinct on Baker Street and Randwick Ritz Cinema and cafés on St Paul’s Street.

Photo: Supplied

Photo: Andy Roberts

Photo: Tyler Kelly

SITTING DOWN WITH NICK SHOULDERS

BY JOHN MOYLE

Rising country star Nick Shoulders is a rarity in the entertainment field, in that he displays a disarming honesty in both his music and his political views.

Along with Sierra Ferrel, The Lumineers and Margo Cilker – who will join him on Australian stages – Shoulders is reshaping American country music by taking it back to its roots of America's south and southwest during the 1920s.

Like many teenagers of the early 21st century, Shoulders wanted nothing to do with the music he had grown up with before seeing the value of it.

“When I started to discover Jimmy Rogers, the Carter Family and many blues artists like Tommy Johnson and the Mississippi Sheiks, I realised that country music and early blues were much more

rebellious than I realised,” Shoulders explained.

With few outlets for Shoulders’ countryroots Americana music, he and his band have relied on the impact of their performance and creative videos like Won’t Fence Us In to gain recognition.

Shoulders will be performing with Margo Cilker on October 9 at the Factory Theatre. “I will be playing with our bass player Grant D’Aubin who was born and raised in a bluegrass family, also from Arkansas,” Shoulders said.

“We are really going to try and represent this corner of the world and its cultural, political and economic experiences. Expect whistles, country music, yodels and the like – and a lot of fun!”

October 9, The Factory Theatre

OCTOBER CONCERT GUIDE

BY JAMES BALE

Sydney is set to welcome some of the world’s biggest names in music this October; however, for those who prefer the intimate theatre over the stadiums, here are some great concerts happening this month!

BRAD COX - October 18, Enmore Theatre

The Jindabyne singer-songwriter has made a strong impression on Australia’s country music scene, having been nominated for an ARIA and winning a Golden Guitar for his discography that captures the essence of Australian country life.

PASSENGER - Sydney Opera House, October 21 and 22

The British-American singer-songwriter is most notable for writing Indie Folk rock anthems such as Let Her Go. He is on tour in Australia to promote the re-release of his most celebrated album All the Little Lights.

GRINSPOON - Metro Theatre, October 22

For over 20 years, Grinspoon have been one of the staple acts in Australia’s post-grunge and alternative rock scene. With 13 ARIA nominations and over half a million records sold, Grinspoon continues to be a mainstay of Aussie music festivals each year.

CONFIDENCE MAN - Enmore Theatre, October 26

This electronic/dance band hails from Brisbane and has risen to popularity in the past 2 years. The two siblings that make up Confidence Man have made a name for themselves with their indie-inspired dance music and their electric stage presence.

BIRDS OF TOKYO - Enmore Theatre, October 31

The Perth alternative 4-piece are best known for their unconventional means of creating music and performing. Best known for hits like Lanterns and Good Lord, they utilise pianos, synths and a string ensemble for their live performances.

BAD NEIGHBOUR – MILLIONS

BY JAMES BALE

Bad Neighbour’s debut album Millions establishes the Brisbane band’s sound as a mixture of hard rock, grunge and pop-punk in a good, if safe, debut album.

A defining factor in this sound is Cooper Riley’s ambitious vocal range, from the ‘nu-metal’ voice demonstrated in the title track and a high-pitched scream emulating the sound of many mid-2000s pop-punk bands.

Riley also plays rhythm guitar and has terrific chemistry with lead guitarist Zoe Middleton. This chemistry is evident on tracks like Spills where Riley plays chords on the acoustic guitar while Middleton delivers a hard rock riff, granting the song momentum.

Middleton uses the debut album to showcase her broad ability on guitar, utilising different skills such as

sweep picking and chord galloping while deploying a wide range of effects to her advantage.

Bad Neighbour‘s rhythm sections are another contributor to the band’s sound. Bassist Liam Summer has an aggressive playing style that stands out; at his best creating distorted, melodic riffs that build tension as the rest of the band joins him.

Drummer Jack Parkes is somewhat passive for most of the album, often playing a simple 4/4 drum beat; however, this changes in 20,000 Knife Fights where the drums dictate the song’s pace and progression.

Millions is a solid debut album that plays it safe in terms of creative amibition. Nonetheless, it establishes a solid foundation for Bad Neighbour to blossom into a great modern Aussie rock band in years to come.

Photo: Aleksander Pasaric

GHOSTLIGHT HE AIN’T HEAVY

BY MARK MORELLINI

Adysfunctional family suffering after the death of a loved one slowly reconnects in Ghostlight.

Dan is a construction worker who’s finding it difficult to move forward after his son’s suicide. His wife Stacey is trying to keep her family together while teenager Daisy is unable to cope.

When Dan joins a theatre group to ‘be somebody else’, art imitates life when he’s asked to play Romeo in Romeo and Juliet. Ghostlight is unique because a reallife family plays the suffering family.

Keith Kupferer (Dan), Katherine Mallen Kupferer (Daisy) and Tara Mallen (Stacey) are actors you may have never heard of before Ghostlight, and you’ll be left asking why.

Their performances are excellent, the dialogue feeling natural given the three actors are real-life family, and the script is beautiful as it explores themes of grief, human connection and theatre’s power.

There won’t be a dry eye in the house by the end of Ghostlight, the surprise movie of the year.

 In Cinemas now

MEMOIR OF A SNAIL

BY MARK MORELLINI

This Australian adult stop-motion animated tragicomedy must be one of the most depressing movies released in recent years, but it’s still an incredible film to watch on the big screen.

Memoir of a Snail follows twins Grace and Gilbert who are sent to different foster homes after their parents’ deaths. Grace loves snails; she dresses as one, has a family of live snails and collects ornamental replicas which offer her a sense of security.

Grace realises she is trapped by her

BY MARK MORELLINI

What do you do when a loved one is a drug addict? How far would you go to help them when their drug addiction is out of control?

That’s the dilemma 30-something Jade finds herself in when her younger brother Max has no recollection of lifethreatening events he was involved in while under the influence.

He Ain’t Heavy deals with a relatable and universal social issue – substance abuse. The subject matter is heavy, and viewers will find themselves on an emotional rollercoaster.

Actress Leila George headlines the cast as Jade and her real-life mother Greta Scacchi plays the role of her mother Bev, who is overly forgiving and too gentle with her son.

Sam Corlett delivers a brutal and memorable performance a man experiencing the horrors of addiction, who has been to rehabilitation many times to no avail.

This small but significant Australian film deals with real issues that continue to permeate society, leaving audiences to reflect long after the film has concluded.

BY MARK MORELLINI

fears and must move through life as snails do; travel forward without looking back.

It’s humorous and charming, but pessimism permeates the story; audiences will be thankful for the few moments of joy in the finale.

The eight years it took to produce Memoir Of A Snail is hard to fathom but it was worth the effort: the fact that audiences’ emotions are stirred shows the film is a success.



In cinemas October 17

The Critic centres on Jimmy Erskine, The Daily Chronicle’s theatre critic known as ‘the beast’ thanks to his gleefully brutal reviews of theatre. When he’s dismissed over queer sexual behaviour in public, Erskine decides to get revenge.

Multi-award-winning English actor Ian McKellen delivers a deliciously evil performance as a critic who thrives on writing disrespectful reviews. The transformation of this ‘harmless old man’ into a murderous villain is riveting to watch.

Theatre critics are traditionally seen to write harsh reviews, and McKellen perfectly portrays how most would envisage the appearance and persona of a theatre critic.

Gemma Arterton portrays the vulnerable actress Nina Land who breaks the silent rule that actors should not speak to critics. But will this newly evolved friendship have longevity?

The film extravagantly and expertly recreates the British 1930s, allowing audiences to feel as if they’ve been transported to a bygone era.