INNER WEST INDEPENDENT MARCH 2021 by Alt Media

Street sign campaign catches on across Sydney

Where is the trust in the Parklands Trust?

A show for anybody who has ever loved rock n’ roll

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HOMEGROWN HERO

BY BRIANNAH DEVLIN eet Barbara Ramjan. Changemaker. Advocate. She has lived in the inner west her whole life. She’s a woman who has seen the world change in many ways and evolve into a different world than the one she was born in. Ramjan was nominated as part of Inner West Council’s International Women’s Day Honour Roll of 2019. On the 8th of March, it will be International Women’s Day - a day for celebrating the diversity of women across the globe regardless of their background, economic status, sexuality, age, ability and religion. It is about championing their achievements for their local communities and support networks, as well as for the wider communities. This has been particularly felt over the last year, with women being amongst those who have been hit the hardest by the pandemic, and have been helping society function. The day is about appreciating the value they bring to our lives, but more importantly recognising that they’re a valued member of society, and need to be upheld with equal rights. Ramjan was “surprised and humbled” to be nominated for the award with a diverse group of women. She also could not believe the size of the mural that was painted of her and other nominees, all everyday women who have done extraordinary things in their community, on Lennox Street in Newtown (pictured).

Barbara Ramjan’s extraordinary life of advocacy

FROM DIVERSE ROOTS

Barbara is one of eight, and grew up in the 50s, with a very “strong mother”, and a jazz musician for a father. The white Australian policy was something that she experienced first hand. Her father is from Fiji, with his family coming from India. “So it was not unusual to have my family facing discrimination and facing things that needed changing and things that needed addressing,” she said.

Because you don’t do it for you, you’re doing [it] because change has to happenn “When he used to do his country tours, he always had to have the piece of paper signed by the undersecretary for that purpose, and for that moment, allowed him to enter the places he was playing.” These experiences growing up have helped shape her today, and her passion for helping others from marginalised groups regardless of their race, ability or sexuality.

TAKING ON THE SYSTEM

She has many accolades and values that are all in need of a mention. Barabra is a 78er, being there in the very thick of when homosexuality was deemed a criminal act. She is also a Children’s Court Advisory Committee Member, Legal Aid Board Member, Guardian ad Litem Courts and Tribunals of NSW, Member of the Guardianship Tribunal and Immigration Review Tribunal. Continued on page 3

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HISTORIC COMMUNITY WIN

$14 million to restore Callan Park 2001 Photo: David Liddle

2018

2020

INNER WEST INDEPENDENT MARCH 2021

Later this year work will begin on $14 million worth of major improvements that will transform Callan Park. You’ll see upgrades across the site including a fully pedestrianised foreshore Bay Run, new picnic areas and a waterfront sporting and community facility, the protection of Indigenous cultural heritage, and repairs to heritage buildings including the Garry Owen Summer House. On a personal note, after 20 years fighting Labor and Liberal government proposals to sell off and develop Callan Park this is a historic achievement. Thank you to everyone who has rallied behind this campaign, especially the Friends of Callan Park.

Authorised by Jamie Parker MP. Funded using parliamentary entitlements. Jan 2021.

IndieNEWS HOMEGROWN HERO She is also a rowing instructor for people with disabilities. More about that one a little later. One of the things that was mentioned among many things on Barbara’s honour roll profile was that she is “a tireless, fearless advocate, dedicated to assisting the most vulnerable and marginalised people in our community.” As we began to chat, it became clear that it was something that was ingrained in her. One of Barbara’s highlights was marching in 2018, in the 40th anniversary commemorative march in Mardi Gras that she walked with a friend. It was more significant for her as it was shortly after same-sex marriage was legalised in late 2017. “When we walked down Oxford Street.. and I think both of us were close to tears.” “And we kept saying, ‘Who would believe that in 1978, 40 years for that this would be the reception and this is amazing, that people calling out thank you.’” “And it was just overwhelming. Because you don’t do it for you, you’re doing because change has to happen.”

(Continued from the cover)

Ramjan also went into the impact her ad litem work has had on her, but also those who she is serving.

suddenly find that you volunteer and then all of a sudden you will be more than a volunteer,” she explained. “He taught me to row.”

[She] always taught us never to step back from the line.

It was not until she met some of the people who were learning to row that she decided to step in and help coach others.

“It’s terrific because you get appointed for people who lack legal capacity, or children under 12. It’s fabulous work, it can be really challenging because of the nature of the work,” she said. “But it’s really also fulfilling because if you do it properly, then the person you’re standing in the shoes of has to get a better outcome than if you’re not there.”

“One of them had a disability and had a brain injury from a very bad car accident.”

ROWING TO VICTORY

Now back to rowing. For over a decade, Barbara has been teaching people with physical and intellectual disabilities how to row. She first got involved when her son needed to strengthen his lungs, so she took him to rowing lessons, needing to drive him back and forth. “Being young, he needed driving there and back. And as most parents, you

Home working?

“It’s great seeing them in a boat, growing, and adults with different disabilities doing amazing stuff.” Talking to Barbara the pride she has in helping others is evident, especially when a team of her rowers flew over to compete in America in 2013. They were the first para-crew from Australia to compete overseas. “We beat the Americans by two minutes. It was amazing,” she said. While ecstatic about winning gold, seeing the impact competing overseas had on her rowers was priceless and more than its weight in gold. For Barbara, her mother’s values have stuck with her.

Barbara Ramjan receives the 2017 Governor’s Cup for her contribution to Para Rowing in NSW. Photo: Balmain Para-Rowing

“[She] always taught us never to step back from the line, maybe push your toe over the line. So never take a backward step.” The nominees of the Inner West Council’s 2021 International Women’s Day honours will be announced on the 8th of March.

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IndieNEWS

COVID-19 driving women’s homelessness BY RIDA BABAR s society recovers from the impacts of COVID-19 over the past year, some secondary impacts continue to linger. With the approach of International Women’s Day, it is relevant to discuss one of the most pressing issues for women currently, and for past generations: women’s homelessness. The peak of the pandemic in 2020 saw most people adopt a work from home lifestyle, while many suffered unemployment. This put strains on home life and saw a subsequent increase in homelessness and domestic violence rates. The Equity Economics report ‘A Wave of Disadvantage Across NSW: Impact of COVID-19’, a collaborated effort from a number of housing bodies including the Community Housing Industry Association NSW (CHIA NSW) examined trends which saw a 30 to 40 percent rise in domestic violence rates across Sydney last year in comparison to previous numbers. CHIA NSW advocates for “a housing system that changes lives.” Their members build and provide quality housing for low-income families. Mark Degotardi, CEO of CHIA NSW commented on the situation in a statement issued by the company, saying “the economic impacts of COVID-19 are disproportionately affecting women. Our responses to the pandemic must focus on this group as well.” “Before COVID-19 hit, women over 55 were the fastest growing group of homeless people in Australia,” said Mr. Degotardi. “Now, in less than a year, tens of thousands of women in NSW will find themselves unemployed or on reduced incomes.” Mr. Degotardi added that there is a strong link between unemployment and domestic violence, with the report forecasting the Inner West, as well as North Sydney and Hornsby as the areas with the highest predicted increase in domestic violence, at 5.5 percent.

A IndieARTS:

HILLARY GEDDES Jazz guitarist Hillary Geddes gives the concept of slow TV a new twist (See p. 22)

Published monthly and freely available throughout the Inner West. Copies are also distributed to serviced apartments, hotels, convenience stores and newsagents throughout the Inner West local council area. Distribution enquiries call 9212 5677. Published by Altmedia Pty Ltd. While every effort is made to ensure accuracy of content, we take no responsibility for inadvertent errors or omissions. ABN 52 600 903 348 Group Publisher: Lawrence Gibbons Publisher Assistant: Mal Moody Group News Editor: Allison Hore Inner West News Editor: Rida Babar Arts Editor: Jamie Apps Contributors: Allison Hore, Wendy Bacon, Briannah Devlin, Kate Rafferty, Daniel Lo Surdo, Rida Babar, Eva Baxter, Rachel Clark, Georgia Robinson, Mark Morellini, Soofia Tariq, Jamie Apps, Irina Dunn, Erika Echternach, Renee Lou Dallow, Patrick McKenzie Advertising Managers: Mal Moody: 0484 042 615 Advertising: sales@altmedia.net.au Cover Photo: Mark Dixon. Inner West local and community advocate Barbara Ramjan in front of her Lennox Street mural Designer: Nadia Kalinitcheva Mail: PO Box 843 Broadway 2007 Email: news@altmedia.net.au, arts@altmedia.net.au Ph: 9212 5677 Fax: 9212 5633

If you have a story, or any comments you’d like to share with us: news@altmedia.net.au 4

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COMMUNITY RESPONSE

The Inner West Council has created programs to educate residents on how to help those who are struggling with homelessness, including a short interactive course that will teach people in the Inner West how to report locations where people who may need housing assistance are noticed. While the council’s annual street count is not broken down into gender, the Community Strategic Plan (CSP) identifies relevant targets to “assist people who are homeless or sleeping rough,” as said by a communications representative.

The Girls’ Refuge helps at risk girls in the Inner West. Photo: Detour House

The Girls Refuge, a crisis refuge for young women located in the Inner West cares for over 200 girls each year. The centre is owned by Detour House, a nonprofit organisation dedicated to helping women in need. The refuge operates 24/7 and employs an all-female staff. They assist with providing temporary homes, as well as providing counselling, a focus on education and teaching skills to move back home or live independently, as well as encouraging a bright future for all young women who come their way. Olivia Nguy, a spokesperson for Detour House said, “2020 was an unusual year for us as at one point we had to make the difficult decision to reduce our residential capacity to manage COVID-19 related risk to clients and staff and focused on increasing our case management support to clients in the community, with a focus on homelessness prevention.” But things are returning to business-asusual for the Girls Refuge as restrictions are slowly lifted. However, staff have noted an increase in demand for their services. “We are almost back up at full capacity now and have noted the constant and increasing demand for support across the past year, especially in relation to support for young people experiencing homelessness,” Ms. Nguy explained. “A large part of the case management support we extend in situations involving domestic and family violence includes the development of safety plans, and support with understanding the options available in terms of support services, enhancing safety, and responding to domestic and family violence.”

HOMELESSNESS AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

With domestic violence being one of the key drivers of women’s homelessness, the Girls Refuge sees this as an important issue to address, also offering legal services for young women struggling with the impacts of it. “A few times throughout the year our

fabulous partners at Marrickville Legal Centre also run workshops for our clients on different aspects of domestic and family violence, including the legal options and processes when domestic violence occurs,” Ms. Nguy explained. The Girls Refugee is a non-government organisation and relies on the generosity of the community to run their vital programs. In the near future they hope to be able to establish medium-term accommodation for young homeless people. “As a not-for-profit organisation we are always challenged to stretch our dollars as far as they will go, but we are emboldened by the support we have received,” she said. “We are currently working on establishing new medium-term accommodation for under 18s experiencing homelessness in the coming years, as young people are hugely limited when it comes to secure housing options.”

Tens of thousands of women in NSW will find themselves unemployed or on reduced incomes As stigma is a major issue surrounding domestic violence and its many implications, places such as the Leichhardt Women’s Community Health Centre (LWCHC) provides aid for women experiencing domestic or family violence through low cost or free health care, legal advice, and counselling. While society has been combatting women’s homelessness and domestic violence for generations, such programs have been paving the way to creating an environment within communities in which women feel safe to speak up without risk of stigma. Through initiatives such as the ones ongoing by the Inner West Council and low cost or free agencies such as The Girls Refuge, CHIA NSW, and the LWCHC, Australia is able to contribute in the fight to shape communities into a safer environment for women.

IndieNEWS

Mayor Byrne feels the burn BY ALLISON HORE nner West mayor Darcy Byrne is feeling the burn of a potential suspension he faces as a result of a NSW Office of Local Government (OLG) inquiry. The local government watchdog accused the mayor of an “abuse of power” as a result of a 2019 council meeting where he used a council vote to quash social media comments on the pages of other councillors which he saw as defamatory. The OLG says that Mayor Byrne failed to declare a significant non-pecuniary interest during the motion to force an apology from two councillors whose followers made comments on their Facebook pages he said painted him as “corrupt.” In response to a draft development control plan for the Victoria Road precinct in Marrickville, followers of councillors Colin Hesse and Pauline Lockie accused Mayor Byrne and other councillors of being “in bed with developers.” Byrne said they should take responsibility for the comments made on their pages. The vote calling on Mr. Hesse and Ms. Lockie to apologise was passed.

alleged, I think pretty comfortably the tribunal would say, ‘this is not one of those’,” he argued.

Inner West mayor Darcy Byrne speaks in front of the Glebe Island Bridge last year. Photo: Allison Hore

QUESTIONABLE TIMING

But the local council watchdog claimed the incident was a misuse of council resources to “address personal grievances” and said it gave Mr. Byrne “tangible advantages in defamation proceedings foreshadowed by him.” Speaking in front of a NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal last week, OLG barrister Matthew Cobb-Clark called the move “an abuse of power.” But Mayor Byrne’s barrister, Ian Latham, disagreed with the claim the move was personally motivated by the mayor. He

argued Mr. Byrne’s call for apology was also defending the reputation of the other councillors mentioned in the posts.

The local council watchdog claimed the incident was a misuse of council resources to “address personal grievances” “I think when the tribunal looks at both the definitions of a non-pecuniary interest and also the interest actually

Mayor Byrne raised questions as to the timing of the investigation, which he said was motivated by him being a vocal critic of the OLG’s delivery of the Stronger Communities Fund grants. The majority of the grant money from the scheme, delivered in the lead up to the 2019 state election, went to local government areas with Liberal members. Just days before Mayor Byrne was due to give evidence before a parliamentary inquiry the OLG announced they would be investigating the 2019 apology incident. “It’s no coincidence that the OLG has began seeking my removal from public office following the discovery of a secret slush fund overseen by the OLG, and our ongoing advocacy to bring the facts about this rort out into the light,” Mr. Byrne said in his statements before the inquiry into the grants. OLG chief executive Tim Hurst hit back and said the tribunal was in no way influenced by the upper house inquiry.

Safe and Livable Public Housing in our City Sydney is a wonderful place to live and we all know that our hot and often humid climate means that living here comes with a certain level of interaction with rats and cockroaches. But that doesn’t mean that any resident of our city should be forced to live in vermin infested properties without any real means of effective management. This is the situation faced by thousands of residents in public housing precincts across our city. In these areas, where the landlord is the NSW Liberal/National Government, residents are told that it is their personal responsibility to deal with vermin, despite living in high rise apartment buildings that are infested from top to bottom. How effective can one person’s response ever be if the problem goes so far beyond their own unit?

Even if it was possible, how can people living on a pension or disability payment - struggling to make ends meet - afford the cost associated @jennyleong.newtown

with managing this.

It is clear that dealing with large scale infestations requires a large scale, coordinated response. That is why it is so unacceptable that the NSW Liberal/ National Government refuses to take responsibility for this problem, and instead requires public housing tenants to pay for and implement pest control that they know will not even begin to be effective. Access to safe and livable housing is a basic human right. It is absolutely unacceptable that our Government is actively choosing to shirk this responsibility by refusing to implement effective pest control.

This week in the NSW Parliament, we asked the Premier to explain how her government can justify such a position, and to commit to an urgent roll out of wide scale pest control in public housing properties across NSW. You can see the question and the @jennyleong

Premier’s response by following us on Facebook - just scan the code below.

This is a problem that can be solved, it is a disgrace that the Liberal/National Government is choosing not to uphold its responsibility as a landlord to some of the most vulnerable people in our city. No-one should have to live in a home infested with rats or cockroaches, not our elderly, not young children, not anyone. It is unacceptable and we will continue to pressure them to take urgent action on this issue until it is resolved.

If you live in public housing and have a problem with vermin, report it to the maintenance hotline and let us know. Jenny Leong MP Greens Member for Newtown

@jennyleong.newtown

INNER WEST INDEPENDENT MARCH 2021

IndieNEWS

Police, politics and pride

“So I’m personally really hopeful for the next year.”

#TAKEOVEROXFORDSTREET

Protest group Pride in Protest questions the presence of police at Mardi Gras. Photo: Pride in Protest

BY SOOFIA TARIQ n the lead up to Sydney’s Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras the LGBTIQ+ community continues to debate the place of police and politics in pride. While a proposal to remove police officer’s floats from the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras failed in December at the annual general meeting, many are still concerned about the ongoing police presence at Sydney Mardi Gras. The push was led by Sydney activist group Pride in Protest, who currently

holds two seats on the Mardi Gras board. Lungol Wekina, organiser for Pride in Protest, said the reason for the proposal was because marginalised members of the community felt unsafe with the police presence. “It was actually quite close this past AGM which it’s never been, we were able to hold 44% of the room. From what I’ve seen so far, I feel like we have a very real chance of actually getting a motion pass,” he said.

Pride in Protest has begun their online #MardiGrasShouldBe and #TakeOverOxfordStreet campaigns, which have received wide support from younger LGBTIQ+ communities. In response to the criticism of the police’s place in the parade, a spokesperson from the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras stated, “for the last three years, Mardi Gras members have voted to continue to welcome the NSW police force marching in the Parade, acknowledging that their active involvement in the march is a sign of reconciliation and progress.”

 I’m personally really

hopeful for the next year Mardi Gras explained the core value of the parade is inclusion, and recognising that there are LGBTIQ+ people who serve in the police force is a part of that. “Over the years, we’ve worked closely with NSW Police to educate officers on

working with the community and to help strengthen the relationship,” they said. “As part of that, the Police have committed to continuously improving their relationship with our community, including reducing fear.” However, NSW Police relations with the Sydney Mardi Gras have not always been harmonious. The first Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras in 1978 ended with police violence and multiple arrests. Diane Minnis, a 78er, has mixed feelings but says more has been done to educate police officers against homophobia over the years. “Having seen up close the violence of 1978 in the first Mardi Gras and other violent things that have happened recently, particularly at the end of the Black Lives Matter protest in Sydney in June, where people were surrounded and pushed around, I am pretty weary of groups of police,” she said. “But at the same token, the ones who march in Mardi Gras are advocates and members of our community.” Pride in Protest will be holding their march at Taylor Square on Saturday 6th March.

Drag Queens adapt to a new normal BY RACHEL CLARK t the peak of the pandemic every industry was impacted, including Sydney’s drag scene. With limited opportunities, many decided to create their own stages with the use of social media. Clubs and theatres being shut down left many without work. But, the drag queens of Sydney didn’t hang up their heels and lock themselves away. They adapted, and technology became the key to survival. Through social media they were not only able to perform, but reach their audiences. As restrictions tightened across the city Faux Fur, a drag queen based in Sydney’s Inner West, had many performances cancelled or postponed. Not to be deterred, she decided to find other ways to interact with her fans, mainly on social media where she created a thriving platform.

queens in the community, as many were left very isolated and split from fellow queens. “We were reaching out to others to support mental health and not losing hope, doing what I could from my home,” explains Miss Veeta, a Brisbane-based drag queen.

FAUX MONDAYS

 Through online media I could still

develop my creativity “Through online media I could still develop my creativity through still remaining relevant,” she said. Social media provided a way for not just Faux, but many other drag queens to connect with their audience in just a matter of seconds providing a glimpse into where their lives were at. Online drag communities have flourished within the midst of the pandemic, taking to Facebook, Tik Tok and Instagram to perform and compete. These platforms also increased connectivity with other 6

INNER WEST INDEPENDENT MARCH 2021

Drag queen Faux Fur has had to find new ways to reach her fans during lockdowns. Photo: Instagram/ Fauxfur_offial

Finding new ways to connect with her fans from home, Faux Fur used social media to create Faux Mondays, an IGTV live show on Instagram. “[We] immediately sought ways to support each other and promote each other, so as to come out the other side of the pandemic in a stronger situation,” says Faux Fur. As restrictions have begun to ease many queens are starting to see a change with not only the venues, but also attendees. Miss Veeta expressed how the drag scene hasn’t returned back to normal overnight. As audiences return slowly there appears to be more new faces appearing each night to watch stunning queens dazzle the stages. The adaption and development to the new norm displays how much the drag scene has evolved during these highly uncertain times. The support and commitment to the community during this time was stronger than ever, and will hopefully follow into a post COVID-19 world. Most of the queens are hopeful for the world of drag. With more opportunities becoming available, they are able to bringing joy and smiles to audiences faces; while also remaining fierce.

IndieNEWS

COVID-19 misinformation junk mail BY EVA BAXTER esidents across the Inner West have reportedly been receiving anonymous letters spreading misinformation about COVID-19 and the vaccine. The letter comes as the rollout of the COVID-19 Pfizer vaccine begins this month. Royal Prince Alfred Hospital is one of 16 hubs across Australia set to begin administering the vaccine. Australia’s COVID-19 Vaccination Program will initially see those most vulnerable or who have the highest risk of being exposed to or spreading the virus get the vaccine. This includes frontline healthcare workers, quarantine and border workers and aged care and disability care residents and workers. The letter, dropped into residents mailboxes, urged citizens to sign petitions against forced vaccinations. Despite claims made in the letter, the COVID-19 vaccine is voluntary and free. Linda Frow, a resident in the Inner West, was one of many who received the letter. “I was actually quite shocked to see this letter and to think people around here would actually believe this kind of stuff,”

she told the Inner West Independent. Ms. Frow said rather than taking information from anonymous sources, she gets her trusted information about COVID-19 from the ABC and the input of Dr Norman Swan. She said she doesn’t think people in her community would be influenced by the letter. “I would hope that people could see through it,” she said.

CRITICAL THINKING KEY

Inner West resident David McGrath relies on the formal advice from the health department and government when it comes to COVID-19. He said it doesn’t concern him that people in his community could be vulnerable to believe misinformation.

I was actually quite shocked to see this letter “People can pick up on any written material and determine that it could be valid,” he said. “I guess to a certain degree it is inevitable that people will express different views. The most important

A great start at

A letter spreading misinformation about COVID-19 brings a new meaning to “junk mail”. Photo: Eva Baxter

thing is people develop the capacity to critically analyse stuff and find out a reasonable source of challenging any material they read.” 11 hubs in NSW have been confirmed to provide vaccinations, but they are not currently taking bookings from the public. Vaccines will be available across additional settings including GP clinic and community pharmacy. The vaccine is expected to be available to the general public once the vaccine

becomes available through general practice. Vaccination is the most effective way to protect against infectious diseases and when enough people in the community are vaccinated, it slows down the spread of disease. NSW Health has a vaccination target of 95 percent. Even when the vaccine starts to be administered to the general community, it will still be important to practise COVID-safe behaviour.

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Leichhardt WestConnex Tempe Fights Back Against Unfair Legislation blasting plan scrapped BY RIDA BABAR empe OOSH, the beloved childcare service at Tempe Public School, has announced that new legislation from the Department of Education will see them close after 13 years of operation. A GoFundMe page, created by ‘Friends of Tempe OOSH’ has received overwhelming community support, with a number of donations targeted to help the Pentecost family, who ran the OOSH, recover from the upsetting situation. The situation began when The Department of Education stated that programs throughout the state are to undergo an open tender process,

A protest banner opposing the WestConnex construction in Leichhardt. Photo: Leichhardt Against WestConnex

BY DANIEL LO SURDO that landowners would be left without meaningful support against the blasting. he WestConnex contractor’s proposal to blast underneath “Property owners ultimately carry … Leichhardt’s 36th Battalion Park the risk of repairs not being adequate and Pioneers Memorial Park has been or of sufficient quality,” Aaron said in turned down. December. A final decision on the proposal was Potential property damage remained made by the joint-venture contractor, atop the primary concerns for Acciona Samsung Bouygues, this Leichhardt residents feeling increasingly week. disillusioned with the likelihood of receiving just compensation. “The contractor has advised that it is highly unlikely controlled blasting will “When claims arise, the contractors be used for tunnelling on this project, won’t provide owners of property including in the Leichhardt area,” a that have sustained damage with the WestConnex spokesperson told The satellite data and geotechnical reports Independent, before the final decision that might assist in establishing came in. causation,” Aaron said. “The contractor’s “Property owners final decision is Another community win will have to obtain expected soon, and reports at their own against WestConnex the community and cost in order to stakeholders will be prove their claim.” advised of the decision.” The joint-venture contractor first applied The verdict to avoid blasting under to blast underneath Leichhardt to the Leichhardt was welcomed by Inner West Department of Planning, Industry and residents, who were concerned with the Environment in November last year. harm that this form of excavation would The proposition was met with present in their community. As part of substantial opposition throughout the the procedure, small charges would be Inner West. Member for Balmain Jamie detonated in pre-drilled holes to properly Parker understood the application to withdraw harder rock into manageable offer little benefit for his community. pieces for removal. “Explosive blasting is inherently risky The project team began community and produces intense noise and engagement programs last year to vibration,” Parker said. communicate with residents on the possibility of blasting underneath their “It threatens serious damage to homes and businesses. properties over and above the damage that is already being caused by conventional tunnelling in our local LEICHHARDT FREE FROM BLASTING area.” The proposal to blast in Leichhardt came after similar plans in nearby Mr. Parker called the decision not to Annandale were abandoned in July of go ahead with the blasting “another last year. After three small-scale blasts community win against WestConnex.” under Reserve Street, the contractor The contractor’s verdict to continue instead opted for rock breakers and excavating without blasting would roadheaders as a more practical most likely mean that rockbreakers means of tunnel excavation. and roadheaders will be used in Leichhardt Against WestConnex CoLeichhardt, similarly to Annandale’s Convenor Jennifer Aaron believed Reserve Street.

INNER WEST INDEPENDENT MARCH 2021

They would never in a million years ask for anything and would suffer themselves to assist anyone in need through which Tempe OOSH was discontinued in early February. This happened despite the heavy opposition from parents in the Tempe Public School community, with over 100 testimonials being expressed and ultimately unheard.

spokesperson from the Department of Education said they initiated a tender process in line with government requirements. The NSW Government requires services to be “competitively tendered” at periodic points in time or when licence agreements expire. These requirements have been in place for many years. The department spokesperson says the procurement process at Tempe Public School for OSHC services was conducted “in accordance with relevant Department of Education procurement requirements and practices”. “We ensured the tender responses were evaluated by an appropriate tender evaluation team. After a competitive process with more than 10 applicants, Camp Australia was awarded the tender,” explained the spokesperson.

PARENTS HORRIFIED

In light of the situation, Mr Ron Hoenig, Member for Heffron presented a parliamentary speech urging a review of the tender, speaking on behalf of parents and the Pentecost family. “The first thing any of the parents did was google search Camp Australia. They were horrified,” he said in the speech.

The Pentecost family has helped many children through their OOSH program. Photo: GoFundMe

The Pentecost family, who had been providing quality childcare for over a decade, are being given the funds as a way to say thank you from the community. As expressed on the GoFundMe page, “this fundraiser is based on the overflowing gratitude we have for the Pentecost family for all they have done over the years to help our children. They would never in a million years ask for anything and would suffer themselves to assist anyone in need.” In response to the traction gained by the #SaveOurTOOSH movement, a

“Camp Australia had been screened out of tender processes because they failed to provide an acceptable quality of care with a number of breaches at their facilities including an incident in December 2016 when a 17-year-old Perth boy with complex needs was allowed to wander out of the facility across a busy road and into a stranger’s home.” Parents have continued to speak up about the situation on Facebook, and the ever-growing amount of donations to the GoFundMe for the Pentecost family has made the desires of the community abundantly clear.

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Franklyn Street proposal slammed BY DANIEL LO SURDO he NSW Government’s plans to renew social housing in Glebe has been met with strong opposition by Inner West community leaders. The State Government officially proposed redevelopment on Glebe’s Franklyn Street social housing estate in November last year. But Hands off Glebe spokesperson Denis Doherty understands the project will only pose adverse outcomes to a community that has called Franklyn Street home for over two decades.

The Land and Housing Corporation insists all community members affected by the renewal will be aided in the event of relocation.

It will increase general misery in the community “Many of these people are frail, are elderly, are blind, many of them have health problems, some have addiction problems, and suddenly all these people will be bundled up and put somewhere else on their own,” Doherty told the Independent. “It will increase general misery in the community.” The planned renewal will feature 425 refurbished dwellings, only about 30 percent of which will be reserved for social housing.

“The Franklyn Street project is in the early planning phase, with planning and design anticipated to take at least two years before resident relocations are required,” a Land and Housing Corporation spokesperson said. “Residents will be supported through the relocation process and found alternative social housing.”

Residents protest outside the Franklyn Street public housing block set to be demolished. Photo: Allison Hore

“130 new, modern fit for purpose social homes are planned to be built on the new estate representing an increase of more than 20 per cent on the existing 108 social housing properties,” an NSW Land and Housing Corporation spokesperson told the Independent. “These 130 new social homes will also be better matched to the needs of residents; especially ageing ones or those with a disability who need accessible units and lift access.”

PROPOSAL NOT FIT FOR FAMILIES

Member for Balmain Jamie Parker fears that the redevelopment will abandon families. “[Of] the 108 properties there [is] 254 bedrooms, and the 130 houses they’re going to build are almost exclusively one bedroom,” Parker said at a Hands off Glebe event in January. “The total amount of people we can house is going to be cut dramatically.”

With the NSW Government plans to privatise 70 per cent of the property, there is growing feeling the project will not create any increases in quality of life for Glebe social housing residents. “In the middle of a housing crisis, the middle of a recession, the State Government is turning social housing into luxury, private flats,” Doherty said. “There’s no progression at all.” The Franklyn Street public housing estate was first developed and inhabited in the 1980s, and now currently consists of two and three-storey townhouses, all of which will be demolished under the planned renewal.

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Privatisation scheme threatens public housing Biddington was one of many community leaders who converged on Eveleigh’s South Sydney Rotary Park to petition the State Government to save the Explorer Street neighbourhood.

ADVERSE COMMUNITY OUTCOMES

Speakers at a rally to save the public housing on Explorer Street in South Eveleigh. Photo: Allison Hore

BY DANIEL LO SURDO he NSW Government’s plan to privatise a large portion of public housing in South Eveleigh’s Explorer Street has been staunchly opposed by the community.

As part of the State Government’s plan to create a 38 per cent increase in social homes across the City of Sydney Local Government Area, the number of the dwellings in Explorer Street will be increased from 46 townhouses to 430 predominantly high-density housing units.

From this new housing, 70 per cent will be privatised under the NSW Government’s Communities Plus initiative. Longtime Explorer Street resident Louisa Biddington detailed the trepidation felt in the community since the redevelopment was announced last November. “Everyone was sort of in shock, having panic attacks and wondering where they will send us,” Biddington said. “This is a little community here … it’s a very safe and social community.”

Member for Newtown Jenny Leong, another speaker at the event, believes privatisation under the Communities Plus initiative will fail residents. “It’s [Communities Plus] nothing about communities, it’s about the plus,” Leong told Inner West Independent. “The plus is the amount of profit that will go to private developers.”

The plus is the amount of profit that will go to private developerse A preference towards high-density housing as part of the proposed redevelopment will see many families currently living in the Explorer Street’s multi-storey townhouses unable to resettle. “What they’re proposing to replace [townhouses] with ... is one-bedroom, or

if you’re lucky, two-bedroom units in a high rise,” Leong said. “That will not be suitable for so many families.” There will be a net negative in the number of bedrooms at the conclusion of the project, despite an increase in dwellings. Friends of Erskineville President Andrew Chuter worries the proposal will only intensify an increasingly-strained public housing system. “It’s not just wrong at this time, during a pandemic, or at a time when the public housing waiting list is over 50,000 applicants long,” Chuter said. With the NSW Housing Register’s waitlist expected to grow, the City of Sydney’s 2020 Housing Audit shows that the percentage of public housing is continuing to decrease, leaving residents progressively vulnerable to the dangers of privatisation. “Put simply, the private sphere is being allowed to massively swamp the public sphere,” Chuter said. The NSW Land and Housing Corporation maintain that there will be no relocation of residents until mid to late 2022, should the proposal be approved. Residents will also receive six months’ notice before moving.

Reigniting the live music scene BY RACHEL CLARK he Inner West council has “scrapped” the need to submit a development application to hold live music and art events in shopfronts, offices and industrial premises, allowing for new venues to host live performances. Live music and performances have been struggling for the past few years. With some of the obstacles preventing artists and performers from exhibiting their work including the controversial lockout laws, council red tape and development applications.

in an already struggling industry. As lockdown resulted in the closure of pubs and clubs, many bands needed to get creative and find other ways to perform. “It’s definitely a shame we can’t perform, this is a huge part of why we

are a band”, states Zoe from The Buoys. Highline is a band that is fairly new to the live music scene. They say that they haven’t been able to receive many of the opportunities that were on offer prior to COVID. Including the adaption to

”It’s definitely a shame we can’t perform This has eventually led to the shutdown of a number of venues across Sydney that have been unable to cope with the pressure. One notable loss in the past year was the iconic live performance bar Freda’s. The Buoys, an all-female rock band, has witnessed this over the past few years. They explained the situation mainly affects the bookers and venue owners, but they also feel a “flow on effect” in the industry. COVID-19 has caused a greater strain 10

INNER WEST INDEPENDENT MARCH 2021

The scrapping of DAs for live music may help local bands like The Buoys (pictured). Photo: Wikimedia

performing on live streams, similarly to The Buoys and various other performers.

NO DA, NO WORRIES

But Inner West mayor Darcy Byrnes, who has been an advocate for live music and performance since being elected into office, hopes the scrapping of development applications and the new “simple rules” will help bands like The Buoys and Highline thrive. The changes will allow local musicians, performers and visual artists to hold live performances and exhibitions without the need for a development application. Audiences of up to 150 people will be allowed in industrial premises and 80 people in properties in local centres. “This will mean that artists can simply pitch to the owner of a warehouse, book store or office block to make use of their premises after dark or on weekends, when the property would be sitting empty and unused,” Mr. Byrne explains. “No costly DA will be necessary.” The goal is to reignite the live music scene through the financial incentive of the local property owners to provide opportunities to host various artists in a post-COVID world. Creating spaces for artists to grow and develop and bringing financial stability back into the live scene.

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Politics muddies the waters at the Dawny “In the final weeks of the Ashfield Pool, Council threw unlimited resources to make sure that it was delivered on time. In contrast, at Dawnies, we found out about the second delay four months after it should have opened,” he said.

SWIMMERS LEFT IN THE DRY

Ros Dunlop has been a swimmer at the baths since 1986, “I miss the calm and sanctuary that Dawnies used to provide. It is a pool which became essential to my mental health and wellbeing.” The reopening of the Dawn Fraser Baths has been delayed. Photo: Onthegrid.city

BY EVA BAXTER string of delays to the reopening of Dawn Fraser Baths in Balmain has local politicians pointing fingers. Inner West Council’s heritage restoration of the Baths was meant to be completed in time for the 2020/21 summer season. The opening has been delayed well past December, with the reopening date now set dubiously to mid-March. Mayor Darcy Byrne wrote in a post on Facebook that the Baths were left to

neglect and underinvestment in the years the Greens controlled Leichhardt council and that Balmain Ward Councillors attempted to cut the budget for the upgrade in 2018. Independent Councillor John Stamolis of Balmain Ward told the Independent that, “while the Mayor claims to own the Dawn Fraser restoration project, he doesn’t own any responsibility for the cancellation of two summer swimming seasons there.”

I just want to be able to go back and enjoy a swim She called the restoration project “irritating,” and said nothing happened for months when the pool initially closed. “We could have swum there until any real work started, but that is how government’s work.” In February’s council meeting, Mayor Byrne said the timeline was explicitly

communicated to the community throughout the project when tabling the issue. But Ros said council has the email addresses of regular Dawnies’ swimmers, but she has received nothing in email from anyone at council. Greens Councillor Porteous said in the meeting that the Mayor has a manner of reinventing history. She said her party has always supported the upgrade and that she finds it, “irritating that the mayor goes on his Facebook and makes claims to the contrary (…).” In a gesture of goodwill to the community, the cost of entry to the baths will be waived for two weeks following its opening, and the swimming season extended until at least the end of May. Council will look into events and activities that could be offered at the baths throughout the autumn and winter of 2021 in order to allow for the community to make use of the restored facility throughout the year. Ros said some of that is satisfactory, but “I just want to be able to go back and enjoy a swim in relative solitude with a morning chat to my other pool buddies.”

Street signs against racism BY KATE RAFFERTY 0 “#RACISMNOTWELCOME” street signs have been erected across the Inner West, as part of a new campaign by the Inner West Multicultural Network and Addison Road Community Organisation. Initiated in response to a rise in racist attacks during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, #RacismNotWelcome addresses racism in the Inner West. Independent councillor Pauline Lockie, who brought the motion before the Inner West Council in November 2020, says the aim of the campaign was to take a visible stance against racism and start deeper community conversations.

Just because you have diversity, that doesn’t mean you don’t have any presence of discrimination “We wanted to bring these signs into our community to show that we recognise racism exists and that as a community we are prepared to work together to stamp it out” said Ms. Lockie. While there’s been positive feedback to the campaign so far, Councillor Lockie says some in the community have questioned it. “There has been an assumption

that because the Inner West is very multicultural and very diverse, that that itself is enough to not need an antiracism campaign,” she said. “But that’s not the case at all. The reality is, just because you have diversity, that doesn’t mean you don’t have any presence of discrimination or prejudice in a community.”

BEYOND THE INNER WEST

Now, #RacismNotWelcome is gaining traction across NSW. With the Waverley and City of Sydney councils getting on board too. Councillor Lockie says the campaign was designed to be easily adopted by local councils and can be tailored to suit their own anti-racism approach. “Because this campaign is so grassroots, it really lends itself to other councils. It’s very easy to roll out, the street signs are inexpensive and it can also tie-in with local programs,” she said. With so many possibilities and community benefits, there is hope #RacismNotWelcome will be embraced nation-wide. “I think if 537 LGAs in the country were able to speak out and say “No, we don’t welcome this”, we’d be moving forward, toward a more equal and just society” said CEO of Addison Road Community Centre, Rosanna Barbero.

Councillor Pauline Lockie poses with one of the signs. Photo: Facebook/ Pauline Lockie

Also supporting the #RacismNotWelcome campaign is the Inner City Teachers Association, who have decided to write to the City of Sydney Council and encourage them to endorse the campaign. “In many ways, silence can often condone the behaviour, and I think by seeing these signs around our City, that can help students have the confidence

to speak up when racism does arise” said Secretary of the Inner City Teachers Association, John Gauci. Bridget Poon, Anti-Racism Contact Officer for the Inner City Teachers Association says the street signs also offer a chance to build on discussions in school. “The signs make the point: “this exists in your community”, and that’s really powerful,” she said. INNER WEST INDEPENDENT MARCH 2021

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Opinion

Where’s the trust in Greater Sydney Parklands? BY WENDY BACON

SECRET DECISION-MAKING BUSINESS AS USUAL IN NSW

ike nearly all of you, I was surprised in July last year to read a so-called “exclusive story” in the SMH announcing that Sydney’s major state-owned parklands would be rolled together in a super parks agency. I know from direct experience, over more than half a century, that ordinary people from Bonnyrigg, Parramatta and Merrylands in Western Sydney to Hunters Hill and Lane Cove on the North shore to Centennial Park in the Sydney’s East have fought, at times with their bodies, to preserve these parkland spaces. There’s a lot at stake for Sydney, so I asked myself: What is the overall purpose behind the big new agency plan? Minister Stokes says his aim is to provide a bigger, more powerful voice for parks in order to defend and grow them. But I ask: what is the nature of that powerful new voice and in whose interests will it act? I say that I was surprised because the announcement came out of the blue, not because I was surprised that it could happen. In NSW, we’ve become used to decisions being made in cosy back room chats with private interests and unsolicited bids.

n 17th February, an alliance of Sydney community organisations held its first forum at NSW Parliament.

The forum ‘Is Taking the TRUST out of Sydney’s Public Parklands a Good Idea?” focussed on the new Greater Sydney Parklands, which is a new super agency announced by the NSW Minister for Planning Industry and Environment Rob Stokes in July last year. Since then almost nothing has been reported about the agency which rolls the management of Sydney’s major parks Callan Park, Fernhill Estate, Parramatta Park Trust, Sydney Western Parklands Trust and the Centennial Park and Moore Park trusts into a single super agency. A new Board of seven directors was quietly put in place before the public was told anything about the new body. This is a speech that journalist and community activist Wendy Bacon researched for the forum. Bacon began by acknowledging that the lands being discussed belong to the Gadigal, Darug and other tribes of the Eora nation. She paid respect to their elders, past and present.

What is the nature of that powerful new voice and in whose interests will it act? The decision came hot on the heels of the appointment of Tony Shepherd as Chair of another new agency called Venues NSW. Shepherd previously pushed to build the Sydney Stadium actually on Moore Park itself - an idea that went back at least 45 years. Shepherd also promoted and later Chaired the WestConnex Delivery Authority, set up to deliver a massive WestConnex private tollway system. (You can read my earlier investigation into WestConnex which has now been privatised here.) There were of course people who knew about the new park plan, long before it was announced. While the public was kept in the dark, Infrastructure NSW, which had responsibility for the rebuild of the Stadium and the early delivery of WestConnex tollways, had input into the discussion paper for the ‘50 year vision for Sydney parklands’. This document was launched on the same day as Greater Sydney Parklands. The Greater Sydney Commission and some people on the Centennial Park, 12

INNER WEST INDEPENDENT MARCH 2021

Wendy Bacon presents this speech at a public forum. Photo: Screencap from the forum

Moore Park and Western Sydney Parklands also made contributions according to the document’s inside cover. All these people remained silent. By the way, this discussion paper only mentions the words ‘climate change’ once - the word climate is mentioned three times but only in passing ways. The vision sounds attractive. But rather than rely on the promise of a vision that claims to be all “about working in partnership with communities” but there is little actual information about the new agency. I suggest that in order to get answers to our questions, we look at the actual connections - the networks of power, the background and actual

material links of the Board and its Chief Executive - after all these are the people who’ll actually implement the vision and put the rhetoric into practice. As far as I have been able to discover, the Greater Sydney Parklands only exists at the moment with its Board and a small operation working out of the existing Western Sydney and Parramatta Park Parklands office at Parramatta, which includes the old Western Sydney Parklands finance director, who is now also directing the finances of all the Parklands as well as the Sydney Botanical Gardens that have been brought under the financial management of this Board.

THE CEO - AN EXPERT IN FINANCING ‘PUBLIC PARKS’

First of all, there’s the super agency’s CEO, Suellen Fitzgerald. She’s now directly in charge of all the Parks. In 2008, Fitzgerald was appointed as CEO of the Western Sydney Parklands. But her power grew as she took over the management of the Parramatta Park Trust and more recently, the Fernhill Estate at Mulgoa. She was quoted as favouring moving the Powerhouse to Parramatta. She’s a landscape architect but her speciality is “financing public parks”. This is a slightly odd concept for lands that were supposed to be held in trust for the public. Most of us would’ve seen threats to public lands as leases to commercial events venues inside parks or temporary renting arrangements, a form of semi-privatisation that has reached near tipping point in the Sydney’s Botanical Gardens. But Fitzgerald’s experience takes park financing to a whole different level. It’s mandated that Western Sydney Parklands raise money by long term leases of land for property and tourism development. Recent Annual Reports show that the Western Parklands earn more money from their commercial operations than from public budgeting. For instance, Fraser Property’s Eastern Quarter is a large new retail development on Rooty Hill Road. With its 3000 square Woolworths and many specialist stores, you would never guess that it’s formally on Western Parklands lands. Close by there is the new Sydney zoo with its own African Safari section. Harvey Norman and Coca Cola are its major private partners. There are also plans for commercial urban farms and the existing MotorSports Park. My question isn’t whether we oppose these enterprises or not. I know members of our community use and enjoy them. But the serious question is: should a rich city such as Sydney be funding parklands in Western Sydney with commercial ventures that may even damage the rest of the parklands? This is the vast part of Sydney where most citizens live. Do we want those who have built their careers on this model to be in charge of all these other major parklands? Is the plan to apply the model elsewhere? At best these for-profit developments (and more to come) comprise and limit the environmental goals of parklands and will definitely lead to more environmental threats. Shouldn’t the goal be to expand parklands in Western Sydney and elsewhere not carve chunks out of them? Continued on page 14

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Opinion

Where’s the trust in Greater Sydney Parklands?

(Continued from page 12)

Can the greater Sydney parklands trust be trusted? Photo: Supplied

MICHAEL ROSE - A STAR AMONG SYDNEY’S BUSINESS ELITE

If anyone knows what is really planned, it’s Chair of the new Board Michael Rose, a long term resident of Birchgrove in Sydney’s Inner West. For most of his career, Rose worked at Allens (then Allen Allen & Hemsley). It was then the biggest and most powerful corporate law firm in Sydney. Rose was its chief executive partner for a decade. He knows the world of mergers, acquisitions and corporate battles intimately. When he left Allens, he became special advisor to the leadership team in the Sydney office of global consultancy KPMG. He had responsibility for growth opportunities in infrastructure, ‘smart cities’ and Indigenous business. Importantly, he is Chair of the lobby and advocacy organisation ‘Committee for Sydney’, which promotes itself as a ‘must join’ organisation for Sydney’s leading private companies. It was in that capacity that he wrote an opinion piece strongly supporting the amalgamation of councils, a few days after the then Premier Mike Baird announced his controversial policy in 2016. That piece gave us a hint of his views - it was partly about how centralisation would bring improved community engagement. He badly misjudged the storm of opposition that would follow. Less well known is that Rose has been appointed the independent Chair of the NorthWest Rapid Transit, which 14

INNER WEST INDEPENDENT MARCH 2021

has massive contracts with the NSW government to build two of Sydney’s Metros. NorthWest Rapid Transit ( NRT Group) is a consortium of mostly international investors including CIMIC ( used to be called Leightons) which is building the huge tolled WestConnex Rozelle Interchange.

Why has one private citizen acquired so much influence? Rose has experience with public assets through his time as Chair of Historic Houses Trust and Sydney Living Museums. In September 2019, NSW Planning Minister recommended that he be appointed to the Harbour Trust, a body responsible for Commonwealth owned Sydney foreshore land. There can be no doubt that Rose is an energetic and busy man who believes in contributing to the community. He was, for example, Chair of the Indigenous Engagement Task Force of the Business Council of Australia. Last week, he was welcoming NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet to give an address at a Committee for Sydney forum. But the relevant question is: why has one private citizen acquired so much influence? What is his agenda and how does it align with and influence the NSW government’s real plans for our parks? Also, on the board is Ceinwen KirkLennox, an expert in property, development and construction management. She worked with leading

property developer Lendlease for 26 years. Lendlease was a partner with Crown resorts in developing the casino on the foreshore at Darling Harbour and a developer of retirement estates including Gilead which threatens Koala habitat in Western Sydney. According to the GSP website, Kirk-Lennox now runs her own consultancy, with private and public clients and is also a director of real estate investment company Charter Hall which has major leasing agreements with Western Sydney Parklands. A third director is Lyall Gorman, President of Business NSW and a Director of the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. He has a strong record in Sports Administration and has been CEO of Cronulla Sharks and other football clubs, One director Siobhan Twohill, does have grassroot involvement in her Inner West community. She volunteered for the Newtown Neighbourhood Centre. She is also the Sustainability manager at Westpac. The dominant influences on the Board are corporate law , property and private business. Of the 7 directors, 6 have property development experience two have worked at Sydney’s very top corporate law firms. Scientific experience including environmental, biodiversity and climate change expertise is completely missing. The many community members who have contributed to maintaining the parklands have no representation.

Tonight I’ve shared with you what I could find out with some basic searching but we need to know more. Another unsolicited bid from Transurban alongside the Western Sydney Parklands. One more thing, according to its latest results, Transurban has yet another project in the pipeline. It’s an unsolicited bid to widen their M7 tollway along the edge of the Western Parklands and construct a massive interchange at the intersection of M7 and future M 12. This will undoubtedly cause more disruption and environmental damage to the Western Sydney Parklands. The proposal is being considered at the moment behind closed doors . If it gets approval from the Premier and Cabinet bureaucrats, planning approval and community engagement will follow. I don’t know what you think but I think it’d be naive not to be wary, even suspicious. No amount of contracts for community engagement can cure the arrogance with which the community is treated.

MISSING VOICES

And there is something else missing there is no Indigenous voice on the board and not a single representative of the millions of citizens using Sydney parks who don’t happen to be white, upper middle class people with thriving corporate careers - how, I ask you, can this happen in the 21 century?

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Council “plays cupid” for street artists and property owners

TANYA PLIBERSEK FEDERAL MEMBER FOR SYDNEY

HERE TO HELP As your local representative, I can assist with enquiries or problems you have with Federal Government departments and services like Centrelink, immigration, superannuation, Child Support payments, Medicare, the Pharmaceutical Benefit Scheme (PBS), Veterans’ Affairs, the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), the National Broadband Network (NBN), universities, employment, training, Commonwealth funding and grants.

STAYING IN TOUCH To keep up to date with my activities (incuding my mobile offices), issues and events - both locally and nationally, please subscribe to my eNews at tanyaplibersek.com.

CONGRATULATORY MESSAGES My office can arrange messages of congratulations for people who live in my electorate and are celebrating their golden (50th) and diamond (60th) wedding anniversaries; and 90th and subsequent birthdays. Please allow for 6-8 weeks for congratulatory messages from dignatories.

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

TANYA PLIBERSEK MP 1A Great Buckingham St Redfern NSW 2016 TanyaPlibersek.com

02 9379 0700

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to HelpWEST 2020 V1.indd 1 INDEPENDENT MARCH 2021 16 SSO HereINNER

28/09/2020 1:23:20 PM

Muralist Hayley Mischief Lord with her artwork “Singing and Laughing All Day Long” which was painted in Leichhardt as part of the Perfect Match scheme. Photo: Facebook/ Inner West Council

BY ALLISON HORE t started as a way to reduce graffiti around the Inner West, now it’s a pioneering program which has transformed the Inner West into Sydney’s street art capital. The Inner West Council has opened up applications for it’s Perfect Match initiative which tackles unwanted graffiti and tagging by reducing the number of “blank canvases.” The scheme brings together artists, residents, businesses and property owners to collaborate on street art which is place specific and meaningful for the community. Business owners or property owners whose buildings or walls are frequently targeted by taggers are paired up with a street artist to design a mural for their space. Works commissioned under the Perfect Match program are officially sanctioned by the Council and are signposted with a special plaque with information about the artwork and the artist. The program was launched by the Inner West Council in 2014 to reduce graffiti by “fostering legitimate creative expression and art in public spaces.” Since its launch a number of other councils, including the City of Sydney, have adopted the program. Last year, 55 Inner West property owners and 60 artists applied for the perfect match program.

A POWERFUL MESSAGE

Last year, the 100th Perfect Match artwork was painted at 185 Church Street in Camperdown by Sydney based artist Wendy Sharpe. The Archibald Prize winning artist says her artwork, Women Empowerment, invites viewers to engage with it on a “personal level.”

“Women’s Empowerment’ is an issue close to my heart…I want [the artwork] to be powerful, dramatic and strong,” Ms. Sharpe said. “I was inspired by the words of Andre Lorde ‘I am not free while any woman is unfree, even when her shackles are very different from my own’.” Ewan Samway and his partner Matt Vagulans are the owners of the Camperdown property which became Ms. Sharpe’s canvas. Mr. Samway said he is a great fan of Ms. Sharpe’s work and thinks the message it sends is one which is crucial to the community.

It is important that Council and community get behind projects to support and encourage artists “More than ever, it is important that Council and community get behind projects to support and encourage artists, so central to the vibrant neighbourhood we love so much,” he said. “In particular, as gay dads of two young boys, we’re especially keen on showing our support for women’s empowerment and the #metoo movement in any way we can.” Graffiti vandalism leaves the NSW Government and residents out of pocket more than $300 million every year. But, research has shown that painting murals in places which are frequently targeted by taggers can reduce the amount of unwanted graffiti. Applications for this year’s Perfect Match program close on midnight Thursday, 22 April 2021.

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Dog lovers call for off-leash ban to be scrapped beneficial for the physical and mental health of both dog owners and their dogs. “Exercising dogs Off-Leash enriches their lives, ensures they learn to socialise, and helps them to be calm and quiet at home during the day,” they said. “Many older Australian’s elect to own dogs to ward off loneliness and find socialising in Callan Park with dog owners an essential part of their wellbeing, especially in a COVID-19 world.”

“A RIDICULOUS SOLUTION”

Dog lovers are calling for the off-leash ban to be officially lifted in Callan Park. Photo: Callan Park Dog Lovers

BY ALLISON HORE og owners in the Inner West are calling for areas of Callan Park to be set officially aside for off-leash dogs when the detailed designs are put together for the precinct. Officially, dogs are only allowed on-leash across Callan park’s 60-hectares of green space. Owners are allowed to let their dogs offleash on the park’s three sporting fields.

However, most of the time these fields are being used by sporting clubs and are off limits to dogs. Despite the official rules, the community has been using the park as an off-leash play area for decades. This use of the parklands is “overwhelmingly accepted” and meets the “needs and desires of the community,” say Callan Park Dog Lovers, the group behind the petition. They say off-leash areas for dogs can be

According to the NSW Companion Animals register there are over 35,000 dogs living within the Inner West local government area and 42 percent of households own a dog. But Inner West dog owners were enraged in 2019 when the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage moved to formally prohibit off-leash dogs across most of Callan Park. Responding to the decision at the time, Inner West mayor Darcy Byrne called it “a ridiculous solution to a non-existent problem.” “For many years the public has been able to walk their dogs off leash in Callan Park,” he said. “Suddenly, and without any community

consultation whatsoever, the Office of Environment and Heritage has put up signage advising dog walkers that they can no longer let their dogs off their leashes.” However, the Inner West Council decided that it would not be enforcing the NSW Government’s off-leash ban, stating the “sudden change is unnecessary and upsetting to the park users.” “Council has no legal requirement to enforce this off-leash ban and we won’t be doing the State Government’s dirty work here.”

Exercising dogs off-leash enriches their lives Member for Balmain Jamie Parker says the NSW government has already committed to creating a new Companion Animals Management Plan for the park. He encouraged anyone keen to can the formal ban on off-leash dogs to get behind the petition. “Callan Park has to be a place we can all share but if you’d like to see more off-leash dog areas there, you can sign the petition using one of their handy QR posters which are out and about now,” he said.

Rates harmonisation stirs disharmony

BY ALLISON HORE he Inner West council called an extraordinary meeting to discuss how to move forward in the rates harmonisation process. Under the NSW Government’s Local Government Act all amalgamated councils are required by law to “harmonise” rates by July this year. According to the proposed structure, rates will be calculated in proportion to property valuations supplied by the NSW Valuer General. The minimum rate for residential properties would be $850, while for businesses it would be $820.

The Government is trying to force up rates on many residents in the Inner West When asked to provide feedback on the new structure over 1000 respondents said that they didn’t support the proposed minimum residential rate. Further, 75 percent of respondents didn’t support the new structure as a whole. When asked to provide comment on their answer, the majority of respondents indicated they thought the new structure was “unfair” and didn’t

understand why they should have to pay more money for the same level of services. They said that through the new structure homeowners in poorer suburbs would be subsidising those in wealthier suburbs. In the 2020 to 2021 financial year, the average Marrickville homeowner is paying around $765. Under the harmonised scheme, that amount will increase to $908.

COUNCIL CLASHES OVER RATES

In response to the community’s backlash, an extraordinary meeting was held. At the meeting Darcy Byrne tabled a motion which would refuse to carry out the NSW Government’s directive to harmonise rates across the council area. He questioned why the council should cooperate with the directive when they were not able to apply for funds through the NSW Government’s $252 million council grants scheme. “The Government is trying to force up rates on many residents in the Inner West and despite having promised to legislate a phase-in period they have failed to do so,” Mayor Byrne said. “The Government told everyone prior to their botched forced amalgamations

The new equitable rates will leave some residents out of pocket hundreds. Photo: Pixabay

that rates would go down for residents not up.” Mr. Byrne’s motion did not pass. Nor did a Greens motion, revealed during the meeting itself, calling for rates to stay as they were for the three previous Councils. Independent councillor John Stamolis slammed the motions introduced by both parties as ignoring the years of research put in by council staff to “develop a fair and balanced rates harmonisation.” He told the Inner West Independent he saw the meeting as “yet another Labor vs Greens phoney contest.”

“For two parties who talk about fairness and equity their motions didn’t even consider delivering fair outcomes for ratepayers,” he said. “In fact, their arrogance delivered no outcome at all.” But for Mr. Byrne, it was a matter of principle. “If the Government thinks that having systematically rorted the people of the Inner West that we will now roll over and happily implement their rates increases then they’ve got another thing coming,” he said. INNER WEST INDEPENDENT MARCH 2021

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NEWS IN BRIEF OVER THE RAINBOW BY ALLISON HORE s part of the Inner West council’s mardi gras celebrations a plaque was unveiled to recognise the “world’s first permanent DIY chalk rainbow crossing” in Summer Hill.

Only a couple of days later, council workers removed the rainbow, deeming it a “slip hazard” and were met with quick backlash. Following community outcry over the rainbow’s removal, in May, the then Ashfield council passed a motion that a permanent outline of a rainbow

A still from the new film. Photo: Inner West Council

LOVE THY NEIGHBOUR BY GEORGIA ROBINSON n honour of Mardi Gras, the Inner West Council have put together a short film titled ‘Get to Know your Neighbour’ which featured in their ‘Feel the Love 2021 Celebrations.’ The 15-minute short film touches on creating friendships in the LGBTIQ community and focuses on the idea that these connections are not limited by their age, race, sexuality or gender. It features 15 members of the Inner West LGBTIQ community and focuses on the pre-existing friendships of the individuals featured.

All from diverse backgrounds, the different groups ask each other questions about their connections, challenges and achievements. Those featured touch on the importance of community and what inclusion looks like to them. The Inner West Council feels the film is not just important for the LGBTIQ community, but for the wider community as it can inspire individuals to reach out to loved ones in their life, and also look at how to connect with those in the greater community. To watch the short film, head to the Inner West Council’s Facebook Page.

BY ALLISON HORE he roll out of COVID-19 vaccines in Australia began in February, with Australians in top priority groups including people in aged care facilities and quarantine workers the first to receive the jab. The Australian government has agreements with 4 different vaccine suppliers. So far the TGA have approved two of these, created by Pfizer and AstraZeneca. Australia has secured 53.8 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, which is taken in two doses 12

INNER WEST INDEPENDENT MARCH 2021

The crossing was first created in April 2013 in response to the removal of the Rainbow Crossing in Oxford St, Darlinghurst. As part of the DIY rainbow crossing movement, parents and children from several local primary schools chalked a rainbow in the public square at Summer Hill.

JABS BEGIN

A WOMAN’S WORLD BY ALLISON HORE how some love for the women in your community in the lead up to International Women’s Day, a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day is recognised around the world and takes place annually on March 8. The theme for International Women’s Day this year is “Choose To Challenge,” which calls on people of all genders to call out instances of sexism or gender bias they witness in their communities. Those who want to take up the challenge can share photos of themselves on social media with one hand up and tag it with #ChooseToChallenge. “A challenged world is an alert world and from challenge comes change,” explained International Women’s Day organisers. “Collectively, we can all help create an inclusive world.” The Inner West Council is celebrating international women’s day through their annual awards ceremony, recognising

The permanent chalk rainbow in Summer Hill. Photo: Dictionary of Sydney

be painted in Summer Hill Square, so that families and children could continue to fill in the outline with chalk. The plaque will tell the story of how the chalk rainbow, which council says “symbolises love, equality and inclusion,” came to be. weeks apart. This is the vaccine most Australian who choose to get the jab can expect to receive. “This vaccination program launches us down our path out of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021,” said Prime Minister Scott Morrison. For residents in the Inner West, the closest Pfizer vaccine hub is the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Camperdown. If you’re not in one of the first priority groups, the Australian Government has released a handy checker for you to see in which phase you will be eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. It can be found on the Australian Government Department of Health website. Vaccines have started rolling out. Photo: Pexels

Inner West locals pose for International Women’s Day. Photo: Allison Hore

everyday women from the community who have done extraordinary things. “In 2021 we will be celebrating ALL girls and women in the Inner West – what they think is ordinary is really extraordinary,” the Inner West Council says.

COFFIN ED’S NAKED CITY

A VAXACIOUS QUESTION

very year the big dictionary publishers and various institutions roll out their ‘word of the year’. Not surprisingly amongst the choices for 2020 were ‘pandemic’, ‘COVID’ and ‘lockdown’. Perhaps the runner up should have been ‘conspiracy’ as wild assertions and unmitigated misinformation spread throughout social media and broadcasters such as Fox News like a plague. Even old school conspiracy theorists were shocked at the degree of madness and total fabrication of some of the nonsense circulating. Foremost in the dissemination of much of the bullshit, despite their frequent algorithmic cleansing, was our old buddy Facebook – supposedly the source of ‘news’ for some 50% of Australians. A claim, which both the Federal Government and the large media companies have constantly promulgated, has been seriously debunked in a number of studies. The reality is that we get our news from a wide variety of sources including TV, radio and Facebook could well account for less than 10%. That’s not to say they shouldn’t pay up for appropriating news stories from our mainstream media. Personally I would not care if all social media disappeared down the cyber plughole along with those who use these various websites to push their agendas of hate, half truths and paranoia. Last weekend we saw a few thousand Australians turn out in capital cities to protest COVID vaccination – a gathering of not only anti-vaxers but fellow travellers opposed to mask wearing and lockdown as well as those

who believe the pandemic is one huge global conspiracy. Conspicuous amongst them was future senate candidate Pete Evans, fined $25,000 by the Therapeutic Goods Administration for bogus COVID claims relating to a $14,990 bio charger he was flogging. The gadget in question looked more like a bad prop out out of a 60s sci-fi movie than a modern medical device. Whilst vaccination is not mandatory many were protesting, it seems, against what they perceive as Government coercion and the consequences for those who chose not to get the vaccine. Just what those consequences will be remains to be seen and it opens up a huge legal and moral minefield. Will airlines refuse to transport unvaccinated passengers, will pubs and entertainment venues do the same and will the anti-vaxers become everyday pariahs? Despite these protests, and health concerns aside, expediency will probably rule the roost. The

majority, even those who are normally reluctant, will get the jab simply because they see it as the only pathway back to normalcy and economic stability. Some years ago I was stuck in Albury for a day, en route to Melbourne, whilst my car was being repaired. No slight on the border city but there was bugger all there to pass the time and in desperation I was drawn to what was the most exciting thing in town. It was a street van offering free chest x-rays for tuberculosis and for me a good way of soaking up another 30 minutes of boredom. As I was about to enter an elderly gentleman loitering nearby handed me a flyer which warned against the dangers of such x-rays, the ‘alarming levels of radioactivity’ emitted and the personal intrusion of having to half disrobe. As with the anti-vax protests today there was a small section of the population who viewed mandatory x-rays as an infringement of human rights and amidst the atomic paranoia of the 50s, saw anything to do with radioactivity as a dangerous threat to their bodies. When compulsory screenings finished, many citizens were still encouraged to be screened and mobile screening trucks were a common sight all over the country during the 70s. Whilst opposition to mandatory x-rays in the 1950s was not as vocal as today’s anti-vaxers, it does demonstrate that human nature has not altered all that much in the past 60 odd years. Oh, and yes, I did get that free chest x-ray and got the hell out of Albury!

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IndieARTS YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN

WE WILL ROCK YOU REVIEW

Photo: Daniel Boud

BY RENEE LOU DALLOW he Hayes Theatre Co is beginning 2021 with a full throttle Yodel and some crazy making musical madness with a new take on Mel Brooks’ Young Frankenstein. The production is directed by Alex Berlarge (American Psycho The Musical) and stars Matthew Backer (Only Heaven Knows). The show was supposed to premier last year but was put on hold. “It’s so great after 2020 to start with something so fun, slapstick and silly,” said Backer, who plays the title role of Young Frankenstein - the grandson of Dr Frankenstein, who created the monster in the first place. “I haven’t been on a stage for months and am chomping at the bit. I can’t wait to get back.” Playing such a well known comedic role requires boundless energy, a resounding voice and great timing. Did I mention the play is also a musical? Backer is NIDA trained and his first big role, three months out of acting school, was as Frankie Valli in The Jersey Boys way back in 2011. He has worked steadily since then from Shakespearean roles with John Bell’s Shakespeare Company to short films (Whispers Amongst Wolves), and a role in the Australian TV series A Place To Call Home.

BY MARK MORELLINI ackemin Productions and Riverside Theatres celebrate their 10th anniversary season this year and their 20th production is the phenomenally successful rock musical We Will Rock You. Prepare to be rocked!! This musical is set in the distant future and tells of the Bohemian’s fight to restore individuality and live music in a world where the Killer Queen has forbidden music and the freedom to be different. Is music dead or just in deep sleep? Will the Bohemians achieve their Rhapsody? Based on the music of the 70s iconic band Queen and on the book of Ben Elton, this production is dazzling entertainment and a pleasure to watch. It’s been said that Queen’s music carries the show, but it must be reaffirmed that without the right talent the show would falter.

REVIEW

Audiences will marvel at the incredible talent and professionalism on stage and also the passion which radiates from each and every performer. The principal cast of seven is headed by Toby Francis and Kelsi Boyden as Galileo and Scaramouche respectively, with an ensemble cast of nearly 40 performers. Loveable villains are always a favourite amongst audiences and Debora Krizak is a delight as the deliciously evil Killer Queen. The story is told through 24 of Queen’s favourite songs including Radio Ga Ga, I Want To Break Free, Somebody To Love, and We Will Rock You. This is a show for young and old – actually, for anybody who has ever loved rock n’ roll! Until Feb 27. Riverside Theatres Parramatta. $30-$64.75+b.f. Tickets & Info: www.riversideparramatta.com.au

DRUMMER QUEENS

BY MARK MORELLINI elcome to the world of Drummer Queens as eight talented young women take to the stage playing drums and percussion in this very unique and incredibly entertaining sound and light spectacular. The art of drumming is creatively presented and should send shock waves consuming audiences as the theatre shakes profusely from this ‘joyous noise’. The show is dialogue-free, humorous, and contains sequences with dance and acrobatics, leaving audiences astounded at the sheer brilliance and artistry of these incredibly talented women.

INNER WEST INDEPENDENT MARCH 2021

Audiences should cheer as the ‘incredible eight’ who come from an array of different drumming backgrounds play drums while doing the moonwalk and performing long tap-dancing sequences. Their vivaciousness and endurance on stage are bewildering. The talent off stage who have also contributed to the success of this female-driven show must also be given accolade. Notably the choreographer, sound, lighting, and production designers have excelled in their crafts fusing all these elements to stun audiences with such a vibrant and phenomenal production. Drummer Queens is pure magic for musicians and drumming enthusiasts but should also be an incredibly entertaining night out for anybody who dares to experience a non-conventional, loud, high energy, and stimulating night out at the theatre.

Photo: Daniel Boud

According to Backer, “To be a good actor, you have to live like an athlete but the work is not a race. I’m in it for the long haul.” A background in journalism has also helped his acting. “Journalism too is all about reading people and knowing how people work.” Hayes Theatre has COVIDsafe systems in place and the audience must wear masks. “We have to figure out how we can operate as a society with these constant cages,” added Backer. Perhaps it is fitting then that this play about unleashing a monster and finding ways to live with it while trying to keep our sanity, normalises insanity. Until March 20. Hayes Theatre, 19 Greenknowe Ave, Potts Point. $64-$77+b.f. Tickets & Info: www.hayestheatre.com.au

Niki Johnson, Georgia Anderson, Salina Myat, Peta Anderson and Lisa Purmodh. Photo: David Hooley

Until Feb 13. Lyric Theatre, 55 Pirrama Rd, Pyrmont. $49-$99+b.f. Tickets & Info: www.sydneylyric.com.au

IndieARTS

CANTERBURY OLYMPIC ICE RINK TURNS 50 BY PATRICK MCKENZIE anterbury Olympic Ice Rink is celebrating its 50th birthday by hosting a 70s disco night on Friday March 5. The night runs from 8pm to 10:30pm and will feature a live DJ and plenty of 70s music. The iconic Inner West venue, which first opened its doors in 1971, was originally established by a group of volunteer skaters, coaches, businessman, and tradespeople and has remained a not-for- profit entity throughout its entire run. Disbery said. Photo: Supplied Manager Wayne Disbery, who Despite the first started coming to the rink as a popularity challenges schoolboy in the 70s before taking up the faced by “old-school sport” management position in 2004, fondly remembers his over the years, Disbery says years as a long-time patron and staff member. ice skating has an enduring “As a local in the old days you’d spend half your life charm. down here, it was a very strong community, not only “There is really strong support for of locals and public patrons but of athletes as well,” learning how to skate these days, I

Photo: Supplied

think it’s starting to turn around again.” Tickets to the disco night are $20 for adults aged 16 and over and $15 for children aged 5 to 15, with prices including skate hire. Canterbury Olympic Ice Rink, 17A Phillips Ave, Canterbury. Tickets & Info: www.canterburyolympicicerink.org.au

SALT & PALM INDONESIAN BAR & EATERY BY MARK MORELLINI ituated in the heart of the Glebe shopping precinct, this thriving bar and eatery has been serving traditional Indonesian inspired cuisine for nearly two and a half years. Business owner, Natasya Soetantyo who comes from an Indonesian family that has worked in hospitality, believes that Australian diners are yet to discover Indonesian food. “I think Indonesian cuisine has not yet been explored much in the Australian market because often they get confused with Thai and Malaysian cuisine and they’re not sure what the difference is between the country’s dishes.” The menu consists of 37 delicious dishes including top sellers Beef Rendang, Gado-Gado, and Nasi Goreng. Spice lovers can choose from mild to super spicy and there are also meals for diners who don’t savour hot spices or are vegans. What better way to commence this dining experience than with one of their many Indonesian cocktails,

Photo: Supplied

the Spiked Cendal which contains homemade pandan jellies being a favourite. For an appetiser, you can’t go past a scrumptious corn fritter or lamb skewer and the hardest decision will be which main meal to order. Their signature dish Rendang Sapi is beef slow-cooked in their own house-made spice paste of chili and it’s a must for chilli lovers! Then finish off the meal with a Mango Pannacotta or the mouthwatering dessert Es Teler, which is an Indonesian traditional shaved iced dessert. This eatery is atmospheric and has an Indonesian inspired indoor setting and an outside courtyard. The service is friendly and first-timers will cheerfully have the dishes explained. Open for lunch, dinner, and takeaway (check website) diners will be returning again and again to sample another dish! WWWW

Photo: Supplied

22 Glebe Point Rd, Glebe. Meal Prices $16–$32. For info & bookings: www.saltnpalm.com.au INNER WEST INDEPENDENT MARCH 2021

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THE SMITH STREET BAND

Photo: April Josie

BY JAMIE APPS ver the last few years the concept of slow TV has become quite the phenomenon, in large part thanks to SBS and their multi-hour long rail journey productions. In March this concept takes a new twist thanks to jazz guitarist Hillary Geddes and SIMA. On March 11 Geddes and her quartet will be performing improvised music to accompany a roughly 20 minute video of a boat journey along Sydney’s Nepean River. According to Geddes this work will allow the audience to contemplate and reflect upon the importance of natural waterways, water conservation, border restrictions all while being transported through the music and visuals. For Geddes having the opportunity to create music for this work was given even greater significance given her childhood background “It’s been really exciting working on this project because I grew up in the Murrumbidgee irrigation area. So conversations around water and river systems have always been a hot topic of conversation,” Geddes explained. “I was really excited to be able to look at the Nepean and Warragamba while also exploring the conversations around water and remembering those conversations from my childhood.” In order to create this work Geddes used

sound mapping techniques which included taking field recordings on location, looping techniques and obviously the expertise of a film crew to capture the visual elements. When reflecting on the creative process Geddes recalled how special the the moment she joined the film crew was for her, “I’ve always thought of Sydney as a coastal town, despite all of it’s rivers, but when I went out to the Nepean River I was really stuck by the smell of fresh water and immediately transported back my childhood.” Looking back on her early years discovering a love for music the idea of a concert framed around slow TV was perhaps the furthest thing from her mind given her earliest inspiration. “I was probably about 4 years old when I watched an AC/DC concert on video and decided I wanted to be like Angus Young,” Geddes said. However, as she grew Geddes’ musical horizons were expanded, particularly once she began studying at the Conservatorium of Music. “When I first moved to Sydney I learnt from Steve Bryan, who was a lecturer at the Conservatorium. He really opened my eyes and ears by broadening my listening, so I’ve got a lot to be thankful for in terms of the things that Steve taught me.” Mar 11. Old 505 Theatre, 5 Eliza St, Newtown. $35+b.f. Tickets & Info: www.sima.org.au

we’re becoming older and more adult, but hopefully it translates well to a seated audience.” Given that this show has been transformed to suit the more subdued vibe of a seated show the performance is a lot less physically demanding but a lot more challenging mentally according to Bodiam. “Normally we book in 3-4 days of rehearsals and aim to do 2-3 sets per day, so by the end of the day you’ve go nothing left in the tank. Whereas these rehearsals have made us think we could probably do an 8 hour show if we have to. “In saying that though there is a lot more stuff going on. There’s a lot more parts. Everyone is busier playing other instruments that they wouldn’t normally be playing in Smith Street on top of their normal stuff. Jess [Locke] is playing a lot of keys, I’m playing a lot of percussion, including glockenspiel which I’ve never played live before. So it’s a bit more mentally challenging, but that is also the cool part about it.” Looking ahead to the show Bodiam spoke about his love for the Enmore Theatre. “Enmore is always awesome. I love theatres, they are great places. I like a pub show but a theatre is a special place. The hunger to get out there and perform again is definitely there for us.” Mar 12. Enmore Theatre, 118-132 Enmore Rd, Newtown. $59.25+b.f. Tickets & Info: www.enmoretheatre.com.au

Photo: Ian Laidlaw

HILLARY GEDDES

BY JAMIE APPS ith all of the restrictions that have been imposed on live music performance we as the general public have had to come to terms with the changes, but we are not alone. The bands and artists that are performing during this period are also coming to terms with what this means for the atmosphere and style of show that they can put on. Speaking with the Inner West Independent just last week Matt Bodiam, the drummer for The Smith Street Band, explained how his band has adapted to these changes. “We basically took a gamble that if we were to tour again sooner rather than later it was likely going to have us performing to a seated audience, which meant we wouldn’t be able to have the energy or crowd participation that we were used to,” Bodiam said. “So we designed this show, in the loosest sense of the word, with that in mind. Which means this show is all about us trying to highlight the textural stuff that can get lost in a loud, distorted environment.” Bearing that in mind The Smith Street Band set out to create alternative versions for an array of songs in their back catalogue, which ultimately led to the new record Unplugged In Wombat State Forrest. “A lot of Smith Street songs do have lovely layers, so it’s actually quite nice to be able to highlight those in this set,” said Bodiam. “We’ve never done this before, which maybe is a sign

MIDNIGHT DRAGS - BAD BUSINESS BY JAMIE APPS elbourne rocker Midnight Drags is set to drop their latest album, Bad Business, tomorrow and it is overflowing personality and rock goodness. Bad Business is far from that as it delivers classic rock elements fused with glam-rock, and pop-rock all with a modern twist. For fans of bands such as Cheap Trick, Catfish And The Bottlemen and Eskimo Joe this one will be right up your alley.

INNER WEST INDEPENDENT MARCH 2021

Lucas James, the man behind Midnight Drags, unabashedly embraces guitar solos, captivating ballads and big melodic sections to keep the listener enthralled throughout. Across the nine track offering James explores themes of loss, depression and the craziness of the music industry as a whole. Perfect for a fun Friday night party vibe. WWW1/2

IndieARTS

MINARI

BY MARK MORELLINI igh aspirations in attempting to achieve feasible goals in life are explored in this bitter-sweet 80s family rural drama which ultimately shatters the ideology of the American dream. When Jacob, a Korean-American man, makes the life-changing decision to relocate his family to Arkansas with the intention of establishing a farm growing Korean produce, he comes to the realisation that enthusiasm and hard work alone won’t guarantee his success. Jacob who wants his children to see

him succeed in something exclaims, “Even if I fail, I’ll be there to finish what I started!” At what point should one stop dreaming? Is money more important than family? Comedic interludes involving an eccentric farm hand and the young son’s inability to accept his grandmother as family, provide emotional relief from heart-wrenching scenes as the financial burden takes its toll on the family unit. A nicely assembled cast is led by Steven Yeun and Yeri Han as Jacob and his wife Monica, but the characterisation

by Youn-Yuh-Jung as the foul-mouthed but loving grandmother will stay with audiences long after leaving the cinema.

A must-see cinematic gem that deserves many accolades, WWWW

DEMON SLAYER - KIMETSU NO YAIBA THE MOVIE: MUGEN TRAIN BY PATRICK MCKENZIE emon Slayer: Mugen Train, the feature-length sequel to the rapturously popular anime series of the same name, delivers powerful emotional highs and an impressive visual style that will engage both longtime fans and newcomers alike. Picking up right where the 2019 series left off, the film follows the exploits of teenage demon slayers Tanjiro, Zenitsu, and Inosuke – as well as Tanjiro’s sister Nezuko – aboard a train. Tasked with assisting master swordsman Kyojuro Rengoku in hunting an elusive demon that has taken the lives of many fellow slayers, their investigation spans both the

THE TRUFFLE HUNTERS

BY MARK MORELLINI ho would’ve thought that a film aimed at a very niche market which follows the day-to-day activities of elderly Italian truffle hunters and their dogs could have been such insightful and enjoyable entertainment! Truffles are incredibly rare strongsmelling underground fungi and are one of the most prized food ingredients in the world. They resemble irregular, rough-skinned potatoes, are valued at an astronomical €4,500 per kilo, and are hunted by specific dogs.

Not a drama nor a conventional documentary and seemingly unscripted, the cameras follow these truffle hunters around as they work, deal with clients and spend time with their beloved dogs. Very protective of their canines one of these men states, “If you don’t trust your dog, don’t go truffle hunting” and further comments, “If my dog dies, I die.” Primarily humorous in mood but darkens in the second half as it’s revealed that these dogs are being poisoned by very territorial and greedy hunters. Filmed in picturesque rural locations in Italy and skilfully edited, the soundtrack comprising traditional Italian music complements this very unique subject matter. The truffles receive top billing in this film which aims to educate, but what’s more memorable is the devotion and incomparable love these elderly men have for their dogs. WWWW

train’s eerie setting and the depths of their own dreams. Demon Slayer is quick to lay on the exposition, delving deep into characters’ pasts and emotional states which, although beneficial for viewers not previously acquainted with the series, comes at the cost of some subtlety with respect to the film’s narrative and characterisation. The visual work of animation studio Ufotable is perhaps Demon Slayer’s strongest quality, with bold colours and detailed character designs ensuring that the film’s intricate fight scenes and frequent comedic moments are rendered with maximum impact, ultimately making for an exciting prelude to a second series WWW

A WRITER’S ODYSSEY

BY MARK MORELLINI rom China comes this drama action-fantasy blockbuster which is destined to mesmerise enthusiasts of this style of film. Incorporating visually stunning CGI, the story centers on a man who in the real world is searching for his daughter who was kidnapped six years earlier. In another time and place, a man has embarked on a mission to end the tyrannical rule of an evil lord, and strangely, both parallel worlds collide. High production standards and over the top fast-paced action compounded by bloody battle sequences with demons and other macabre creatures should ensure that audiences enjoy every moment of this extremely ambitious production. However, in all its grandness, ambiguity may set in for some audiences, owing to what is lost in translation and the multifaceted

storylines which at times may be difficult to follow. Cultural differences in storytelling between westernised countries and China resonate in this style of filmmaking, but what should be universally relatable is the heartwrenching story of a man who will stop at nothing to locate his beloved daughter. WWW INNER WEST INDEPENDENT MARCH 2021

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