INNER WEST INDEPENDENT December 2021 by Alt Media

Michael Dello-Iacovo to run in Leichhardt at the election

Leichhardt locals “break up with the cup!”

The annual iteration of Wharf Revue is returning to the Seymour Centre

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YOUR FREE INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER

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Inner West Council Greens go big for local

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QR Scan the our e e s to e cod a r vision fo le b a e v more li t. s e W r Inne

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SATURDAY Authorised by Damiya Hayden for The Greens NSW, Suite D, Level 1, 263-275 Broadway, Glebe, NSW 2037.

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IndieNEWS

Inner West war on waste T IndieARTS: North Arm “I’ve never really considered myself much of an artist... but here we are three albums in.” (See p. 22)

PUBLISHED DATE 25 NOVEMBER 2021 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 Editors: Daniel Lo Surdo, Eva Baxter Contributors: Daniel Lo Surdo, Eva Baxter, Benedict Brook, Peter Hehir Arts Editor: Jamie Apps Contributors: Gemma Billington, Mark Morellini, Irina Dunn, Renee Lou Dallow, Olga Azar, Patrick McKenzie, Jarrod Wolfhunter, Lucinda Garbutt-Young, Tessa Pelle, Craig Coventry Advertising Manager: Mal Moody 0484 042 615 Advertising: sales@altmedia.net.au Cover Photo: Mark Dickson. Greens Liz Atkins for Damun/Stanmore (left) and Kobi Shetty for Baludarri/Balmain 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

BY EVA BAXTER o celebrate Planet Ark’s National Recycling Week from the 9th to the 15th of last month, the Independent examined the recent ways the inner west is warring with waste. Coinciding with National Recycling Week 2020, Planet Ark released a report that found, as a result of COVID, 70% of councils had increased volumes of general waste in kerbside bins and 45% of councils reported increased contamination in kerbside recycling bins. 3 issues were identified by councils as the most common mistakes residents make, all involving soft plastic contamination. “Australians tend to carry recyclables to kerbside bin by hand, however those that carry them in single use plastic bags (10%) are often also putting those bags in the recycling bin.” 28% of packaging is being disposed in the wrong bin or directly disposed to landfill. 38% of Australians incorrectly believe that soft plastics can be recycled in their kerbside bin.

COUNCIL COURSE-OF-ACTION

Inner West Council’s ‘Our Inner West 2036’ is a strategic plan identifying an ecologically sustainable inner west as a vision for the future of the community, including making the inner west zerowaste with an active share economy. The council strategies support avoiding waste, reusing, repairing, recycling and sharing, and to provide local reuse and recycling infrastructure, and divert organic material from landfill and advocate for Extended Producer Responsibility. Inner West Council recently teamed up with RecycleSmart to make recycling tough stuff “as easy as ordering an Uber.” Residents can now book a collection of recyclable materials that can’t be recycled in yellow recycling bins like soft plastics, batteries, light globes, clothing, toys, white polystyrene, and small electrical items. Council also offers drop off and collection services and council clean-ups for tricky, bulky, sharp, or chemical waste. Council commenced an updated collection service on July 5th which allows households to organise their own collection when required, as opposed to previously conforming to a schedule. The service keeps the streets cleaner, however some residents miss being able to see something they need or want on the footpath and pick it up.

Inner west street artists were commissioned to revamp discarded fridges otherwise destined for landfill. Photo: Supplied

Greens candidate Kobi Shetty told the Independent, “many people are frustrated about the scheduled bulk rubbish collections being cancelled and would like to have them reinstated so that more stuff can be reused.”

“It’s just such a shame to think that everything ends up in landfill when actually you can do something thoughtful with them.”

FRIDGE REFRESH

A big switch for her was using sustainable packaging to deliver items sold through her Etsy store.

Five inner west street artists were commissioned by the Bottle-O to revamp discarded fridges kicked to the kerb and rescued and reserviced by the bottle shop chain. “The Fridge O-doption Program is showing Aussies that with a little love, our old appliances can be given a whole new life.”

 with a little love, old appliances can have new life Artists Pabs, Nico, Lachlan Heavymetal, Sindy Sinn and Kim Siew decorated the old fridges with unique designs, turning the whitegoods into art. Artist Nico said, “this campaign aims to change the narrative around used items, from being considered as garbage to something that can be reimagined and remain relevant and useful.” Kim Siew told the Independent, “I loved the idea of fridges being collected and given a new life. I just thought it was an amazing thing because you see so much illegal dumping everywhere and especially whitegoods.

Siew upcycles, and hosts workshops with kids that focus on sustainable materials and using what’s on hand.

“I would put prints in a plastic sleeve because it’s protection from wet weather, put them in a mailer and send them out. “Now I think every step is a bit more thoughtful. Tissue paper instead of plastic wrap, recycled mailer instead of just a plastic bubble wrap mailer. Just making those little steps is really good.” Figures released by National Association of Visual Arts revealed that 81% of visual artists earned less than $25,000 in the 2020-21 financial year, while 50% reported an income decline of up to 100%. Siew told the Independent she was impacted by COVID because many of her workshops were cancelled, which was her main source of income. Her illustration was there to fall back on. “I think that a lot of artists kind of adapted with things, like if they couldn’t put on a show, doing read-throughs with friends. “I’ve always thought that art should have a bigger push and support than it does, especially in Sydney,” she said. INNER WEST INDEPENDENT DECEMBER 2021

IndieNEWS

All your election questions answered

BY DANIEL LO SURDO head of the Inner West’s Local Government Elections, the Independent has compiled all the information that voters will need to know before they cast their ballot on December 4.

Online and operator-assisted voting (iVote) will also be available to those who meet the eligibility criteria. iVote will be available for those who are blind or have low vision, have a disability that presents difficulty voting at a polling place, and those who cannot read or write. Applications for iVote will close at 1:00 pm on election day.

WHO CAN VOTE?

Voting is compulsory for those registered to the electoral roll. To be eligible to vote, you must have been registered on the electoral roll by October 25 this year.

WHAT IF I’M AWAY?

 Voters ... will be polled on their support to de-amalgamate While residents will be required to vote, some non-residents in the Inner West will also be entitled to vote, should they meet the criteria for the Non-Residential Roll. Non-resident voters typically include non-resident owners, an occupier of Inner West land, a rate-paying lessee, or a local business representative.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

Inner West Council is made up of 15 councillors, who are equally split into five

The NSW Local Government Elections will take place on December 4. Photo: Australian National Audit Office

wards: Leichhardt-Gulgadya, BalmainBaludarri, Stanmore-Damun, AshfieldDjarrawunang and the MarrickvilleMidjuburi Ward. This means that three councillors will be elected from each ward. Once all 15 councillors are elected, a mayor and deputy mayor will be voted in by the newly-elected councillors. The mayor is selected for a two-year term, while the deputy mayor can be appointed for the same term or a shorter time period.

HOW CAN I VOTE?

In many different ways. Voting will occur from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm across the Inner West in a multitude of different venues, including schools and community centres. Alternatively, pre-polling will be available for any person who is enrolled to vote for this election. Pre-polling will be open from 22 November to 3 December and will be available at town halls and community centres throughout the Inner West.

Voters who will be overseas or interstate on election day should apply for a postal vote or cast their vote at a prepolling centre prior to their departure. Postal voting packs can be sent to any nominated address in Australia or overseas. Applications for postal packs opened on 26 October and will close on 29 November, with completed votes to be returned by 6:00 pm on 17 December.

ANYTHING ELSE INVOLVED?

One more thing. Voters in the Inner West will be polled on their support to de-amalgamate back to the former Leichhardt, Marrickville and Ashfield Councils, after the State Government amalgamated the three into Inner West Council in May 2016.

After Decades of Calling for Climate Action the Task has Never Been More Urgent While it was a relief to see that the Australian Government has finally committed to a target to achieve net zero emissions - there is still no short term target and no plan to get us there.

2004 - but instead of listening then, the Liberals instead made it a political game to oppose action on the most serious challenge facing the global community.

While the rest of the world has well and truly moved on and most countries are developing ambitious targets to cut emissions by around 50% by the end of the decade, the Liberal National Government have moved on from their tactics of climate denial and are now seeking to delay action as long as possible.

The climate has already warmed by around 1.4 degrees and the impacts are already being felt: the catastrophic 2019 bushfires, 50 degree days in Sydney and coastal erosion are already impacting us, particularly those who are already struggling due to insecure housing and financial stress. We simply don’t have the luxury of time to wait until 2050 before we act.

There were big marches on the streets for climate action back in 2005 - the first climate action I participated in was in @jennyleong.newtown

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IMAGE: Jenny Leong with Irene Doutney at a climate action in Martin Place in 2004. Irene represented the Greens on the City of Sydney Council, including serving as the Deputy Mayor, until her passing in 2018.

Fast forward 16 years, and the Liberals and Nationals have finally moved on from their tactic of denying the consensus of the world’s scientists, banks, global insurance companies, and world leaders, and have accepted that climate change is real. But they are still attempting to delay action for as long as they can by setting a target that is decades away and will endanger lives and livelihoods, especially for younger @jennyleong

generations who will pay the heaviest price.

If only we had acted back in the early 2000s, the challenge today would be far simpler. With every passing year of inaction, the task becomes bigger and more urgent. There are however glimmers of hope: with other major economies like the USA, China and the EU rapidly scaling up their commitments for climate action, there will be global pressure on Australia to act more quickly.

The Greens at a local, state and federal level have a long and proud history of campaigning for climate action, whether it be in the town halls, the parliaments or on the streets. I’ll be on the streets with climate activists, student strikers and other Greens at every oppertunity for faster, stronger action and I hope you will join me there. Jenny Leong MP Greens Member for Newtown @jennyleong.newtown

T S E W R E N N I E H T R O F N A L P S N E E THE GR DYLAN GRIFFTHS

FOR DJARRAWUNA

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RD NG (ASHFIELD) WA

KOBI SHETTY

LMAIN) WARD FOR BALUDARRI (BA

MARGHANITA DA CRUZ

ICHHARDT) WARD FOR GULGADYA (LE

JUSTINE LANGFORD

(M ARRICKVILLE) FOR MIDJUBURI

WARD

LIZ ATKINS

MORE) WARD FOR DAMUN (STAN

Make Council a national leader on climate action We need genuine leadership on climate including harnessing renewable energy, creating a well-connected bike and pedestrian network, investing in electric vehicles and local charging facilities, community solar panels.

Action on affordable housing Using planning laws, we will levy developers for an affordable housing contribution. The levy will fund the construction of Council owned affordable housing units.

Support arts, entertainment & live music We will support people in the creative industries from musicians to visual artists, writers to set designers, with studio/work spaces, grants, exhibition spaces to make the Inner West the arts centre of Sydney.

Stop over development and defend heritage Council has let developers take the upper hand. We need community-led planning to ensure development is appropriate, respects heritage and delivers additional community infrastructure.

Create beautiful streets, parks, playgrounds and green spaces We need to invest in our main streets to make them lively, clean and welcoming; expand and upgrade parks and playgrounds, including shade over play equipment, bubblers and clean, working toilets; restore degraded wildlife habitats; and reverse the Council’s anti-tree policy that has significantly reduced tree canopy cover in the last year.

Caring for people through quality services We will provide $1 entry for Council pools for all pensioner and concession card holders and expand Council run playgroups and childcare, as well as increase support and activities for older people.

Open and democratic council Council has abolished local resident committees, slashed public council meetings to once per month and reduced the rights of residents to speak. Our plan will ensure an open Council with more community involvement, disclosure by councillors of who is lobbying them and a ban on accepting corporate donations.

Visit greensoncouncil.org.au/inner-west for all of our policies. Authorised by Damiya Hayden for The Greens NSW, Suite D, Lvl 1, 263-275 Broadway, Glebe, NSW 2037.

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IndieNEWS

Dello-Iacovo wants local climate action

BY DANIEL LO SURDO ichael Dello-Iacovo is the Animal Justice Party’s candidate for the LeichhardtGulgadya Ward at the Inner West Council elections on December 4. Dello-Iacovo is an Annandale resident who is finishing a PhD in space science at UNSW and is passionate about climate change action, animal protection and evidence-based policy. Should he be elected, Dello-Iacovo hopes to foster tree canopy growth and help council endorse the Plant Based Treaty, which accompanied the Paris Agreement and places food systems central to climate change action.

but every member of the community,” Dello-Iacovo said. “A lack of trees increases local ground temperatures and will make summers increasingly unbearable, especially for the very young, the elderly, and other vulnerable members of the community.”

 I want ... those who don’t get a vote [to be] represented “It is important that councils do their part to mitigate the effects of climate change at a local level, and the Plant Based Treaty is a critical part of doing that,” Dello-Iacovo said. “It includes transitioning away from cruel, environmentally harmful animal products and protecting green spaces.”

To combat tree canopy loss, the NSW Government Department of Planning, Industry & Environment announced in 2018 plans to plant five million new trees in Sydney by 2030 and set a target of one million new trees by 2022. As of writing, over 635,000 trees have been registered, including 204 in Leichhardt. The initiative secured $37.5 million in funding over four years and is projected to meet its first major target next year. Michael Dello-Iacovo will be running for the Animal Justice Party in the Leichhardt/Gulgadya Ward. Photo: Supplied

LOOKING LOCAL

The Plant Based Treaty has three principles: relinquish, redirect and restore. The Treaty hopes to inspire change in global food systems and to fight the three main greenhouse gases – carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide – which are rapidly accelerating. Like much of Greater Sydney, the Inner West has experienced considerable

decreases in its tree canopy cover throughout recent years, with the overall tree canopy cover currently at just under 20 per cent. As of 2018, Leichhardt has 11-15 per cent canopy cover, while each of its immediate neighbours registered 16-25 per cent cover. “Tree canopy loss affects not just the wild animals who call the trees home,

Della-Iacovo says that a vote for him will give a voice to those who have none. “I want to ensure that those who don’t get a vote – animals, the environment and future generations – are represented in our political system,” he says. “I see standing for the Animal Justice Party as an opportunity to get important issues that affect us, our future generations and the animals in our care, into council.”

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Justine Langford, Greens candidate, Midjuburi – Marrickville, Inner West Council

uring this election campaign I’ve spoken to many residents who are unhappy with Inner West Council. They say their voices are not being heard, council is not consulting with them and basic services aren’t being delivered, including clean streets, quality footpaths and roads and well-maintained parks and playgrounds. It’s no secret that resident satisfaction has plummeted since Ashfield, Balmain and Marrickville Councils were forcibly amalgamated into the big Inner West Council in 2016 under the Baird Liberal government. The last five years have demonstrated that a large, amalgamated council is not in the best interests of our community. The Greens want an inclusive council that residents are proud of. We want to put the ‘local’ back into Local Government. We believe in grassroots participatory democracy. We do not accept corporate donations. We will protect our environment and stand up to state government and property developers. The December 4 elections are an opportunity to reset council, bring in new councillors, develop new ways of working with a fresh and more collaborative approach between residents, councillors, council staff and the state government. Importantly, at this election, residents will have the opportunity to vote on whether they want to keep the council as is or return to Ashfield, Leichhardt and Marrickville. Personally, I will be voting YES for de-amalgamation. There are so many reasons to vote yes, not least that the de-merger would be 6

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fully funded by the NSW government, as per the Local Government Act. Under the amalgamated council we’ve seen decisions that have negatively impacted across the Inner West. In addition to scheduled rate rises and a back-log of infrastructure projects, councillors no longer have the ability to vote on development applications. These decisions are now made by Regional Planning Panels, the majority of whom are appointed by the NSW government. With a smaller council we have a greater chance of influencing decisions that directly affect the local

community. With a large council we see Councillors who live in other wards making decisions about local issues outside their ward, without accountability to local residents. Under the council amalgamation, the MarrickvilleMidjuburi ward is losing its unique character with demolition of historic buildings as profit-driven development disenfranchises the less affluent and the young. Our Local Environment Plan (LEP) has been ridden over rough-shod, with spot re-zoning on Victoria Road Marrickville, turning vital industrial and creative employment lands into high-rise apartments located in flood-zones and under the flight path. We’ve seen Tempe Bunnings approved by the Eastern Area Regional Planning Panel, that included Councillors Macri and Iskandar, without a completed or appropriate traffic management plan. As a result of a disastrous Tree Policy, designed by Labor and Liberal Councillors and Councillors Macri and Stamolis, we’ve seen a net loss of 14 hectares of tree canopy - as our urban environment heats up due to global warming. We need council to do better. Whatever the outcome of the de-amalgamation poll, Greens councillors will work hard for residents. We will restore local democracy by introducing resident precinct committees to amplify your voice. We will ensure quality services, support sustainable development, including low-cost housing, protect heritage, our local environment, and support a vibrant arts and creative community.

The Good Neighbour Project Supporting responsible cat ownership Protecting wildlife and feline welfare Keeping your cat happy and healthy

Join our Good Neighbour Project. Visit catprotection.org.au

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IndieNEWS

Council candidates concerned for climate

From left: Independent John Stamolis, Independent Vic Macri, Greens Kobi Shetty, Greens Liz Atkins, Independent Pauline Lockie, Labor Philippa Scott, Labor Mark Drury, Independent Vera-Ann Hannaford, Socialist Alliance Pip Hinman. Photo: Mark Dickson

BY EVA BAXTER n Sunday November 14th City Hub hosted an Inner West Council candidates’ forum on unceded Gadigal and Wangal land at the Addison Road Community Centre in Marrickville.

A select nine councillors and candidates hoping to get a seat on the forthcoming second term of Inner West Council participated. The first half of the forum made evident addressing the climate emergency is top of candidates’ to-do lists should they be elected in December. Greens candidate for Baludarri/Balmain Kobi Shetty said in her opening remark, “because of the pressing need to tackle the climate crisis, so much time is spent lamenting the lack of action at a federal level, which is important, but I think that we really need to remember that local councils can be really powerful agents for change.” Fellow Greens candidate for Damun/ Stanmore Liz Atkins said her first two priorities will be addressing the controversial Tree DCP and action on affordable housing. Labor candidate Philippa Scott for Gulgadaya/Leichhardt echoed the need to act on housing. “I am committed to a vision of a truly inclusive inner west, and that means lots of different ethnic and language backgrounds, making sure that our community is accessible for people with all different abilities and ages. “But critically, also that it’s an inclusive environment for people of all different economic backgrounds, and to that end, we do need to work on our affordable housing policy.” Labor councillor Mark Drury for Djarrawunang/Ashfield said investing 8

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in community public facilities will be Labor’s approach. “The reason we focus so heavily on investing in facility and the best possible services is because we believe that advantages those people in our community who need it most. “The ability to go to a subsidized swim, to play on a subsidized field, or go to a free library is something which advantages those people who have less in their pockets than others,” he said. Independent candidate Vera-Ann Hannaford, formerly a Liberal councillor and Deputy Mayor of Leichhardt Council said she is “disillusioned” with the local members of the Liberal Party. She supports community consultation and participation, which she said has been left by the wayside by Inner West Council.

TREE DCP

The controversial Inner West Council Tree DCP (the rules applying to removing trees on private land) contributed to the loss of fourteen hectares of canopy since its instatement. Six hectares of tree canopy was gained on public land, but twenty was lost on private land. Deputy Mayor Pauline Lockie for Damun/Stanmore said, “what we saw was the process that by which those changes happened was not great. “As a result, that DCP has actually got some unlawful provisions in it now, particularly around the automatic two metre rule, because there’s no ability within the current rules for the council officers to be able to assess whether or not that tree removal is necessary or if other solutions could be found.”

“We’re never going to be able to catch up if we don’t also correct the imbalance we’ve got now and protect our canopy on private land,” she said. Independent councillor Vic Macri for Midjuburi/Marrickville said of the process by which the Tree DCP was initially instated, “we had to change something to encourage people to plant trees. “The motion I put forward was bastardised, and that’s the only way I

 The motion I put forward was bastardized can put it, by multiple amendments […].” “It was not about allowing people to rip out trees willy nilly, it was about people in difficulty where trees were too close to properties, where a lot of heritage homes were being affected by trees, allowing them to remove and replace. “If you get a tree that’s growing wrong or inappropriate, you need to be able to have the ability to remove or replace it, and that’s what the motion was designed to do, but it was changed on the floor by multiple parties, and then they walked away from it,” he said. Independent councillor John Stamolis for Baludarri/Balmain said according to his recent statistics, “with 804 people per hectare of open space, we have the second lowest open space ratio of all 130 councils in NSW, possibly the second lowest ratio in this nation. “Over the last five years the population of the inner west increased by over 13,000 people. “As a statistician, I can tell you that the next five years it’s going to pop up by another 13 to 15,000. You can imagine

where those ratios are heading in the future,” he said. Councillor Stamolis and Macri co-moved a motion at the council meeting of November 2nd to begin investigating what mechanisms and tools council can use to increase open space, including available funding and achievability, and the development of a strategic plan to increase open space.

CYCLING

Socialist Alliance for Damun/Stanmore Pip Hinman said, “finally cycling is coming in as an active transport and we have to adjust.” She said the problem of cyclists on roads and how drivers deal with cyclists must be addressed. Lockie said according to Transport for NSW, “around 70% of Sydneysiders have said they would ride more if there was safe separated and connected cycleways for them to use. “One of the things I’m really excited about with the next term of council is we have over twenty million dollars’ worth of cycleways in the budget […].” “Once they’re there they get used, the streets are better, they’re calmer, they’re better for everyone,” she said. Macri said he prefers a staged approach to prioritising cycleways, with shared paths to begin with. “What we really need to do is where we’re headed, and that’s actually reduce the speed limits on our streets so that bikes can actually feel safe.” Scott said Labor’s program to increase wayfinding around public schools has been successfully trialled in Damun/ Stanmore ward, and she is interested in concentrating that program around high schools, especially since the light rail will be down for up to 18 months.

IndieNEWS

Candidates talk putting residents first BY DANIEL LO SURDO ine select Inner West candidates discussed their desire to work for the community after a tumultuous inaugural Inner West Council term. At City Hub’s Inner West Candidates’ Forum earlier this month, those contesting local office at the December 4 elections were quizzed on their desire to either continue in or enter the Inner West Council environment, which has gained a disruptive, combative reputation during its four years of existence. “It’s really depressing how much I’ve heard from my fellow colleagues and myself that we’ve experienced anxiety, depression and mental health issues,” Deputy Mayor Pauline Lockie said at the forum. “It’s ridiculous because what we should actually be here for is doing good for the community … you should be focused on the council and working well here.” In 2019, Cr Lockie publicly apologised to Cr Darcy Byrne in response to allegations made by others on a ten-month-old Facebook post published by Lockie, who said they were “false and defamatory of his good character”. This term has also been marred by the turnover of council staff, whereby three general managers have taken office in the past four years. “I don’t want to see a situation where general managers are walking out and it’s in the paper that they’ve done that because they’ve fallen out with particular people on council, that is an absurd situation for any council to find itself in,” Cr Lockie said. In March, acting Inner West General Manager Brian Barrett announced he would be leaving the posting three weeks earlier than expected following difficulties dealing with the then Mayor Byrne. Just weeks prior to Barrett’s resignation, Cr Byrne referred Inner West Council to the Auditor General’s office for investigation over the repeated delays of the Dawn Fraser Bath’s reopening, in a move that Barrett labelled an ‘enormous betrayal’.

WORKING TOGETHER

With a tumultuous term concluding, there is hope among candidates that the elections can bring a renewed focus to council. “What residents want from us is a council that is focused on them,” Labor candidate Philippa Scott said. “I can’t tell you the number of times that people have said to me that they’d like council to stop talking about the council, when I’m out on the street people

Pauline Lockie (left) and Philippa Scott (right) both discussed the importance of putting residents first. Photo: Mark Dickson

want to hear about what we’re doing, about services and infrastructure, they want to know about planting trees and cycleways. “They just want us to be dedicated to them, I really hope that this is the last time we do have a conversation that is about the council, and the only conversations going forward are about what we can deliver for residents.” Cr Lockie pledged to work “across different party lines” in a collective fashion should she be reelected on December 4.

 Council isn’t our plaything, it is there to service our ... community

“Council isn’t our plaything, it is there to service our local community and work collaboratively with council staff as well,” she said. “What I would want to see happen in the next term of council [is] that we work together, that doesn’t mean that we have to agree all the time, there’s a reason why there’s 15 of us … but we shouldn’t be destroying each other as a result of it.” Fellow Independent candidate Vera-Ann Hannaford echoed Lockie’s sentiment.

“I would like to think that councillors go into council to represent residents,” she said. “They shouldn’t be standing up saying their own views, they should be talking to you, finding out what you want, and carrying out your instructions.” Socialist Alliance candidate Pip Hinman thought that there could be “more structures to help residents play a much bigger role” on council’s decisionmaking processes, and called for more transparency and accountability following the elections.

TALKING DE-AMALGAMATION Candidates were also quizzed on the amalgamation poll that will accompany the ballot papers early next month. Councillors resolved in June to hold a poll that would ask residents on whether Inner West Council should deamalgamate after Ashfield, Leichhardt and Marrickville Councils were forcibly combined by the NSW Government in May 2016. “To think that this is a key topic for our community five and a half years after the merger took place means we are in serious problems and means that our community are concerned about it,” Cr John Stamolis told the forum.

“This was put together in the wrong way, it was a very flawed approach to intergenerational reform of local government.” Labor councillor Mark Drury thought that it was “too late to unscramble the egg” of amalgamation, yet promised to take action should residents decide to deamalgamate. “If the people vote strongly in favour of [de-amalgamation], obviously then we as elected representatives will prosecute that with the State Government,” he said. “We would argue to not support doing that, but we are having that vote.” Under three Labor mayors, council previously lobbied for residents to have a “right to vote and a say” about the forced amalgamation but failed to gain any traction. The NSW Government has said that costs associated with a de-amalgamation would be fully funded by the State. “The most important thing is that the community is being given the chance to have a say,” Greens candidate Liz Atkins said. “We’ve lost our local, we’ve lost the number of councillors who understand the area that we live in, not that councillors don’t try to understand other wards and the issues there, but I think the community feels that we’ve lost that.” INNER WEST INDEPENDENT DECEMBER 2021

IndieNEWS

Inner West opposes tunnel

BY DANIEL LO SURDO fter councillors moved a Mayoral Minute opposing the Western Harbour Tunnel, the Inner West community has voiced their opposition to the contentious state-led development in a public meeting on Thursday night.

Earlier this month, Inner West Mayor Rochelle Porteous tabled a Mayoral Minute that requested council seek a meeting with Minister for Transport Rob Stokes to discuss “the urgent need for a comprehensive health study on the documented impacts” of the project and bring a report to the first meeting of February 2022 providing a “project proposal and costings for a comprehensive assessment on the cumulative impacts” of infrastructure projects in the Inner West. Two days later, Inner West Council hosted the ‘Stop the Western Harbour Tunnel’ public meeting, where councillors and infrastructure experts discussed the key issues of the proposal, which would link the Warringah Freeway in Cammeray to the Rozelle Interchange. “We have, literally at our doorstep, the threat of the Western Harbour Tunnel,” Cr Porteous said at the public meeting.

The Inner West has met in a public meeting to discuss their issues with the Western Harbour Tunnel project. Photo: John Holland

“[It] really brings no benefits to our local area and significant negative impacts.

 We have ... at our doorstep, the threat of the Western Harbour Tunnel “The consultation has been very poor all the way through and the process has been very poor as well.”

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A LINGERING ISSUE

In September, Cr Porteous told a Parliamentary Inquiry that the Western Harbour Tunnel could render the reopened Dawn Fraser Baths unusable, citing concerns with the toxic plumes from contaminated sediment escaping into the harbour and impacting “dog walkers, fishers and swimmers”. A Transport for NSW spokesperson refuted the contamination of harbour pools in March, telling the Independent

that, even in the worst-case scenario, water quality won’t be impacted. In the State Government’s Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), the excavation for the tunnel will involve approximately 1 million cubic metres of sediment, 142,500 cubic metres of which is understood to be contaminated. “The EIS also failed to carry out any investigation for the 18 sites that they recognised as potentially contaminated on the onshore part of the EIS,” Dr Bill Ryall, an expert on assessment and remediation of contaminated land and an Inner West local, said at the meeting. “How can you possibly assess the impact … if you haven’t done the assessment?” Council was also opposed to the construction impacts, the use of the Balmain Tigers site in Rozelle, and the multi-year closure of Yurulbin Point. The impact of public health, including noise, vibration, night works, air quality and fatigue was also marked by council and comes while residents near the Rozelle Interchange continue to flag their discontent with construction taking place beneath their homes.

age of 15, one of the youngest nations in the world. They have never had to live with Islamic extremism or its tenets as a way of life. The change that has come is brutal and sudden. Now Fury dispenses with her chador altogether, dresses in an uncovered and more casual way, touches her new clothes like she is still coming to terms with recognising herself in this new place. When the time is right she wants the Taliban to see her.

A meeting with Fury and Sorrow

Photo – Marwa/’Sorrow’ at Addison Road Community Organisation in Marrickville.

I meet Fury and Sorrow in the Inner West of Sydney. They have fled Afghanistan by different paths and means. Fury has been here six days; Sorrow six weeks. Old friends come together again. I talk to Sorrow for a long time in a street-food café inside the grounds of the Addison Road Community Centre. Aged 21, she engineered not only her own escape from Kabul, but that of her mother, her sister and brother, and 15 other young women she studied with at university. The Taliban don’t just hate women, Sorrow tells me, they hate the educated, they hate anyone that can speak English, they hate artists, scientists, writers… “Anybody like this, they will die them”. Then Sorrow corrects herself and says, “kill them”. She describes “the peace, the safe feeling I have, especially here in this place where we are.” But Sorrow is well aware of her own mixed feelings. She has what might be called survivor’s guilt after arriving here in Australia to start a new life. There are still two other sisters with families, her friends, all these “girls and boys” trapped in Afghanistan. Sorrow does not sleep well and her thoughts travel all the time to those she left behind. The former business student ran her own emporium in Kabul, advancing her aspirations to become a leading Afghan designer as well as bringing together handicrafts from fourteen different ethnic groups across the country. Sorrow loves textures, clothes, colours, “dark colours especially”. Looks are important to her. She straightens her crimson coat, pats her blue jeans, checks her nails, pulls her hijab over her long dark hair. An elegant metropolitan modern woman. She studies another young woman arriving at the café, absorbing her aesthetic and energy, observing alternative cultural forms of attractiveness and pride. After growing up in Kabul’s progressive atmosphere, Sorrow and her female friends found themselves in hiding, too afraid to leave her family apartment for so much as a bottle of water. She recalls the Taliban arriving in the city. Being frightened for what they might do to her… the random street interrogations for any woman walking alone, the threats of rape or forced marriage. “They are like dogs,” she says bitterly. Have the Taliban made her lose faith in all men, I have to ask? “No,” Sorrow says. “I have a father, a brother, I know good men. I love the ones who treat me equal and free. Who see me equal and free. I love them.”

Fury sits apart from the conversation, speaking to other people seated at the café. Her eyes cut across the wide spaces to stare directly at and right into you. Her brown hair is in a ponytail, clear complexion, country girl beautiful. Also aged 21, Fury made her way here alone, a former women’s rights leader who had no choice but to run, and to run early. Her power as an individual – and her isolation – radiate like a force field. She and Sorrow were friends in Kabul; indeed Sorrow sheltered her as civil society begun to unravel in the city. Until Fury fled, one week sooner than Sorrow, sensing the looming danger of the Taliban, especially for the likes of her, but taking much longer to make her way to Australia. In Sydney, against all the odds, Fury and Sorrow are reunited. It turns out Fury and Sorrow need to go to Sydenham Station to catch a train further west to where they are living together in temporary accommodation with the other 15 Afghan girls who have also escaped. Sorrow leaves Fury and I for a moment. She needs to get her bags from inside the offices of the Addison Road Community Organisation in Marrickville where they are learning English and getting help with permanent visas. This place has become a home away from home for them as they try to figure out their next steps and meet people who can assist them with food, clothes, work, accommodation. To sit alone in my car with Fury is almost too much to deal with. She treats our conversation like a life-or-death moment, launching into a speech that might just as well be an urgent address to the United Nations: “I am not grateful to be here. I do not want to say thank you. I do not want to be a refugee. Do not use this word ‘refugee’ on me. I see what is here. I have these things in my own country. I want to be in my own country. I want my home.” “Why is this happening to me, to all these people from Afghanistan? It is just a game. I cross the border into Pakistan and I must have a passport and be covered in black, head to toe,” she says with disgust. “But the Taliban can come and go with guns and with artillery. It is a game,” she says again. “So they take my motherland. But they cannot take my mind. I wish to be the first woman president of Afghanistan. This is what I will do. They cannot stop me.” In Afghanistan, Fury liked to wear a chador, covering her hair. It was an act of cultural and religious pride. Her choice. Not some infringement on her identity or gender. She was a progressive young Afghan woman lobbying for even more advances. You have to understand most of these young people have grown up like that. Almost 65% of the population is below the age of 25, a half of them below the

Fury is a writer too. She wants me to know she was like me; and that she is like me. She says she had to leave her laptop behind, and with it her novel manuscripts, as well as all her family, everything she owned, carrying only five of her beloved books “in secret” across the border. A young woman with her own phone and a few books is a dangerous thing to be. Fury wants me to listen carefully; Fury wants to speak to President Biden about “the game” in Afghanistan. Fury wants to fight for her country. “I am not a refugee.” Her anger expended, there is a moment near tears, the bare fact of trauma revealing itself before being controlled and suppressed. Sorrow returns with her bags. She jokes, apologetically, “We have to carry so much now. All our things.” One bag with the necessary papers, a whole world of who they are and might be. What you carry is what you are. We drive together to the railway station. Back at the café, Sorrow used her iPhone to play me a ‘sura’ from the Koran, a voice reciting, in calling cries that are like a song, the beauties and righteousness of “the Sovereign One”. “I play this,” Sorrow says to me, “when I am unhappy. It makes me feel better. It makes me become still.” I try to return the favour on our journey to the station by playing them The Rolling Stones’ ‘Waiting on a Friend’, the song straining from the tiny speaker of an iPhone. Sorrow is only half-interested, chatting on her iPhone. Fury listens like every particle of the song is a mystery that needs to be answered. I’m embarrassed by how feeble it sounds. We stop the car and I ask to take a photo. “Sure.” The two young women step out into the overcast morning, the wind fresh with the scent of oncoming rain. They brush their hair back with their hands; look at themselves in their iPhone make-up mirrors. Fury becomes ‘Farhat’; Sorrow becomes ‘Marwa’; two ordinary young women laughing with one another and comparing how they look. They take their own photos after I take mine, then they wave me goodbye, telling me I am now “one of our besties” as they step on down the street to catch the train to where they are living. At dinner that night, their phones will be brought out to show activist friends in Australia a few pictures of the dead bodies they have seen, torture victims left in the street, the finger webbing spliced up to the bone and beyond by secateurs. Images that have become as familiar to them as make-up selfies and shopping. Images shown almost casually because they are so much a part of what has happened to their world. They recognise the horror in them, but the horror has been degraded, if only to help them live with having seen it on their doorstep. I think about what Farhat said of her ambition to return to Afghanistan and lead her country. I think she has the strength to do it. I think, too, of what Marwa said to me about the different coloured trees in Australia. “This first tree that I saw, I do not know its name, but all the leaves were red on one side and green on the other. I have not seen anything like it before. I like this very much. And I like the colour of the tree that is all purple. All its purple flowers falling on the ground. It is very beautiful.” Words and Images - Mark Mordue

A Gathering for Change – #RacismNOTWelcome Would you like to be part of the Racism Not Welcome movement? You’re invited to a yarn circle and workshops. A gathering for real change—for the people, by the people—in a safe, welcoming space. Let’s have the conversations and prepare for action, together! REGISTER for your FREE ticket which includes morning tea and lunch at : https://events.humanitix.com/anti-racism-gathering Friday 10 December 2021, 9 am – 2.30 pm. Gumbramorra Hall, Addison Road Community Centre, 142 Addison Rd, Marrickville.

addiroad.org.au INNER WEST INDEPENDENT DECEMBER 2021

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Booksellers take industrial action again BY EVA BAXTER n July workers at Better Read Than Dead Bookstore in Newtown became the best paid booksellers in the country. Retail and Fast-Food Workers Union (RAFFWU) members at Better Read had reached an in-principle agreement on terms of a new enterprise agreement. Now, workers are reporting that management has reneged on the workplace conditions reached, including the full restoration of 100% penalty rates for shifts worked on Sundays, the abolition of junior rates following probationary periods, and 26 weeks paid parental leave.

 A change of heart and a stab in the back Workers are putting industrial action back into place, implementing bans on overtime, web orders, cash handling, picking returns, and window displays. At a rally hosted by RAFFWU in Camperdown Park on November 19, casual Better Read staff member Jimmy Gardiner noted that the workers must be one of the youngest groups on average to

The Retail and Fast-Food Workers Union held a rally in Newtown to support industrial action being put back in place by Better Read Than Dead workers. Photo: Eva Baxter

take industrial action in Australia, most in their late teens and twenties. He said COVID made them have to, “radically rethink our jobs, but at the same time we’ve been rostered on for fewer and shorter shifts. “What do we get as a thank you for all this work and sacrifice? We get delayed. “A change of heart and a stab in the back after surviving the most stressful period of our working lives,” he said.

EASIER SAID THAN DONE

The Centre for Future Work found over the two years of the pandemic, Australian workers have seen a onethird increase in the average amount of unpaid overtime they perform for their employers. Those in the youngest cohort, aged 18-29, performed the most unpaid overtime. The weak labour market conditions

associated with COVID exacerbated the trend to exploit the youngest cohort, with young workers concentrated in highly casual industries rife with time theft, such as hospitality and retail. The report by the Australia Institute released two days before the rally, found unpaid overtime among casual workers has almost doubled since last year and, “suggests that the pandemic has intensified the pressure on workers in insecure positions to accept employers’ demands and expectations, no matter how unreasonable.” “That employers are able to underpay workers on such a widespread basis, with little fear of penalty or censure, confirms deep flaws in Australia’s industrial relations architecture.” The report found that in the most recent quarter the labour share of GDP fell to a record low of 46.1%, “and is a clear indication of the relative weakness of the bargaining power of Australian workers in the workplace.” Former Better Read worker Zac said the store’s myriad of issues pushed them to organise; workplace bullying, precarity of labour, and severe destruction between the store’s progressive public image and its regressive workplace politics.

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The case for and against De-Amalgamation

The Inner West’s thoughts on de-amalgamation will be revealed at the elections. Photo: realestate.com.au

BY DANIEL LO SURDO ncluded in the Inner West Council election papers on December 4 will be a de-amalgamation poll, which will ask voters the following question: In May 2016, Ashfield, Leichhardt and Marrickville councils were amalgamated into one local government area by the State Government. Do you support the Inner West local government area being deamalgamated, so as to restore the former local government areas of Ashfield, Leichhardt and Marrickville? The demerger poll was moved in June and supported by all councillors except Crs Passas, Raciti and York. The Independent has gathered some of the key arguments for and against de-amalgamation before voters go to the polls in under two weeks.

FOR

Those favouring de-amalgamation in the Inner West feel that council has lost its way in the past term, and a return to the former Ashfield, Leichhardt and Marrickville councils will create a more localised infrastructure that can better execute the priorities of its constituents. Inner West Council’s inaugural term has been marred by infighting and staff turnover throughout its four years and has led many residents to believe that de-amalgamation is in the best interests of the community. In July, Socialist Alliance candidate for the Stanmore-Damun ward Pip Hinman wrote in the Independent that de-amalgamation would “make

council more representative” and that an increase of councillor positions and diversity would “more accurately reflect communities in the Inner West”. Prior to the amalgamation, there were 36 councillors across Ashfield, Leichhardt and Marrickville - there are 15 in the current council. “We’ve lost our local,” Stanmore-Damun Greens candidate Liz Atkins said. “We’ve lost the number of councillors who understand the area that we live in … I think that the community feels that we’ve lost that.” In August, outgoing Greens councillor Colin Hesse voiced his frustration with tackling local issues in Inner West Council, conveying that the enlarged local government area created a council chamber largely concerned with strategic planning issues, rather than addressing ratepayers’ concerns. The Local Government Act 1993 was amended this year to include new measures that would streamline the deamalgamation process for NSW councils. Under the changes, a new council may submit a proposal for de-amalgamation to the Minister for Local Government, and should the Minister support the proposal, the State will commit to financing the associated costs of de-amalgamation. Despite believing it may be “too late to unscramble the egg”, Inner West Labor candidates have pledged to support the development of a business case to the NSW Government should voters want to de-amalgamate. “If the people vote strongly in favour of [de-amalgamation], obviously then we as elected representatives will persecute

that with the State Government,” Labor councillor Mark Drury said. “We would argue to not support doing that, but we are having that vote.”

AGAINST

After council resolved to conduct the poll in June, Morrison Low, an Australian consultancy firm, was commissioned to undertake a cost-benefit assessment case to identify the opportunities and obstacles of a potential deamalgamation.

We’ve lost our local The assessment considered financial, social and environmental issues, and proposed a methodology of deamalgamation, as there is no prescribed process in NSW. It also made “a number of assumptions” regarding the ongoing changes in costs, benefits and services since the Inner West merger. It found that one-off de-amalgamation costs would total $26.2 million, while the ongoing costs and benefits would be $22.1 million. With the report projecting that all three councils would have a “significant operating funding shortfall”, ratepayers would be subject to an average increase of $266. It also warned of “significant risks in estimating costs and benefits in the absence of a prescribed methodology” in its report. A summary of the Inner West’s income and expenditure found council to be operating at a $22,110 deficit, with predominant expenses sourced from employee benefits and “all other expenses”.

There is also concern that deamalgamation would reduce amenity in the Inner West. An amalgamated council has allowed ratepayers to access community facilities, libraries and services which may not be possible in a de-amalgamated council. In the four years since the Inner West was amalgamated, the Marrickville Library was opened on the site of the heritage-listed old Marrickville Hospital, and earlier this year was nominated for the 2021 Public Library of the Year Award. Balmain’s newly renovated Dawn Fraser Baths was also reopened to the public in September this year after two years without visitors. Some residents also argue that one council for the Inner West represents a shared vision that can create a stronger, more efficient system for all ratepayers. There is also concern about the deamalgamating period, should council choose to prepare a business case to the NSW Government. Some estimate that the de-amalgamation could take over 18 months to complete, which may create a long-term suspension of local governing in the community, where residents’ concerns will struggle to be addressed in council. Others believe that de-amalgamation is simply not required for a current area that shares more similarities than differences. With post-election challenges largely to be consumed by COVID-19 recovery, there is a feeling that resources associated with de-amalgamating would be better oriented to focus on revitalising local businesses that will look to return to their feet this summer. INNER WEST INDEPENDENT DECEMBER 2021

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Affirmative consent to be made law “This is a very significant reform,” State Member for Newtown Jenny Leong said in a statement on Thursday. “It means that it can no longer be assumed that someone consents to having sex. The person who wants sex must also be able to demonstrate that they took steps to ensure that the other person also enthusiastically consents to this.”

MAKING PROGRESS

The Bill won support in the Lower House after multiple amendments by Labor and the Greens were unsuccessful, though the Greens will seek to move “additional amendments” in the Upper House before the Bill is expected to be approved. The Lower House passed the proposed Affirmative Consent Reforms on Wednesday night. Photo: Creative Commons

BY DANIEL LO SURDO ffirmative consent laws were passed by the NSW Lower House earlier this month, fast tracking the Bill to become law. The Independent has previously reported on the Affirmative Consent Reforms Bill, which includes an affirmative consent model detailing that

“consent to a sexual activity must not be presumed” and “consensual sexual activity involves ongoing and mutual communication, decision-making and free and voluntary agreement between the persons participating”. The Bill seeks to reflect Tasmania’s sexual assault laws, which are generally considered the best in Australia.

PROPOSAL TO UPGRADE VODAFONE MOBILE PHONE BASE STATION AT BALMAIN INCLUDING 5G 2104 Balmain: 391 Darling Street, Balmain NSW 2041 (RFNSA 2041001) The proposed facility consists of the addition of new equipment and associated works, including 5G, as follows: • Removal of existing Vodafone antennas and equipment • Installation of three (3) panel antennas, 2.7m long, on the existing headframe • Installation of three (3) panel antennas, 0.8m long, on the existing headframe • Installation of ancillary equipment including fifteen (15) remote radio units, antenna mounts and cabling 1. Vodafone regards the proposed installations as Low-impact Facilities under the Telecommunications (Low-impact Facilities) Determination 2018 (“The Determination”), based on the description above. 2. In accordance with Section 7 of C564:2020 Mobile Phone Base Station Deployment Code, we invite you to provide feedback about the proposal. Should you require further information or wish to comment, please contact Vanessa Wan at Axicom, 02 9495 9000, community@axicom.com.au or Level 1, 110 Pacific Highway, St Leonards NSW 2065 by Friday 10 December 2021. Further information may also be obtained from www.rfnsa.com.au/2041001. 14

INNER WEST INDEPENDENT DECEMBER 2021

 This reform was a long time coming Attorney-General Mark Speakman introduced the Bill to the Lower House last month, and called the reforms a “basic matter of respect”. “We have listened to calls for change and consulted on these reforms with victim-survivors and legal experts to introduce the best possible Bill to Parliament that will simplify our laws

and help to address rates of sexual violence,” Mr Speakman said in October. Sexual consent reforms in NSW were largely precipitated by the recommendations made by the NSW Law Reform Commission’s Report to ‘strengthen’ and ‘simplify’ consent law in November last year. The Government adopted all 44 of the Commission’s recommendations before introducing the Bill into Parliament in late October. “This reform was a long time coming, and is a significant step towards eliminating the excessive levels of sexual assault in our society,” Ms Leong said. “The Bill puts victim-survivors at the heart of the law, and removes rape myths and assumptions from the Crimes Act.” As part of the proposed legislation, consensual sexual activity will recognise that “every person has a right to choose whether to participate in a sexual activity” while also updating the language of the Crimes Act 1900, whereby references to an “offender” will be replaced with “accused person”, while a “victim” will be changed to a “complainant”. On the 23rd of November, the affirmative consent reforms passed NSW Parliament.

PROPOSAL TO UPGRADE MOBILE PHONE BASE STATION LOCATED AT COCKATOO ISLAND - ROZELLE Telstra plans to upgrade an existing telecommunications facility located at Cockatoo Island, Parramatta River, Cockatoo Island ROZELLE NSW 2039 (Lot 1/DP549630) www.rfnsa.com.au/2041002

1. Telstra are currently upgrading existing mobile network facilities to allow for the introduction of 5G to Telstra’s network. As part of this network upgrade, Telstra proposes the installation of NR850 (5G) and NR/LTE2600 (4G/5G) technologies at Cockatoo Island. Proposed works at the above site will involve the removal of three (3) existing panel antennas, the relocation of three (3) existing panel antennas, the installation of three (3) new panel antennas (each no more than 2.8m in length), the removal of ancillary equipment and the installation of associated ancillary equipment. All internal equipment will be housed within the existing equipment shelter located at the base of the facility. 2. Telstra regards the proposed installation as maintenance works under Schedule 3 of the Telecommunications Act 1997 based on the above description. 3. In accordance with Section 7 of C564:2020 Mobile Phone Base Station Deployment Code, we invite you to provide feedback about the proposal. Further information and/or written submissions should be directed to Max Peel, Aurecon Australasia via email to: max.peel@aurecongroup.com or via post to: Max Peel, Aurecon Pty Ltd, Locked Bag 331, Brisbane QLD 4001 by COB 9 December 2021.

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Leichhardt ‘kickstarts’ Bondi to Newtown: keep-cup campaign International Chef’s Day BY EVA BAXTER SERVING STORIES “While we make food, what we really ur Big Kitchen in Bondi make here are stories,” said Rabbi Dr celebrated International Chef’s Slavin. Day on October 20th by teaming up with French culinary school Le “The way the kitchen was born is the Cordon Bleu to cook 1,000 healthy, story of a husband who wanted to keep gourmet three-course meals for his wife happy.” Australians in need. He said his wife started her career in The Greek Welfare Centre in Newtown, hairdressing, predominately helping located on King Street, is among the women who were going through cancer five charities which received the meals. treatments to give them the strength to fight on. Our Big Kitchen regularly sends meals to the Greek Welfare Centre to support “Inevitably she started realizing that its work in enabling and empowering many of these women, young mums individuals from the and older mums, are Greek community and simply not managing in the community at large.  What we really make being able to feed their families. here, are stories The Greek Welfare Centre was established “What started in our in 1975 in one of the first attempts by home kitchen as a small enterprise of Greek immigrants in Australia to establish sharing some food to make it easier a specific service to meet the immense for them, grew into what became our welfare needs of the community. kitchen today, after we experienced the power and the joy of team building Our Big Kitchen is a community run, around food,” he said. non-denominational industry kitchen located in Bondi which prepares meals “So, with Le Cordon Bleu we were able to be distributed across Sydney. to, in honour of International Chef’s Day,

Leichhardt locals are hosting a campaign to kickstart the habitual use of reusable coffee cups, a service paused by many cafes and restaurants due to COVID. Photo: Supplied

BY EVA BAXTER eichhardt locals are campaigning to challenge their community to use reusable coffee cups for ten days from the 1st to the 10th of December. Darina Wallace, a Leichhardt local involved with the campaign told the people of Leichhardt to dust off their keep cups, take an extra ten minutes to sit in, or use the “swop & go” system available in Leichhardt to break up with the cup.

conscious of the problems disposable coffee cups present for the environment. “Respect where they are for the moment either way and commit to a permanent change to keep cups when restrictions are removed.” There is no specific advice from the Department of Health in relation to the use of reusable coffee cups during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many cafes and restaurants made the decision not  Break up with the cup individual to use reusable cups to Wallace and team were maintain sound hygiene inspired by the BYO standards and reduce the risk of Coffee Cup initiative set up by author transmitting COVID-19. Sarah Wilson and Bru Coffee aiming to Businesses may resume accepting get as many cafes as possible in Bondi reusable cups as the COVID-19 situation to ban takeaway cups in the first week of improves, at their discretion. December.

The week was originally set for July and postponed to December due to COVID restrictions. “Reusable cups or BYO cups at cafes during lockdowns or any other time are not illegal,” said Wilson. “The science says reusable cups are as safe as single-use during a COVID outbreak or any other time.” She said the impression during COVID was that there is a risk entailed, or that it’s illegal to use/serve them. A statement from Victorian Federal Health and Environment Ministers Greg Hunt and Sussan Ley clarified the need to respect small businesses and their pressures due to COVID. “At this time, we need to respect the pressures that small businesses like coffee shop owners and their staff will be under, while also remaining

LEICHHARDT LED

Leichhardt cafes accepting BYO cups include Ragamuffin, Cafe Mezzapica, Excelsior Mojo, Wellco cafe, Alegria Lane, Adri’s Cocina, Donut King, Wayne’s Place, Leichhardt Municipal Café, the Carpenter, Flood Street Carousel, Sonoma Baking Company, Bar Italia and Creek and Cella. “As our campaign has been set up by the public and not the cafes, the campaign is an opportunity to re-educate the public on the safety of BYO in a COVID environment,” Darina Wallace told the Independent. “It’s about reminding people that we don’t have to contribute to the 1 billion coffee cups sent to landfill each year, by simply bringing our own. And it’s about kickstarting good habitual behaviour that we saw before the pandemic.”

Our Big Kitchen founder Rabbi Dr Dovid Slavin and former MasterChef contestant Courtney Roulston cooked 1,000 three course meals for people in need across Sydney. Photo: Supplied

Last year the team at Our Big Kitchen distributed over 200,000 meals to disadvantaged Australians. Our Big Kitchen founder and director Rabbi Dr Dovid Slavin told the Independent, “what we are essentially is a factory that produces all these meals, but we do it the communityoriented way, lots and lots of volunteers that come to spend time here with us in a positive way by cooking those meals.”

offer something very, very special to our recipients.” Le Cordon Bleu Australia teaches internationally recognised culinary arts and hospitality management programs to domestic and international students, and its Australian campuses offer an environment to learn the art of French culinary techniques in cuisine and patisserie, and undergraduate and postgraduate business degrees. INNER WEST INDEPENDENT DECEMBER 2021

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Opinion

Deamalgamate says NSW! I BY PETER HEHIR t’s a rare thing indeed that the “Tree of Knowledge” has seen such a gathering. Situated just on the edge of the Domain adjacent to the rear of the NSW Parliament, it’s the chosen spot for interviews and media releases and has no doubt witnessed many truths; and just as many lies. Concerned residents, Councillors, Members of Parliament and community activists of all complexions from all over NSW, gathered under threatening skies to castigate the NSW Government for forcing the council amalgamations on us. Amalgamations that have proven to be a financial disaster. This was foretold in a damning report by KPMG – which was immediately buried and hasn’t seen the light of day since. Attempts to get hold of a copy and to quote from the summary have proven fruitless. It has disappeared without a trace. But those who have seen it have described the amalgamation of many NSW councils as an affront to democracy and one of the Baird/ Berejiklian Government’s biggest financial blunders (and there are plenty of those to choose from). Earlier this month saw representatives at the “Tree of Knowledge” from all corners of NSW.

TAKING A STAND

Placards reading “Save Pittwater”, “Demerge Gundagai Council Now!” “Demerge Tumbarumba”, “Bring Back Marrickville”; representatives from Wellington, Wyong, Great Lakes, Harden, Palerang, Cootamundra, Gloucester, Leichhardt and Ashfield were there in numbers. “Save Bombala”, “Bring Back Pittwater Council”, “Give us our Council back”, “No Forced Amalgamations” placards were also prominent, and there were dozens of the yellow and black “Vote Yes! to Demerge” corflutes. These were the work of the Residents for Deamalgamation and the entire event was organised by the rapidly expanding State wide Demerge NSW Alliance (DNA). The brightly coloured ‘VOTE YES!’ corflutes on the deamalgamation plebiscite are appearing on front fences all across the Inner West, encouraging voters to get Leichhardt, Ashfield and Marrickville Councils back; and to have the NSW Government foot the bill, as the Act, (which was assented to on Monday 24 May 2021 and is therefore now part of the Local Government Act of NSW), permits them to. 16

INNER WEST INDEPENDENT DECEMBER 2021

People from across NSW took a stand against deamalgamation earlier this week. Photo: Facebook/Save our councils NSW

Councillors from the Inner West Council (IWC) finally managed to break the extraordinary Liberal/Labor alliance that consistently opposed the plebiscite.

LOOKING INNER WEST

Due to the urging of the Independents and the Greens, the nexus was finally broken when the two Libs abstained on the plebiscite vote and it was finally passed. This “Laboral” coalition was forged in 2017 by the recently ousted ALP mayor Darcy Byrne, thus finally paving the way for the first plebiscite on deamalgamation to be ever held here in NSW, in conjunction with the Local Government elections on December 4th.

 Creative accounting from the

IWC now tells a ... different story

Earlier this year Byrne was brought before the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal and faced the possibility of his being stood down as Mayor, or removed from office altogether. Professor of Journalism Wendy Bacon reported in City Hub that “in May this year, Byrne was found guilty by the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT) of breaching conflict of interest provisions and improperly using his power as a Councillor to get

two fellow Councillors Col Hesse and Pauline Lockie to apologise after he had threatened them with defamation proceedings.” The Tribunal said Byrne acted unethically and misused his public office. He was subsequently disciplined with the loss of several months’ pay. His organisation “Local Labor” is fielding him as the “Labor” candidate for the Balmain ward. His flyer doesn’t have any suggestion at all of any endorsement from the ALP, which seems to me to be most decidedly odd? Are they trying to tell us something? Is Byrne now on the nose, no longer the ALP’s golden-haired boy? Polls being conducted recently across the State are clearly showing that these forced amalgamations are not at all popular, with figures of 80 per cent against the amalgamations consistently showing up. The mainstream media are deaf and dumb on this issue, apart from a recent piece in the SMH, which to my mind, just skimmed over the surface. The massive financial deficits sustained by all of these Councils were barely hinted at and there can be no doubt that they are directly attributed to the forced amalgamations. This was predicted in the KPMG report and the projected IWC 2021 surplus of $30,000,000 has morphed into a massive $20,000,000 deficit! Though some very recent creative

accounting from the IWC now tells a very different story. The Morrison Low report did not sit well with those who have bothered to read it, raising more questions than it answered and exhibiting what has been described as a pretty evident bias. Byrne’s Local Labor is running a scare campaign on social media saying that we can’t afford to deamalgamate. This perspective ignores the two most salient points. One, that the costs will be borne by the NSW Government (see above) and the other being that we bloody well can’t afford not to! Independent analysis shows that we are in deficit now and will be for at least the next nine years! If we fail to deamalgamate, then our services will deteriorate, our rates will continue to rise in an attempt to buy our way out of the NSW imposed financial hole; and these costs will also be passed on to those who are renting properties in Balmain, Ashfield, Marrickville, Stanmore and Leichhardt. Please circulate the link of this article to all of your friends here in the Inner West and also please ask them to vote to wrestle back local government from the two major parties on December 4th. Never doubt the quite extraordinary things that just one individual can achieve with the simple stroke of a pen! Imagine what can happen when there are tens of thousands of us…

y represent of species, better for vironment, in our

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IndieNEWS

With the stroke of a pen

The administrator enquires “What sort of thing are you doing this morning?” and he is informed that it is called a “birth.” His response is “And what kind of procedure is that?” Cleese replies “That’s when we take a new baby out of a lady’s tummy”. The administrator’s response is typically Python; “It’s wonderful what we can do nowadays”. It’s what comes next however that is particularly illuminating. This is what is germane to the situation with the actual deficit that the forcibly amalgamated Inner West Council (IWC) is weighed down under.

COMING TO COUNCIL

The administrator goes on to explain in accounting speak how the cost of the machine that goes “ping” (his favourite), is written off because they lease it back from the company that they sold it to, that way it comes under the Monthly Current Budget as opposed to the Capital Account. Bookkeeping and especially the doubleentry system never made any sense at all to me in school and I’m certain there is no way it ever will. The Python writedown defies my kind of logic. Just like the IWC’s disappearing $6,000,000 or $20,000,000, depending on who you talk to.

Darren Brollo Animal Justice Party Candidate

BY PETER HEHIR t was a toss-up whether this piece should be titled “Damned lies and statistics” or the one that I particularly liked, “The machine that goes ping!” The latter is of course a reference to the delivery room scene in Monty Python’s brilliant 20th-century satire “The Meaning of Life”. But then again it could also be called “Life imitates art”, but though it is right on the money, (no pun intended), it isn’t anywhere near as catchy. But as you read on, you’ll see why I chose “With the stroke of a pen”. In Python’s classic film, as the doctors in the delivery room are warned that the hospital administrator is on his way, all manner of equipment is rushed into the room and brought to bear, in order that he might be hugely impressed, especially when he sees the machine that goes ping!

A Local voice for animals, people and the planet.

‘Being elected to Council would be an incredible privilege and opportunity to contribute positively to all sectors of my community. Your voice will be heard.’

Darren is often out and about with his 11-year-old rescued Golden Retriever, Bella, and his more recent Dingo/Kelpie rescue, Indie. He is very happily married with two teenage children and feels honoured to have been selected by the Animal Justice Party to be a voice for the animals, the environment, and the most vulnerable in our society.

The Inner West Council elections will take place on December 4. Photo: LinkedIn/Inner West Council

The deficit has de-materialised overnight. It’s vanished! It’s clear the beauty of Python’s satirical logic has not been lost on those creative accountants at the Inner West Council and, so, as if by magic – presumably in response to adverse public reaction generated by the proponents of the YES vote in relation to de-amalgamation, the deficit has gone with the wind! In a trick worthy of the world’s best conjuror, it’s been made to just disappear! IWC Councillor John Stamolis recently stated, “we know that the IWC is currently producing annual chronic deficits”. The ratepayers and residents of the IWC are also acutely aware that the Inner West Council is in deep financial trouble.

Darren Brollo Animal Justice Party Candidate A Local voice for animals, people and the planet.

Darren Broll Darren Brollo Darren Brollo Animal Justice Animal Justice Party Candidate Candidate This September, Darren Brollo will proudly represent the Animal Justice Party in his hometown of Newcastle. A proponent of equality for all species, Darren’s message is simple, ‘We must do better for the animals, we must do better for the environment, and we must do better for the vulnerable in our society - that is my mission.”

Darren Brollo A Local voice for animals, AAnimal LocalJustice voicePar fo people and the planet. Darren Candidate people and the Animal Candida

If elected, Darren will ensure animal issues are at the forefront of debate, including pound reform and subsidised desexing and registration. He will work collaboratively with local organisations to make real change for vulnerable and disadvantaged people within the Newcastle community, move to ban the sale of single-use plastic on council-controlled lands, and address over-development and habitat destruction.

MONEY MOVES

‘Being elected to Council would be an incredible privilege and opportunity to contribute positively to all sectors of my community. Your voice will be heard.’

The forebodings have come to pass, so the IWC goes into damage control and all of a sudden, with the simple stroke of a pen, hey presto, we are now in surplus! For those with a head for such matters, Save our Councils Coalition (SOCC) President, accountant and finance professional Brian Halstead, has drilled down into the IWC’s finances, lifted the Darren Brollo Imagine a world where animals are treated with compassion, fiscal veil and published a paper titled “A where their right to live a life free from harm and suffering was This September, Darren Brollo will proudly represent ‘Being elected to Council would be an incredible enshrined in law. Sea of Red Ink”. the Animal Justice Party in his hometown of privilege and opportunity to contribute positively to all This is essential reading for those with Newcastle. A proponent of equality for all species, sectors of my community. Your voice will be heard.’ a monetary mindmessage or a belief in public Darren’s is simple, ‘We must do better for accountability. the animals, we must do better for the environment, Darren is often out and about with his 11-year-old E-mail address: darren.brollo.ajp@gmail.com and we must do better for the our rescued Golden Retriever, Bella, and his more recent In that document, Brian Halstead saidvulnerable in https://www.facebook.com/DarrenBrolloAnimalJusticeParty society - that is my mission.” Dingo/Kelpie rescue, Indie. He is very happily married back in 2019, “There has been virtually with two teenage children and feels honoured to no reporting of the savings, If elected, Darren will costs ensure animal issues are at have been selected by the Animal Justice Party to be a Darren Brollo This September, Darren Brollo will proudly represent ‘Being elected to Council would b and results of amalgamations the pound reform and the forefront of debate, by including voice for the animals, the environment, and the most subsidised desexing and registration. He will work councils nor any demand by the Office vulnerable in our society. the Animal JusticeThis Party in hisDarren hometown ofproudly privilege and opportunity to contr September, Brollo will represent ‘Being elected to Council would be an incr This September, Darren Brollo will proudly represent ‘Being elected to Cou with local organisations to make real of Localcollaboratively Government for any reporting.” the Animal Justice Party in his hometown of privilege and opportunity to contribute p the Animal Justice Party in his hometown of privilege and opportu Newcastle. A proponent of equality sectors of my community. Your vo change for vulnerable and disadvantaged people for all species, Newcastle. A proponent of equality for all species, sectors of my commu Newcastle. A proponent of equality for all species, sectors of my community. Your voice will within the Newcastle community, move ‘We to banmust do better for Darren’s message is simple, message simple, ‘We must do better for Darren’s message is simple, ‘WeDarren’s must do betterisfor the salemade of single-use plastic on council-controlled the It’s been to just the animals, we must do better for the environment, Darren iswith oftenhis out a animals, weover-development must do better for environment, Darren is oftenoutout about wit lands, and address and habitat the animals, we must dothe better for the environment, Darren is often andand about 11 and we must do better for the vulnerable in our rescued Golden Retr disappear!  and we must do better for the vulnerable in our rescued Golden Golden Retriever, Bella, Bella, and his m anddestruction. we must do better for the vulnerable in our Retriever, society - that is my mission.”rescued Dingo/Kelpie rescue,a society - that is my mission.” Dingo/Kelpie rescue, Indie. He is very hap with two teenage - that my Dingo/Kelpie rescue, Indie. He ischiv Mrsociety Halstead also notes is “that it ismission.” with two teenage children and feels hono If elected, Darren will ensure animal issues are at have been selected b scandalous that merged councils are Darren will ensure animal with two teenage children and fee the forefront debate, pound reform and by voice for the animals If elected, issues of are at including have been selected the Animal Justice not delivering ongoing financial reports subsidised desexing and registration. He will work vulnerable in our soc forefront of debate, pound reform and have voice for theselected animals, the a If elected, Darrenthe will ensure animalincluding issues are at been byenvironment, the Anima to show how and if they are meeting collaboratively with local organisations to make real subsidised desexing and registration. He will work vulnerable in our society. the forefront of debate, including poundchange reform and and disadvantaged for vulnerable peopleanimals, the environ voice for the proposal results”. collaboratively with local organisations to make real within the Newcastle community, move to ban Even the recent anddesexing what has beenand subsidised HeImagine will work vulnerable in our society. where animals are treated with compassion, change for registration. vulnerable and disadvantaged people the salea world of single-use plastic on council-controlled described by many as the somewhat where their right to live a life free from harm and suffering was within the Newcastle community, move ban lands, andto address over-development and habitat collaboratively with local organisations to make real in law. biased pro-IWC Morrison Lowthe report, destruction. sale of single-use plastic onenshrined council-controlled change forthevulnerable and disadvantaged people clearly states that IWC is lands, in deficit and address over-development and habitat and will continue be in deficit for community, the within thetoNewcastle move to ban destruction. next nine years! the sale of single-use plastic on council-controlled In a Radio Skid Row interview with IWC E-mail address: darren.brollo.ajp@gmail.comand habitat lands, and address Councillor Colin Hesse a few days over-development ago https://www.facebook.com/DarrenBrolloAnimalJusticeParty Brian confirmed that the amalgamated destruction. IWC was supposed to be making a surplus Imagine a world where a of over $30,000,000 by 2021. where their right to live a The reality is that we are in the red to the enshrined in law. tune of some $20,000,000! Imagine a world where animals are treated with It is truly amazing just what can be where their right to live a life free from harm and achieved with the stroke of a pen – enshrined in law. worth remembering that on the 4th of E-mail address: darren.brollo.ajp@gmail.com December.

VOTE 1

A Local voice for an people and Athe plav Local

people a

Darren Brollo

VOTE 1

https://www.facebook.com/DarrenBrolloAnimalJusticeParty INNER WEST INDEPENDENT DECEMBER 2021 17

Imagine a world where animals are trea

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Opinion

‘Barmy’ push to de-amalgamate

BY BENEDICT BROOK m an Inner West local. My typical weekend involves nipping to Summer Hill for coffee, doing the big shop in Leichhardt and then drinks in Dulwich Hill. Yet during an entirely unremarkable weekend like this, I will pass over the borders of the three former local government areas of Ashfield, Leichhardt and Marrickville. LGAs that once would have had different bureaucracies, different IT systems, different ways of collecting the rubbish even, and yet all covering essentially the same area.

I’

 Demerging would take years

and ... involve the suspension of council

That changed in 2016 when the NSW Government amalgamated the three into one Inner West Council. Since then, $30 million has been spent to create one administration, one IT system and one rubbish collection system among many other things. We also have refurbished community facilities like Ashfield Aquatic Centre and the Dawn Fraser Baths. Initiatives like Leichhardt’s benchtop food scraps bins are now Inner West wide.

The Inner West will convey their thoughts on de-amalgamation on December 4. Photo: Domain

REVERSE TIDE

But there is a push to stop this progress. At the local elections, residents will be asked to vote on demerging Inner West Council back into the three previous LGAs. I urge you to vote No. I’m not a party member. I’m not standing for election. I’m just a resident

who thinks it makes sense to have one council. I would rather our councillors concentrate on making our area a better place and to help us recover from COVID-19 than spend time, effort and taxpayers’ money on an issue that is top of mind for very few. My neighbours aren’t calling for three

Inner West mayors rather than one; no one wants their library card to cover fewer libraries; and people in Lewisham are not pleading to pay more to use Ashfield pool. But all these outcomes are possible if a demerger takes place. A council report found de-amalgamating could cost at least $26 million. On top of the money spent to merge that would mean almost $60 million of your cash spent. And for what? Some demerger supporters seem to suggest our suburbs are each wildly different – that compared to Leichhardt, Ashfield may as well be a different planet and Marrickville a different solar system. But that’s not the case. The Inner West is a cohesive, inter-connected progressive corner of Sydney with far more that unites than divides us. A single council means a single strong Inner West voice to government and can make decisions for the whole Inner West community holistically. My home is the Inner West, from the Balmain coves to the Cooks River, from King St to the Ashfield strip. Now we have one council, it would be barmy to waste time and money tearing that apart. Vote No.

COFFIN ED’S NAKED CITY

WE’RE NOT GONNA TAKE IT!

here was once a time when demonstrators shouting ‘Freedom’ were synonymous with the Civil Rights movement in America, the anti-apartheid struggle in South Africa and the solidarity of captive nations to shake off the shackles of the Soviet Union. These days the cry still resonates for many people around the world, faced with the widespread persecution of totalitarian regimes. In Australia however, as seen in the round of demonstrations last weekend, it’s become a vacuous rallying call for the rag tag minority of far right activists, pseudo libertarians and United Australia Party acolytes – who have seized on the political opportunism afforded by the pandemic to push their own wobbly agenda. What makes this groundswell all the more appealing for those that choose to scream anti-vax slogans and the like is the climate of misinformation, distortion and clickbait absurdity that affects every corner of the media. Even when there is an opportunity for serious

INNER WEST INDEPENDENT DECEMBER 2021

debate, some media outlets pitch for the lowest common denominator – a largely commercial decision because who wants to click on a story that might make you actually think? That kind of low grade, bottom of the barrel humour has worked particularly well for Donald Trump in attacking and vilifying his opponents. Trumpism, the pandemic, social media and the click baiting of news have all combined to

produce a dystopia where the truth is constantly under attack. Reality is quickly replaced with inflammatory rhetoric and populist slogans. As the Nazi propagandist Joseph Goebbels often advocated, repeat a lie often enough and people will soon start believing it. In Australia we have the Big Pineapple, the Big Merino and the Big Lobster – to name just a few. We also have the big

Clive Palmer billboard, most of which seem to survive for less than a week or so before they are defaced or satirically altered. Given his dubious track record including the treatment of his nickel mine workers and his own somnolent stint as a Federal politician, it’s hard to believe Clive is back again with his self funded United Australia Party plus a posse of mavericks like Craig Kelly to spruik his nationalistic, anti-Liberal, antiLabor agenda. He could not have asked for a better climate of media mistrust and social media bullshit to push his populist prattle. Whilst the majority of Australians probably regard him as a self-promoting buffoon, the UAP is bound to attract a large slab of the disaffected vote, much like One Nation did originally, and could possibly win a number of Senate seats. History shows us that whenever truth and reality come under attack and are grossly distorted, political opportunists emerge to seize on the moment. Well can I speak for the majority of double vaccinated, community minded, good citizens for once, and in the words of the immortal Twisted Sister, let Clive Palmer know – “We’re Not Gonna Take It”.

GRASSROOTS TO GLOBAL:

INNER WEST COUNCIL GREENS AREN’T AFRAID TO GO BIG Greens candidates Liz Atkins, Kobi Shetty and Justine Langford hope Inner West Council can leave its toxicity behind, and the Greens can work together with Labor and progressive Independents for residents on council’s approaching next term.

BY EVA BAXTER nner West Council has one of the strongest representations of Greens on council in Sydney. There are currently five Greens on council, tied with Labor for the most representatives for a party. In comparison, nearby CanterburyBankstown Council has one Green on council, and one candidate. City of Sydney has no Greens currently on council, but former Greens Marrickville councillor Sylvie Ellsmore is in the running for Lord Mayor. There are five candidates for the Greens in the inner west vying for votes in the approaching election. The results will determine whether the Greens strong presence on Inner West Council continues. Liz Atkins, Greens candidate for Damun/ Stanmore ward told the Independent people resonate with the Greens platforms. Greens candidate for Baludarri/Balmain Kobi Shetty echoed Atkins and told the Independent the Greens want to protect tree canopy and wildlife, have lots of great open spaces and bike lanes. “I think that’s probably more appealing to people when they’re thinking about the neighbourhoods that they’re living in, than thinking about some of the things that might drive people to vote Liberal or Labor at a federal level,” said Shetty. “I think with the other two major parties, a lot of the way that they operate at a local level is still very much directed from the top down. “We want to try and bring it from the bottom up and have the grassroots involvement, where the community’s actually driving the decision-making and being a lot more involved with the ideas and the direction of council in their first instance, and that’s not always about us coming in with the ideas first,” she said.

A series of actions were proposed by the motion including writing to the Prime Minister and the Minister for Defence Peter Dutton to express Inner West Council’s opposition to the presence of nuclear submarines in Sydney Harbour, and requesting Australia ratify the UN treaty against Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.

LIBERAL/LABOR LIAISON

At City Hub’s Inner West Council Candidates’ Forum earlier this month, Labor councillor Mark Drury and candidate Philippa Scott were asked

Criticisms included the relevance of this issue to local government, and whether its presence on the council agenda was wasting time. Langford told the Independent, “I’m really proud that the Greens tackle the big issues, because the big issues affect everyone’s daily life and that’s where it intersects with council.

Greens Kobi Shetty for Baludarri/Balmain (left) and Liz Atkins for Damun/Stanmore. Photo: Mark Dickson

if Labor and the unendorsed Liberal candidates should do a deal and select the next mayor. Drury said, “once we’re elected, the Labor councillors will form a caucus and will consider what we do in terms of the mayoralty.”

 I’m proud the Greens tackle the big issues

Former Labor mayor Darcy Byrne has made public his desire to be re-elected as mayor. Justine Langford, candidate for Midjuburi/Marrickville told the Independent she sees this election as an opportunity to reset the culture on council, and for residents to be proud of their council. “I do think that there has been, up until the last few months when we’ve had Green mayor Rochelle Porteous, a very toxic and aggressive bullying culture on council. “I think that the Liberal/Labor alliance that was formed in order to keep the Labor party in the mayoralty was actually really unhealthy for local democracy.”

Shetty said as a resident even before she got involved in local politics, she was disappointed by the Liberal/Labor arrangement because “it wasn’t a reflection of what the public were voting for.” Atkins said, “there’s really no reason why the Greens, Labor and progressive Independents can’t work together, look at some of our policies, a lot of them are similar.

 We want to have that

grassroots involvement

“One of the Greens four pillars is peace and nonviolence. […] I think that peace and nonviolence translate into treating everyone with respect and that then brings you to proper discussions in council about decisions that need to be made and a much more respectful council chamber.”

GREENS UNEASE

The Greens received some backlash from the public and other councillors and candidates online for a motion, which was eventually lost, to keep the inner west local government area nuclear free.

“Those values that we care about as local residents need to be reflected in our local government, and if residents are raising issues that are broader, such as having nuclear submarines come into Sydney Harbour, then it’s the role of councillors to represent our constituents and that may be a local, national or international issue.” Atkins said although she probably wouldn’t have brought that motion to council herself, “I think there is a place for council to have a say. It’s not just submarines. Council has taken a role in advocating against the bills in parliament that are very anti-queer and anti-women.” In terms of the powers of local government, the Greens believe in saying no. At City Hub’s forum, Councillor Vic Macri said council should look “seriously” at addressing how council works with the state government, and that the staunch approach council has taken in its campaigns “weakens our position.” Shetty disagreed, “when we’re looking at Callan Park, we have just said no, you can’t do this, we’re not gonna allow it, and we’ve worked really well collaboratively with the ward councillors in the Balmain ward, with our local member Jamie Parker and with the Friends of Callan Park, and it’s working.” She said council can’t afford to go in with a soft approach, “it’s a real disaster for our community if we let these things happen and don’t stop it.” INNER WEST INDEPENDENT DECEMBER 2021

IndieARTS REVIEW

THREE WINTERS GREEN BY IRINA DUNN he third revival of Campion Decent’s 1993 play Three Winters Green is timely. In the midst of another pandemic, it reminds us of the devastating worldwide impact of HIV, an epidemic that has been forgotten as COVID-19 is compared to the Spanish Flu of 1918. The play follows eight people through three years of their lives in the early 1990s, depicting the effect of HIV on them. The seven actors who take on these roles are newcomers from Canada, Maddison Silva and Julia Muncs; Samuel Welsh, who plays the closeted school teacher Joseph, whose desire for the schoolboy Francis battles with his moral principles and legal constraints. Norah George is the alcoholic Catholic mother Maxine, the death of whose gay son teaches her a lesson in humanity. Tom Kelly takes on two roles as Martin, who is having a relationship with aspiring actress Jen, and the perplexed Mick, who plays an ignorant country boy. Ben Jackson plays the non-conformist Andrew, who is coming to terms with being HIV positive, and the engaging SebrinaThornton Walker takes on the role of Francis, the gay schoolboy who has a crush on his teacher Joseph and later becomes a drag artist. We learn early in the piece that Martin and Francis have died of HIV and are two angels watching over their living friends and commenting on their progress. The stage is bare except for the red HIV ribbon and folded piece of cloth on the small stage which is unravelled at the end to reveal it as a HIV quilt.

T WHARF REVUE SET TO OPEN A ‘CAN OF WORMS’ WITH AUDIENCES

Photo: Brett Boardman

BY LUCINDA GARBUTT-YOUNG he annual iteration of Wharf Revue is returning to the Seymour Centre this year, with a production titled Can Of Worms. The show, which pokes cathartic fun at the Australian political climate, is designed to get audiences thinking. Actor Mandy Bishop explained that the show is empathetic towards its muses, while allowing audiences to digest big topics. “When we’re being generic people and it’s a serious issue, that’s when I find comedy the most useful. We can say

things that need to be heard,” she said of the piece written by Jonathon Biggins, Drew Forsythe and Phillip Scott. “I feel like those messages do land. The audience always talks about them afterwards.” Creating a satire about current public figures is a delicate art. For Bishop, the rehearsal process involves understanding each character and their human qualities. “I like to respect my muses. You have to - they’re living, and they have a life and this is just them,” she said. “I feel it’s my job to show that they [the political figures] are humans that we are making comment on. “I think the satire is felt deeply in the audience because there are aspects of us all in the delicate characters.” COVID-19 compounded the rehearsal process for this year’s show, but Mandy is confident the delicate script and acting will delight audiences. “The audiences are begging for entertainment [after lockdown]. It’s such an exciting time and we are part of that excitement that now needs to deliver.’ Nov 23-Dec 23. Seymour Centre, Cnr City Rd &, Cleveland St, Chippendale. $50-$90+b.f. Tickets & Info: www.seymourcentre.com

Each scene, whether in a bus or a bedroom, is played out with actors addressing the audience directly in this tiny theatre, and this renders their words and feelings all the more affecting and intimate. Co-director with Decent is Les Solomon, who says, “The play was always about how a group of friends form a community and find ways to cope with a pandemic. Seeing it in the light of the world we are living in today makes the play both historic and an exercise in bonding. We’re all finding it very helpful and a positive experience in these difficult times. We know audiences will take that same feeling of strength from this play.” This play is more informal than Tony Kushner’s brilliant Angels In America, but it shares its urgent message for tolerance and understanding. It is good to be reminded of this. Until Nov 20. Fringe HQ (Formerly Old 505 Theatre), 5 Eliza Street, Newtown. $40-$50+b.f. Tickets & Info: www.sydneyfringe.com

TREVOR ASHLEY IS RETURNING A TRIUMPHANT LYIN’ QUEEN! BY LINC JENKIN o say things have been difficult for our friends in the entertainment industry during the pandemic would be an understatement and the ‘sad clown’ picture Trevor Ashley posted on his Facebook fan page around the beginning of the last set of lockdowns truly was worth a thousand words about the despair and uncertainty artists were facing. The Inner West Independent chatted with Trevor during a brief moment of calm set amongst an otherwise swirling and chaotic schedule of preparations for his triumphant return to a Sydney Opera House stage at the end of the month - the first show to open in the Studio since Sydney slammed shut at the end of June. When asked for one word to describe the difference between the day that photo was posted and

INNER WEST INDEPENDENT DECEMBER 2021

today, he replies, “Hope. I think I’m hopeful that this nightmare is over. The hardest part about everything was the lack of control... we have been at the whim of government decisions and we all lost confidence. I hope now we can start to get that back.” Now it’s time to look forward to new opportunities - a philosophy that Trevor has taken and run straight into the jungle with, opening an updated version of his

successful show from 2019, The Lyin’ Queen, at the Opera House no less! What’s it like having the opportunity to have his first show after lockdown open at one of the most iconic performance spaces in the world? “It’s pretty special. I never take it for granted that I have had the opportunity to perform there so many times, from my first show I’m Every Woman there over 11 years ago, to now. I also really love playing this role, and making people laugh - everyone needs that at the moment!” With his characteristically outrageous sense of humour on display, the original run of the show had them rolling in the Opera House aisles, so you can only imagine the delicious material the last two years provided. Nov 30-Dec 12. Sydney Opera House. Tickets & Info: www.trevorashley.com.au

IndieARTS

PIXAR-THEMED MINI-GOLF AND 3 OTHER FUN SUMMER OUTING IDEAS BY PATRICK MCKENZIE

PIXAR PUTT

ick of your Pixar fix being restricted by the size of the Disney+ catalogue and the speed of your Wi-Fi connection? Fret no longer! By popular demand, and slightly delayed by lockdown, your favourite Pixar characters are popping up at The Entertainment Quarter in minigolf form. From November 26 until February 6, Pixar Putt’s 9 and 18-hole courses featuring the likes of Buzz Lightyear, Woody, and assorted cooking paraphernalia from Ratatouille are set to entertain fans of the original Toy Story and Luca enthusiasts alike. The course opens from 10am daily and welcomes all ages. However, for those less enthused by choruses of toddlers scoring their experience, 18+ ‘After Dark’ sessions will also be running from 7-10pm on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.

All the fun of trying to sink a hole-inone under the piercing gaze of those terrifying spherical robots from The Incredibles can be yours from $19.90. Grab your tickets here.

THE SYDNEY FESTIVAL

As Sydney well and truly opens up again, the Sydney Festival is returning from January 5-30 as the premier local arts and culture event to kickstart what is looking to be a re-energising 2022. With too many indoor, outdoor, and online music, art, and performance offerings to name – over 130 to be exact – there’s sure to be something for everyone. Highlights at a glance include Qween Lear, a queer version of Shakespeare’s King Lear to take place at the Hordern Pavilion, and THAW, a daring installation which will see a 2.7 tonne iceberg suspended over Sydney Harbour as a bold call to act on the climate crisis. Tickets are on sale now. The full program can be viewed here.

THE MAPO GELATO BUS

Remember those old, rattling, faded-pink ice-cream vans, blasting Greensleeves out of cheap speakers and peddling cones of plastic-y soft serve at a markup so insane it should be illegal? Now throw all of that out the window and replace it with a tasteful gold ’72 Bedford CF and all of the natural, simple, and just plain delicious gelato you can shake a credit card at. Understated gelato institution Mapo has hit the road, bringing the likes of Fior di latte, buttery salted caramel, and vegan ‘Like Nutella, but better’ flavoured gelato

far beyond the doors of its esteemed Newtown and Bondi venues. Follow them on Instagram to stay updated on the bus’ location over the coming months!

JUST GO TO THE BEACH

An oldie but a goodie. There are at least 70 beaches in Sydney – possibly more! Take the opportunity of a summer in which they’ll be slightly less-heaving under the pressure of thousands of tourists. Bring sunscreen! Sliced watermelon! Your boogie board you haven’t used in two years! Go out and explore!

DISCOVER THE HISTORY OF TARONGA ZOO IN ‘HOW TO MOVE A ZOO’ BY OLGA AZAR here is a little-known history about Sydney, when in 1916, the zoo at Moore Park was moved to Taronga. Animal by animal, strategy by strategy, they were transported through the streets of Sydney and across the harbour, decades before the construction of the Harbour Bridge. It was a pretty wild operation, and attracted an excited public ready for a distraction from daily news about the war. “It was a brand new and joyful story amidst the war reports going on,” explains Anna Cossu, curator at Sydney Living Museums, who collaborated with The State Library of NSW to mount the exhibit. In the ongoing process of digitising the State Library’s archives, a trove about the move was discovered, enough to inspire How To Move A Zoo. The show is partly interactive, allowing visitors to choose a zoo animal and follow its trajectory across the city.

Through an app, they will watch their chosen animal’s progress across through an urban environment digitally constructed from archived images, reflecting an older cityscape. “There are giant floor-to-ceiling projections… inspired by historic images of animals and [archived] city illustrations. The public will love the

Photo: NSW State Archives

stories and whimsy,” says Cossu. The 1916 move resonated in the public’s imagination and people were so fascinated by the new zoo under construction, that authorities offered nominal submissions at weekends, to prevent overcrowding even before the animals arrived. Part of the intense interest was

likely due to the shift from animals in cages to those in more open environments, and the accompanying challenges. “A monkey did escape after the initial design,” at Taronga, says Cusso. The escape fueled more speculation in the papers, which had already fostered notions about how to get animals from the Eastern Suburbs to Taronga. One of the most challenging was Jessie, an elephant popular for children’s rides. Other animals were able to be transported in cages, but not Jessie. Instead, she walked down Bourke Street through the Domain and then boarded a vehicle ferry across the Harbour. The smallest animal was a native Sugar Glider, transported in a zoo keeper’s pocket. The exhibition is a window into Sydney life in 1916, says Cusso. “It’s life reimagined, through these animals and how this move came about.” INNER WEST INDEPENDENT DECEMBER 2021

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NSW GOVERNMENT AMENDS LOADING ZONE RULES FOR MUSICIANS BY JAMIE APPS s Sydney’s live entertainment sector emerges from a COVID-19 lockdown induced hibernation the NSW Government has amended restrictions around loading zones to the relief of the sector, particular musicians. Shadow Minister For Music & The Night Time Economy John Graham unveiled the law changes which now allow musicians to use loading zones in and around venues in order to get their instruments and equipments for gigs in and out of venues. The loading zone rules were updated to include musicians, who were

previously fined for using the parking areas loading in and out. The loading zone laws were not the only amendments made to benefit the Sydney music scene. The wording of the Festivals Act bill of 2019 was also changed to remove the phrasing “high risk” and also to extend trading hours entertainment venues by one hour. The removal of the phrase “high risk” is something festival operators have long called for as they felt it was damaging and misleading, especially in regards to perceived use of illegal drugs at events. “We would like a city and a State

with music at its core, where music is far more a part of what we do in New South Wales,” Graham said while addressing Parliament. “That is important from a cultural point of view, and it is also a major economic driver. When we talk about the arts, music is far and away the biggest of any arts sector. It stands a chance of

being a major export for New South Wales. There are only three countries that export music: the US, the UK and Sweden. We want Australia and New South Wales to be among those jurisdictions. That is our vision, but it requires turning around the liquor and planning systems to drive that change. That is where we want to head.”

NORTH ARM RETURNS WITH MOST PERSONAL ALBUM TO DATE BY JAMIE APPS ver the last two years we’ve all been forced to adapt how we work. For musical artist like Roderick Smith, who performs as North Arm, they’ve not only adapted how they make music but have also been influenced in terms of the message and emotion which they impart onto their music. Speaking with the Inner West Independent recently Smith explained how the events of the past two years played a factor in his return to releasing music after a lengthy hiatus. “I write music because I love to have a soundtrack to what is happening around me. Over the last couple of years I’ve lost my grandparents, who were so beautiful & special to me. I’ve struggled with mental health just like so many others... so I’ve been grappling with that.” With all of these factors flowing around in his heart and mind Smith said his latest release, Bring The Daylight, “hugely personal.” A change to his music which he explained wasn’t necessarily intentional but certainly a change for the good.

INNER WEST INDEPENDENT DECEMBER 2021

“I don’t think I’ve ever written music that wasn’t personal but this record is less shrouded in artifice. Sometimes you can write records and produce them to the extent that they just become expressionist paintings of feeling and thoughts. As an artist I’ve done that in the past to hide things away or obscure them slightly so that it doesn’t feel so raw but in this instance there are some really touching subjects & difficult home truths that I really wanted to showcase... In a lot of ways this is a very human record, which I love.” Having taken almost four years away between releases due to burnout Smith said he was nervous about how this record would be received, “I had such a great feeling about the material but I wasn’t sure if I had been away too long for anyone to even take notice, but luckily the reception has been beyond my expectations!” In regards to how the record was impacted on the technical creativity side Smith says this record was very much an exercise in “limitations” simply due to the isolating constraints of the pandemic.

“I had to pare everything back to ensure I got really true sounds into the computer... A lot of the vocals on the record are actually first takes because I had intended on resinging them down in the studio, but then the pandemic intervened.” Thankfully the technology already existed for Smith and his producer, Melbourne based Robin Water, to continue collaborating remotely. “Like everything during the pandemic I think it’s amazing that the technology was already there, it was just a matter of circumstance demanding its use,” explained Smith. Perhaps the most shocking revelation to come from with the release of Bring The Daylight is Smith might finally be seeing himself as an artist. “I’ve never really considered myself much of an artist. I’ve always looked upon those artists that I admire & see them as the real deal, whereas I’m just somebody who loves to have my go at it, but here we are three albums in.” Follow Roderick Smith’s journey as North Arm on Instagram at @NorthArmusic

IndieARTS

BY MARK MORELLINI he 25th Japanese Film Festival finally returns and JFF Director Yurika Sugie is excited to bring the latest and greatest Japanese films back to the cinema across the country. “This year, our program tells the stories of those who dare to dream beyond limitations. From overcoming loss to breaking ties with stifling societal expectations JFF 2021 celebrates resilience in the face of adversity.” The program comprises of over 30 feature films including laugh out loud comedies, dramas and owing to the popularity of JFF Plus: Online Film Festival last year, the best of 2020 returns online for one week only.

There will also be a special talk event with Shayne Bowden after the screening of Grass Labyrinth, where he discusses the literary, film and theatre work of director Shuji Terayama. Moviegoers who enjoy poignant family dramas should not miss Step, the story of a young father raising his daughter after the death of his wife. True Mothers surrounds a mother who returns to reclaim her son after he was adopted to a well-off couple. For those demanding a good laugh Not Quite Dead Yet delivers undead comedy chaos in a story concerning temporary death drugs and morbid dreams. Award-winning Beyond The Infinite Two Minutes tells of a man who hears his

THE PEBBLE & THE BOY BY MARK MORELLINI crowdfunded British comedic coming-of-age drama with a gutsy big heart hits the streaming services and should prove to be satisfying viewing for anybody who enjoys easyviewing road trip flicks. John’s father who was involved heavily in the mod scene during the 1960s has passed on. As a sign of respect John decides to spread his father’s ashes in Brighton and so his road trip commences, travelling from Manchester on his father’s prized Lambretta scooter. Along the way a girl joins the trip and not only does a romance blossom, but John more importantly learns some shattering truths about his father which casts a shadow on what sort of man he really was. John who despondently declares, “I thought I knew him”, ultimately questions whether he has been lied to all his life.

The Pebble And The Boy is about family secrets, loyalty, honesty and respect. Patrick McNamee stars as the affected teenager opting to do right by his father and Coronation Street favourite Sacha Parkinson plays Nicki, the rebellious and vivacious teenager whose mission is to attend a Paul Weller concert in Brighton. Patsy Kensit also makes a welcomed return to film in a supporting role. A beautiful musical score accompanied by a selection of songs from classic 80s bands The Jam, Style Council, Secret Affair and The Chords adds to the character of the film and should lure audiences who enjoy this genre in music. In the final moments of this bittersweet film Nicki exclaims, “this was the best road trip ever!” but audiences may be left pondering, how well do we really know our loved ones? WWW

The Deer King

JAPANESE FILM FESTIVAL 2021

computer speaking to him - another version of himself but 2 minutes in the future! Regarded as a masterpiece, highfantasy anime adventure The Deer King comes from the studio that produced Ghost In The Shell. It’s a fantasy story of a world affected by the deadly Black Wolf disease.

“Featuring the latest box office hits alongside rare 35mm 16mm film prints from the late avant-garde auteur Shuji Terayama, this year’s selection is truly a diverse mix.” Nov 25-Dec 5. Palace Central, Norton Street, Verona & Chauvel. $20-$85+b.f.. Tickets & Info: www.japanesefilmfestival.net

ZOLA IS AN ONLY IN AMERICA TALE

BY RENEE DALLOW ola is a quirky, twirking, trailer trash film based on a tweet about sex trafficking. It is also a road movie with some devious and, sort of funny, twists and turns. The whole scenario starts at Hooters when two pole dancers meet and decide to team up. The real fun, however, begins in Tampa Florida. The story goes like this. Zola, a waitress, is approached by Stefani, a customer, who convinces her to dance with her as a double act in the seedy lap dancing clubs of Detroit. Zola doesn’t lap dance but is an amazing pole dancer. The writer/director of this film, Janicza Bravo, has filmed Zola’s twirking butt from every angle as Zola shimmies up, down and around the pole. At this point it is obvious that this is a film that pulls no punches. As the story progresses, and Zola joins her new bestie Stefani for the trip to

Florida, things get pretty complicated. Turns out Stefani has brought along her nerdy boyfriend and another dude who shares a flat with them who just happens to be a pimp. In actual fact Stefani, is on the game, and the pimp without a name, takes care of her while the boyfriend keeps watch. The film gets pretty graphic and be prepared for full frontal male nudity. What you don’t get is gratuitous violence. Quite a relief. It is merely suggested, and yes, someone does get shot. Anyway the whole story is based on a true story which was played out on Twitter. Seems Stefani’s version about what really happened is quite different from Zola’s and Stefani tried to sue. Only In America! The film stars Taylour Paige as Zola and Riley Keough as Stefani. Both give convincing performances. WWW INNER WEST INDEPENDENT DECEMBER 2021

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INNER WEST INDEPENDENT DECEMBER 2021