INNER WEST INDEPENDENT September 2021 by Alt Media

Sydney Swans Women’s beginning AFLW life in Marrickville

St Peters community finding ways to connect in lockdown

he Inner West’s 4x world champion dancer

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YOUR FREE INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER

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Over 20 hectares of tree canopy have been destroyed in the last 12 months in the inner west.

Help us stop the inner west tree massacre.

Why pets are the Labor and Liberal Councilors have teamed up to dismantle the Inner West perfect pick me up

Council’s tree policy to make it easier to rip out healthy, mature trees. It is a developers dream. Page 19 In just one year, over 37 football fields of tree canopy have been destroyed. These trees will take decades to replace and their removal means hotter days, more air pollution, fewer birds and less wildlife. Sign the petition at www.jamieparker.org.au/tree

SIGN THE PETITION

Over 20 hectares of tree canopy has

SIGN THE

been destroyed in the last 12 months.

PETITION

Help us stop the inner west tree massacre.

Authorised by Jamie Parker MP. Funded using parliamentary entitlements. April 2021. Authorised by Jamie Parker MP and funded using parliamentary entitlements. July 2021.

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28/7/21 9:04 am 16/04/2021 3:53:31 PM

Getting vaccinated protects you and helps to protect friends, the people you love and our whole community.

Getting vaccinated protects the people around you, because if you are protected from getting infected, you are less likely to infect someone else. ACON strongly urges everyone in our communities to get a COVID-19 vaccine as soon as it is available to you. Go to nsw.gov.au/covid-19.

INNER WEST INDEPENDENT SEPTEMBER 2021

IndieNEWS Callan Park revitalisation begins

IndieARTS: Murray Cook &

Lizzie Mack’s The Soul Movers release new album Former red wiggle Murray Cook has a new gig (See p. 23)

Work began from mid-August for a major revitalisation of the waterfront. Photo: Eva Baxter

PUBLISHED DATE 26 AUGUST 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: Wendy Bacon, Daniel Lo Surdo, Eva Baxter, Peter Hehir, Katelyn Milligan, Elysia Cook, Sasha Foot, Aston Brown 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 Managers: Mal Moody 0484 042 615 Advertising: sales@altmedia.net.au Cover Photo: Supplied. Sydneysiders are looking to their pets for joy in lockdown 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 KATELYN MILLIGAN ork has begun on the government’s $14 million revitalisation project at Callan Park.Renovations of key heritage buildings are near completion, and demolition is set for two dilapidated buildings on the waterfront in mid-August. The buildings were deemed non-heritage and intrusive and their removal aims to open up the parkland and its waterfront views, improving grass areas and facilitating recreational activities.

In a press release City Hub has been given early access to, Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Rob Stokes said the government is delivering on its commitment to revitalise Callan Park with an historic makeover. “For too long Callan Park has been neglected. This $14 million facelift is exactly what this treasured park needs and deserves,” he said. “The community have been loud and clear – they want to see the waterfront opened up and revitalised and I’m pleased to announce these works as the first step in realising that vision. “A shout out to Member for Balmain Jamie Parker and Mayor of Inner West Council Darcy Byrne in providing strong and consistent support for their local community’s vision for a restored and more accessible Callan Park for everyone to enjoy,” he said. Greater Sydney Parklands Chief Executive, Suellen Fitzgerald, said in the press release the Callan Park upgrade is a testament to the successful partnership between government, local council and park users. “The consultation confirmed the community and those who use the park are united in their desire to see the Callan Park waterfront transformed and become more accessible.

“Revitalising Callan Park is a great example of what our new city-wide, holistic approach to parks management can achieve at a local level,” she said.

PATCHY PARK PAST

Balmain MP Jamie Parker has been a key facilitator of the project, consistently advocating for the revitalisation since he was first elected in 1999. “Over the years we’ve been able to defend Callan Park from overdevelopment and from commercialisation and we now have an opportunity to invest in Callan Park for the first time in decades,” Parker told the Independent. The recent development comes after community concerns over the discreet hand over of 62% of Callan Park to Centennial Park Trust, fragmenting management of the parkland to a committee of corporate-minded individuals.

For too long Callan Park has been neglected Community groups, such as Friends of Callan Park, and the Inner West Council have maintained their stance that governance and management of the park should be under a single, local body composed of expert members in park management and heritage, with First Nations representation to prioritise local concerns. Parker supports this notion, believing that whilst the Callan Park Act bans the commercialisation of Callan Park, effective care is needed. “The effective care, control and management of Callan Park is what we need, and a trust made up of members of the community, local stakeholders, local council, parents, experts, we

believe is the best way to manage Callan Park into the future.” The heritage parkland in Lilyfield was previously the site of a psychiatric hospital and holds significant historic value. There are over 130 buildings and structures on the site, including active sites such as Ambulance NSW, three sporting fields and University of Tasmania.

FRIENDS FEARS

Community group Friends of Callan Park responded to the harbour foreshore landscape upgrade with concern. “A large mound is proposed in the centre of Waterfront Green as well as a new amenities block plus a stairway to Glover Street Oval,” the Friends said in an email to supporters. “The construction of these three structures runs counter to the whole purpose of demolishing the Veterans’ Wards, B505 and B514 - to open up views to the water and to provide a quiet area of passive recreation on the harbour foreshore. “None of these engineered ‘improvements’ chime in with the heritage and morphological character of Callan Park.” A webinar was held last week by designers, at which the Friends said no drawings or illustrated material was presented showing the impact of the mound on views. “The justification given for this obstructive mound is that it replicates a headland that existed before it was levelled in the 19th century.” The Friends questioned the building of a toilet block when there are other toilets close by and said the proposed location of the stairway would slice pedestrians through the middle of this new passive foreshore open space. INNER WEST INDEPENDENT SEPTEMBER 2021

IndieNEWS

Pharmacies begin vaccinating residents of time for their vaccines,” she said. The process of the pharmacy getting the green light involved a three month wait. “Initially, the rollout into pharmacy was supposed to be May, but then AstraZeneca got pulled by the TGA for anyone under sixty,” Ayoub said.

 It’s a more relaxing environment “We knew it was eventually going to come to pharmacy, but we didn’t hear when that was going to happen, until [an] email came through. “Then that’s when we knew, ok, they’re rolling the ball again, so we applied to that and had to wait again until we got the approval,” she said.

Jessica Ayoub gives a customer the jab. Photo: Supplied

BY EVA BAXTER etropolitan Pharmacy Services in Leichhardt began administering AstraZeneca vaccines on Monday, August 9th. Jessica Ayoub, a pharmacist at MPS, told the Independent the demand has forced them to run on Wednesday and Friday, instead of only on Monday and Tuesday as originally planned.

“This came straight out of a customer’s mouth, ‘I feel more comfortable walking to a pharmacy or a vaccination hub or a GP clinic, it’s a much more relaxing environment and you just feel comfortable straight away.’ “You see than in people, they seem very relaxed, we have streamlined it so they’re not waiting excessive periods

THE MISSING LINK

In a report released last month, the Mckell Institute identified the lag in utilising pharmacies as a deficiency in the vaccination program. The report found that utilising approximately 4,000 pharmacies would speed Australia towards its vaccination targets 41–56 days faster.

The required goal of 80% of the population vaccinated to end state lockdowns would be reached up to 56 days quicker and avoid $12.3 billion in economic costs. If pharmacies had been onboarded on schedule, more than one million additional doses would have likely been administered as of the date of the report’s release. According to Michael Buckland, CEO of the Mckell Institute, the uptake of pharmacies administering vaccines in the last fortnight means we’re catching up but won’t make the original targets. “The delay from June, which is when the original plan had us vaccinating 200,000 people a week through pharmacies, means that we are about 1 and a half to 2 million doses short from where we should have been by now, and so we are catching up. “It’s going to take a major effort to be finished by October as originally planned.” Buckland said we are likely to hit the target of 80% by Christmas, if no other issues arise. “What was holding us back was that we weren’t getting pharmacies”.

Get Vaccinated! As our community continues to deal with extended lockdowns as a result of the highly transmissible Delta variant of COVID-19, the very best thing we can all do right now to keep us all safe is to get vaccinated - and keep following the health advice.

Whether you are eligible for Pfizer, Astra Zeneca (AZ) or either, it’s so important that you do what you can to organise a vaccination as soon as possible. It’s by far the most effective thing we can do to protect ourselves as well as our families, and to get us out of lockdown more quickly.

your jab fairly quickly. And it’s totally worth it!

Recently, we put out a call on our social media for your top tips for booking your vaccination quickly and easily. Here’s what we learned (scan the QR code below for all the links).

INNER WEST INDEPENDENT SEPTEMBER 2021

2. Set up a HotDoc account to make the process of booking the next available appointment online easier. 3. Check the list of local pharmacies offering AZ jabs without needing an appointment.

4. Keep an eye on NSW Health Facebook and Twitter accounts for details of pop up vaccine hubs in your area.

We know there continues to be problems with booking systems - and that the initial rollout was totally botched - and that all of this can be extremely frustrating, but the feedback we are getting from locals is if you are proactive and keep trying, it is possible to book in @jennyleong.newtown

1. Stay persistent with the Australian Government vaccine booking form to find your closest, or soonest appointment for Pfizer or AZ.

5. Check out one of the user created online tools to find the next available Pfizer or AZ appointments. Jenny Leong MP Greens Member for Newtown @jennyleong

@jennyleong.newtown

make sure the food gets delivered during the lockdown, a time when people can feel frightened, alone, without work, without money.

Songs in the Key of Life by Mark Mordue Another end of day, only a trace of last bird call to see us into the evening. This place is a home to a lot of people, and a backstop to many more. Right now, Addi Road is serving as a linchpin between the larger food relief organisations and a plethora of civil society groups, charity and community organisations. All of us making sure people across the inner west, the city, the east and the south west of Sydney have food on their table tonight. We’re running 30 shifts a week, morning and afternoon, with over 260 volunteers giving their best to help pack food hamper boxes. Each

one inspiring the other. A few of them say how much they love the work, how they feel less isolated, how their powerlessness has turned into something here that makes them stronger. Along with all the charities and community groups, including many that have arisen like wild flowers to help the people they know, are our own team of volunteer drivers – packing their cars and heading off into the day to make contactless deliveries. A few staff and volunteers are taking up to 300 phone calls a day, noting down the addresses and reassuring people that food is on the way. They hear all the stories. Some days they cry, with and for the people they talk to. Then they

Back over at our hall, converted into a Food Relief Hub, the team at work hums on, packing and putting hamper boxes on to pallets each morning … the police are here from Burwood picking up boxes to help those they visit…. Deadly Connections have backed up a van to feed Indigenous families in the inner west… Lighthouse Community Support have a van here too to get food out to the south west where the lockdown is felt hardest… More cars, more vans. A few thousand hampers this week, moving out and all over. We try to to listen to what these different and very active groups tell us about what kind of food is needed, what is culturally appropriate. And what is going on on the hearts and minds of everyone. Not just the details, but how it really feels and what we might do better. Eight weeks into the lockdown – and a while yet to go. But we’re adapting to the changing virus and changing needs, and getting better at what we do after a solid year of this food relief work since the pandemic first began affecting our community. It’s time to go home and eat and rest ourselves. Everyone will be back here, bright and early tomorrow, making the place sing in answer to the call of the city….

go even faster.” Matthew suddenly gets on a riff about the discipline of wearing masks and being careful for the sake of yourself and others, wherever you are. “Hey, what do you call a man without a mask?” he asks. There’s a long, uncertain pause before he answers himself. “Mr 500!”

Who Was That Masked Man? Matthew is a volunteer here at Addi Road’s Food Relief Hub. He’s been working with us now for a year and a half, right from when “the whole COVID thing” first started to have an impact on Sydney back in March 2020. He takes a generous view of why he has kept returning and volunteering with us up to the present day. “Well, you guys helped me when I was feeling down. Don’t forget that. Coming here is not just a duty for the volunteers. There are people who are here for their minds as well, you know,” he says, touching the side of his head for emphasis. “It feels good to communicate and work together. To be a part of it all together.” Even so, Matthew admits “things are definitely getting more intensive and more focussed. Just the sheer volume of what we are packing. The fruit and vegetables we have to sort. It’s really gone up over last three weeks; you can feel it and you can see it.” Then he laughs and says, “But the atmosphere is still pretty relaxed we talk, we play music. We

The joke flies over everyone’s heads. “Don’t you get it? Because it is a $500 fine for not wearing a mask when you should.” He rattles out a string of ‘500’ jokes that are all variations on this first one. For some reason he has got people laughing with him. Matthew often tells jokes like these. If we want to take a picture, he says he’s happy to stand beside pallets of food hampers that he’s helped pack and then stack. They are only some of the hundreds of hampers that are going out today from Addi Road, thanks to all the charity and civil society groups distributing them, and our team of volunteer drivers. And, of course, thanks to people like Matthew volunteering inside our Food Relief Hub. “Just call me Masked Matt when you write this story,” he says. “That’s me. Masked Matt to the rescue!” Addi Road has enough wonderful volunteers at the moment. So many we can’t quite manage all the enquiries we are getting! But if you’d really like to help, it would be great if you shared our social media and website posts. You can also donate directly to our food relief work here: www.addiroad.org.au

Reading and Happiness Victoria chose Addi Road's children's book The Hollow Tree for her book parade today. Like many children, Victoria had to celebrate her school event online. But this was a day she and her friends really put their hearts and souls and imaginations into. Her mother Dulce told us that "she chose The Hollow Tree because she loves to imagine the secret worlds of animals – the worlds that no one notices – and the understanding that nothing really dies. Even a hollow tree without leaves or branches is full with life." The Hollow Tree was created here at Addi Road. It's a beautiful story to read to your children, or as a gift to those of primary school age. You can buy a copy via www.-addiroad.org.au/publications/

INNER WEST INDEPENDENT SEPTEMBER 2021

IndieNEWS

Business incentivises vaccination

The Bald Rock Hotel in Rozelle will be offering free pints to those fully vaccinated. Photo: Facebook

BY SASHA FOOT CALLING FOR SUPPORT nner West residents are appreciating Inner West Mayor Darcy Byrne commended the pub’s promotion, the efforts of Rozelle’s Bald Rock saying he hopes other businesses Hotel in finding ways to restart business by encouraging the community follow suit. to get vaccinated. “This is awesome work from the Bald Rock Hotel,” he told the Independent. The heritage-listed pub is offering “It would be great to see all Inner customers a complimentary pint if West pubs get behind the vaccination patrons are fully vaccinated. campaign so we can return more Bald Rock owner Karen Buckley tells closely to life as usual, including the Independent that business is returning to our local food and down 95 per cent due to the current hospitality venues.” lockdown. She believes the promotion Michala called on the government of vaccines is the only way forward. to lead vaccination incentivisation “Hospitality won’t open until we have the schemes, not local businesses. majority of the population vaccinated,” “I think it should be the Buckley said. government paying for “The longer the  I’m all for whatever this, not the business,” lockdown goes on, the it takes to get people Michala admits. more damage to all the Since its establishment in vaccinated small businesses.” 1876, the Bald Rock Hotel Balmain local Tanja has been acclaimed for Michala says it is crucial that being the oldest licensed venue in the communities understand the benefits of Balmain and Rozelle area. getting vaccinated for small businesses. Michala noted its rapport with locals. “This reminds people that we need “[It] is a much loved local business … our vaccination rates to increase for [and] have struggled for sure like all business to survive … it is not about the small businesses,” she said. free beer,” she told the Independent. The pub spent the March 2020 Inner West resident Melissa Matoe also lockdown renovating the space showed her support for the Bald Rock’s and recently spent several months vaccine drive. regaining lost business. “I’m all for whatever it takes to get “We had come back even better … people vaccinated,” she told the and were devastated by the sudden Independent. shut down on June 26,” Buckley said. The Bald Rock are hoping their Buckley also recognised the effects of endorsement of vaccines will “localise lockdown on hospitality workers. acceptance” in the area. “People are leaving hospitality as it is probably one the most affected “When you see your local with a sign businesses and long term staff will outside supporting vaccination … maybe find other industries to move into,” it will take some people off the fence on Buckley said. deciding to get vaccinated,” Buckley said.

INNER WEST INDEPENDENT SEPTEMBER 2021

Workers reach enterprise agreement BY ELYSIA COOK ndependent Newtown bookstore Better Read Than Dead reached an in-principle enterprise agreement with its workers this month. The enterprise bargaining agreement is a first for non-university bookshops in the country, and the workers are now the best paid booksellers in Australia. Dymocks Chatswood Manager Mark Hopson told the Independent that the successful industrial action had set an inspiring precedent for workers in the retail sector more widely. “This industrial action benefits everyone working in retail, not just staff within the book industry. As a retail worker we wear many hats that you don’t see behind the scenes, and it is important that this is recognised.” In March, the unionised workers notified store management that they wanted to negotiate an EBA. Management declined to bargain until June, conceding for a short period in which two unsuccessful meetings were adjourned. The bookstore’s management said that initial claims for 5% wage increases, and 75 days of paid leave were denied because they would have bankrupted the store. The workers voted unanimously on a protected industrial action ballot, which allowed them to strike without retaliation.

a third and successful round of negotiations. Several of the triumphant key claims were outlined in the bookshop’s online statement. “All staff will remain covered by the General Retail Industry Award pay guide which indicates a minimum casual pay of $27.23 per hour.

 It is important that this is recognised “[We] have additionally approved 26 weeks of paid parental leave, regardless of gender, and 20 days paid leave for all workers experiencing intimate partner, domestic or family abuse. The EBA will support casual staff to move to permanent part-time positions, at a pay rate above the award.”

LOCAL STORY GOES INTERNATIONAL

Inner West Councillor Pauline Lockie told the Independent, “Better Read Than Dead is a Newtown institution, and I know many of us in the local community were shocked to learn about the issues its staff were facing.” International and local authors signed an open letter expressing their solidarity with the workers. “When the open letter went public it blew up in the best possible way,” said BRTD

Better Read Than Dead reaches enterprise agreement after worker’s campaign. Photo: Facebook

Unionised workers first implemented a ban on working overtime, handling cash and any work associated with window displays, in a second ban workers refused returns and click and collect orders. This led to the alleged lockout of the workers by management and eventually,

worker Madeleine Gray in a Facebook live hosted by the Retail and Fast-Food Workers Union on Friday the 27th. “Our job as booksellers is to share the word of authors with our community. Now the authors were sharing our words and our story.”

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

Rehoming Organisation Number R251000224 INNER WEST INDEPENDENT SEPTEMBER 2021

IndieNEWS

Tree policy sees canopy decline T BY EVA BAXTER he Inner West has regressed on city tree canopy targets with canopy coverage under 20%. The NSW government’s ‘5 million trees’ program aims to increase Sydney’s tree canopy by 40% by 2030. Council data found two of the 25 suburbs accounted for nearly half of the tree canopy loss in the Inner West over the past year. Dulwich Hill accounted for 27% of canopy loss, and Ashfield accounted for 21%. Leichhardt ward accounted for 23% loss, Marrickville ward saw 11% loss and Stanmore ward and Balmain ward accounted for only 1% of the canopy loss. Greens candidate for Ashfield ward Dylan Griffiths told the Independent, Inner West Council’s tree policy has contributed to a significant reduction in tree canopy. “The effect on Ashfield ward has been very significant,” he said. A recent council community satisfaction survey found there has been a significant increase in resident’s prioritisation towards environmental protections since 2018. Environment protection was the second highest area of concern, underneath managing development.

discretion makes the policy potentially unlawful. A public authority such as council must allow itself to consider each decision on its own merits and not remove its discretion to make decisions by applying a rigid or one-size-fits-all policy to all applications. The two-metre rule fails to allow for Environmental Planning and Assessment Act requirements for development applications to remove trees. The Act includes considerations that must be taken such as likely environmental impacts of the proposed removal on the natural and built environment. Duncanson wonders why there wasn’t a legal review two years ago. “They didn’t bother to check whether it was legal or not in the first place, why? “A cynical person would say, is there some form of influence from property developers going on here?”

DCP

City Hub reported in 2019 that extreme concerns were raised when a tree Development Control Plan (DCP) was passed by the council which approved the removal of almost any tree without council oversight. Kelly Eedy is the owner of Trees Company, which provides tree services including removal to the Inner West. He wrote a short report in 2019 to the Council suggesting that qualified tree officers should be more lenient with the removal of trees that are up against buildings. “By no means at all did I ever think that they would go as far as to say any tree that’s within two metres, which originally started at three metres, should be removed. “Three metre clearance from any structure would have been the equivalent to setting fire to the Amazon rainforest for the residents of the Inner West. It won’t kill or destroy the entire Amazon, just the really big important stuff, which I see the policy has certainly begun to achieve. “It should be the qualified council’s tree preservation officer’s responsibility of whether the tree should be removed, 8

INNER WEST INDEPENDENT SEPTEMBER 2021

The NSW government’s ‘5 Million trees’ program aims to increase Sydney’s tree canopy by 40%. Photo: Fiona Ryan

and it should be looked at with consideration to all weather conditions that will affect a tree in its lifetime, not a broad sweeping broom that just decimates really nice, substantial, important trees of our area,” Eedy told the Independent.

It would be absolute decimation Eedy said from discussions with clients within the Inner West Council, the consensus is that the two-metre clearance policy seems to have been implemented from fear of injury to persons, or for ease of planning and development approval procedure. He said the process is difficult for clients, making illegal alternatives look more appealing. “Approval of applications takes far too long, currently up to 8 weeks or so. This is leading to increased frustration on top of everything else going on around us. “This is just what I am hearing all the

time. In some cases, leading to people using the services of companies that have little or no respect for council legislation or the wellbeing of trees in general. It’s all about the dollar they get from a job on the day, that’s all,” he said. AJ Duncanson, a Leichhardt resident, remembers when the tree DCP was implemented. “Nobody could quite understand why anyone thought this was a good idea, because it took away the case-by-case risk assessment to trees.” Greens councillor Marghanita da Cruz said, “what we had in the past is certain things had to be done before you were given permission to remove a tree, and the sorts of things were biodiversity checks for wildlife, and heritage. “Those checks are not there because the two-metre rule overrides them.”

POTENTIALLY UNLAWFUL

A legal review by the council into the policy found the removal of council

Duncanson said a neighbour has recently removed a 40 metre tall Sydney Blue Gum. “It was a part of several that’s in the street and was a really prominent part of the treescape.” The policy automatically allows any tree within the same lot two metres distance from a dwelling or garage to be removed. “The permit was granted, and it’s written on the permit that it’s within two metres of the neighbouring garage, and that’s not what the DCP says. “It seems to have been removed because the permit was granted improperly. “I feel like it’s not the only one,” he said.

ROAD TO REPLANTING

da Cruz said a big problem is that there is nowhere to put new trees. “The tree DCP requires a replacement tree if you remove a tree, but the problem is the replacement tree will be much smaller and for $1500 you can say well I haven’t got room on my land for a replacement tree and give Council that money. “Council’s got all this money to plant trees and there’s nowhere to plant them, that’s the issue we’re facing.” A spokesperson for council said a draft of amendments to the Tree DCP is underway, and consultation with relevant experts is being conducted. It is not known with certainty when this will be ready to present to the Council, although any amendment to the DCP will be open for public review on Council’s website prior to being decided upon.

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INNER WEST INDEPENDENT SEPTEMBER 2021

IndieNEWS

Addi Rd strikes a blow for goodness

Council considers discounted pool entry BY ASTON BROWN nner West Council is considering reducing the cost of entry to its pools for people receiving social security support. If passed, the proposal will see a casual swimming fee of $1.20 for social security recipients across all Inner West Council Aquatic facilities. The current pensioner swimming fee is $4.70 at most pools.

Greens Candidate for Inner West Ashfield Ward Dylan Griffiths has campaigned for the change since April.

 Inner West Council should be the most progressive council in Sydney

Juliana Jamaluddin, Olivia Wilson-Zarganis and Rosanna Barbero, Addi Road CEO. Photo: Supplied

BY EVA BAXTER ddison Road Community Centre is a small community organisation churning out thousands of food hampers.

Addi Road is a food aid organisation and a community development organisation, which means its business is in demand during a crisis. Within a few months of COVID disrupting life in Sydney, the organisation went from working with around 10 or 12 organisations to over 60.

INNER WEST INDEPENDENT SEPTEMBER 2021

A CAMPAIGN REWARDED

Councillor Tom Kiat raised the idea of cheaper pool entry for social security recipients in early April, but the proposal gained little traction. In response, Griffiths started the Raise the Rate for Good campaign, aiming to see Council adopt $1 pool entry for those receiving support.

immediately the impact that COVID was going to have. She knew that many other charities would close, leaving thousands of people in immediate and urgent need. She knew that people would be laid off, casual work would cease, and that many people have limited to no savings, so she set up a food hamper crisis relief centre.

HAVEN OF GOODNESS

“Today the organisation is literally feeding thousands of people every week Addison Road has seen a 20% rise and churning out food hampers,” Craig in demand every week Foster, an ambassador since the beginning of the Addi Road and former  We’re making for lockdown this year, and the Socceroo, told the centre is almost bursting at things happen Independent. the seams. Foster said it gives hope to “We’re in week 5 now, so those in desperate need, but also to those that’s about a 100% increase in the who are connected to the organisation. number of people that are requesting The hundreds of people who volunteer, food,” Rosanna Barbero CEO of Addi the staff and the people picking up boxes Road told the Independent. are all connected and engaged through “That’s alarming because most of those the hub of Addison Road. people are people that have not come “Without that work of Addison Road those to us previously for food, so these are people would be in very dire straits. the people that are now suffering, those “Everyone feels as though, as hard that have lost their jobs, those that have as the world is at the moment, we’re been stood down. able to, at least every morning, strike “Even without government support, a blow for goodness, commonality, we’re making things happen,” said togetherness, community, just by Barbero. packing these boxes and getting it to people who have less than we do,” he Barbero worked for Oxfam in Cambodia said. during SARS and understood 10

“It’s a great change, it means that job seekers, people on the disability support pension, people on the aged pension, will be able to access the pool when it might have been previously inaccessible,” Griffiths told the Independent.

“Cost shouldn’t be a deterrent, if someone is on [government] support giving them access to do things is a good thing,” da Cruz told the Independent. “All of this stuff [is about] keeping people active, because the cost of providing the pool is nothing compared to providing medical care.” The change isn’t expected to lead to a loss in revenue but instead encourage people to access facilities that previously wouldn’t be available. “I think it will largely be people who currently aren’t using the pool, who will be affected by it … there [are] many times where some of our aquatic centres have more room for capacity,” Griffiths said.

Inner West Council is considering lowering the price of entry to its aquatic centres. Photo: Inner West Council

“The Inner West Council should be the most progressive council in Sydney … I suspect [community feedback] will be very positive.” The change would apply at Ashfield, Annette Kellerman and Fanny Durack Aquatic Centres and Dawn Fraser Baths. Leichhardt Park Aquatic Centre has offered a discounted price for people receiving social security since 2008. The change will not apply for entry to other facilities, such as the gym. Inner West Councillor Marghanita da Cruz says the proposal will encourage more people to get active.

Griffiths launched a petition and gained support from The Australian Council of Social Services (ACOSS) and the Australian Unemployed Workers Union (AUWU). This was presented to Council in May but was rejected. After being raised repeatedly, Council endorsed the proposal by Kiat on June 29. “I think the ongoing pressure, the petition and the support from organisations such as ACOSS and AUWU really pressured Council to accept the change,” Griffiths said. Community consultation is being considered before Council makes a final decision. September 2nd is the last day to provide feedback.

Inner West Council candidates’ forum Sunday 14 November from 3pm to 5pm To celebrate the City Hub’s 26th anniversary, we will host a forum for candidates in the upcoming Inner West Council elections. • Meet select candidates from across all four wards • Bring your questions • Participate in the democratic process

Special screening of Rats in the Ranks Sunday 14 November 5:30pm Following the candidate’s forum, we will have a special screening of Rats in the Ranks Shot and screened around the time of the City Hub’s launch in 1995, Rats in the Ranks is a classic look at local politics in the Inner West. “An astonishing combination of suspense and humour.. Five stars” David Stratton “I agree. Five stars from me also. It is about democracy and the flaws of human beings. Love it” Margaret Pomeranz

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INNER WEST INDEPENDENT SEPTEMBER 2021

IndieNEWS

Swans bringing AFLW to Marrickville

The Sydney Swans have been granted an AFLW licence and will host games at Henson Park. Photo: Sydney Swans

BY DANIEL LO SURDO FLW will arrive in the Inner West late next year when the Sydney Swans begin their inaugural national league campaign at Marrickville’s Henson Park. The Swans were granted an AFLW license from the 2022/23 season along with three other clubs to bring the competition to 18 teams, matching the AFL. State Member for Newtown Jenny Leong recognised the gravity of the decision. “It’s fantastic to see that the Swans have secured an AFLW licence for the 2022 season, helping to complete the full expansion of the national competition,” Leong told the Independent.

“This is a historic moment for women’s sport in Australia.” The Swans’ arrival at Henson Park will follow redevelopments preparing the venue for national competition. Upgrades include plans for femalefriendly change rooms, improved media facilities as well as prospects for 12

INNER WEST INDEPENDENT SEPTEMBER 2021

broadcast-standard floodlights around the ground. Funding for the project will be shared between Inner West Council, the State Government, the AFL and the Newtown Jets, the latter calling Henson Park home since 1937 and will continue hosting their NSW Cup matches during the winter season.

 This is a historic moment for women’s sport in Australia The redevelopments come after Council’s $2.6 million investment in the ground’s turf and drainage to comply with professional sporting regulations. Inner West Mayor Darcy Byrne believes the AFLW’s expansion to Marrickville will be embraced by his constituents. “The Swans having a Women’s team playing out of Henson Park could be massive for the Inner West, and I can see them developing a real cult following,” Byrne told the Independent. “There’s already a huge base of Swans supporters in the area, and a growing,

passionate movement to break down barriers for Women’s participation in sport.” Crucial to the Swans’ admittance into the AFLW was the cooperation from the Newtown Jets, who welcomed the new code to Henson Park. “The Jets deserve a lot of credit for recognising that the ground needs to be used for multiple codes, they’ve been very responsible and magnanimous about working with the AFL,” Mr Byrne said. “There’s a long history of battles between the AFL and Rugby League over access to grounds, so this is a pretty unique example where they’ve been on the same page, working together. “To be having both the blue and white of the Jets and the red and white of the Swans located at Henson Park will give the whole ground a new lease on life, and I’m really excited by the prospect.” Improvements to Henson Park come as part of measures to mitigate a shortage of professional-standard fields across Greater Sydney, with many sporting

clubs being forced to play games during weekdays and at later times as facilities struggle to keep up with growing participation rates. “It’s not just the people of the Inner West who are passionate about the Inner West, there’s a huge cross-section of the Rugby League and AFL supporter base who want to see [Henson Park] brought up to standards so it can host the Jets and the Swans Women’s Team,” Mr Byrne said. Access to sporting infrastructure is especially prominent in the Inner West, where the under-construction Rozelle Parklands has already prompted local associations and clubs to begin petitioning for use on the 10-hectare precinct. While the Parklands, which are set to open in 2023, are to be managed by Council, they will be owned by Transport for NSW, whose Urban Design and Landscape Plan has already been called for amending from Mr Byrne, who believes the sporting facilities and amenities are insufficient in their current planning. Continued on page 13

IndieNEWS (Continued from page 12)

NO STRANGERS TO AFL

When the first ball is bounced at Henson Park sometime in November or December of next year, it will be far from the first nugget of Women’s Australian rules football history that has occurred in the Inner West. The Newtown Breakaways were the first women’s AFL club in NSW and have called Henson home since 2002. Ms Leong sees the AFLW’s introduction as the next extension of the Australian Rules’ influence in the Inner West. “The Inner West has a long and proud history of nurturing women’s AFL,” Ms Leong said. “It’s certainly apt that our local area would become the home of AFLW in the inner-city and Inner West.” Henson Park was the backdrop for the Swans’ first Intra Club game in 2015 and has since become a regular fixture. In 2018, the ground hosted a trial game between the Men’s teams for the Swans and their crosstown rivals, the Greater Western Sydney (GWS) Giants. The hitout only lasted for three-and-a-bit quarters, after a power failure caused the floodlights, scoreboard and siren to malfunction, handing the Swans a premature 26-point victory.

KEEPING IT LOCAL

Concern that locals raised after the Swans were granted an AFLW licence centred on the closure of the community-oriented venue from public use. “It’s great to see the NSW Government and the Council investing in elite women’s sporting infrastructure, but it’s important that amateur sport is also properly supported and that Henson Park remains accessible to the public as one of the precious green spaces in the inner-city,” Leong said. Each week, Henson Park accommodates dog walkers, community sports teams or residents seeking a place to relax in the sun. It’s an aspect of the ground that Mr Byrne believes will be upheld into the future. “Henson Park is a historic place but it also has great contemporary value, not just as a sports ground but a place of recreation for the whole community … it’s fantastic the way it’s being used,” Mr Byrne said. “We’re able to uphold that history of Henson Park and its heritage while also creating a new element of its future, it’ll mean that that passion that people hold … can be maintained for many years into the future.”

A great start at I N T E R N AT I O N A L G R A M M A R S C H O O L

CREATING OPPORTUNITY

While the decision brings another professional sports team to the Inner West, the arrival of the Swans in the AFLW will also create another pathway for women to progress to the top ranks of the national game. Swans Chief Executive Tom Harley viewed it with pride. “It’s a really historic moment for the club, we’re coming up to almost 150 years, and throughout that 150-year history we’ve only had a Men’s team,” Mr Harley said. “Since the introduction of AFLW [2017] we’ve been working feverishly to get ourselves in a position, and in the last year or so it’s really felt like we haven’t been whole without [a team].” The Sydney Swans have run their Youth Academy since 2010, and currently have 800 players aged 1119 in nine hubs across the state. This year, the Academy welcomed girls to its ranks, and now trains 300 players each week through age-appropriate, professional sessions. Mr Harley recognised the importance that an AFLW team will have for his Academy players. “What we’ve seen in the past couple of years as we’ve prepared for

entry to the AFLW is an explosion in participation in Sydney - it’s the fastest-growing market in the country for youth girl’s football,” Mr Harley said. “We’ve seen not only great enthusiasm [in our Academy], but some good talent to come through.” Ms Leong, the Women’s Rights spokesperson for the NSW Greens, echoed the sentiments of Mr Harley. “We are committed to ensuring support and encouragement for women to be able to step up as leaders, champions and representatives - whether that be in sport or other areas of community life.” The decision on the next stages of redevelopment for Henson Park is expected over the coming months. Minutes from a Council Meeting last month found that amenities at the ground are no longer fit for purpose and below community standards. Council’s turf and drainage renewal earlier this year included the installation of a stormwater harvesting and treatment system to reduce the use of town water for irrigation, a new field drainage system, including recycling of water and rectifying the long-term sinkhole in the centre of the field.

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INNER WEST INDEPENDENT SEPTEMBER 2021

IndieNEWS

Disgraced Mayor penalised for misconduct

Darcy is dunked again. Photo: Facebook

BY WENDY BACON nner West Council is seeking advice from the NSW government on how a suspension of pay penalty for its Mayor Darcy Byrne will work in practice. On August 3rd, the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT) convicted Byrne of four counts of misconduct and two further partial breaches of the NSW Local Government code of conduct. As a penalty NCAT suspended Byrne’s right to be paid any fee or other remuneration for his duties for three months. Byrne had failed to declare a nonpecuniary conflict-of-interest at Council meetings.This occurred after he instructed his lawyers to send what is known as a legal ‘notice of concerns’ letters to Greens Councillor Colin Hesse and Independent Councillor Pauline Lockie warning them that unless they withdrew and apologised for comments he considered defamatory, he would sue them. On the same day, he used his public position on Council to move a motion calling on the Councillors to withdraw comments that were potentially defamatory and brought the Council into disrepute. Having placed Lockie and Hesse into a position where they had to withdraw from the meeting because they had a potential interest in the outcome, he failed to declare his own interest. In other words, he used his own public office to bring pressure to bear to resolve a private legal dispute. A ‘notice of concerns’ letter conveys a warning that defamation proceedings

INNER WEST INDEPENDENT SEPTEMBER 2021

will begin unless demands for a remedy are met. It can be the first step in defamation proceedings but is also a tool used by politicians, developers and others to shut down public criticism. NCAT Principal member Linda Pearson found Byrne’s code of conduct breaches were serious ones and that any “reasonable person” would have realised there was a conflict of interest. She found that a suspension of pay was appropriate rather than more lenient options of ‘counselling’ or ‘reprimand’ or a more serious one of ‘suspension from office”. She found that Byrne’s experience as a Councillor and then Mayor meant that he had “an important role of leadership and responsibility towards other councillors and members of the community” which meant that his misconduct justified “a greater degree of censure”. In submissions to the Tribunal, Byrne accepted that he made a “bad error” but that he had learned from his experience and apologised. Pearson relied on character references including one from City of Sydney Labor Councillor Linda Scott that Byrne was a “dedicated and passionate advocate for his community” and that his actions were “out of character” and he felt “remorse”. The Council is yet to make a public announcement about the pay suspension and its implications. However, Councillor Lockie posted a news report about the judgement on her Facebook page and wrote, “As the

target of Clr Byrne’s actions, I welcome yesterday’s judgement …. this dates back to comments made by other people on a Facebook post I’d written that was critical of Labor-Liberal support for the Victoria Road Precinct development, which was approved against staff advice. I’ve said before that I think it’s important for independent Councillors to speak out about these issues when they arise. While it’s certainly intimidating to be targeted due to this, I’ll continue to do so.” (For more on the Victoria Road development, see below.)

 In submissions to the Tribunal, Byrne accepted that he made a “bad error” but that he had learned from his experience and apologised Councillor Hesse told City Hub, “For me the whole thing had been very stressful, and I’m sure Clr Lockie feels pretty similar.” He said that one of his concerns was that the process “took far too long …. While the staff of the Office of Local Government did a very good job, the obvious lack of resources to carry out the investigation and prosecution of abuses of power is clearly insufficient.” Before the findings against him, on different occasions Byrne variously maintained that the Office of Local Government investigation was part of a conspiracy to stop him campaigning against NSW government rorts, or that

if he had committed breaches they were ‘minor process issues’. Some of Byrne’s supporters continue to promote the view that the affair is trivial. Asked what he thought about that, Hesse said,“To me it felt like being bullied, and I hope that’s not something Labor supporters or members would support in any situation. Byrne’s actions, as demonstrated by the NCAT decision, were entirely premeditated, and clearly broke the rules.” Underlying these events are issues of public accountability and the conduct of Councillors and use of their power. They also reflect long standing community tensions about the relationship between local Labor politicians and Labor identities who become lobbyists and consultants, including for property developers. A reading of the penalty judgement reveals fresh insights into Byrne’s explanation for his errors. I will return to these.

WHAT HAPPENS TO THE MAYORAL ALLOWANCE?

The Inner West Council Mayoral allowance is approximately $90,000 plus expenses. This compares to ordinary councillors who get $31,000 a year. Part of the Mayor allowance goes to the Deputy Mayor who is currently Councillor Victor Macri. This means that Byrne will forgo a quarter of his annual income or around $20,000 which is a substantial penalty. (Continued on page 15)

IndieNEWS (Continued from page 14) Inner West Independent asked the Inner West Council (IWC) manager Peter Gainsford last week whether the $20,000 is retained by the Council or returned to the government. We also asked whether the allowance could be paid to a different Councillor if Byrne were to stand aside. This option would mean that the community would still have a Mayor who was being compensated while Byrne would continue as a Councillor. A spokesperson replied, “Council is seeking confirmation around the implementation of the NCAT decision from the NSW Government.” Under Section 440M of the NSW Local Government Act, the OLG could bill the Council for the cost of its investigation into Byrne’s conduct but there is no public indication yet that it intends to pursue this course. Politicians at all levels of government are required to lodge a ‘disclosure of interest’ notice. This accountability measure provides transparency for financial interests. Councillors disclose their financial interests once a year. In order to understand whether Byrne has other sources of income, Inner West Independent looked up his ‘disclosure of interests’ on the Council website. Some Councillors update their form during the year, but Byrne appears not to. His latest disclosure lists income as an ‘electoral officer’. We knew that Byrne worked for Labor leader and local Federal MP Anthony Albanese but understood that the arrangement had terminated. So we sought confirmation from the Mayor’s media officer Bill Hawker but got no response. So we contacted Albanese’s media team who confirmed that Byrne left his office in 2019. Byrne’s disclosures are now a year old, so an update is imminent. Assuming his Mayoralty allowance is now his only income, Byrne’s penalty is quite severe. He would also have incurred significant legal fees. He was represented by the Labor aligned firm Turner Freeman so there may have been a discount.

DEVELOPER LINKS WITH LABOR FIGURES The Victoria Road Precinct stretches over several blocks of Marrickville; most of it is owned by the Danias family who are timber merchants and property agents. For nearly a decade, Danias Holdings have been planning major high rise residential and commercial developments, including what they call a Creative Hub. In 2014, Danias hired well known local Labor figure Sean Macken to assist with their development. Macken had stood for Labor preselection twice, ran Labor electoral and preselection campaigns and had been a Labor staffer and a Councillor on South Sydney Council. In

2015, David Tierney’s consultancy firm TITFA joined the Danias team. Tierney has been a significant player in NSW Labor politics with a career as a senior Labor staffer and corporate manager in Multiplex developments. Shortly before working for Danias, he was a senior staffer in the Office of the then Labor Opposition leader Luke Foley. The development faced significant community opposition but also had supporters for its promised Creative Hub. Macken was quoted as saying that the Hub would be the “largest concentration of creative space anywhere in the Southern Hemisphere” including 700 jobs for artists. Eventually a rezoning from industrial to partly residential was imposed by the NSW government but the Inner West Council still had a role to play in approvals. In 2018, Macken accused the Council of using ‘red tape’ to delay the development. Unless it moved ahead, he predicted the Creative Hub would be at risk. Byrne was quoted in the same Inner West Courier article as urging expedition of the Danias proposal.

 Underlying these events are issues of public accountability and the conduct of Councillors and use of their power. They also reflect long standing community tensions about the relationship between local Labor politicians and Labor identities who become lobbyists and consultants, including for property developers At a meeting on August 28th 2018, staff recommended that Council postpone the approval of a Victoria Rd Development Control Plan (DCP) while more work was done on developer contributions. Their ballpark calculation of these was that they could cost up to $50 million, an estimate which turned out to be too high. Despite the staff recommendation, Byrne and then Deputy Mayor Julie Passas moved that the DCP be accepted. The motion narrowly passed with Labor and Liberal Councillors all voting in favour of it. After the meeting, Lockie posted on her Facebook page: “I’m appalled that other Councillors ignored strong legal and planning advice from our own staff in favour of developers – and that the Mayor was the one pushing this. So much for ‘Save Marrickville”. If you think that this is robust political commentary that is nevertheless not defamatory, you are right. The next day, Byrne put out a media release welcoming the development. He posted this on Lockie’s discussion thread. Hesse added a comment, “Here’s a promotion from the developers”. If you

think Hesse was just drawing attention to the alignment between the developers and Labor, which is within the bounds of acceptable political communication, you are also right. However a community member later posted a comment that could be regarded as defamatory. Lockie did not delete this unwittingly leaving herself liable for publishing another person’s comment.

mocking comments about Lockie on his own Facebook page. This led to further internal code of conduct findings against him, which were also considered during the penalty hearing. Having left his Facebook post there for many months, Byrne finally removed it and told the Tribunal that he was sorry for the stress he had caused both Hesse and Lockie.

DEFAMATION WARNINGS ARRIVE SIX MONTHS AFTER PUBLICATION

Byrne’s first public response to news that he was being taken to the Tribunal by the OLG was to go on the attack. When he appeared before the Parliamentary Inquiry into the rorts involved in the NSW government’s Stronger Community Fund, Byrne seized media attention by accusing the OLG of targeting him because he was campaigning against the rorts that deprived councils of grants. The Committee decided not to investigate his allegations. The OLG provided correspondence that showed Byrne was aware that they were investigating him well before his campaign against the Stronger Communities Fund. But by then, Byrne had even paid for a Facebook ad to promote a report of his allegations on his own Mayoral page. He continued to allege the allegations against him were ‘trumped up’ until February this year. He told the Tribunal he now understands that he was wrong. Byrne told the Tribunal he repeatedly requested more regulatory training But in acknowledging his weakness, Byrne also blamed others. He told the Tribunal that “he has repeatedly requested training in Councillors’ legal and regulatory obligations from multiple managers”. Assuming this is true, were these requests in writing or if they were verbal are they recorded in filenotes? To ignore requests that indicate a Mayor does not understand regulatory and legal obligations is a serious matter. This raises further doubts about the conduct of the Inner West Council. What other issues did Byrne feel uncertain about that led him to request training? What steps did he himself take to sort out his uncertainties? There is a Mayoral election in September. If Byrne was to step aside, the community could have a new paid Mayor for three months. There is no indication yet that Byrne intends to take this course or that the Labor team is reconsidering their support for him. Meanwhile, the first block of the Marrickville Victoria Road Precinct, including several creative organisations, was demolished this month to make way for high rise residential blocks. An office has been selling “Wicks Place’ off the plan for months.The Creative Hub, which Danias had promised would take precedence, is still on hold. So far more creative jobs have been lost than gained.

It’s important to understand that nothing happened for six months. Jump forward to March 28th, 2019. The Victoria Street development was again on the agenda that evening. Late that afternoon Lockie and Hesse were emailed the warning letters. Staff recommended DCP approval this time but Byrne and Passas tagged an extra clause onto the main motion calling on Councillors to apolgise for potentially defamatory comments. The vote was postponed until early April. With a potential costly defamation threat hanging over them, Lockie and Hesse were forced to declare an interest and withdraw from voting on the motion calling on them to apologise. This meant it would inevitably pass. In his Tribunal evidence, Byrne said that he genuinely didn’t understand that the defence of his personal reputation was not a Council matter. Independent Councillor John Stamolis, Greens Councillors Rochelle Porteous and Tom Kiat, who is a lawyer, all spelled out at the meeting why they considered Byrne’s actions inappropriate. Nevertheless Byrne went ahead and the motion passed with Labor and Liberal support. Byrne acknowledged that he had struggled to understand how non-pecuniary interests work. He realises now that his conduct was ‘unethical’ and he should have withdrawn himself.

WHERE IS THE MEDIA COVERAGE? So why did Byrne take this action? He told the Tribunal that in the lead up to the meeting, ”There had been a significant amount of media coverage and consequent Facebook commentary in relation to the posts” which led him to be concerned that they would be repeated. Inner West Independent did a database search for media reports but could find no such commentary. His evidence was that he was “concerned with putting a stop to what he saw as destructive behaviour immediately”. But if this was the case, why didn’t Byre request that the comments be removed and an apology be offered at the time they occurred? Hesse neither withdrew nor apologised for his comment. Lockie apologised not for her own comments but for ones posted by others. As soon as she did this, Byrne posted humiliating and

BYRNE’S CONSPIRACY ALLEGATIONS MISFIRE

INNER WEST INDEPENDENT SEPTEMBER 2021

IndieNEWS

WestConnex profits taken from Inner West BY DANIEL LO SURDO he Inner West conveyed their disappointment after State Treasurer Dominic Perrottet declared plans to transfer profits from WestConnex’s privatisation into the $15 billion NSW Generations Fund this month. The announcement came after the Inner West was promised investments into their local infrastructure and facilities to mitigate the implications of 24-hour construction for the WestConnex motorway.

 It is regrettable that the Government is prepared to squander any return Community group Leichhardt Against WestConnex (LAW) expressed their disillusionment with the Berejiklian Government’s decision to move capital away from the Inner West. “It is disappointing but not surprising that the funds from the sale of WestConnex are not to be spent on essential infrastructure as promised,” a LAW spokesperson told the Independent.

“The WestConnex project has been delivered at a tremendous cost to local communities and the taxpayer, it is regrettable that the Government is prepared to squander any return in this way.” The verdict comes after residents across the Inner West are growing further frustrated with the construction taking place under their homes, with Rozelle resident Peter Hehir finding it “impossible to sleep at night” with the noise of construction below.

“I have to take medication to get to sleep because of the jackhammering happening directly beneath me, it’s been going on constantly since June of last year; it’s a nightmare,” Mr Hehir told the Independent in July.

DEFENDING THE FUND

Mr Perrottet has defended the pivoting of funds, claiming that the Generations Fund will ensure there is sustainable government capital for future generations. “The [Fund] is about … getting away from handto-mouth, tax-and-spend government, and actually doing something concrete to benefit future generations,” NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet Mr Perrottet announced plans to shift the profits wrote in the from WestConnex to the $15 billion Australian NSW Generations Fund. Financial Photo: Facebook/Dom Perrottet MP Review.

“[It] is emphatically not a vehicle for high-stakes punting on equity markets, roulette wheels or any other breathless casino clichés.” Despite the Treasurer’s vision, community members remain disillusioned by the move. “This is a Government of broken promises when it comes to infrastructure projects,” a LAW spokesperson said. “We were promised nirvana on our streets when WestConnex was built, instead we have increased congestion on once quiet, local streets as road users try to dodge tolls.” State Shadow Treasurer Daniel Mookhey echoed the sentiments of the Inner West community. “[State Government] told the public they’d use the money from privatising assets like WestConnex to build infrastructures like schools, hospitals, roads and trains,” Mr Mookhey said. “Instead they’re gambling that money on the stock market, and in other risky financial markets.” The NSW Generations Fund last year declared a $25 million loss in wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Over half of the Fund’s $15 billion assets are tied up in international or domestic stock markets.

COVID can’t crack St Peters spirit BY KATELYN MILLIGAN

ife in lockdown is not easy for anyone, but one small community is making it just that little bit more manageable. With some creative thinking and a sprinkle of positivity, St Peters community members are making the most of their situation. Countless acts of kindness are being undertaken throughout the community; from gifting cookies and letters, leaving free lemons and vegetables on the sidewalk, and even the local street library, filled with second-hand books awaiting a new home. One little St Peters resident is making a big difference.

I just wanted to make more people happy Joining forces with his part-time sidekick and full-time Mum, Nicky, five-year-old Henry hand wrote and delivered 40 cards to random letterboxes throughout St Peters. “Just a little something to brighten your day during lockdown - Henry,” the card reads. Henry says he just wants things to go 16

INNER WEST INDEPENDENT SEPTEMBER 2021

back to normal and hopes his small act of kindness put a smile on someone’s face. “I just wanted to make more people happy,” he told the Independent.

One of the strangers who received the letter, Tracey Clay, says it sure did make her happy. “It certainly made my lockdown much happier that day. And we’ve put it up on the fridge now so we can see it every day,” Tracey said.

THE THOUGHT COUNTS

Local St Peters resident Victoria was a recipient of a small gift from another thoughtful neighbour. Victoria is a small business owner that runs the Urban Cooking Collective pay-it-forward campaign for struggling hospitality workers. She and her wife have been working back-to-back 16-hour-days just to pay rent. After another exhausting day on Wednesday, Victoria came home to find a little bag hanging on her door. It was filled with gingerbread cookies and accompanied by a creative self-portrait from young neighbour Lucinda. “It really made our day you know, it changes your whole attitude

Five-year-old Henry hand wrote and delivered 40 cards to letterboxes. Photo: Supplied

to everything,” Victoria told the Independent. Victoria says this sense of kindness is not new to the St Peters community. In a neighbourhood where people tend to know one another, the current COVID climate has highlighted the importance of connection. “It makes it a little bit more difficult, but I think adversity brings people together, so people tend to be really looking out for other people now,” she said.

Member for Heffron Ron Hoenig says he is not surprised that the St Peters community have banded together during this time of crisis. “With so many in our community out of work and struggling to put food on the table, this resilient community has always shown a real community spirit in helping neighbours, local schools and local charities. “It is a very special community,” Hoeing told the Independent.

IndieNEWS

Byrne tables de-amalgamation motion BY DANIEL LO SURDO nner West Mayor Darcy Byrne has tabled a de-amalgamation motion to vote on at Council’s August 25 meeting. Mr Byrne will gauge Councillors’ support of ‘the direct election of the position of Mayor by citizens rather than the Mayor being elected by Councillors’. The motion is understood to be developed in response to a desire for increased participatory democracy in the Inner West Council, which has drawn considerable criticism of late for its politicised motivations and decisionmaking processes.

are thoughts that would need really careful study.” Included in Mr Byrne’s motion are questions based on a potential deamalgamation which, if it goes ahead, will see Inner West Council abandoned after Leichhardt, Marrickville and Ashfield Councils were amalgamated by the NSW Government in 2016. Councillors will be polled on their support for the State to guarantee the costs of a potential de-amalgamation to restore the former Leichhardt, Marrickville and Ashfield Local Government Areas (LGA).

THE PEOPLE DECIDE These are thoughts that would need really careful study Independent Councillor John Stamolis is opposed to the motion. “What happens if nine Labor Councillors are elected but the high-profile Green gets to be Mayor,” Stamolis told the Independent. “What happens if you’re partway through a term and [it] becomes very difficult to cooperate with that Mayor … what mechanisms and structures do we have if they’re not performing? These

After an extraordinary Council Meeting in May, it was decided that residents would have their say on de-amalgamation, with the Inner West being asked to convey their thoughts on de-amalgamation at the Local Elections on December 4. Mr Byrne, the last Mayor of Leichhardt Council, pledges to support the deamalgamation should the community favour the split. He presently stands against de-amalgamation, with fears of the ratepayer-sourced cost leaning the Inner West Mayor to the status quo. A cost-benefit analysis of a potential de-amalgamation of Inner West Council,

Mayor Darcy Byrne has tabled a new de-amalgamation motion to Councillors. Photo: Facebook/Co.As.It

conducted by Morrison Low, found that one-off costs of de-amalgamation would be $26.2 million, while the net cost of ongoing costs and benefits would total $22.1 million. One-off costs largely relate to information technology, transition and established arrangements through expenses of elections, recruitment and redundancies, whilst ongoing costs will result from changes to services and amenities over the past five years.

It was also found that de-amalgamation would result in an average gain of $266 in rates across the three reformed councils. Despite the cost-benefit analysis findings, tides of de-amalgamation remain strong in the community, which largely wish to see the Inner West LGA split back into three. The de-amalgamation vote will occur on the same day as the Local Elections, December 4.

The case for de-amalgamation BY EVA BAXTER remote grassroots residents forum was held on August 4th to argue the case for de-amalgamating Inner West Council. A question will be put to residents to answer voluntarily on December 4, ‘do you support the inner west LGA being de-amalgamated so as to restore the former local government areas of Ashfield, Leichhardt and Marrickville? YES or NO?” A report commissioned by council to analyse the cost benefit for deamalgamation released last month noted that there is no prescribed methodology for a de-amalgamation of councils in NSW and therefore had to create a methodology based off assumptions.

 The NSW government made this mess It found the one-off de-amalgamation costs would be $26.2 million and the ongoing costs and benefits would be $22.1 million. Pip Hinman, Stanmore ward Socialist Alliance candidate said at the forum “the

Community members and councillors have fought to get de-amalgamation this far. Photo: Peter Boyle

NSW government made this mess, and it must be forced to fix it.” The Local Government Act 1993 was amended this year to state that a new council may submit a proposal for deamalgamation to the local government minister. If the minister supports the deamalgamation proposal, it must ensure that the cost of any de-amalgamation of the new area is fully funded by the government. Victor Macri, Marrickville ward Independent

councillor said at the forum this represents a pathway if the community should vote in favour of de-amalgamation.

BIGGER NOT BETTER

Hinman said the amalgamated council dramatically reduced local representation across the three councils with councillors being reduced from 36 to 15. “Forced amalgamations made the council more remote from residents, it makes the council out to be more like an enterprise […],” she said.

Colin Hesse, Marrickville ward Greens councillor said at the forum that larger councils undermine the closeness of elected councillors to the community and allow councillors to focus on strategic planning issues, rather than more local concerns. He said his former Marrickville council was a “fairly coherent geographic space.” Councillors had a high degree of understanding of each of the different suburbs that Marrickville council covered. He said for example an issue surrounding the Marrickville golf course that has been brought to council is being led by a councillor who resides in Balmain. Rochelle Porteous, Balmain ward Greens councillor said at the forum that her former Leichhardt council only $150,000 could be spent without having to be determined by the council, under Inner West Council that number is $1.5 million. “You can imagine how many decisions are being made that as councillors we do not sight,” she said. She said the sheer quantity of items means that council would not get through the business on the agenda if they had to deal with all the items under $1.5 million. INNER WEST INDEPENDENT SEPTEMBER 2021

IndieNEWS

Opinion

WestConnex: The Road Tunnel Time Bomb WestConnex exhaust stack at Arncliffe. Photo: Andrew Chuter

BY PETER HEHIR here are two approaches to ventilating road tunnels. Obviously the longer the tunnel the bigger the problem, both logistically and in terms of the volume and concentration of the released toxic air. The best method by far is “in tunnel filtration”.

This begins with the design of the tunnel. Special areas adjacent to and at staggered points along the length of the tunnel are constructed to house the filtration equipment. This gear is designed to remove both particulate matter and the oxides of nitrogen. Overseas tests in Japan and other countries have proven this approach to be almost 100% effective. The sub-standard, absurdly expensive and totally ineffective NSW approach is to import the exhaust emissions and push them along the entire length of the tunnel, then attempt to dilute it by sucking in “fresh” air from outside, and finally pumping the polluted mass out through the exhaust stacks, without any form of filtration!

traffic approaching the exits, as the level of cancer-causing ingested polluted air adjacent to the portals is way off the scale! This is the approach that is adopted here in Australia. It comes down to either filtering or diluting and releasing the unfiltered tunnel air. The powers that be continue to lie about “world’s best practice”. “In tunnel filtration” is the world standard and importing and then pumping high concentrations of cancercausing pollution from the exhaust stacks isn’t a solution at all. It’s a problem. A fu*king big problem. Although particulate matter and oxides of nitrogen have extremely serious health consequences that can be almost entirely eliminated through tunnel filtration, carbon dioxide (CO2) - the primary component of car exhaust - has no viable filtration technology.

FIXING THE PROBLEM

Thus the closer a vehicle gets to the exit portal, the greater the volume of air and exhaust pollution. With four exhaust stacks in close proximity, Rozelle is indeed Sydney’s exhaust pipe!

CO2’s contribution to the global climate emergency is of course well known. The obvious way to address that problem is through upgrading public and active transport infrastructure, which was so shamefully ignored when WestConnex was first conceived.

This lethal approach is of special significance to residents who live in the fallout zones and also to the occupants sitting in the slow-moving/stalled tunnel

To be totally honest, retrofitting of the tunnels to filter the air is certainly possible, but highly improbable, because of the extensive work needed within the

INNER WEST INDEPENDENT SEPTEMBER 2021

tunnel complex; and with WestConnex’s 33 kilometres of tunnels, it is now almost certainly cost-prohibitive. Apart from the question of who would bear the cost, there is the fact that the Government and the RMS would be forced to admit that they totally stuffed up the whole project right from the design phase.

 With four exhaust stacks ... Rozelle is indeed Sydney’s exhaust pipe!

so retrofitting of the stacks almost certainly won’t happen. However, this shouldn’t stop us from demanding that the tunnels be filtered. It will be years before fossil fuel burning vehicles are outnumbered by vehicles powered by green technology. In the interim, hundreds of thousands of locals will die prematurely because of the unfiltered exhaust plumes, dumping hundreds of tonnes of carcinogenic material annually into the air that you, I and every other local person and tunnel user is forced to breathe.

If they were coerced into such an admission; that they’d lied and continue to lie about “world’s best practice” and that the diesel exhaust plumes do cause at least eight different forms of cancers, they would then be faced with the huge problem of retrofitting every road tunnel in the State, which could then lead to other States adopting this approach throughout the entire country. Obviously, they would also leave themselves open to massive compensation claims of wrongful death if they aren’t liable already - just like the cigarette companies. But just like the cigarette companies and the structural damage caused by the WestConnex tunnelling, proving causality is the stumbling block.

The cancer-related deaths associated with the unfiltered M5 East plume, generated by just 2.2 kilometres of tunnel, clearly demonstrate that.

LOOKING TO FILTRATION

Surely this is worth remembering when casting a vote at the next Local, State and Federal elections?

The fact remains that both major parties support the current tunnel methodology,

After alarm bells rang, tests were undertaken to determine the cause of the cancer cluster in Turrella residents who lived downwind of the exhaust stack plume. This group showed a 44 per cent increase in lung cancers while over the same period, the State average fell by 9 per cent! A succession of both Labor and Liberal State Governments still refuse to recognise a causal relationship, meanwhile those who live in the plumes emitted from these road tunnel stacks, and those under construction, will continue to die premature and painful deaths.

STAYING PAWSITIVE Whilst Sydney plunges into its third month of lockdown, residents have found respite from their new realities through an unlikely but enduring source, writes Daniel Lo Surdo.

“There are physical benefits, and particularly for dog owners in terms of getting out and exercising. But even cat owners, they find that there’s physical benefits that come through reduced blood pressure,” Ms Vesk told the Independent.

WELCOMING NEW BLOOD

A shortage of resources prompted a callout to residents to foster animals whilst Sydney was forced to stay inside last year. While it kept many households occupied over an otherwise mundane period, it relieved the animal of the stresses that living in a shelter brings, and also allowed it to live in a safe and happy environment. Theresa O’Leary was a Sydneysider who found room for one more in her Campsie home. “We had a cat come to us as a foster because she just had eye surgery … she came to us in March, April last year, and she stayed with us through that lockdown, for six months,” O’Leary told the Independent. Ms O’Leary’s household quickly fell in love with their new companion. Once the sentiment was reciprocated, it was

 Any kind of connection to the natural world is quite ... beneficial While Ms O’Leary has welcomed the distraction that a kitten provides their household, the State and Federal Government is grappling with the deteriorating mental health of the country as it struggles to contain the highlyinfectious Delta variant of COVID-19. Earlier this month, Australian Minister for Health and Aged Care Greg Hunt announced a funding package totalling $10.6 million to establish 10 pop-up mental health clinics across Greater Sydney. Within the rolling lockdowns, Ms Vesk has found relief through the natural world.

“I love the magpies who live in my street,” Vesk said. “They’re not my pets, but any kind of connection to the natural world is quite significantly beneficial to us. “Animals can bring extra joy. For a lot of people, particularly people who are socially isolated, the importance of the person being a carer brings a sense of self and meaning; it can also mean the difference between getting up in the morning … or not.”

living with you because you’ve been there for so long with them.” While Ms Baugh has optimised her time at home, Ms Visk warns prospective owners of the responsibility that a new pet creates. “Keeping a pet is an expense,” Ms Vesk said. “I think people really need to factor in if they can afford this in the long term. “A lot of people are going to have very busy lives.” LOOKING TO NATURE Despite the chaotic nature of a What followed a surge lockdown, Ms Vesk implored owners to in companionship find structure with their pets. was a period of “I think a routine is incredibly important caution for owners - and we may forget that because we and organisations might forget it for ourselves,” Ms Vesk alike, who feared said. that pets will be “It means regular mealtimes, regular discarded once life walk times, regular playtime. returns to normal. The absence of “Do your best to keep your pet healthy lie training programs, and maintain the things that you can like p p : Su o t like puppy preschool or grooming and a good diet, fresh water, o h P specialisation programs, exercise [and] parasite treatment.” also spiked reports of disobedient With COVID-19 cases continuing to animals, forcing many premature rise in all pockets of the city, a look returns to shelters. towards the natural world may Georgia Baugh, another be what is needed for all adopter during lockdown, Sydneysiders. used the extended time “We’re living in a to settle her newest really dense urban inhabitant before environment, and returning to work. pets are like our “If you were to get a connection to the new pet when you’re still natural world working, it’s harder to they’re like the bridge spend that time with them between us as just Ph ot to keep them comfortable humans,” Ms Vesk said. o: S u pp lied at the start - that’s the most “Without any experience crucial time as well,” Ms Baugh of non-human animals, we’re told the Independent. missing out on a lot … we’re missing “When eventually everything goes back out on a lot of skills around empathy to normal, they’re already settled ... so and understanding - and just the it’s easy to get back into the workforce notion that we are part of one system, because they are already comfortable not just us.” d

Cat Protection Society of NSW CEO Kristina Vesk has witnessed the joy that pet adoption has brought people forced to stay at home.

ied

decided to adopt their newest feline into the family. “She gets on really well with our other cat, and she’s provided a new lease on life to all of us,” O’Leary said. “She makes us laugh, she cuddles us, she’s a friend and companion to us and our other cats. There’s something really lovely about looking after another being, knowing we have to look after her and making her life better, that was a great thing for us to really help us stay positive. “I think a lot of people find that when they’re at home with an animal, they become very close to them and they get to know them very well, and your life would just be incomplete without them.” Pho to: S

BY DANIEL LO SURDO n uptick in animal companionship during the Sydney COVID-19 lockdowns has been hailed as a saving grace for Sydneysiders seeking purpose and routine in the absence of conventional work and recreation regimes.

Sydneysiders are looking to their pets for joy in lockdown. Photo: Supplied

INNER WEST INDEPENDENT SEPTEMBER 2021

COFFIN ED’S NAKED CITY

PROTEST OR PEST

heir democratic right to protest aside, many would regard the ragtag collection of protestors who have turned out regularly for the anti-lockdown protests as serial pests. The same faces, spruiking the same agendas, regularly appear at the Sydney and Melbourne protests and unmasked, they have no problem being documented by the media. Whether frustration with the extended lockdowns, vaccination and the various COVID conspiracies, are the prime motivating forces is open to debate. What’s not in question is their willingness to shun the broader public opinion and become pariahs in the process. It’s a kind of bravado that some of Australia’s less political but brazenly eccentric serial pests have adopted over the last half century or more. The legendary Bea Miles was without a doubt Sydney’s most famous serial pest during the 1950s although she was better known as a kind of loveable bohemian rebel. She was infamous for her stormy relationship with Sydney’s taxi drivers, often dodging fares or offering to recite Shakespeare in return for not paying. On the other hand she once supposedly took a cab from Sydney to Perth and back again, forking over a whopping six hundred pounds at the time. She constantly attracted the attention of Sydney’s tabloid press, however after ripping the door off a taxi in retaliation, her eccentricity began to wear thin. ‘Pest’ is probably an unfair description for Bea, unless of course

you were driving a hack at the time. When her colourful life finally expired in 1973 many cabbies heaved a sigh of relief although there have been many serial fair evaders since. When it comes to bona fide serial pests, few would argue with that description applying to the notorious and almost universally disliked Peter Hore. Hore, who apparently suffered from schizophrenia, had an uncanny knack of denting the Australian psyche and upsetting millions with his outrageous stunts during the 90s and early 2000s. In 1997 he ran onto the pitch during a World Cup football qualifying match between Australia and Iran, the disruption often blamed for Australia losing the game. Similar stunts occurred at the 1997 Melbourne Cup and the Australian Open Tennis in 2000. What really turned public opinion against him was his gate crashing of Michael Hutchence’s much publicised funeral in 1997 at St Andrew’s Cathedral, where

he suddenly appeared screaming “I am the second coming”. In more recent years Hore has been detained by police at the slightest suspicion that he might attempt a similar stunt. In 2014 he was apprehended by counter-terrorism police at Hamilton railway station, about to board a Sydney-bound train just hours before the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were set to greet the masses at the Opera House. The expression ‘dine-and-dash’ might be new to many, but in the 80s and 90s it was made famous by Australia’s most infamous restaurant runner, Paul Charles Dozsa. The Hungarian-born, Australian chess master, mastered the art of dining at the best restaurants, drinking their finest wines, then doing a skip. Arrested and convicted over 50 times, he was often forced to make recompense but manipulated the legal system to avoid any serious punishment. Dozsa died in 2003 but in 2009 a bogus clip of one of his supposed arrests was uploaded to YouTube, further adding to the mystery that surrounded his life. Serial pest, serial glutton, serial gourmet or serial unpublished food critic? Take your pick! These days, the serial pest is more of a YouTube phenomenon and Jackass style clips prevail. The originators often seek notoriety but more often than not they are out to generate revenue. As such they are looking to win over an audience, not alienating them with malice or acts of aggression. Maybe today’s serial lockdown protestors could follow suit with a similar pest free approach.

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IndieARTS

INNER WEST DANCER TEACHER IS A 4 TIME WORLD CHAMP BY JARROD WOLFHUNTER lexandre Fulbert is a decorated fourtime World Dance Championship winning dance teacher who calls Sydney home. The accomplished dancer is a curator at the International Dance Organisation (Australia), the biggest and most prestigious dance organisation in the world, in addition to being the NSW Director of the Couples Dance Section. Born in France, his dance career started at age 10 where he soon found himself in competition. By age 15, Alex was nationally recognised as an emerging talent in Rock ‘n’ Roll dancing, and by 15 was a part of the French National Team focusing on Swing Dance. Alex has experience in: Jazz, Salsa, Bachata and Latin, and Ballroom dance, to accompany Rock ‘n’ Roll and Swing; his obligations with the French Team had Alex teaching Dance Workshops all over Europe.

Alex has been teaching in Sydney for around five years, and his passion lies in “teaching well-being and mindfulness through dance” for school aged children, mainly in the Inner-west. The core values at the centre of the classes are, Respect, Courage and Trust. Alex instills these important character traits into his classes in a bid to equip his students with the tools to successfully navigate adolescence – through dance. A recent success for Alex was his involvement in leading the Australian Team to victory in the World Online Dancing Championships. Alex can be found applying his dance skills and expertise to local school-aged children, and developing them into socialised, respectful, resilient dancers and students at Wilkins, Haberfield, and Ashbury Public Schools in Sydney’s Inner West.

Gabbi Lancaster

Photo: Ilia Torlin

ONLINE ARTS WORKSHOP SET TO HELP SYDNEY UNLOCK CREATIVITY T BY LUCINDA GARBUTT-YOUNG he online-based arts organisation, The Art Of Flow, is offering a Five Day Creative Adventure Workshop later this month. Run by artist Gabbi Lancaster, the program seeks to unlock artistic flow in even the most skeptical of participants. Lancaster has been teaching arts programs to children and adults for 15 years. Online classes were never part of the plan. Yet when a Facebook community formed organically in lockdown last year, Lancaster knew she had tapped into something special. “I started to learn how to run an online membership business,” Lancaster said of her initiative. “A big part of my message is about the joy that painting can bring and the mental health benefits of expressing ourselves with paint. It’s such a safe way to release emotion and to get a deeper understanding of ourselves.”

The first free program in April 2020 spread to 400 people, before Lancaster’s initial Five Day Creative Adventure multiplied in hundreds. Participants began posting their practice in a private Facebook page, daily. “It was like this love bomb went off in our Facebook group… This kind of process is very freeing and it’s a lot about letting go,” Lancaster said of people sharing their work across the five days. Because of the program’s previous success, The Art Of Flow would love to see even more participants this time around. Those who sign-up receive a daily creative prompt via email. There’s also a live session at 11am each day, where Lancaster invites people to paint with her. The program is running from August 23-27 for $15. You can sign up here and use the code HUBCREATIVE for $5 off. INNER WEST INDEPENDENT SEPTEMBER 2021

IndieARTS

BY JARROD WOLFHUNTER orothy Kolentsis wears many different hats in Sydney’s and more specifically, the Inner West’s art community. Dot is a painter, sketching artist, ceramicist. Her role as Art Program Coordinator at the Art Gallery of NSW has Dot organising workshops for fledgling and emerging school-aged artists. Dot’s most recent exhibition was at Studio W in Wooloomooloo, and she is heavily involved in the Annual Charity Exhibition at Camperdown’s Chrissie Cotter Art Gallery. Domestic Still Life Sketching has punctuated the artist’s well-established catalogue of work, with Kolentsis stating that she recently sold a still-life sketch of a can of coconut water that held a specific appeal to the buyer. Dot is rarely seen without her sketchpad, and admits to taking pleasure in drawing everyday items that can be found around her house,

like, washed dishes, glassware, vacuum cleaner, and cutlery. Kolentsis is using this break in routine to gather enough work and inspiration to hold another exhibition in 2022, but she is keeping her cards close to her chest on what exactly that might involve. Dot’s message to budding local artists trying to gain purchase on a sometimes tricky and elusive Sydney arts scene is to focus on producing content; attend workshops and short-courses - The Julian Ashton Art School at The Rocks, and National Art School in Darlinghurst are great! And importantly, look for networking opportunities; speaking highly of “simpatico relationships” she has encountered along the way. Lastly, in addition to a 2022 exhibition, Dot is planning on delivering workshops for children and adolescents in the Inner West.

MARRICKVILLE’S DOROTHY KOLENTSIS’ ADVICE TO ASPIRING ARTISTS

COSMIC PSYCHOS “CAN’T STOP AND WON’T STOP” BY TESSA PEELE fter a certain number of years, it’s typical for most bands to either break up or stop making music altogether. But after nearly 40 years, Cosmic Psychos have been influential in the Australian punk rock scene and show absolutely no signs of slowing down. The band’s drummer, Dean Muller credits their longevity to long lasting friendships and the band’s love for creating music. “It’s still fun, it’s never felt like a chore. It’s always been a lot of fun doing it. As soon as it becomes a chore or a moneymaking exercise, it should be over but we’re still going good,” Muller says. With the release of their 11th studio album, Mountain Of Piss, Cosmic Psycho’s continue to make waves in the punk community. “Well, I mean the name [Mountain Of Piss] says it all. We just got together and recorded it and drank a bit of beer and that was that. It’s normally what we do, we’re all mates so it’s not really work for us. It’s just fun to get together,” Muller says. Recorded in 2019 and pre-COVID, the album features songs about dickhead sporting culture and being way too old to drink at the pub.

INNER WEST INDEPENDENT SEPTEMBER 2021

“It’s like a bulldozer hitting a train. And some bloke yelling on top of that… we had a bit of time and wrote some pretty interesting, pretty funny songs on this new record.” Muller says his musical inspirations range all the way from “Cannibal Corpse to Mozart.” “I’d always liked music and music was in my house. And then I sort of discovered the Beatles, I wanted to be just like Ringo Starr, so I got some sticks and started learning at school,” he says. Cosmic Psycho’s are still going as strong as ever and are keen to perform again in the near future. “We’re all still healthy. Ross has just gotten new hips, he’s like the $10,000 man or something,” Muller says, referring to founding member Ross Knight’s hip replacements in 2019. Despite the cancellation of their August shows due to Sydney’s lockdown, Dean is still hopeful the band will be able to perform again sometime soon. “It’s weird with people sitting down [at shows]. I think mosh pits are a thing of the past… hopefully we’ll get back out there and hopefully we won’t be too old when we do.”

IndieARTS

MURRAY COOK & LIZZIE MACK’S THE SOUL MOVERS RELEASE NEW ALBUM BY TESSA PEELE ronted by Lizzie Mack and former red Wiggle Murray Cook, The Soul Movers’ latest album Evolution is a delectable collection of positive melodies and emotional nuance. Since hanging up his red skivvy in 2012, Inner West local Murray has shown no signs of slowing down as he embarks on his newest musical chapter with The Soul Movers. “The journey with The Soul Movers has been really great because after I finished with the Wiggles, I was really looking for something to satisfy creative urges and this ended up being it,” Murray says. Evolution is the band’s fourth studio album and third with Murray. The

record’s titular track touches on environmental issues through soulful beats reminiscent of 60s and 70s style funk. With lyrics like ‘all the people under the sun will join when the world is one,’ the song evokes a hopeful message. “I think a lot of it was trying to get a positive message out there, that was a lot of what we were trying to do during the recording. People have had a fairly dark year and a bit so there’s a brightness about the album, I think,” Murray says. As the band gear up for their nationwide tour and upcoming album launches, Murray reflects on how COVID restrictions have impacted their live performances.

“People, when they weren’t allowed to dance, would still dance in their chairs. I think one of the things about being in lockdown and not being able to do something that you really love means that when you get out there and do it, you really appreciate it even more.” The Aussie icon’s legacy with the Wiggles is not lost on him; his fanbase comprises of generations old and young. “Seeing the kids who grew up with the Wiggles coming to see me now,

it’s fantastic. But it’s also quite funny because we’ll be at a gig and at the end some giant six foot tall guy with tattoos and a beard comes up and goes ‘Can I have a hug? I love you!’” Murray says. The Soul Movers have something for everyone, “I’m not one to blow my own trumpet, but it is a really great live show. We use a lot of elements that I used in the Wiggles like crowd participation and stuff, so we really try to get the audience involved… we just want people to have fun.”

“CANDYMAN” A WELCOME RETURN TO FORM FOR JORDAN PEELE

SKIN CRAWLING WALL STREET DRAMA, ‘MOSQUITO STATE’

BY JARROD WOLFHUNTER osquito State is a combination of Bret Easton Ellis’ American Psycho meets Orwell’s 1984, meets Kafka’s Metamorphosis. The disturbing film follows the steady mental decline of Wall-Street savant, Richard Boca, into insanity. His physical transition from a professional - surrounded by alpha-bro-dudes - to limping monstrosity is harrowing. Boca is ravaged, nightly, by giant swarms of mosquitoes that breed in his dark, sleek, sterile and edgy apartment as

his psychosis deepens. Mosquito State is artistically littered with scenes of the mosquito lifecycle: egg to larvae to pupa to adult; corresponding with film plot. Featuring a haunting operatic and string-section film score that frequently hits the same high-pitch humming notes that disturb our sleep in mosquito season. The directors have done an outstanding job in seamlessly melding the sci-fi horror genre to this politicobureau, post-modern take on WallStreet in 2007, pre-market crash. The entire film is unsettling and disturbing and caution should be applied when watching this in lockdown. This is not a feel-good-film, and your skin will crawl through-out. WWWW

Mosquito State is streaming on Shudder from Aug 26

BY JAMIE APPS cclaimed filmmaker Jordan Peele (Get Out, BlackKkKlansman, Us) once again dips his toes into the horror genre & peels back the veneer on racial inequality. This time Peele acts as the screenwriter alongside director Nia DaCosta as they create a spiritual sequel to 1992’s Candyman. 2021’s Candyman takes place in modern day Chicago. More specifically the film focuses on Cabrini Green, a former ‘ghetto’ which has since been gentrified and is now the upscale loft apartment home of artist Anthony McCoy and his partner Brianna Cartwright. In a desperate attempt to rediscover inspiration for his art Anthony begins to research the history of Cabrini Green. In doing so Anthony unwittingly opens a portal, unleashing violence upon anybody foolish enough to utter the name Candyman into a mirror five times. Director Nia DaCosta imbues the film with a rich tapestry of visual delights via her use of artistic shots, locations and framing. This gives the film a beauty which masks the horror initially

but then heightens its impact as the film progresses. Thematically, as is the case with many Peele films, Candyman is an allegory for racial injustice & police brutality. These elements are presented in a way which doesn’t distract from the story of the film but rather serves to heighten the impact of the horror. Candyman is a return to form for Peele after a disappointing outing with Us. This film easily ranks alongside Peele’s debut horror outing Get Out. WWWW1/2 INNER WEST INDEPENDENT SEPTEMBER 2021

SYDNEY, LET’S GET VACCINATED We all want an end to the extended COVID-19 lockdowns here in the inner west. The very best thing we can all do right now to keep everyone in our community safe and hasten the end of lockdown is to get vaccinated - and keep following the health advice. Don’t forget that it is now compulsory to wear a mask every time you leave your home. Use the QR code to learn how to book your COVID-19 vaccination

HERE TO HELP While my office is closed to face-to-face meetings during lockdown, we are available to assist you on the phone or email. Ph 9660 7586 | balmain@parliament.nsw.gov.au Authorised by Jamie Parker MP and funded using parliamentary entitlements. August 2021. 24

INNER WEST INDEPENDENT SEPTEMBER 2021