Macarthur Advocate - April 2023

What are community juries?

your favourite business Futurist vision of transport

Vote

NEW TOWNSHIP

$2B development planned for Wilton

ANEW township will be created at the country village of Wilton with the official launch of the $2B Wilton Greens project. Wilton Greens will be home to around 10,000 people with 3600 building blocks for sale from $450,000. The project is currently being marketed from a Sales Gallery at

Macarthur Square Shopping Centre. Wollondilly Shire Council recently granted Risland Australia land registration for the first phase of Stage One. The project is a clear sign that Sydney is rapidly spreading Southwest and will need massive infrastructure to handle the booming population. More: page 3.

MOVING HOME OR OFFICE?

USE SYDNEY’S MOST TRUSTED REMOVALIST. VOTED NO. 1 FOR DEPENDABILITY & AFFORDABILITY!

RELOCATING YOUR HOME OR BUSINESS?

AAA City Removalist is renowned as Sydney’s most trustworthy company when it comes to moving homes or offices.

So aside from the advantages you get in terms of us understanding your needs, you’re also going to benefit from getting THE BEST PRICE!

We can organise free box hire and offer full or part packing/unpacking services.

In other words, we’re your ONE-STOP-SHOP when it comes to “removalist services!”

So if you’re moving soon, contact us to discuss how we can help!

Sydney, Country NSW and Interstate

1800 77 77 81

FREE BOXES

It’s our way of giving you that “extra” customer service that makes all the difference.

SECURE PACKING

Our packing material exceeds industry standards and is available in various sizes.

DISCONNECTION & RECONNECTION

We can organise your changeover & provide you with our expertise in disconnecting & reconnecting your utilities.

info@aaacityremovalist.com.au www.aaacityremovalist.com.au www.facebook.com/AAACityRemovalist/

TOWNSHIP CALLED WILTON GREENS

South-Wests’ booming population

„ DALLAS SHERRINGHM

ANEW township will be created at the country village of Wilton with the official launch of the $2B Wilton Greens project.

Wilton Greens will be home to around 10,000 people with 3600 building blocks for sale from $450,000. The project is currently being marketed from a Sales Gallery at Macarthur Square Shopping Centre.

Wollondilly Shire Council recently granted Risland Australia land registration for the first phase of Stage One.

The project is a clear sign that Sydney is rapidly spreading South West and will need massive infrastructure to handle the booming population.

Spanning 433ha Wilton Greens will feature a variety of housing types plus two employment hubs, a local neighborhood centre, high-quality parks and playgrounds, several kilometres of cycle paths and 8.5ha. of open spaces.

TRN Group was awarded the civil infrastructure and subdivision works for the first 263 land parcels with more than 1.4 million tonnes of earth already moved. Construction works in the initial Stages A to D are now complete with all authority inspections and approvals finalised.

“Risland has worked closely with key

stakeholders such as Transport for NSW and Sydney Water for several years in the lead up to gaining land registration for the first stage,” Senior Development Manager at Risland Australia Andre Byczkov said.

“This is a crucial milestone for the project. Wilton Greens is the first masterplanned development in NSW. The company’s vision to create a high-quality residential lifestyle in the centre of Sydney’s South West is now one step closer.

It’s the outdoor lifestyle

“Homes that support an outdoors lifestyle are exceedingly popular. The idea of living in a brand-new walkable and connected community that is well priced is very appealing.

“Creating a future in a growth region and thinking long term are crucial elements for financial success when purchasing in Sydney’s property market,” he said.

A highlight of the project is a walkable neighborhood designed to encourage an active lifestyle and it has eight ‘villages’, each with a green open space at its heart to act as a central destination, high-quality home designs to maximise picturesque rural views and distinct native landscaping with wide home frontages.

In fact, the landscape will be a major defining feature of Wilton Greens with extensive planting that reflects the character of the Southern Highlands region already well underway.

John Holland, Director at Group GSA, designer of the landscaping program said the landscape and open spaces would provide the backdrop to Wilton Greens and deliver essential ambience, spirit of place and overriding character.

“The approach is to establish a high quality, contemporary landscape incorporating community identity with a powerful sense of place, while maximising conservation and revegetation of threatened ecological communities. Care and attention to the total design of the landscape is at play.”

Vision highlights include $7B to be spent on economic development including a 200ha new town centre, $632M to complete Campbelltown Hospital’s redevelopment, NBN full fibre to the home connectivity for ‘work from home’ and remote access, $178.5M for transport and new infrastructure in the area, two new proposed primary schools and 15,000 permanent jobs including retail, education and health.

Wilton Greens is located at the gateway to the South West with Campbelltown just 30km away. Mittagong is 36km away, Wollongong 40km and Sydney CBD 80 km.

The Wilton Greens Sales Gallery is located in Macarthur Square Shopping Centre, Shop U042, Level 3, Visit www.wiltongreens.com.au or call 133 188.

ISSUE 4 | April

How to get The News

The Macarthur Advocate is available at strategic locations throughout Blacktown LGA. To find a location near you visit our website.

Digital edition

Each edition of The Macarthur Advocate can be viewed and downloaded in digitalf ormat at our ISSUU platform: www.issuu/communitybroadcastnetwork

Contacts

Editorial info@macathuradvocate.au

Admin and General info@macathuradvocate.au

Editor Michael Walls michael@accessnews.com.au

Newsroom

News Editor Dallas Sherringham dallas@accessnews.com.au

Advertising sales

Maree Daniels maree@accessnews.com.au

Administration

Rebecca Swaleh rebecca@accessnews.com.au

Design and production Design2Pro, Ju Ju Garphics.

Platinum Media Partner www.wexpo.com.au

Support Partner Local Business Awards in Campbelltown, Camden abd Wollondilly.

Support for domestic violence prevention

IN the lead up to Domestic Violence Prevention Month, Wollondilly Shire Council is taking part in the DV Safe Phone program and has installed a recycled phone bin at its Customer Service Centre.

The DV Safe Phone program aims to repurpose old phones and give them to people in domestic violence situations to support their access to help when it is most needed.

There are drop-off locations right across Australia, and the Council Administration Building in Menangle Street Picton has now been added to the list.

Mayor Matt Gould said: “It is crucial that every victim of domestic violence has access to a safe phone to call for help when they are in need.”

“There are over two million known victims of domestic violence in Australia and often people don’t know the best way to help, so this is a practical way to provide assistance to those who most need it.”

“Wollondilly Council is delighted to support this great initiative, which was raised by Councillor Brandstater at a recent Council meeting. I’d like to thank Cr Brandstater for bringing the proposal

to Council.”

Wollondilly residents can make a real difference during Domestic Violence Prevention Month during May and beyond, by donating their old phones at the Council Administration Building in Menangle Street, Picton.

Information on how to prepare pre-used phones for donation is available at www.dvsafephone.org/ donate-phones

Funds can also be donated to help support the program including paying for replacement parts, SIM cards, phone credit and engaging specialist technicians at www. dvsafephone.org

30-minute wonder city

„ DALLAS SHERRINGHAM

CAMDEN and Liverpool councils have teamed up to turn Leppington into a new '30 minute' wonder city.

They have launched a major precinct masterplan for Leppington Town Centre with the aim of developing the much touted '30-minute city' concept.

The councils have been collaborating on the ambitious masterplan for the town centre, which aims to deliver 10,500 homes by 2041.

The precinct is now under assessment with the NSW Department for Planning and Environment.

The 440ha site within the South West Growth Area spans the two local government authorities but has “been slow to develop to date”.

According to leading web site Urban Developer, this was due to fragmented land ownership and a perceived “lack of a lead developer to establish a town centre”.

The Leppington Town Centre Review Planning Proposal was endorsed by Liverpool Council in October before being discussed at Camden in November ahead of being filed with the department this year.

Leppington is largely an employment-zoned area, focusing on business and industrial parks, with pockets of medium-density residential.

The rezoning masterplan will turn it into a highly integrated mixed-use Strategic Centre Core, according to the councils, helping to facilitate the growth of residential living and the provision of cultural and recreational facilities.

In addition to the residential component, 156,000sq m of retail space and 142,000sq m of commercial, health, community and education floor space are included in the plans.

The area’s employment focus will be retained with 160,000sq m of commercial and industrial enterprise floor space included in the masterplan.

Sources: Camden Council, Urban Developer

Social casinos highly ranked THE Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has released a report on social casinos, offering insights into consumer behavior and industry trends in this rapidly growing market. Social casinos offer online casino-style games without real money wagering, but users can make in-game purchases. Australia ranked in the top five markets by consumer spend in H1 2022, with global revenue expected to grow by 5% per annum until 2025. Research shows that social casino game players tend to be older, with slots being the most popular game.

Call for four-day working week

TRADEMUTT, Australia’s leading social enterprise workwear company, has shifted its five-day work schedule to four days to promote better work-life balance. The change in schedule aims to show that reducing working hours per week can still maintain the required output and increase productivity, lessening stress and increasing profitability.

TradeMutt’s founders, Daniel Allen and Edward Ross, encourage business owners across Australia to implement a four-day workweek and discuss with their staff how they can support this change.

Cost of doing business too high

DENITA Wawn, CEO of Master Builders Australia, has warned that the inflation indicator for February 2023 is a reminder of the risks of entrenching inflation without addressing supply-side hurdles. Although the annual rate of inflation fell from 7.4% in January to 6.8%, it is still declining too slowly. The cost of new dwelling purchases remained up by

13% over the year to February, demonstrating how more aggressive measures to tackle home building cost pressures could help reduce inflation across the economy.

Songs that are simply ear-resistible

DO you ever find yourself with a song stuck in your head, even if you don’t particularly like it or know where it came from? You may have an earworm, a catchy piece of music that plays involuntarily in your mind. Earworms are quite common, with some studies suggesting that up to 98% of people experience them. New research published in the journal Music & Science suggests that repetition is the key factor that causes earworms. The study’s author, Professor Emery Schubert, explains that the chorus of a song is usually the most repeated section, which is why it often becomes an earworm. However, repetition alone is not enough; familiarity and recency of the music, as well as being in a relaxed and low-attentional state, are also necessary preconditions. While some people may find earworms enjoyable, they can be a problem if the music is not liked. To get rid of an earworm, one can try finishing the music, consciously thinking of another song, or avoiding triggers like lyrics or memories associated with the music.

GPs struggle with Medicare

THE Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) has expressed support for an independent review of Medicare non-compliance and has urged the Australian Government to offer more assistance for general practice

care. The review was conducted by Dr Pradeep Philip and found that leakage in the Medicare system is mainly due to non-compliance errors caused by the complex system, rather than deliberate fraud. RACGP President Dr Nicole Higgins welcomed the report’s findings,

which cleared GPs of any allegations of Medicare rorting. She stated that GPs are struggling with a fiendishly complex Medicare Benefits Schedule and that an educative, rather than a punitive approach from the Health Department, would be more beneficial

GPs struggle with Medicare

Enjoy life while staying connected to your Blacktown community, your local sports, your family and friends... every day.

Exclusively for over 55’s and located next to Workers Sports Club, Parkside Lifestyle Community will commence construction soon.

To receive progress updates and an invitation to events, register your interest at parksidelifestyle.com.au

VS REALITY FOR COMMUTERS

Futurist vision of Western Sydney

„ DALLAS SHERRINGHAM

FUTERISTS and dreamers see a Western Sydney where everyone lives less than 30 minutes from work, but the reality is far different for today’s commuters.

A recent survey showed the average trip to work in Sydney was 62 minutes – or more twice the ideal time. And that commute costs an average of $22, equal with Hobart as the dearest cities in Australia.

The Real Australian Commute Report said the average Australian travelled 33km at 54 minutes, paying $20 for the privilege,

And they sped $4003 per yearn on average, or $43 billion getting from point A to point B.

‘That’s a lot of money and with rising financial concerns and a potential recession, times are tough on the buses, trains and ‘freeways’,” the report said.

Most of the 5000 commuters surveyed at 85% believed that Governments could do more to ease the cost of their daily commute.

The report found 83% of commuters agree the trip to work has never felt as expensive as now and 47% said the growing cost had placed considerable financial pressure on their household.

When it comes to travelling on public transport, bad behavior is another major problem for our embattled commuters.

Three quarters of commuters believe that commuters with bad manners should be fined or banned from public transport.

Life on the roads isn’t much better

Town Centre Living

Live at the Park

Oran Park has a new land release positioned less than 500m from the Town Centre!

O ran Park is constantly evolving, so now is the time to take advantage of everything this great community has to offer. Here’s what you can look forward to while living at the Park:

• A variety of schools and future tertiary institutions

• Multiple pre-school and day-care centres

• Pedestrian-friendly streets, creating easy access to amenities

• 160km of paths and cycleways for you to explore parklands, playgrounds and sporting fields

with Western Sydney roads clogged to a standstill during commuting periods. A survey of drivers showed 91% of drivers surveyed should have better knowledge of road rules.

And 85% believe drivers are not courteous or safe.

The pandemic also made a big

difference with 59% of former fulltime commuters having changed their mind on how much they were willing to spend in time and money going to work.

Going green and saving the environment is also spruiked by civic planners, but commuters have a far more pragmatic view.

The research showed low running costs at 42% and good performance 39% were far more important than environmental friendliness at 21% when buying a new vehicle.

This could explain why the last State Government’s push for electric vehicles fell flat with voters at the recent election. Just 10% of commuters have bought an environment friendly car.

Surprisingly, of those who are considering buying an environment friendly car, men at 60% are far more interested than women at 46%.

But statistics show that this will change with Gen Z at 46% most likely to go hybrid or electric followed by Gen Y at 45%, Gen X 39% and Boomers 35%.

And finally, the best major city for commuters is Darwin. They average 36 minutes, spend $12 and travel 26km. Brisbane commuters travel 33km over 59 minutes costing just $19.

Melbourne with its vast tram network, costs $21, takes 57 minutes and the average commute is 30km.

• An award-winning skate park and splash park which includes flying foxes, table tennis tables, basketball courts, a ninja warrior course and a parkour course

• Oran Park Library

• Meeting friends and family at Oran Park’s major shopping centre, The Podium

• New dining experiences at the Oran Park Hotel, Atura Hotel and food precincts within The Podium

• State-of-the-art Leisure Centre which houses a 50m indoor Olympic pool, gym, four basketball courts, sauna and more

• Jobs close to home within the Town Centre and nearby Western Sydney International Airport

• World class fiber optic networks with high-speed internet

• An integrated health hub for your wellbeing needs

• Good public transport with a current rotation of buses and a future train station

• A fresh new start in a masterplanned community

Don’t miss out on the opportunity of securing a lot close to the Town Centre.

Vote for your favourite business

The Marcarthur Advocate is again proud to support the Campbelltown Local Business Awards as media partner. Voting for the 2022 awards is now open - until May 16. To vote for your favourite business simply scan the QR code on the advertisement to be linked to the businesses’ voting page.

www.thebusinessawards.com.au | www.greaterblacktownnews.com.au

Macarthur

THE GAME

Scan

the QR code to vote for us in the Campbelltown Local Business Awards 4/100 The Parkway, Bradbury

for

MARIO’S AIMING AT A WORK RECORD…

56 hours of a continuous podcast

SASWATI MUKHERJEE

COME April 29, 2023 and Western Sydney businessman Mario Bekes will attempt to create history and enter the Guinness Book of World Records.

The 51-year- old is looking at a 56-hour marathon of continuous radio broadcast.

This, Mario says, is his way of challenging life. “I want to set an example, live life to the fullest and inspire people to believe in their abilities,” says Mario who first came to Canberra in Australia in 1998 on an official task.

He took a liking to this country and later moved to Sydney in 2003. This city has been his home since then.

With a background in military and diplomatic affairs, Mario did quite a lot of odd jobs to start off with as a migrant in a new country and eventually started his own business.

A successful businessman now, he took to podcasting as a hobby during lockdown.

A few years down the line and Mario is attempting to enter the Guinness Book of World Records – his proposed schedule would have him in his podcast studio, the ‘Secret Location’ for 56 straight hours and one minute from 11 am that day. That means he must give up on his sleep and talk continuously for the entire length of time. For him, the longest pod-

cast so far has been a two-hour stint.

“I am mentally setting myself up for the challenge, I want to create a legacy,” says Mario who is in the final stages of preparing my script. He wants to touch on his personal experiences around health, friends, family, business and maybe even his books.

Yes, Mario is a successful author of seven published books too.

At this point in time, he is still working out the nitty-gritty’s of the program, and is certainly hoping to make it as interesting as possible.

Sponsorship opportunities are avaiolbale.

The entire broadcast would be available for streaming live through his website: https:// mariosworldrecord.au/

WEXPO at Blacktown Workers Club

Building a Voice for Western Sydney

WentWest, the Western Sydney Primary Health Network, is working with the community to improve health equity. Our aim is to deliver services that are co-designed by the community, for the community, and we are constantly expanding ways to improve our community relationships and partnerships.

Our West Sydney

To help listen and respond to community members in Western Sydney, we have developed an online community hub, Our West Sydney. Our West Sydney is an interactive online forum for community members, health care professionals and partners to come together and share high-quality information, ideas and events.

Facilitated by WentWest, the platform is designed to build and strengthen positive relationships and partnerships that focus on creating a healthier Western Sydney for everyone. By opening up the conversation, Our West Sydney allows you to play a role in the design of quality health care services in our region

Community-led Solutions

When is the last time that someone asked you what the most important health and social care priorities are in your community? At WentWest, we’re trying to shift the way health care is approached and bring community into the conversation about their own health.

We’re already fortunate to have great feedback from our Consumer Advisory Council, but we’re now expanding our reach and creating a series of “Community Juries”.

Community Juries

It’s called a “jury” because the group is randomly selected and representative of the community. Collectively, members will learn about a health and social issue, then debate and discuss the information to come up with recommendations.

At WentWest, we will be running our first two Community Juries in Western Sydney in August 2023. One will be a First Nations group, led by a First Nations facilitator, and the other will be multicultural. Both groups will consider information about the health and wellbeing of Western Sydney communities to provide wellinformed recommendations about what matters to communities in our region.

To prepare, WentWest is listening to communityled Advisory Panels to guide the development of the evidence and refine the language being used to describe and run these groups. Juries will be made up of Western Sydney people randomly selected from a ballot.

To take part in the ballot to be a Western Sydney Community juror scan the QR code below.

You can also chat to our helpful team on (02) 8811 7118

If you want to join our network of community leaders and be a regular part of the conversation, sign-up to Our West Sydney: bit.ly/ourwestsydneycommunityvoices

TRAVELING AND WORKING….

We explore some cool options

„ DALLAS SHERRINGHAM

THERE has been a dramatic 12-month increase in searches for remote work locations in Australia as thousands of workers move to regional centres.

Exclusive data from Instant Offices has revealed a dramatic increase of 82% in searches for remote work since last year- confirming people are growing tired of the city office lifestyle.

With the world opening up since the covid pandemic and workers getting excited to jump back to normality, there was a buzz of excitement last year for everyone to get back to the office, but the new data shows the enthusiasm was short lived.

CMO for The Instant Group John Williams said the significant rise in searches from the Instant Offices data showed a vast surge in searches for remote working.

“It indicates a robust demand for remote and hybrid working, including both careers and workspaces that can enable this working pattern.

"Most people have moved on from the initial post-covid freedom and return to office and are now looking for a more permanent routine that strikes a comfortable work-life balance between commuting, working hours, collaboration, and flexibility.”

People are also using caravans and motorhomes as work bases as they travel around Australia.

However, the best we came across was a Meta employee who plans to work remotely from a new mega cruise ship for several years.

Austin Wells, whose job in augmented and virtual reality for Meta is fully remote, has bought a 12-year lease on the soon-to-launch MV Narrative cruise ship, which markets itself as a “residence at sea”.

Mr Wells said he spent $300,000 on a 12-year lease for an entry-level “Discover” studio on the ship, which will launch in 2025.

Living onboard the ship full-time, the tech employee will have access to a medical centre, a gym and spa, a co-working space, three swimming pools, a bank and even a farmer’s market.

It will make stops in the likes of Rome, Venice, Croatian islands and Greece, as well as travelling to the Arctic

Circle, on a yet-to-be-confirmed three-year itinerary.

“The thing that most excites me is [that] I don’t have to upend my daily routine in order to go see the world,” Mr Wells said.

“I’m going from this model where if you want to go somewhere, you pack a bag, you get on a flight, you rent a room... to now my condo, my gym, my doctors and dentists, all of my grocery stores travel the world with me.”

Passengers can choose to pay an “all-inclusive” living rate per month, meaning all meals, clinic visits, fitness classes and laundry would be covered, or simply pay as they go.

The 18-deck vessel will also feature 20 restaurants and bars, a school, library and a cinema. It is currently under construction in Split, Croatia, from where it will set sail in 2025.

Studies have shown that a stimulating working environment can help to increase productivity. Couple this with advances in mobile technology and you open up a plethora of interesting workplace solutions.

Workspace-sharing website Vrumi offers users a wide variety of locations available to hire, with current listings ranging from a private dining room in Notting Hill to a retro barge moored just outside Little Venice to a pond-side cabin for 10 in Enfield. England.

Many larger corporates are also embracing this trend with PR giant Ogilvy & Mather adopting a carnival-themed design at their offices in China, where workers can enjoy giant Nutcrackers and merry-go-round horses suspended from ceilings.

Google’s Zurich base offers themed gondolas for team meetings alongside break-out spaces where employees can sing, dance, enjoy a massage or perfect their slam-dunk on a mini basketball court.

We have taken a closer look at some other unusual places to work around the world. Here are our top 5:

This astronomical observatory is located above the Jungfraujoch in Swit-

zerland. Standing some 11,716ft above sea level, it is precariously balanced on a steep narrow summit high in the Bernese Alps. The observatory has accommodated a multitude of the world’s top scientists and includes living quarters, several laboratories, high-tech weather station, astronomical and meteorological domes, and a 76-cm telescope. It can only be accessed via the Jungfrau railway buried deep within the mountain and entered via James Bond-esque doors carved out of the ice.

2. Stanley Hotel - Colorado, USA

Situated in the beautiful Estes Park and nestled within the Rockies, The Stanley Hotel is said to be America’s most haunted hotel. Staff and guests alike have reported witnessing ghostly apparitions and hearing children playing in the corridors with music drifting from the Concert Hall deep into the night. The hotel is thought to have inspired Stephen King’s novel ‘The Shining’ following the author’s nightmarish stay here. Today, visitors flock to the hotel to see the strange goings-on for themselves and the hotel now employs clairvoyants and Night Spirit Tour leaders amongst its staff!

3. Village Underground –Shoreditch, East London

The Village Underground is an art collective in Shoreditch, East London where creatives can hot-desk within the

four refurbished London

Underground tube carriages and two shipping containers, all sitting atop a Victorian warehouse which can be hired for events. Holywell Lane Wall, the largest dedicated street art wall in London, is located just outside the warehouse and is repainted every three months by local and world-renowned artists.

4. TREExOFFICE - Hoxton Square, London

The TREExOFFICE in Hoxton was a joint initiative by Groundwork London, Artsadmin and Hackney Council and formed part of the Park Hack project in 2015. The group aimed to create more sustainable, innovative and flexi-working spaces for the local businesses and community. They teamed up with designer Natalie Jeremijenko, in collaboration with artists Shuster + Moseley, architects Tate Harmer and briefing architects Gensler, to create this eight-pod tree house office space in Hoxton Square. This project has since inspired similar ventures across the world such as the TREExOFFICE build, designed by students at the University of Colorado in 2017.

5. Inventionland – Pittsburgh, USA

Davison Design & Development’s Headquarters represent America’s largest innovation factory at 70,000sq ft. The self-titled "idea incubator" is the brain-child of Davison founder and CEO, George McConnell Davison. Inventionland is located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and is a state of the art production facility for educational materials and corporate innovation products. It houses no less than sixteen themed workspaces, including a shipwrecked pirate ship, three running waterfalls and a castle complete with turrets and drawbridge. At Halcyon, we may not be able to boast a fire-breathing dragon to inspire our workers, but we certainly have some beautiful and unique locations, such as the Thorncroft Manor Estate in Leatherhead, Surrey which offers small businesses both flexi-working options and a permanent base.

1. Sphinx ObservatoryFieschertal, Switzerland

My Narrative.

Stanley Hotel.

John Wick: Chapter 4 - 4 Stars

John Wick, and Keanu, are back and

final film is a complete bloodbath; giving fans of the series everything they could want.

RUNNUING tiemn is epic. At 2 hours and 49 minutes, it’s a long one for sure - and particularly with the sort of film that has less story than could be expected. Instead, it’s a lengthy slugfest; with mammoth action sequences, endless shoot outs, and blood by the bucketload.

And that’s exactly what it should be. Keanu is pulling his usual Wick Schtick, grunting his way through the bare minimum dialogue they give him. Director Chad Stahleski wisely keeps him out of the first section of the film; making him more of a bogeyman than before. In particular, the scenes at the Tokyo Continental are particularly effective, with Wick standing like a painting atop the roof, hunted by everyone around the world.

It’s the newcomers, though, that really shine! Donnie Yen is an absolute standout as the blind assassin Caine. He is a complete badass, and worms his way into your heart over the course of the nearly 3 hour film despite being predominantly the villain. Perhaps most surprising is Scott Adkins, who plays the villain Killa in a fatsuit. He monologues fantastically, but more impressive is the physicality of his role. In a film filled with a heap of frankly over the top, fantastical gun violence, the fist fight between Killa and John in a water soaked Berlin club feels

the most visceral.

The fight scenes continue to be striking in this franchise. This installment continues to up the ante. There’s fantastic moments peppered throughout, but the best scenes happen in Paris - one particularly fantastic staircase sequence, a gorgeously shot overhead gun battle in

a Parisian apartment, and a tense gun battle amidst hectic traffic around the Arc De Triomphe. It’s gorgeously shot, stunningly brutal, and completely inventive - as we’ve come to expect from this franchise.

Ultimately, you find yourself longing for the feel of that first John Wick. What

Air - 4 Stars

SONNY Vaccaro (Matt Damon) works for Nike, tracking down talent that the Basketball Division can entice to wear their fledgling array of basketball shoes. He, marketing director Rob Strasser (Jason Bateman), Howard White (Chris Tucker), and the CEO of Nike Phil Knight (Ben Affleck), are all trying to use their paltry budget for the year to entice some lower tier players to join their shoe roster. But Sonny has an idea, to go after just one player and pour the whole budget into that venture; Michael Jordan.

The 3rd round draft pick famously hates Nike shoes, and is almost guaranteed to go to Adidas. In fact, his agent David Falk (Chris Messina) refuses a meeting outright.

But Sonny believes Michael has the chance to be great. He goes down to meet with Michael’s mother Deloris (Viola Davis), as he and his team break all the rules, and all the conventions, to get this future NBA star into a shoe with a swoosh on it.

Air is such an interesting film, because you can see exactly how easily it could have gone off the rails. It’s the sure hand of Ben Affleck here in the director's seat, and the script from Alex Convery, that makes certain Air never overreaches.

It never grabs for the tempting fruit around it; the mile a minute pace of a basketball game, or the tempting headlines that could be generated by having some young up and coming actor play Michael Jordan himself. Instead, it grounds itself in the core heart of this story, and one that ultimately is fascinating.

Affleck makes the imaginably staid process of designing a shoe, doing financial deals for revenue share, and enticing the family into a single meeting,

extremely fun.

He has a fantastic balance for flair and character, and delivers this melting pot of 80’s memorabilia, office politics, and adjacency to big basketball, in a very compelling way. The film gives a very lived in and authentic view of the 80’s vibe, avoiding some of the more poppy versions done in other recent fare.

Character-wise, the balance is all here. Damon delivers the lead role as the straight man, and does so with aplomb, delivering the needed inspirational

happened to the simplicity of that movie? More importantly, what happened to the character work?

There is nothing dialogue-wise here that could possibly match John Wick’s speech in the first film where he proclaims that, yes, he is back.

Perhaps that is because Wick has nothing to fight for here other than his own life. In the first film, John sought revenge; he was hurt, angry, and nothing could stop him.

For the last three films, this one included, his motivation is solely self-preservation; trying to save a life that, even once he saves, he barely wants to live in. Keanu had so much more to work with in that first movie, and while the action has intensified, the emotionality behind it and the simplicity behind it has gone. For that reason, no John Wick film could top that first installment.

That being said, while this film suffers by comparison to the first one in the franchise, it is still the second best in the series by a long stretch. It’s also a fitting end, and head and shoulders above the action fare offered by other modern movies.

Reviews by Jacob Richardson Creative Director | Film Focus www.filmfocusau.com

speech as required. The dialogue may be stock standard, but Damon tackles it winningly.

Bateman plays a sort of more earnest version of his usual character, and has a number of winning jokes. Affleck’s Phil Knight is iconically 80’s, perfectly self-doubting, and a fan fave. Viola Davis, in her brief screen time, also impresses. Chris Messina is an absolute standout as the foul mouthed agent, Falk. He is frequently hilarious, completely over the top, and brings a smile to your face constantly.

Ultimately, what makes Air such a winning film is the fact that it tells an interesting story, self-contains it, and is confident in delivering what it sets out to do. The ambition here is curtailed, but in doing so it foisters a vote of confidence in the source material it’s dealing with.

The tale of this shoe deal is interesting, almost anecdotally, and Air tells it in a fun, enjoyably engaging, funny and affecting way. This movie probably isn’t going to change your life, but you’ll have a blast watching it.

Reviews

by Jacob

Richardson Creative Director | Film Focus www.filmfocusau.com

this

Air is the sort of simple, wholesome content that - when done well, and it is done very well here - makes an impact.

But the Volkswagen MEB-based electric five-seater will not be heading to OZ

„ MATT BROGAN

FORD has debuted its all-electric Explorer SUV this week, with the Volkswagen-based five-seater to go on sale in Europe later this year price from €45,000 ($A72,000) plus on-road costs.

The stylish mid-sized model – which will not be offered in Australia – will be produced at Ford of Europe’s Cologne facility in Germany. It shares underpinnings with the VW ID.4, making it one of two Ford models that will stem from Volkswagen’s MEB electric platform before the end of 2024.

For the EU, Ford will offer the Explorer EV in three configurations: an entry-grade rear-wheel drive with a 52kWh battery, 350km range and 125kW output; a mid-tier rear-wheel drive with larger 77kWh battery, 540km range and stronger 210kW output; and a range-topping all-wheel drive dual-motor with the same 77kWh battery, 490km range and 250kW output.

DC fast charging can replenish the smaller battery pack at a capacity of up to 130kW, while the larger battery pack supports a charging capacity of up to 170kW. A 10 to 80 per cent charge is said to take just 25 minutes.

Ford says the Explorer EV receives its own suspension tune with a familiar MacPherson strut front and multilink rear arrangement providing a “different driving experience” to the Volkswagen derivative.

The 2024 Ford Explorer EV measures 4450mm in length, giving it a similar stature to the Honda HR-V, Nissan Qashqai or Toyota Corolla Cross. It will be offered in two model grades in Europe: Explorer and Explorer Premium, each with a generous list of standard equipment.

Ford’s 15.0-inch SYNC Move central infotainment array offers a moveable, portrait-oriented display that combines wireless app integration with a tailored audio package and advanced driver assistance technology. The screen conceals a storage cubby ahead of the centre console, which itself offers a separate compartment of 17 litres.

The “ultra-modern” interior combines premium materials and sculpted sports seats across two rows. Like many EVs, pre-conditioning of the cabin’s cli-

mate is possible, the space also boasting heated front seats and a heated steering

wheel, a massaging driver’s seat, dual-zone climate control, as well as keyless

entry and start.

Further back, and with access via an optional handsfree electric tailgate, the Explorer EV provides “about 470 litres” of cargo space in five-seat mode.

Advanced driver assistance systems include assisted lane change and clear exit assist among a raft of active and passive safety systems.

“(The) Explorer is a trailblazer for a new breed of exciting Ford electric vehicles,” said Ford Model e Europe general manager, Martin Sander.

“Steeped in our American roots but built in Cologne for our customers in Europe, it is road-trip ready for the big adventures and fully loaded with everything our customers will need for their daily drives.”

Speaking to GoAuto about the possibility of an Explorer EV for Australia, a local spokesperson said simply, “while we have no plans to introduce the all-electric Explorer in Australia, we’re looking forward to sharing the next phase of our EV journey very soon”.

HAVE YOU HEARD OF CORTISOL? Tips for managing stress

„ DR JOHN HINWOOD

CORTISOL is the hormone we release as part of the stress response. When the body perceives a threat, cortisol is released to help us respond appropriately. Now, bear in mind, as part of the animal species, a threat is something that will impact on our wellbeing or livelihood; such as a predator.

However, in this modern world, the things that threaten our wellbeing are losing our phone, not being able to connect to the internet, not finding a park when you’re running late for meeting etc.

So, you can see, it’s not difficult to be living with a chronic level of stress that can cause cortisol levels to remain elevated, which can then lead to a range of health problems.

Here are five warning signs that you may have high cortisol levels:

1. 2-4 AM Wake Up: Cortisol levels naturally peak in the early morning, helping us wake up and feel alert. However, when cortisol levels are chronically high, it can cause you to wake up between 2-4 AM and struggle to fall back asleep.

2. Hard-to-lose Belly Fat: Cortisol can contribute to the accumulation of fat, particularly around the midsection. High cortisol levels can make it difficult to lose

belly fat, even with regular exercise and a healthy diet.

3. Cravings for Salty and Sugary Foods: High cortisol levels can cause you to crave salty and sugary foods regularly. This is because cortisol triggers the release of glucose, which can cause cravings for foods that provide a quick energy boost.

4. Exhausted but Energized: High

cortisol levels can cause you to feel exhausted and wired at the same time. You may feel like you are always on edge, even when you are tired and need to rest.

5. No Morning Hunger: Cortisol is responsible for suppressing hunger in the morning, so when cortisol levels are high, you may not feel hungry when you wake up. This can make it difficult to get the nutrients you need to start the day.

Things you can do to reduce stress levels:

1. Exercise… choose exercise that you love to do.

Research has shown that low-intensity exercise lowers cortisol levels.

2. Sleep… make sure you get enough.

Research tells us that 7 to 8 hours sleep is ideal to allow your brain to complete its cleaning process. Also, you need to get enough sleep.

3. Do things that you enjoy and find relaxing.

Focus on these joyful activities –like reading a book, listening to your favourite music, gardening, going for a walk, matching movies, or whatever these special things are for you.

4. Re-think regular alcohol. TV and movies constantly show us people engaging in alcohol as a destress tool, where in fact, it has an opposite effect of the body. The way to go is to cut back on alcohol.

5. Avoid the late-night news just before bed.

Anticipatory stress is a major problem for many people. Research has identified that bad news can increase your stress levels and interfere in a major way with healthy sleep.

The Hinwood Institute.

Exercise can relieve stress.

QUICK CROSSWORD

10 Refuge (7)

14 Lucky (10)

17 Methods of travel between floors (9)

18 Husbands or wives (7)

20 Staggered (6)

22 Military student (5)

23 Japanese dish (5)

SUDOKU

25 Sat (5)

26 Italian meat-based sauce (4)

1 From 1897 to 1905, what was Sydney’s Kings Cross named?

2 In the comic strip Garfield, what is the name of Garfield’s owner?

3 Who played the third ghostbuster in the film series of the same name, alongside Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis?

4 YouTuber Lindsay Ellis released which sci-fi novel in July 2020?

5 Which Queensland town holds the record for the highest ever annual rainfall in a populated area of Australia?

6 Michael Mancini and Amanda Woodward are characters from which 1990s US TV series?

7 Who wrote the 2000 Booker Prize-winning novel The Blind Assassin?

8 Which character did Audrey Tautou (pictured) play in the 2006 film adaptation of Dan Brown’s novel The Da Vinci Code?

9 In what month does the winter solstice occur in Australia?

10 In which year was Tim Flannery awarded Australian of the Year?

ACROSS

1 Hit

5 Competent

6 Behind 7 Border

DOWN

1 Naked

2 In bed

3 Waste

4 Location

WORD FIND No. 026

The leftover letters will spell out a secret message.

9-LETTER WORD No. 026

Using the nine letters in the grid, how many words of four letters or more can you list? The centre letter must be included, and each letter may only be used once. No colloquial or foreign words. No capitalised nouns, apostrophes or plural words ending in “s”.

Secret message:

WORD FILL No. NUDGE PARKA RANCH RESET RIPEN ROBIN SLYER SMILE SPREE SWEPT TACOS TAMER TEARS

Each number corresponds to a letter. Can you crack the code?

No. TELLS TRIAL TWIGS WEDGE 6 LETTERS LAYMAN STREET 7 LETTERS ARTICLE ATTRACT COASTED

SCHEDULE TRAVERSE 10 LETTERS CLASSROOMS CRITICISMS

HIDDEN WORD CROSS

Solve all the clues and an eight-letter word will be spelled out.

1 Places that store your money

2 in Wonderland

O S

TOdaY’S HINT LEEK OGRE OILY OPAL RIOT SHOO TEAK VARY 5 LETTERS ADOBE ADORE ALBUM ALONE APPAL ATONE AUDIT BERRY BLADE CADET CLEAR DOSES DRIPS ENDOW ENROL ERECT EVENT GASPS HEDGE IDLER IDOLS INTER ISLAM ISLES LLAMA MACES NESTS

6 White fluffy thing in the sky

7 Opposite of friend

G A N

G E

+ = 35

×

+ +

× = 1

+ –

––

× = 84

× ×

= =

=

No. LESSENS OPTIMUM RECEDED 8 LETTERS EMULATES NEEDIEST

3 There are 52 of them in one year

8 Person who fights with gloves

39

7 0

4 French for ‘thank you’

Olivia Wilde 3 LETTERS AGE AGO ALE ANT APE AVO COL DAB EEL EKE END EYE GAG GEE GEL HEN HES HOT HUE ILL IRE LEG RIP SAD TIN VCR 4 LETTERS ALLY ARID BENT EASY EAVE GABS GEAR GLUE HERE

TR IA L AT ON E GA SP S WE DG E RI PE N AP PA L IS LE S IN TE R BE RR Y GE E SA D ID OL S EK E ST RE ET SM IL E GE AR AN T HU E GE L CL AS SR OO MS AU DI T AL LY AG O TR AV ER SE DA B VC R IR E IL L EM UL AT ES HO T OP AL TA ME R CR IT IC IS MS EY E HE N CO L TE AK ER EC T LA YM AN EN D BL AD E HE S AL E AD OR E NUDG E TA CO S RO BI N CL EA R EV EN T SW EP T HE DG E DO SE S A T R

5 Jumps

HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW...

1. What is Wilde’s real surname?

3. In which teen drama did Wilde have a role?

A. Sidebottom

B. Smith

C. Cockburn

D. Brown

2. In which medical drama did she star?

A. grey’s Anatomy

B. House

C. Nurse Jackie

D. Scrubs

HIDDEN WORD banks, Alice, weeks, merci, leaps, cloud, enemy, boxer, (BEWILDER)

0 39

A. gossip girl

B. Dawson’s Creek

C. Skins

D. The O.C.

4. With which movie did Wilde make her directorial debut?

A. Drinking Buddies

B. Cowboys & Aliens

Insert the missing letters to make 10 words –five reading across the grid and five reading down. NOTE: more than one solution may be possible 1C, 2B, 3D, 4C.

= = 7

C. Booksmart

ANSWERS:

0423

× ×

7 6

= 84 =

–× 2

= 1 –

–×

4 5

Insert each number from 1 to 9 in the shaded squares to solve all the horizontal and vertical equations. Multiplication and division are performed before addition and subtraction. 8

+ + 1

3 9

L A S A C T O R N O I S E G R A I N E G R E T L I A R S

= 35 +

× +