Author Archives
Homeless population could be victimised in Waverley smoking ban
BY ZAC CRELLIN There are fears that the homeless community will be the unintended victim of Waverley Council’s proposed ban on smoking. The proposed smoke-free zone, which would include Oxford Street Mall and Westfield Bondi Junction, would see offenders fined. Waverley Greens Councillor Dominic Wy Kanak voted against the ban, claiming it would further exacerbate […]
City on edge over light rail construction
BY PETA GILBERT The NSW Transport Department has said they are committed to reducing environmental impacts and noise concerns during CBD light rail construction, but residents and businesses have claimed that not enough is being done. At the Sydney Light Rail Community Forum on Tuesday November 17, Transport For NSW faced the complaints of CBD […]
Charlie Sheen brings community together at World AIDS Day
BY JAZ SINGH-BRAR World AIDS Day this December will facilitate the continuing fight against HIV/AIDS stigma and discrimination. In the wake of popular actor Charlie Sheen’s announcement of his HIV positive status, health leaders are calling for more community education regarding the virus. To mark the day on December 1, the AIDS Council of NSW […]
Metro draws criticism from transport group
BY KENJI SATO The NSW Government’s revised plans for a Sydney Metro have drawn criticism for being privately run and not integrated with existing transport. On November 16, the government announced a proposal to alter the plans for the Sydney Metro by extending it a further 17 kilometres into Liverpool. This would change the current […]
Don’t “board” up NSW: Greens
BY CAROLINE WAGNER This month, the Greater Sydney Commission Bill passed through NSW Parliament, with the aim to improve strategic planning in Sydney. Labor and The Coalition both voted in favour of the bill on November 12, with the hope that the current disorganised system of planning will be replaced with a more holistic approach. […]
No Happy Endings in the Public Right to Know
OPINION BY BARBARELLA KARPINSKI On November 12, along with members of Touching Base and Scarlet Alliance, I climbed into the leather-clad stalls of the public gallery to hear the findings of the NSW Select Committee Inquiry into the Regulation of Brothels. The seating is as cramped as an economy class flight but with an antique touch […]
Ministers dodge WestConnex debate
BY WENDY BACON NSW Minister for Roads Duncan Gay loves to abuse critics of WestConnex as “nasty little anarchists”, “hippies” or “zealots” who are part of the “chattering classes.” He does this to divide them from the people of Western Sydney who are supposed to benefit from the project. Mr Gay particularly dislikes the people […]
Unsure of start-ups as Technology Park closes
BY CHRISTOPHER HARRIS The future of the Sydney tech industry is in a state of flux, with the informal start-up ‘spiritual home’ of Sydney now set for development. Australian Technology Park in Eveleigh is up for sale, with developer Mirvac agreeing to buy the site for $263 million. Greens Newtown MP Jenny Leong criticised the […]
Cashless welfare trials ‘methodologically crap’, expert says
KENJI SATO Sydneysiders will gather outside Town Hall this Saturday, 21st November, to protest against new cashless welfare debit cards that are set be trialled next year. The ‘Healthy Welfare Card’ will contain 80 per cent of a welfare recipient’s income and cannot be used for gambling or alcohol. The card was put forward by […]
Green groups demand tax concessions
BY RYAN QUINN Over 400 environmentalists crowded the corner of Goulburn and Castlereagh streets on Tuesday November 17 to rally against an inquiry into taxing the donations made to environmental organisations. The gathering at Sydney Masonic Centre was in response to green groups being called in front of the Federal Government Inquiry into the Register […]
