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Mr Mambo eyes up New Year’s Eve BY PAUL GREGOIRE Opening doors for the homeless now I believe, doing a logo and contributing some of permanent housing. “The Way2Home program is The distinctive artwork of Reg Mombassa will the ideas for the fireworks,” Mr Mombassa said. BY TRIANA O’KEEFE decorate the city as he takes on the role of New The City of Sydney will The outreach program and just one aspect of the homeless The iconic artist has designed an eye logo along the volunteers from Neami services that we provide and Year’s Eve cultural ambassador. with a range of accompanying imagery that express continue funding its successful Mr Mombassa has had a long and varied artistic Way2Home project until July. National helps the homeless fill I think a decision should be this year’s theme, “shine”. out the forms required to apply made only after considering career. He is a Mambo artist, has had numerous “The eye is like the soul, or the spirit shines Established in 2010, solo exhibitions of his paintings, worked on graphics Way2Home assists people for long term housing. what the state government has through the eyes supposedly, and eyes are sort of “The number of people to say.” for the 2000 Olympics, and played with Mental As shiny and a bit wet, looking like the harbour,” he experiencing homelessness to sleeping rough in Sydney has Ms Doutney has told council Anything and Dog Trumpet over 30 years. told City News. move into long-term housing declined since the inception of she is happy to table the Mr Mombassa, Glebe resident, said he was “I did four panoramics, some of them have got and re-establish ties with the Way2Home and we want to see discussion of an extension honoured to be asked. the city in the background, one of them has the community. council continue to support and to the Way2Home program “It was very nice of them to ask me. It’s the kind harbour bridge. It’s sort of like looking through gum Its “housing first” approach fund programs such as this,” until the round table workshop of job I would imagine quite a few artists would like trees with eyes.” is based on the philosophy that Ms Doutney said. but encourages the CEO to to do, so I was pleased to be asked,” he said. The City of Sydney said the design represents a people should be able to enter The role of cultural ambassador involves creating harmonious city. long-term housing contracts City of Sydney CEO Monica be mindful that the “inner city artworks for the events surrounding NYE13. “Mr Mombassa’s ‘all-seeing eye’ motif aims to without first having to meet Barone told council the state homeless situation is vastly “It’s really doing banners proclaiming the event, encourage individualism while also representing prerequisites such as sobriety government would offer a round different to the rest of NSW”. which they’ve just started hanging around the city Sydneysiders’ singular vision to live harmoniously,” or treatment compliance. table workshop reviewing all “With this difference in mind a spokesperson said. “Housing is provided first and homelessness services. we have to make decisions Mr Mombassa attended last year’s New Year’s then support services required “I would like to see council based on what works for our Eve celebration on the harbour and recalled it was a to help a person recover and table this motion until after the local government area and not family-friendly event. thrive are negotiated with the meeting in early 2014 when the state of NSW as a whole,” “It was a great party, there were more than client and provided to them in we can evaluate our homeless Ms Doutney said. a million people there all having a good time their housing,” a council report services as a whole,” Ms The Way2Home initiative will Photo: Chris Peken Photo: peacefully. It was very pleasant family entertainment noted. Barone said. now expire on June 30, 2014. I thought,” he said. The project will be extended One of the founding members of Mental as by three months and council Anything, he has recently been touring with his will provide an additional current band Dog Trumpet. payment of $150,000 for the “We released a double album about three or extended service period. four months ago and we’ve been touring around “This project has seen promoting that, so that’s keeping me busy on the positive change in the lives of musical front,” Mr Mombassa said. all clients,” Greens councillor The official charity partner for NYE13 is Irene Doutney said. Engineers Without Borders (EWB), a not-for- “In some cases we have profit organisation specialising in humanitarian seen an end to homelessness.” engineering work in both communities overseas and Co-funded by the City, the indigenous communities in Australia. program has supported 189 “It’s our opportunity to showcase...the important people who were previously role of engineering and technology in fighting chronically homeless in poverty,” said Lizzie Brown, the charity’s chief the inner city to move into City of Sydney homeless information centre “The eye is like the soul”: Reg Mombassa executive officer. Community garden faces the shovel City excels in BY PAUL GREGOIRE HSC languages The Erskineville Road Published weekly and distributed in the CBD, Pyrmont, BY MICHAEL KOZIOL Ultimo, Surry Hills, Woolloomooloo, Darlinghurst, East Community Garden could be turfed out, with the City of Sydney Inner Sydney schools have Sydney, Potts Point, Elizabeth Bay, Rushcutters Bay, excelled at languages in this Chippendale and Glebe. Distribution enquiries call 9212 proposing to move it to a more “suitable” site. year’s HSC, with several students 5677. Published by the Alternative Media Group of Australia. coming first in NSW in their While every effort is made to ensure accuracy of content, The garden was created in 2009 on a block of land that had been chosen course. The City News takes no responsibility for inadvertent errors At Fort Street High School in or omissions. ABN 48 135 222 169 vacant for decades. “It’s kind of like a gorilla garden Petersham, Kimberly Xian placed Group Publisher: Lawrence Gibbons that the council hasn’t endorsed first in Chinese Continuers (the Group Manager: Chris Peken and it’s been there about five course for those who studied the Acting Group Editor: Michael Koziol years,” the garden’s convenor, Julie language in junior years), while City News Editor: Triana O’Keefe Moffat, said. Marta Krzanowski topped the state Contributing Editor: Adam Hunt “It was a vacant site that was in German Continuers. Contributors: Paul Gregoire, Jonathon Leonard and Tom owned by council and it’s been The community garden on Erskineville Rd. Photo: Paul Gregoire Larissa Chok from Sydney Neale vacant since probably the 1970s.” “For it just to be sold to be double gates to access the site, Girls High School beat out Arts Editor: Leigh Livingstone In July the City of Sydney’s made into another unit for a local so she remains uncertain about the competition in Japanese Live Music Editor: Chelsea Deeley Continuers; the school also nabbed environment committee developer is really a disappointing council’s objections. Dining Editor: Jackie McMillan first place in French Extension recommended the garden not outcome,” Ms Doutney said. “They’ve had many reasons over Advertising Managers: David Sullivan, Toni Martelli, (Lillian Flemons) and the Modern receive approval. But Ms Moffat A spokesperson for the City of the years and it changes because I Robert Tuitama and Debra O’Kane History (Ruby Lew). told City News an administration Sydney said the current garden guess, they come up with different Design: Joanna Grace Newtown High School of error occurred during the process did not meet council requirements reasons,” she said. Publisher’s Assistant: Deeksha Chopra where 22 community submissions Performing Arts produced two Distribution Manager: Danish Ali and they were working to find a “They do have a list of criteria first-in-course recipients - Jaimee that were in favour of the garden different site. and not many sites meet all that Cover: Chris Peken - Reg Mombassa went missing. Hassos for English (Standard) Email: “This site does not meet the criteria anyway. They acknowledge [email protected] “So originally, they were saying and Oliver Shermacher for Music Advertising: City’s criteria for community that not all sites can meet their [email protected] 11 submissions not in favour of the Extension. Contact: PO Box 843 Broadway 2007 gardens because of several criteria.” garden and 12 that were in favour. Sydney Grammar School Ph: 9212 5677 Fax: 9212 5633 So they said the community was challenges including safe public Mike Hatton, President of the dominated the classical languages, Web: altmedia.net.au split,” she said. access, large trees and lack of Friends of Erskineville group, with students topping Latin “But then when they found sunlight,” the spokesperson said. said any alternative sites would Continuers and Latin Extension. If you have a story you’d like to tell us: that they had this administration “The City has been working take away parkland from the Gabriel Gregory, also from [email protected] error they found 34 in favour of with the community to find a community. Grammar, topped both Classical the garden and 12 not in support,” solution, including looking at other “The alternate proposals from Greek Continuers and the she said. locations in Erskineville that may the council involve taking away extension course. Greens councillor Irene be better suited for a community parkland in one of five sites,” he Cian Galea, from the Doutney said she was concerned garden.” said.

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