CN Newsletter: September 29
Issue 3/2024: Merivale investigation (Part 2), T3 closure, Social media restrictions, AFL Grand final
Happy Sunday!
To catch up on the latest news in politics, sports, and entertainment this week, just keep scrolling.
In this edition, Central News brings you a spectrum of stories impacting our community. Geneviève Blandin de Chalain investigates allegations at Merivale's ivy Sydney, where female staff like Zoe* claim being pressured to flirt with customers and approached for sex work, selected based on their looks, and feeling unable to report harassment due to internal culture. Caitlin Maloney covers the year-long closure of the T3 line between Sydenham and Bankstown for the Metro extension, raising concerns over increased commute times and traffic congestion from replacement bus services. Lucie Mae Lowrey reports on Meta's rollout of 'teen accounts' on Instagram with enhanced safety features following government moves to regulate children's social media access.
Emilia Louw and Rex Siu highlight the Sydney Contemporary Art Fair's success, drawing over 25,000 visitors despite economic pressures. Hugh Phillips discusses economists' concerns over political interference with the Reserve Bank of Australia as interest rates remain unchanged. Seb Tan provides insights into the Sydney Swans' AFL Grand Final loss to the Brisbane Lions, featuring players like Tom Papley, who began his journey with the team as a plumber.
UTS FASS students are invited to 'Journalists in the Pub' on October 9, and nominations are open for the UTS Media Awards 2025 to honour exceptional journalism.
Tidbit
It's been a big week for international politics, with world leaders gathering in New York for the 79th session of the UN General Assembly. One of the most notable moments from the Assembly came from actress and activist Meryl Streep during a side event on “The Inclusion of Women in the Future of Afghanistan”, where she captivatingly spoke of how birds, amongst other creatures, have more rights under Afghanistan’s Taliban rule than women.
To watch Streep's full speech, click here.
News 🗞️
CN Investigates: I felt like a ‘walking dollar-sign’, says ex-Ivy host
Content warning: references to sexual harassment
Part two of CN’s Merivale investigation reveals women staff at ivy Sydney were allegedly told to flirt with customers and were picked for jobs according to their looks. A former member of staff at the Ivy, Zoe*, told Central News she was approached on multiple occasions trying to recruit her into sex work or topless waitressing. She also claimed the company only “picked the good-looking people” to work at particular venues. Zoe said she should have reported incidents of harassment at ivy but claims she felt embarrassed and scared due to the club’s internal culture. The venue’s parent company, Merivale, was approached for comment by Central News but declined to respond to our questions.
*Not her real name.
End of the line: T3 to close to make way for Metro
Tomorrow, the T3 line between Sydenham and Bankstown will shut for at least 12 months to make way for the Metro extension. A fleet of 100 new buses, known as the Southwest Link, will replace train services free of charge to passengers, whose commuting time will be increased. However, there are concerns traffic assessments may not have been conducted effectively to compensate for extra buses and cars on the road, as well as calls for Sydney Trains to have a greater focus on upgrading signalling to existing networks.
Instagram restricts accounts for teenagers
Earlier this week, Meta introduced greater restrictions for children and teenagers on one of its flagship apps, a fortnight after the Australian government announced plans to ban children from social media. Instagram will roll out ‘teen accounts’ in Australia, the US, the UK, and Canada in the next 60 days. The new policy will feature increased safety settings, including parental limits on contacts, blocks on inappropriate content, and prompts to leave the app after 60 minutes of screen time.
Arts & Culture 🎨
#CNinLens: Art fair ‘a well-oiled machine’ despite fewer sales 📸
Over 25,000 people flocked to Carriageworks this month for the Australasia premier art fair, Sydney Contemporary. The event, which over four days showcased some of the best contemporary and modern art from across 500 artists and 95 galleries, was a sanctuary for art lovers, collectors, and artists alike. The art fair, which has become a staple in Sydney’s art scene since 2013, has not dwindled despite cost-of-living pressures, with buyers snatching up $3.5 million worth of artworks. To see some of the works that captivated audiences, take a look at
Louw and ’s visual guide to take you through the gallery halls of the largest international art fair in Australasia.Finance 📈
Politicking bad for sovereignty of RBA
On Tuesday, Michele Bullock fronted the media to defend the RBA’s decision to hold interest rates at 4.35 per cent, which has left Australia lagging behind other countries in cutting rates. Eyes were also on Parliament this week as the Greens Party blocked Labor’s Reserve Bank reforms, leaving economists wary of the impact politicking can have over the sovereignty of the RBA. Economist and UTS senior lecturer Mengheng Li spoke to Central News, sharing his thoughts on what the RBA’s decision means for Australia’s economic outlook.
Sports 🏉
‘I could be plumbing toilets, but instead I’m playing in a Grand Final’
In front of a sold-out crowd at the MCG yesterday afternoon, the AFL Grand Final got underway in a showdown that saw the Brisbane Lions demolish the Sydney Swans 120 to 60. Dreams were dashed as Swans players and fans were left heartbroken after the team succumbed to their second Grand Final loss in three years. But before the game kicked off, Central News sports editor
caught up with Errol Gulden, Chad Warner, Isaac Heeney, and Nick Blakey to see how the Swans players were fairing heading into the final. Alongside these players was star forward Tom Papley, who revealed that his journey with the Swans didn’t start on the field but instead worked as a plumber at the club.Upcoming Events 🎉
Journos in the Pub @ The Abercrombie, Chippendale
Calling all UTS journalism students! 📣
Join us on October 9 for our next instalment of Journalists in the Pub: Radio and Podcast Edition!
The event will be held on the ground floor of the Abercrombie Hotel from 6 pm. We'll be chatting to a panel of industry professionals about their work in audio journalism, including Harry Sekulich, a journalist from The Daily Aus, and Tina Quinn, a producer with ABC Radio National and a reporter at 10 News First in Sydney, Tina is also the host of the weekly radio program and podcast, Fourth Estate produced through 2SER.
You'll get a chance to ask some questions and network. Also, there will be pizzas for all! 🍕
Register for free tickets below!
events.humanitix.com/cn-journalism-in-the-pub
UTS Media Awards 2025
Have you read, watched or listened to an excellent piece of journalism this year? Have you found a particular story engaging, interesting or thought-provoking?
If so, we encourage you to nominate the story for our Central News Media Prize 2025.
Following the success of the 2024 Media Prize, won by ABC News for their story ‘Razed’, the UTS Media Awards are back again, collating a new series of excellent pieces of journalism.
Nominate your story of choice in this form: bit.ly/cnawards2025
We will calculate the top three stories and then invite the writers to attend the award ceremony in March next year, giving our students and young journalists the opportunity to network with industry experts.
Until Next Week
You can keep up to date with the latest from Central News by following us @centralnewsuts via bit.ly/m/centralnews.
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