Category: AUSTRALIAN

I was pretty nervous about it.

I did spend a couple of days in Melbourne on set and I was blown away.

“This is going to be pretty powerful,” I thought. The actors were extraordinarily good.

Sitting down to watch, I was nervous, but in saying that it’s been so well put together.

For the most part, it is very accurate about the work we put in, and shows the band was massive.

The Australian public have no idea how big we became internationally because we played it down. We didn’t want to come across as wankers.

The producers covered it all really well.

As for actor Luke Arnold (Michael Hutchence), the other actors had the luxury of being able to meet each of us and see us in real life, albeit a number of years after the story.

Luke obviously couldn’t get together with Michael, but did an astounding job.

One thing that seemed a little confusing was that the show jumped from Wembley to Perth, when the band actually started in Sydney. It’s probably not that important.

But the producers did capture the time we spent in Perth, which was about 10 months.

The Farriss family had to move back, and we all dropped our jobs and moved to Perth.

 

We wanted to play original material. We were rocking the boat and found after a while that gigs were disappearing because we were concentrating on writing and playing original material. We were left with only one gig a week.

Then the mining town gig came up and that did bankroll our move back to Sydney, thank heavens.

 

There were a few incidents up there in Perth and Michael was in a lot of them.

John was falling asleep in school all the time because we played four or five gigs a week. He may as well have not been in school anyway.

However being there gave us more time to develop original songs without anyone in the big eastern states knowing who we were.

As for the portrayal of Andrew Farriss, he was probably the guy with the most talent as a songwriter, but he had the most doubt.

It all probably comes from your upbringing. My dad would say “keep it as a hobby and get a real job”.

Some of the members were very positive like Tim and myself, and some were not so sure.

Years ago we were asked if we wanted platinum records made up for family and friends. I got one for mum and dad with the message “keep it as a hobby”.

Andrew was unsure we were going to go anywhere. We were pretty different to what other bands were doing, especially overseas. So the portrayal of Andrew was pretty good.

Then there was the Kempsey gig scene — it’s all real.

We were touring with Richard Clapton. Richard and one of his band guys, after his set, chucked a browneye.

The crowd was going mental, so we all did it. Of course I waited, stripped off, and came out with a coat and did the full frontal.

We all got run out of town. We raced back to the hotel, got our luggage and got out of there before there were any issues.

 

 

The incident with the guards at Buenos Aires airport is actually a bunch of incidents rolled into one. I recall it as my bag that got searched, not Garry’s.

That certainly did happen in South America, though I don’t remember that we got rid of the substances exactly prior to the guards arriving.

I guess it showed the mayhem of that period and was edited into one scene. We did have fun.

I would’ve liked to have included some of the recording sessions. It is a very important part.

I always believed each cycle that led us to making videos and going and touring was all instigated by the album. Do the album, do the videos, go tour — it was cylical.

The most creative side could’ve been touched on. We worked with some amazing producers. It’s a little bit of a shame that side of what we did was not represented.

Certainly a lot of family and friends contributed massive amounts of time to what we did, too, but you can’t put everyone in the show.

The Development Assessment Commission has approved Asian Pacific Group’s application for an 85m tall, 27-storey apartment tower at the southern end of King William St.

Designed by Woods Bagot, the $100 million Vue on King William development will have

205 apartments.

A 21-level glass wall tower will sit above a five-level podium with a rooftop garden and recreation centre on the sixth floor.

Asian Pacific Group CEO Will Deague said marketing will begin in May and site works in July.

“Buyers will be encouraged to walk, cycle or use public transport and will be attracted by its location right on the tramline, making it easy to commute to work in the CBD or head to the beach at Glenelg,” Mr Deague said.

TELL US: What do you think of the plans?

A joint venture with Starfish Developments, Vue on King William is Asian Pacific Group’s second Adelaide project following the Watson Hotel and Apartments at Walkerville.

The Commission also approved Troppo Architects’ plans for a nine-story eco-hotel facing Whitmore Square.

The non-airconditioned Hotel Ivaritji would honour a revered Kaurna ancestor and have a cafe and basement gallery space.

Troppo director Phil Harris said the hotel would help kickstart a transformation of the area into “the Greenwich Village of Adelaide”, but could not say how soon construction would begin.

“We think bringing (environmentally conscious) visitors to the square fits with the whole market precinct and the slightly bohemian character of the whole southwest corner,” he said.

“We very much have designed it to be broadly open to the community.”

Adelaide City Council opposed the application because it requires the demolition of two 1895 villas, but Mr Harris said “common sense” had prevailed because the highly modified buildings were of no heritage value.

The Commission this week deferred consideration of an application for a 110m, 32-storey hotel and residential tower on Currie St that would be Adelaide’s second tallest building.

A decision on a bid for a 19-level development on North Tce, including the revival of the 1878 G & R Wills warehouse building into a high end retail centre, was also deferred.

Today Tonight will still screen its local versions in the smaller markets of Perth and Adelaide, but for most of us, one of Australia’s most controversial TV shows is no more. Let’s look back at some of TT’s most questionable, controversial and scandalous moments:

1. Naomi Robson’s gecko

Ah Naomi, arguably Today Tonight‘s most iconic host. There were her frequent off-air outbursts (helpfully posted to YouTube for posterity – be warned, the language she uses is definitely NSFW) but our favourite moment of her time in the hot seat has got to be the evening in 2006 when she reported on Steve Irwin’s death stood outside Australia Zoo clad in khaki, complete with a lizard on her shoulder. So moving.

 

2. The cyber bully victim who wasn’t

In March last year, Today Tonight ran a special expose on an alleged ‘cyber bully’ named Tristan Barker, dubbing him “the world’s nastiest man.” Reporter David Eccleston interviewed a victim named Jasmine Frost, who accused barker of vicious bullying online. Just hours after the story aired, a YouTube video revealed that the entire thing had been a hoax: ‘Jasmine’ was actually Jasmine Vanmidde, a friend of Barker’s, and had concocted the story to expose TT’s lax research practices.

 

3. The leadership spill blunder

Last year’s Labor leadership spill broadcast was plagued by gremlins and technical hiccups.

While over on the ABC, host Leigh Sales and guest Annabel Crabb handled the live, seat-of-your-pants coverage with aplomb, Kapalos struggled when for approximately 90 seconds she was left with no autocue, no script and no one to cross to.

Her broadcast collapsed into mumbo jumbo shortly after she announced Kevin Rudd was “gaining the numbers”.

“The same opinion …,” Kapalos started. “And we’ll have to move on to our next story now … but all very interesting down in Canberra. Of course we’ll continue to bring you continuing coverage throughout the evening on our news but now we’ll also be crossing to our viewer poll shortly.”

But the poll vanished from the screen. “Now to a Muslim who was on his way to becoming a radical …” she started, but it was not to be.

“I’m sorry we’ll have to go to something else there. But it is all happening in Canberra as we can see.”

4. Let’s get Skase

In 1996, the show aired a report about disgraced and ailing businessman Christopher Skase. It was a dramatic story, with reporter David Richardson breathlessly explaining to camera that he and his crew were being blocked at every turn by Majorcan authorities, saying they were helping to prevent access to Skase’s Majorca home. “Roadblocks! Let’s get out of here,” he shouted at one point, giving viewers the impression the entire island was in lockdown at Skase’s behest.

One problem: as Media Watch later revealed, the footage was in fact shot in Barcelona, not on Majorca. The police Richardson claimed were blocking his access to Skase in Majorca were in fact the ‘Guardia Urbana de Barcelona’, directing traffic in the Spanish city.

Richardson was a serial offender for TT – in 2005, his story on a ‘serial single mum’ who he alleged was pocketing tens of thousands of dollars in Centrelink benefits was revealed to be a beat-up – Media Watch revealed that the woman in question was actually in full-time employment.

 

5. Those behind-the-scenes videos

In an attempt to endear Kapalos to the audience, the Today Tonight team started posting daily behind-the-scenes video blogs to promote the show, but her high-fives and winks were a little too much.

In one clip, Kapalos sashayed across the set and high-fived a member of her production crew. “Another day, another great line-up on TT,” she said.

In another, Kapalos sauntered outside the network’s studios, greeting fans with a “happy Monday” and a wink.

“She not only has bad days at the same time as Julia Gillard, but gets PR advice from the same person too,” media publication Mumbrella said.

 

The mandatory eight-year jail term for a one-punch attack resulting in death by an intoxicated person comes into effect this weekend.

Further measures, such as the 1.30am lock outs and 3am last drinks, are expected to be passed through parliament next month and in effect by April at the latest.

Kings Cross Superintendent Michael Fitzgerald expected the numbers of punters put into sobering-up centres to rise in the red light district once the curfews are in place.

“I would be very surprised if it did not increase just because of the issues with more people being on the streets between 3am and 3.30am,” he said.

He said police will have to adjust to dealing with larger crowds but officers are up to the job.

Kings Cross was the site of the two prominent fatal one-punch assaults that lead to the reforms by the state coalition government.

The peak trouble time for police in the nightclub district is between 4am and 6am, just after the planned shutting of doors at 3am.

The government wants to modify the boundary of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area to rescind UNESCO protection from a 74,000-hectare tranche of forest.

It will submit the proposal to the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in time for it to make a decision at its annual meeting in June.

About 170,000 hectares of Tasmanian forest was added to the protected area in June 2013 as part of the historic agreement struck between green groups and the timber industry after decades of feuding.

If this latest proposal is approved, nearly half of the listed area will be stripped of its UNESCO protection.

Parliamentary secretary Richard Colbeck said the coalition was fulfilling an election promise by proposing a “minor” boundary change to remove a small part of that forest area.

It would exclude a section of forest containing pine and exotic eucalypt plantations, while still retaining high-value tall forests and giant trees in nearby areas.

“This minor boundary modification will restore value to the original wilderness world heritage area listing by removing areas that have been impacted by forestry operations and devalue the existing outstanding universal value,” Senator Colbeck said in a statement on Friday.

Sixty-five registered “giant trees” remain within the proposed minor boundary modification.

Senator Colbeck, from Tasmania, said the coalition would create a truly sustainable forest industry for the state and this proposed change would deliver economic and social benefits.

The state’s unique environmental assets would not be lost, he said.

“No one thinks Tasmania should plunder its natural resources in the pursuit of short-term gains,” he said.

Australian Greens leader Christine Milne said asking UNESCO to reverse its decision was ludicrous and risked international humiliation.

“Winding back world heritage protection will make us a global laughing stock,” Senator Milne said in a statement.

Senator Milne, also a Tasmanian, said there was no future for native forest logging in her home state, and pursuing it could set back the economy for decades.

From Friday, the Opal ticket can be used at 55 more stations between Wyong, Strathfield and the city loop, on all ferries and two bus routes, transport minister Gladys Berejiklian told reporters at Redfern station.

“This will really change the way (people) catch public transport,” she said.

Fares on the Opal card have been discounted by between 13 and six per cent.

A single trip from Newtown or Lewisham is $3.80 with a paper ticket but this drops to $3.30 for an Opal peak fare and $2.31 for off-peak Opal users.

And after eight journeys in a week additional travel is free.

“At least 90 per cent of our customers have the potential to be better off,” Ms Berejiklian said.

About 56,000 Opal cards have been registered and more than two million trips have been made using them.

If Friday’s rollout “goes without a hitch” further expansions of the system could be brought forward, Ms Berejiklian said.

The Opal ticket system is expected to be in place across all networks by the end of the year.

Great Keppel Island Hideaway co-owner Sean Appleton says his staff have all but given up trying to save the three houses at the resort, off Rockhampton.

The 250-bed resort has already lost three decks since Dylan crossed the north Queensland coast early on Friday.

Mr Appleton says staff had used a tonne of sand to protect the property in recent days, but to no avail.

The swell was just too big, with one tide eroding up to 10 metres of beachfront, he said.

“It was no greater than we anticipated, but it was greater than we could stop,” he told AAP.

“We had no hope.”

Mr Appleton said the next major high tide, expected at about 10am (AEST) would signal the end for his three accommodation buildings.

“We’re in the middle of pulling down what we can now,” he said on Friday afternoon.

“The fronts are gone, they’re on a horrible lean and tomorrow morning, what we can’t get down, will go to the beach.”

Mr Appleton said the damage might have been avoided if an application made to Rockhampton Regional Council two years ago to have a rock wall erected to protect the resort hadn’t been rejected.

It would have saved about 150 metres of beachfront on Great Keppel Island, he said.

Mr Appleton said there was now a risk of saltwater spreading behind the resort and into freshwater areas on the island.

“That’ll just be a disaster for the whole place,” he said.

Mr Appleton estimated a current damage bill of $300,000, but said that would likely blow out further depending on how much damage further tides created.

Affectionately known as ‘Greater’, the bird was a favourite among zoo goers for generations. It was put to sleep this morning after its quality of life had deteriorated due to complications associated with old age.

Arriving at Adelaide Zoo in the 1930s, Greater was best known for being the world’s oldest flamingo and the last Greater Flamingo to have resided in Australia.

Zoos SA Chief Executive Elaine Bensted said last year it became apparent Greater was struggling to cope with the effects of arthritis. And despite responding well to the treatment, it took a turn this week.

“When Greater’s physical health started to deteriorate last year, our veterinary team began a course of anti-inflammatory pain medication to ensure Greater’s comfort,” she said.

GALLERY: Adelaide Zoo’s iconic flamingo

“Greater responded well to treatment and remarkably survived the cold winter. This week Greater took a turn for the worse and the difficult decision was made to humanely put Greater to sleep after Greater was no longer responding to treatment and Greater’s quality of life had significantly deteriorated.

Ms Bensted said that despite the zoo’s best efforts it was time to let Greater go.

“Although this is an extremely sad loss for us all, it was the right thing to do,” she said.

“There was no additional medical treatment that would have improved Greater’s quality of life. “We always knew our time with this beautiful Adelaide icon was nearing its end.

“Greater will be sorely missed by our zoo family, and no doubt the wider South Australian community.”

Greater remained strong to the end, even surviving a vicious attack by three teenagers in 2008 which shocked animal lovers around the world.

Discussions are currently underway to explore options to erect a memorial to Greater near the heritage listed flamingo pond.