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In our brand-new gossip column, Seb Costello uncovers the city’s biggest bust-ups, power moves and backroom whispers – straight from the major players of sport, media and politics.
Mayor’s barmy Army plan
Melbourne‘s Instagram-loving Lord Mayor Nick Reece believes that Sydney businessman Justin Hemmes is his hospitality messiah.
But a Hemmes plan to change the face of the CBD has caused challenges for a beloved city charity doing God’s work.
For 130 years, the Salvation Army has marched out of 69 Bourke Street.
The Salvos own the building and are believed to be one of the longest continuous residents in town.
From the Bourke Street base, the Salvos run a hub for rough sleepers with on-site food relief and various social services.
But it’s also prime real estate – located in the city’s so-called ‘Paris End’, just a short walk from the theatre district.
Melbourne’s Instagram-loving Lord Mayor Nick Reece (right) believes that Sydney businessman Justin Hemmes (left) is his hospitality messiah
For 130 years, the Salvation Army has marched out of 69 Bourke Street. Major Brendan Nottle (pictured) tells me ‘the city needs us more than ever’
Last year, it was confirmed that the Salvos could expect a new neighbour, with Hemmes – of Sydney’s Merivale fame – moving in after paying $60million for a car park site behind the Salvos.
Hemmes plans to transform the car park into a multi-storey entertainment precinct dubbed Parkade.
Reece is a huge Hemmes fan, gushing to his social media followers that Parkade was ‘cementing Melbourne’s future’.
Merivale has promised Melburnians ‘unique public sky gardens’ and a ‘jigsaw of venues, offerings, garden and creative spaces’.
But one piece of the jigsaw that didn’t fit into the plan was the Salvos.
Costello’s Melbourne hears that Reece has spoken directly to Salvation Army Major Brendan Nottle about 69 Bourke Street and offered to help find the organisation a new location.
You see, it would appear that the problem with having a homeless charity in the city is that it sometimes attracts homeless people.
Many regard Nottle as Melbourne’s true Lord Mayor, such is the esteem in which he’s held. So this week, I reached out to him to test the truth behind the rumours.
Costello’s Melbourne hears that Reece has spoken directly to Major Nottle about 69 Bourke St and offered to help find the organisation a new location, as Merivale plots its multi-storey entertainment precinct dubbed Parkade nearby. (Pictured: an artist’s impression of Parkade)
‘The city needs us more than ever,’ Nottle tells Costello’s Melbourne.
‘We want to embrace everybody in the city and we will continue to do that from Bourke Street.’
Looks like the Salvos are here to stay. With that settled, perhaps Reece can now focus on his other plans that will never happen.
Like his signature policy to make the Yarra River swimmable by 2050?
Big Mick’s pick
If Mick Gatto‘s story is ever to be told in full on the big screen, there’s only one man who could play the lead role with the blessing of Big Mick himself.
Gatto was a surprise attendee at the Peninsula Film Festival at Rosebud last weekend.
Dressed in his signature Ed Hardy style, the former boxer and debt collector happily posed for photos with fellow cinema-goers.
It’s well known that Gatto loves a good Italian restaurant and the main feature film that night was director Frank Lotito‘s new documentary on the famous Melbourne pasta bar Pellegrini’s.
Mick Gatto (left, with filmmaker Frank Lotito) was a surprise attendee at the Peninsula Film Festival last weekend
Also showing was The Mediator, a short film where Gatto is the central character – and there’s more to this story.
Peninsula Film Festival was founded by Italian-Australian actor Steve Bastoni.
Bastoni became a household name playing heart-throb ‘Angel’ in the TV hit Police Rescue, before major roles in The Matrix: Reloaded and Underbelly: The Golden Mile.
Bastoni also stars as Gatto in The Mediator.
Costello’s Melbourne hears that Bastoni has been developing a long-form project based on Gatto’s remarkable life – with himself in the lead role.
Luckily for Bastoni, Gatto is a fan.
‘Steve Bastoni thinks outside the box. I’ve got a lot of time for him,’ Gatto tells me.
‘I think he did a good job in The Mediator. If anyone’s going to play me, it’s going to be Steve.
‘There will be no mediation needed on that decision, mate.’
Were Bastoni to shop around his project to the TV networks and streamers, I reckon it would be an offer they couldn’t refuse.
The People’s Premier
In some right-minded Melbourne circles, Rebecca Judd is known as ‘The People’s Premier’.
Many expect the former Channel Nine weather girl and Brighton resident to one day make a tilt into Liberal politics.
For the record, I think she’s too smart for that, but if you take a look at some of her tough-on-crime commentary on Instagram – where she has 755,000 followers – you can see why the rumours persist.
Take it from me: there are few Victorians more feared by the big names on Spring Street than former Blues skipper Chris Judd‘s outspoken wife.
When the 42-year-old mother of four urged former premier Daniel Andrews to ‘do better’ for school children suffering during the state’s hated COVID lockdowns, it gave others the confidence to speak out.
Mrs Judd – whose conservative mates include reality-star-turned socialite Zana Pali and Sky News anchor Rita Panahi – has also shifted the needle on Victoria’s crime wave.
‘Victoria’s under attack and our leaders do nothing,’ she posted last March when a machete-armed assailant marched up a driveway in Kew.
In some right-minded Melbourne circles, Rebecca Judd (right, with husband Chris Judd at the 2024 Brownlow Medal) is known as ‘The People’s Premier’. Take it from me: there are few Victorians more feared by the big names on Spring Street than Bec
The ex-cop behind a podcast about the Bike Boy saga involving former premier Daniel Andrews and wife Catherine (seen together) is asking Bec to rally behind his thorough re-investigation
Fifteen-year-old cyclist Ryan Meuleman was cycling in the seaside town of Blairgowrie on January 7, 2013, when he collided with Andrews’s car. Ryan claims he continues to suffer pain from the injuries he sustained in the collision
In response, Premier Jacinta Allen announced her $13million machete bin policy – a flawed plan that was cut to ribbons by critics around the country.
Still, it was something.
And now, a former copper wants Mrs Judd to take a look at his latest case: the 2013 crash that nearly killed 15-year-old cyclist Ryan Meuleman.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll know the car that struck Ryan was carrying Andrews, the Victorian Opposition Leader at the time, and his wife Catherine.
Ryan claims he continues to suffer pain from the injuries he sustained in the collision.
He is also engaged in a defamation action against Andrews and his wife in the Federal Court, alleging reputational harm stemming from post-crash media statements.
(Andrews and his wife have denied they defamed Ryan, and have also always denied any wrongdoing in relation to the crash. The Mail does not suggest otherwise.)
Scott Hanley, a 20-year veteran of Victoria Police, is now re-examining the case that won’t go away in his six-part podcast series, Bike Boy.
More than 100,000 people have listened to the show so far – impressive for an independent podcast.
Hanley wants Judd to join them, and possibly assist with his investigation.
‘We know Bec keeps a close eye on the state of affairs in Victoria and has a keen sense of justice. We also know that her voice carries a lot of weight around town,’ Hanley tells Costello’s Melbourne.
‘Bec, you are the People’s Premier. We’d love you to take a look at what we’ve uncovered in the podcast.’
Costello’s Melbourne has reached out to Judd to see if she’d be open to a collaboration. Watch this space.
Jacko’s back
Mark ‘Jacko’ Jackson was footy’s wild man in the 1980s.
Jacko’s out-there personality took him all the way to Hollywood, landing a starring role in NBC TV series The Highwayman.
But Jackson has kept a low-profile since an infamous and confrontational appearance on Open Mike with Mike Sheahan in 2016.
Sheahan is Australian rules football’s most celebrated scribe. His talk show produced many memorable moments, but none more memorable than Jackson’s interview.
At times, it was disturbing to watch – especially when Jackson told Sheahan he hoped Sheahan would ‘get cancer of the finger’ to stop him writing ‘poisonous articles’.
Well, Jacko is back… sort of.
Jackson has launched a TikTok account, telling his new followers, ‘I’ve been asleep for 30 years. I’m going to be starting to annoy people on this new platform.’
‘My girlfriend says I’m a dinosaur and I probably am,’ says Jackson in his first post.
Footy wild man Mark ‘Jacko’ Jackson is making something of a comeback… on TikTok. He’s kept a relatively low profile since this explosive one-on-one with Mike Sheahan in 2016
Costello’s Melbourne informed Sheahan of Jackson’s return.
The Mike wasn’t impressed.
‘All of my interactions with this bloke over 40-odd years have been a complete waste of time and energy,’ Sheahan says.
‘As his girlfriend so aptly told him, he’s a dinosaur.’
Changes at 3AW
Her voice is familiar to long-time 3AW listeners – but sadly it will be heard no more.
Sussan Hassett, the long-time receptionist at the radio station that loves ‘Talking Melbourne’, has been let go.
For listeners who won on-air competitions, it was often Hassett who had the job of ensuring the prize made it to its destination.
Her positive attitude and big smile made her popular among colleagues and listeners.
My connection to 3AW dates back to 2008. I was volunteering then on the talkback switchboard before scoring a full-time job producing Derryn Hinch.
I fondly recall Sussan behind the desk at the old building on Bank Street in South Melbourne.
3AW is part of the Nine Radio stable that is currently up for sale. In a changing market, Sussan was a victim of ‘restructuring’.
That’s media for you.
It’s not the only change in the Nine radio business, of course, with 3AW’s legendary newsmaker Neil Mitchell recently announcing his podcast had been dumped.
Costello’s Melbourne hears of more changes ahead.
There are some big changes at 3AW. My sources tell me The Elliott Exchange, hosted by married couple Tom and Elise Elliott – once seen as a flagship title for Nine’s paid subscription podcast business that failed to launch – has been quietly scrapped
At one point in time, The Elliott Exchange with Tom and Elise Elliott was going to be the lead offering of a Nine plan to launch a paid subscription podcast business.
It was to be an ‘audio version of Netflix’.
But that never came to fruition, meaning the end of the road for The Elliott Exchange.
It’s a shame. The dynamic between the real-life husband and wife was entertaining.
Tom remains a star of the station, hosting its morning shift.
Follow Seb Costello on Instagram at @costellosmelbourne
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