A new front in Australia's culture wars has opened following NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian's decision to order the management of Sydney Opera House to light up the sails with a promotion for next weekend's $13 million Everest horse race.

The most famous structure in the nation is to be commandeered for a horse race in its second outing.

There are no relevant international comparisons because, with the possible exception of the Eiffel Tower and the Empire State Building, no other modern building is so instantly recognisable by its outline alone.

The edict, delivered late on Friday, will result in the Opera House contravening its own policies and flouting the wishes of the building's late architect, Jorn Utzon. 

More importantly, it risks the site's World Heritage status. 

The World Heritage Centre told the Guardian it will "look into" the projection plan.

Read more:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-10-07/opera-house-billboard-is-exquisite...

Imagine, they even canned "Don's Dunnies" logo at the inauguration of Donald Trump! And with advertisers lining-up, there won't be enough nights in the year to have a clear view of the "sails" of the Sydney Opera House. Picture at top: mischief by Gus Leonisky (petrol-heads of Bathurst 1000).

And "Prime Minister Scott Morrison says the Sydney Harbour Bridge should also be used to advertise sporting events" must have been said in jest. I hope that he is stretching our patient sense of humour... though I have the feeling that the new shit in charge of the Australian government is serious... seriously dorky. 

The Liberals have launched a sharply negative attack on the independent Wentworth candidate Kerryn Phelps, distributing tens of thousands of leaflets in Wentworth warning of “uncertainty” and suggesting that a vote for Phelps would usher in a Labor government.

If Phelps is successful on 20 October, the Coalition will become a minority government dependent on the support of independents. Phelps has publicly announced that she will direct preferences to the Liberals, that she is an economic conservative and that she would guarantee supply if she is elected.

But the leaflet insinuates she is a Labor stooge and could deliver government to Labor.

“A vote for Phelps is a vote for … Labor?” says the leaflet, which carries an official authorisation from the NSW Liberal party’s director, Chris Stone, in six-point text, as required by law. It includes tear-outs from the Australian that reported she had hired a former Labor staffer to assist her campaign.

There is no mention of the Liberal candidate for Wentworth, Dave Sharma.

An angry Phelps said she was aware of the brochure and expected the attack.

“They perceive me as a threat and they are unwilling to fight me on policy,” Phelps said. “He [Sharma] needs to defend why they don’t have a policy on climate change, their refugee policy and freezing the Medicare levy.

“Nasty pamphlets, with the most horrible photo of me they could find, really tells me they are scraping the bottom of the barrel.

“People know that the reason for instability in our government is due to the Liberal party fighting itself.”

Phelps said some Liberal volunteers had come up to her and apologised to her about the negative brochure.

The sharply negative turn in the campaign in Wentworth comes as polls show the Liberals are struggling to hold the once blue-ribbon seat of the former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull.

Read more:

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/oct/07/wentworth-byelect...

--------------------

Such pamphets, endorsed by the NSW Liberal party’s director, Chris Stone, are totally illegal. The printer and whoever ordered the pamphlets could be prosecuted. 

In the middle of a furore over a planned promotion for The Everest horse race, the head of Racing NSW has revealed that he wanted to use the Sydney Harbour Bridge until the state government suggested the Opera House.

Chief executive Peter V'landys said he had been negotiating with "at least four government departments" for more than a year to use the Bridge to promote the race next Saturday.

"Only at the last minute did we learn that approval had not been given," he said. "The Opera House was the alternate venue put forward by the NSW government, which wanted to support the promotion of the event internationally, as it had done for other sporting events."

read more:

https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/opera-house-promotion-was-state-gove...

The other leg rings-a-dings...

Listen, I hate to be unparliamentary about this, but who the HELL does Alan Jones think he is? His bullying bluster of an "interview" with Opera House boss Louise Herron on Friday morning had to be heard to be believed. It included threatening to call the Premier to have Herron sacked because she declined to have the sails of the Opera House "used as a billboard" to promote a horse race. How she kept her calm reserve, I will never know, as it would have been quite beyond me. But more power to her, and even by Jones' low standards that interview set a post-war record for appalling.

read more of Peter FitzSimons at :

https://www.smh.com.au/national/post-war-record-for-appalling-jones-sink...

We all know what Jones is about:

http://www.yourdemocracy.net.au/drupal/node/26319

The row over shock jock Alan Jones and what will be displayed on the Sydney Opera House sails about The Everest horse race involves two sets of issues.

One is around whether it is appropriate to use this Sydney icon as an advertising hoarding.

The other is the appalling, but typical, behaviour of Jones and the weak, but probably not surprising, capitulation of NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian to the pressure of the racing industry, which had its arm strengthened by this bullying presenter from 2GB.

The details of the row are now familiar. Racing NSW wanted a full ad for The Everest's Tuesday barrier draw on the lit-up sails; the Opera House resisted, saying it would only show the jockeys' colours; Jones abused Opera House CEO Louise Herron on air on Friday; the Premier later that day overrode Ms Herron and gave Racing NSW and Jones most of what was being demanded.

The broad question of ads on the Opera House seems to me less important than Jones' behaviour and the state government's abject falling into line with the demands made by Racing NSW

...

Labor frontbencher Anthony Albanese said on Friday that "people should chill out a bit. The fact is that this race is beamed around the world. People do associate Sydney with the Sydney Opera House".

On a unity ticket with "Albo", "ScoMo" doesn't understand "why people are getting so precious about it".

Read more:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-10-08/alan-jones-opera-house-advertising...

If the pollies don't understand why advertising on the Sydney Opera House is crass crap, then they should say nothing to offend the "precious" us or become ballast for shaff bags. Bugger orf! Idiots!

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has defended her decision to allow an advertisement for a racing event be projected on the Sydney Opera House on Tuesday night, saying the image "will be in good taste". 

Speaking on Monday morning on the decision that has sparked mass debate across the country, Ms Berejiklian said "all sides of politics" supported the decision. 

She said the people should "wait and see" what images were used before they rushed to judgement. 

"It is done in good taste," the Premier said. 

"It's incredibly toned down from previous versions. 

"It's important for us to promote our major events (and) I believe that tomorrow evening strikes the right balance." 

The Premier's comments came as an online petition opposing the decision clicked over 150,000 signatures just after midday on Monday. 

The petition, led by Sydney resident Mike Woodcock, calls on the NSW Government and Racing NSW to stop turning the Opera House into a "promotional billboard".

Read more:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-10-08/opera-house-advertising-defended-b...

The Opera House has an estimated value of $4.6 billion to Australia.

It is claimed that the property's direct and indirect contribution to the economy is about $260 million each year and there are about 8,500 equivalent full-time jobs directly and indirectly resulting from it through tourism.

The Opera House is an economic and cultural asset, and that asset should be used to its full extent to create value.

The racing industry, largely a rural industry, is going through some tough times as it struggles with climate change and relevance in the entertainment and gambling markets.

There are an estimated 27,000 equivalent full-time employees who draw their livelihoods from the NSW racing industry. 

These people come from all aspects of the racing industry's value chain and need all the support they can get to keep their industry functioning as a going concern.

If the Opera House as a state-based economic asset can help to keep the racing industry viable, then it should do so.

Read more crap from Dr Rohan Miller — a senior lecturer at The University of Sydney Business School. He has worked in and consulted to the advertising and gambling industries and published research related to those industries. He has also published about tourism marketing:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-10-08/opera-house-wasnt-meant-to-be-an-i...

Yes, the SOH can help a bit ... but not by looking like a prostitute...

Read from top.

Broadcaster Alan Jones has apologised to Opera House boss Louise Herron, but not before The Chaser projected their own advertisement onto the Opera House sails.

Radio broadcaster Alan Jones has apologised for causing offence over his on-air treatment of Opera House chief executive Louise Herron.

"To Louise and those people who've been offended, I apologise," Jones said on his morning 2GB breakfast program on Tuesday.

Read more:

https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/alan-jones-apologises-to-opera-house...

Read from top.

All betting for the Everest horse race has been suspended, with Racing NSW stewards citing "security risks" amid a fiery debate about the use of the Sydney Opera House to promote the event.

• The barrier draw was to be conducted live with results projected onto the Opera House
• It has now been done in secret to "circumvent any security risks"
• Betting was suspended at midday to avoid any perceived integrity risk

Racing NSW also revealed the barrier draw had been conducted in confidence and the result would be kept secret until Tuesday evening, when the imagery is planned to be projected onto the Opera House.

"Racing NSW has made the decision to conduct the draw prior to the event to circumvent any security risks that may exist," the organisation said in a statement.

"Racing NSW stewards shall advise all wagering operators this evening when they may recommence betting on the event."

The original plan was to conduct a live barrier draw and project the result onto the Opera House sails.

Read more:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-10-09/everest-betting-suspended-after-op...

Read from top...

A real billboard would have done better...

What did they expect? Flowers?...

More than 1,000 protesters have disrupted the Everest horse race illumination by painting over the light show with torches and lamps.

• The barrier draw numbers were obscured as thousands of protesters disrupted the lights with torches and lamps
• The Heritage Council sent a damning letter to the NSW Premier
• 2GB radio presenter Alan Jones dismissed the protests as "childish stuff"

When the Opera House sails were finally illuminated after days of national backlash, the crowds of protesters began booing and sending up helium balloons.

They then shone bright lights onto the barrier draw results and from across the other side of Circular Quay, the numbers of the race horses displayed on the heritage building were obscured.

In the early evening, Sydneysiders were seen dancing and chanting profanities directed at 2GB broadcaster Alan Jones, whose on-air interview last week sparked the furore.

Sydney-based lighting company ALIA posted photos of their involvement with the protests showing the same lighting equipment used in music festivals projecting onto the sails.

Read more:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-10-09/opera-house-everest-protest/10357074

With cheap powerful LED focused lights, one small crowd could brighten the advertising on the Opera House to distraction with more than one million lumens... Good one, fellas...

Read from top.

"Childish stuff?" That's a bit rich from a petulant old fart...

Sydney is a gambler's town and the government is chief bookmaker

By Michael Jensen

Dr Michael Jensen is the rector at St Mark's Anglican Church, Darling Point and is the author of My God, My God: Is it Possible to Believe Anymore? He was a lecturer at Moore Theological College.

 We preachers have been saying it for years, but gambling is a game for mugs.

Not that anyone listens, mind you. Gambling has become part of the psychopathy of Sydney.

As a sign of our utter failure to win this debate in the past two centuries, the Premier has listened to broadcaster Alan Jones and decided to put horse racing ads on the sails of the most iconic cultural building in the nation.

A peculiar blend of conditions led to the creation of Sydney as a gambler's town. The habits of gambling that came with the early settlers from the mother country were the habits of the aristocracy and the habits of the working classes.

The aristocracy liked to gamble, usually on refined pursuits like horse racing, to show what they could afford to lose. The racetrack has ever since then cultivated an air of gentility and even snobbery.

read more:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-10-09/gambling-has-always-been-sydneys-v...

-----------------------------

I'd go a bit further and say that Sydney is a whore and the NSW Government is her pimp...

New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian believes perspective has been lost in a stoush about the Opera House being used to promote a horse race, and has called for respect on all sides of the debate.

• The NSW Government was "very close" to securing an amicable agreement on how to advertise the Everest race
• Gladys Berejiklian says people on all sides of the debate have lost perspective and called for respect
• The Premier says she's upset by the way the saga panned out publicly, aggravating residents

Last night, more than 1,000 protesters used lights and torches to spoil the projection of the Everest barrier draw after Ms Berejiklian overruled the Opera House chief Louise Herron, who claimed the promotion would breach its guidelines.

The debate has raged since Friday, when broadcaster Alan Jones called for Ms Herron to be sacked in a fiery on-air interview, and became an argument about balancing the promotion of NSW against using the iconic building's sails for commercial purposes.

Jones has apologised for the words he used during last week's interview.

Ms Berejiklian today said she was disappointed with the way the debate spilled out into the public arena and aggravated residents.

Read more:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-10-10/opera-house-stoush-berejiklian-cal...

Asking for respect? What does this means? Gladys Berejiklian is the one who is highly disrespectful of the deeds of the Sydney Opera House that specify "NO ADVERTISING".

Read from top. The more she yells to us about her bad taste, the more she looks like an idiot.

In an interview with Channel 7, the racing chief executive officer Graeme Hinton said he did not expect the furious response to projecting the barrier draw results for Saturday's race.

"We were surprised by a little bit of the backlash behind this," Mr Hinton said. 

"But I think, now that everyone's seen what went to air last night, it's a chance to put it behind us and move forward.

"With The Everest, we do want to be a bit disruptive. We want to make this an event on the world stage, so we've learnt some lessons in how to make that happen."

The illumination of the sails — which included horse numbers and jockeys' colours being displayed alongside the Everest trophy — had captured international attention, and criticism.

However, despite the determination to push forward with last night's event, Mr Hinton said the Opera House sails were unlikely to be used again.

Read more:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-10-10/racing-nsw-surprised-at-opera-hous...

Read from top.

Meanwhile:

The New South Wales horse racing industry gains regular access to state ministers and has given almost 70 gifts to individual politicians that they were required to disclose in recent years, including free tickets to the race at the centre of the Opera House controversy.

A Guardian Australia analysis of four years of ministerial diaries and gift disclosures sheds new light on the interactions between the racing industry – predominantly Racing NSW and the Australian Turf Club – and the state government.

Racing NSW has met with ministers 29 times between 2014-15 and 2017-18, to represent its interests on “racing events”, “racing issues”, and the state government’s new 10% point of consumption online gambling tax. The Australian Turf Club, which owns clubs and operates racing events across Sydney – including at Randwick Racecourse – secured 10 meetings.

Read more:

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/oct/10/horse-racing-lobb...

Please note that BHP Billiton has split and now is only BHP for itself... On the other side of the building, one can see the sails decorated with Alan Jones portrait, 2GB logo, the NSW government in charge of traffic jams and gridlocks (like the one yesterday, 18 Oct 2018) efigee of Gladys, the US Empire, Gina, and of course GOD, in glorious ScoMo colours.

A week later and still the nonsense goes on about what a stunning marketing ploy the whole move was to put what basically amounted to gambling ads on the side of the Opera House.

Great. If that was the case, they’ll surely attempt to do the same thing next year, won’t they? After all, if the arguments of Racing NSW, the government and the shock-jocks all stand up, if they truly believe that it was a great idea and responsible for more good publicity than bad in the scheme of things, they are surely beholden to do exactly the same thing again.

Do you think they will?

Exactly. Of course they won’t. Which means that all the blather about what a great idea it was  is nothing more than face-saving nonsense in the wake of the disaster.

As to the all the hype about The Everest drawing a “record crowd,” please. It ain’t hard to get a record crowd for an event with a two-year history and, as twitter has noted, by that reckoning you could also call it “the second-lowest crowd on record".

Sure, 40,000 was apparently a good turn-out for racing, and good luck to them. And you may take it as good news that betting turnover was up, but I take it as bad news – it simply, incontrovertibly means that more punters did their dough.

Either way, the point remains: as a marketing exercise to make the public feel good about the very name “The Everest”, the whole thing was a public relations Chernobyl. Deal with it.

Read more:

https://www.smh.com.au/topic/the-fitz-files-1rk

Read from top.