Public divided over Sydney Opera House race advert
CANBERRA: A plan to project a horse racing advertisement on the famed sails of the Sydney Opera House is dividing Australians.
The New South Wales state government stepped in to allow the advertisement to be displayed today after the opera house chief executive Louise Herron opposed it.
State Premier Gladys Berejiklian said yesterday the advertisement for The Everest horse race had been “toned down” since its original proposal.
“It’s important for us to support our major events, it’s important for us to promote New South Wales but, of course, do it in good taste and I believe that tomorrow evening strikes that right balance,” Ms Berejiklian told reporters.
“This is a global event that receives global attention,” she added, referring to the Sydney horse race, which will be run on Sunday.
More than 130,000 people signed an online petition yesterday to stop the promotion.
While some have defended the promotion, others say it is crass commercialism and threatens the iconic building’s value as a World Heritage site.
Alliance for Gambling Reform spokesman Tim Costello said the advertising demonstrated the power of the Australian horse racing industry that made a profit of US$2.3 billion (75.8 billion baht) last year.
“The gambling lobby, particularly in New South Wales, is the equivalent of the National Rifle Association in America, it has politicians in the palm of its hand,” he said.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison, a former tourism marketer, described the Opera House as the “biggest billboard Sydney has”.
“These events generate massive economic opportunities. I don’t know why people are getting so precious about it,” Mr Morrison said.
Graham Quint, a National Trust of Australia manager, said the advertising contravened federal and state laws governing use of the Opera House.
“People have a great deal of respect for the Opera House, and the idea that we’d use it as a Parramatta Road billboard is quite wrong — this is just crass commercialism,’’ Mr Quint said.
“The World Heritage listing also requires the building be presented properly, and no way under the current conservation management plan should this be allowed,” he added.
Racing NSW chief executive Peter V’landys wrote in The Sydney Morning Herald yesterday that his organisation had wanted to advertise the race on the Sydney Harbour Bridge, but the state government offered the Opera House instead.
The Everest has US$9.2 million in prize money and is billed as the world’s richest turf race.