Mayor: “Blatant commercialization”
Government officials in New South Wales are feeling the heat for their decision to endorse advertising for a horse race on the iconic sails of the Sydney Opera House.
“I am appalled that the state government has instructed the Sydney Opera House to ignore its own policies to let Racing NSW use our iconic sails to advertise a $13 million horse race,” Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore told the Guardian Australia. “This is blatant commercialization of Australia’s world heritage-listed Opera House for an industry notorious for damaging gambling and animal cruelty.”
Moore advised those who are upset about the plan to protest in writing to the state’s Liberal Premier, Gladys Berejiklian, who ordered the Opera House to accept the application by Racing NSW. Her decision was linked to accusations of elitism by right-wing radio personality Alan Jones.
Architect Alan Croker said the plan is tantamount to “throwing garbage” at the Australian landmark, and a “slippery slope” that could soon result in companies being able to advertise “whatever you want.”
“I read Alan Jones saying this place doesn’t belong to (Opera House CEO) Louise Herron, it belongs to all Australians,” he said. “I’d like to let him know that he’s not speaking for all Australians. We all need to stand up to it.”
Racing NSW applied to advertise the October 13 Everest Cup at Sydney’s Randwick racecourse. When Herron refused and said only the colors of the jockey silks would be projected, Jones launched his attack. Berejiklian then ordered Herron to honor the application.
An editorial in the Age called the plan “a craven promotion” that will turn the Opera House into “a blatant betting billboard.” It scolded the NSW government for “capitulating to unbecoming and insidious pressure. Such promotion is clearly in breach of the guidelines under which the World Heritage-listed structure is managed in the public interest, and which are designed to protect its cultural value.”
Prime Minister Scott Morrison told Aussies to cool their jets, and jeeringly referred to critics as “precious.” ‘‘I come from a tourism background; these events generate massive opportunities,’’ he said. “This is one of the biggest events of the year. Why not put it on the biggest billboard Sydney has?”
But anti-gaming activist Tim Costello told CNN, “We know that the U.S. blind spot is guns. What Australians now have woken up to is our blind spot captured by gambling interests.”
Australians are among the biggest gamblers in the world. In 2016, Australians lost more money per person—an average of US$990—than people from any other developed country. Singapore came in second at only $650 per person.
Racing NSW Chief Executive Peter V’landys defended the ad plan in a statement, saying that racing had been “part of Australia’s fabric of society since colonization. It was first conducted to lift the morale of Australia’s first workforce. Like it or not it’s in our DNA.”
But another editorial, this one in the Sydney Morning Herald, compared racing ads on the Opera House to “projecting advertising on the state Parliament House or St. Andrew’s Cathedral. Sure, it would make money. But it would destroy those buildings’ symbolic value.”
