AUSSIES are furious over a controversial plan that could see one of Australia’s most beloved icons turned into a “billboard”.
A FIERCE debate is raging over controversial plans to use Australia’s most iconic piece of architectural ingenuity as a “billboard” for a horse race.
Tens of thousands of people are now petitioning to block a plan to use the Sydney Opera House to promote the world’s richest race on turf — the lucrative Everest Cup — after the Prime Minister said he thought it was a “no-brainer”.
“It’s not like they’re painting it on there. I mean, it’s lights flashing up there for a brief moment of time,” Scott Morrison told 2GB this morning.
“I don’t understand why we tie ourselves up in knots about these things.”
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian pulled rank on Friday over the Opera House management to allow Racing NSW to advertise the Everest Cup on the sails of the iconic venue.
The Premier hit back at claims she caved into bullying from 2GB broadcaster Alan Jones when she intervened.
On Friday, Mr Jones harassed Opera House chief executive Louise Herron, who’d ruled against allowing words or branding to be projected onto the venue because “it’s not a billboard”.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he’d put the Bathurst 1000 motor race on the Sydney Harbour Bridge if it drove up attendance.
“This is one of the biggest events of the year. Why not put it on the biggest billboard Sydney has?” the Prime Minister told reporters in regional NSW on Sunday.
“I come from a tourism background; these events generate massive opportunities for the state, for the city.”
He described opponents of the move to display racing ads on the Opera House sails as “precious”.
“It’s just common sense and I don’t know why people are getting so precious about it,” he said.
“Sometimes I think people have just got to have a bit of a lie down on this sort of stuff. They can get very unctuous about it.”
Mr Morrison rejected suggestions the advertisement was promoting gambling.
“We’re talking about an event that is one of the big money spinners for the state. It creates jobs. This isn’t about advertising a packet of chips, this is about advertising one of the biggest events that NSW holds,” he said.
“Frankly, I thought it was a no-brainer. I can’t work out what all the fuss is about.”
https://www.news.com.au/sport/superracing/major-protest-planned-against-plans-to-advertise-on-sydney-opera-house/news-story/5bb028bb1e27387b89bde144d02ed0de
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