arguments pro

Right: Sails or sales? The numbers flash up on the opera house as the Everest Cup promotion gets under way.

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Arguments in favour of the sails of the Sydney Opera being used for advertising

1. Using the sails of the Opera House for advertising does no physical damage to the building
Supporters of the sails of the Sydney Opera House being used for advertising argue that projecting images onto their surface does no physical harm to the building.
This position has been put by the Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, who stated, 'It's not like they're painting it on there, it's lights flashing up there for a brief moment in time, and that goes all around the world... I just don't understand why we tie ourselves up in knots about these things.'

The same point has been made by Stephen Fenech, in a comment published in TechGuide on October 8, 2018. Fenech stated, 'There's been a lot of hysteria about...the Opera House sails being used to project the Everest barrier draw - an event that will last all of 10 minutes. It's a projection - they're not repainting the thing.'

Heritage Council chairperson, Stephen Davies, who is opposed to the use of the Opera House sails for advertising, has similarly acknowledged that the projection of light onto the sails of the Opera House cannot be regarded as physically damaging the structure. Davies has stated that he was unable to issue a Stop Work Order regarding the advertising of the Everest Cup because the planned projections by Racing New South Wales did not meet the legal definition of 'harm' as there was no physical damage being done to the site.

The Conservation Policy in place for the Sydney Opera House is designed to ensure there will be no physical degradation of the building. For example, it states, 'The material selection, placement and fixing of exterior furniture and objects require careful consideration. Past selections have resulted in stains on the granite paving, such as those resulting from the use of steel railing or mobile signage units, aptly referred to as "rust buckets".

Further, according to the 'Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention, 2015: '...To retain integrity, the fabric and significant features of the place should be in good condition and the impact of deterioration processes controlled.'

The projection of light upon the sails of the Opera House causes no physical degradation and so contravenes neither the building's Conservation Policy nor the World Heritage Convention Guidelines.
The essential harmlessness of an advertising promotion comprised of images projected onto the sails of the Opera House was highlighted by Gerard Henderson, a columnist for The Australian and Executive Director of the Sydney Institute. Henderson favourably compared the 'Racing New South Wales promotion [for the Everest Cup]...(legally) beamed on the Opera House for a few minutes once a year' with 'the Green Left activists [who damaged] the Opera House with difficult-to-remove paint when demonstrating against John Howard's government' and its involvement in the Iraq War.

Henderson used the comparison to demonstrate that one activity was benign with no lingering physical impact, whereas the other threatened the physical integrity of the building.

2. Using the sails of the Opera House for advertising will contribute to the economies of Sydney and New South Wales
Those who support the use of the sails of the Sydney Opera House for advertising argue that used judiciously to promote significant events the building could boost the economies of both the city and the state.
The Everest Cup, which was run for the first time in 2017, is defended as a major economic opportunity for Sydney and New South Wales. Last year's inaugural event attracted a crowd of 33,000 to Randwick racecourse, while betting turnover was more than 60% above budget, leading to a $3 million increase in the prize pool in 2018.

This year a crowd of 40,578 attended the event.

The race is viewed as a major boost for tourism, benefitting the state's capital. In 2017, it injected $100 million into the New South Wales economy and was being predicted to have a similar impact on tourism in 2018, with hotels reporting that weeks in advance they were already at 95 per cent capacity for the race weekend.

Margy Osmond, chief executive of the Tourism Transport Forum, stated, 'People don't just come for a single night, they stay so you get bigger bang for your buck. The global impact of an event like this is massive. Asia has a very wealthy racing audience and we need to give them every reason we can to come here and spend up big in Sydney.'

The New South Wales Premier, Gladys Berejiklian, ordered Sydney Opera House management to allow Racing New South Wales to advertise the Everest Cup horserace on the sails of the cultural venue. Ms Berejiklian did not initially give the reasons behind her decision; however, she subsequently stated, 'I believe what we're doing is in the right interests of Sydney and New South Wales.'

Though the premier did not specify that she was referring to the economic interests of Sydney and the state, her statement has been interpreted in that light. Prior to the controversy surrounding the use of the Opera House sails for promotion, Ms Berejiklian had stated, 'As well as being a fantastic sporting and social event, The Everest attracts visitors from all over the world to New South Wales. That is great for the economy and great for jobs.'

The New South Wales premier also stated, '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.'

The Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, defended the New South Wales premier's decision.
Mr Morrison stated, 'This is one of the biggest events of the year. Why not put it on the biggest billboard Sydney has? These events generate massive economic opportunities for the state and the city.
I'd put the Bathurst 1000 (car race) on the Harbour Bridge if I thought it was going to get more people there.'

The prime minister continued, '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 New South Wales holds.
Frankly, I thought it was a no-brainer. I can't work out what all the fuss is about. I don't know why people are getting so precious about it.'

Federal Labor MP, Anthony Albanese, has similarly stated that people should 'chill out a bit' and that there should be no issue with using the Opera House as a 'billboard'. Mr Albanese stated, 'We need to take every opportunity there is to promote Sydney as Australia's global city.'

Some commentators have stressed that using the Opera House to promote the Everest Cup is a way of supporting New South Wales' struggling rural economy. Dr Rohan Miller, a senior lecturer at The University of Sydney Business School, has stated, ' 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 New South Wales racing industry...If the Opera House as a state-based economic asset can help to keep the racing industry viable, then it should do so.'

3. Using the sails of the Opera House for advertising will not diminish the iconic status of the building
Supporters of using the sails of the Sydney Opera House for advertising claim that this will not undermine the iconic status of the building. They note that many other famous structures have been used for advertising without diminishing their standing.
The image of the Statue of Liberty, for example, has been used for many commercial purposes. The French sculptor who designed the statue, Bartholdi, began the process by licensing its image in 1875 and urging French advertisers to use it. The Statue began appearing on the products and trade cards of American companies by 1877, nine years before it was unveiled. Since then, manufacturers around the world have not hesitated to use the Statue to sell everything from cigars to soap.

Despite this widespread commercial use, the Statue of Liberty remains an iconic tourist attraction, with a symbolic value that continues to inspire those who see it.
Some other nations have reached commercial agreements with advertisers as a means of funding the maintenance and management of some of their iconic monuments and buildings. Despite this, these buildings appear to have retained their international standing.
In India, the Taj Mahal; the Red Fort, a symbol of India's hard-fought independence and the Sunderbans National Park, one of the last areas where the Bengal tiger can be found, are among a number of the country's national treasures able to be 'adopted' by private and public sector companies or individuals under a new government program. India's 'Adopt a Heritage' scheme has listed nearly 100 sites for adoption with the 'adopters' expected to provide and maintain tourist amenities. The government has noted that the Archaeological Society of India (ASI) will supervise the scheme in order to ensure the integrity of the sites and adopters will not do restorations; however, adopters will be able to use the sites for advertising.

The New South Wales premier, Gladys Berejiklian, has argued that similar commercial arrangements can be negotiated for the Opera House without damaging its reputation. The premier has argued that so long as the promotion is in 'good taste' and is not out of keeping with the building it will not diminish the status of the Opera House.
The premier has stated, 'It's important for us to promote our major events (and) I believe that tomorrow evening strikes that right balance. I'm very comfortable that what will be displayed ... [will be in] keeping with what the residents of New South Wales expect.'

The premier later stated, just prior to the display of the Everest Cup promotion, 'The version that is going to be displayed on Tuesday is much toned down from what the government was first presented with. What we've arrived at is a compromise, I believe a good compromise under the circumstances and that's why the government proceeded.
There'll be no logos, no names, the only words on there are actually the words of the trophy itself and that is consistent with what has happened in the past.'
Ms Berejiklian stressed that the 'vast majority of the display is artistic' with only three or four minutes that include the trophy image.

4. The Opera House sails have a long history of being lit up for a variety of purposes
Supporters of using the sails of the Opera House for advertising note that they have regularly been lit up for a range of promotional purposes. Defenders of the most recent decision to use the sails to promote the Everest Cup argue that it is inconsistent to object to this advertising given the previous extensive and varied use of the sails.
The Opera House sails have been lit from the time the building was completed, while in recent years its lighting has been enhanced to allow it to stand out against a brighter city skyline.

The Opera House has been used to promote and celebrate many other sports and companies over the years including cricket, rugby and the Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras among many many others. An overview of the manner in which the sails have been used throughout the history of the Opera House was published by SBS on October 8, 2018. The background piece states, 'The sails of the Opera House have long featured projections in different colours to draw attention to various charities, sporting victories, cultural festivals - and even to show support to countries following terror attacks...

For example, the colours of the flag of France were projected to show solidarity following 2015 terror attacks.
Nearly 20 years ago, when Sydney won its bid for the 2000 Olympics, the sails were lit in the Olympic colours and consequently the lighting of the sails continued during the Olympics themselves. Since then the sails have been lit up with the Wallabies rugby logo and an image of the Ashes cup. Last month, when the Opera House celebrated becoming carbon neutral, the sails were lit up in green.

In December 2017, colours of the rainbow pride flag were projected onto the sails to commemorate the passing of laws to legalise same-sex marriage.

It has also been noted that the sails of the building have already been used as part of what some commentators have described as commercial arrangements.

In 2013, Australians were offered an opportunity to have their photos projected on the sails of the Sydney Opera House as part of a competition to tie in with Samsung becoming principal commercial partner of the Australian landmark. Images sent in by the public were projected onto the sails of the Opera House on the night of April 23, 2013, which coincided with the launch of the Galaxy S4 smartphone. Although no Samsung logos were projected on the Opera House sails, many commentators have seen this as essentially a commercial promotion for Samsung.
Read more at

The multi-million-dollar, three year arrangement is the largest ever negotiated for the Opera House and is Samsung's largest arts sponsorship. As part of the agreement, Samsung will provide technological support.

The structure is also a centrepiece during Sydney's popular Vivid festival, where multi-coloured displays are projected onto the sails over the two-week event.

The Vivid festival is important as a means of promoting tourism to Sydney during the winter and again has a significant economic or commercial dimension..

Commentators on the increasing commercialisation of the venue argue that it is necessary if the ever-increasing running costs of the Opera House are to be met. https://www.smh.com.au/national/logo-a-go-go-will-the-sydney-opera-house-ever-rest-its-sails-20181007-p508a3.html
The inconsistency of objections to the Everest Cup promotion has been pointed out by Stephen Fenech, in a comment published in TechGuide on October 8, 2018. Fenech stated, 'The Opera House has been used to promote and celebrate many other sports and companies over the years including cricket, rugby and the Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras among many many others.'

5. Refusing to use the sails of the Opera House for advertising the Everest Cup shows an elitist prejudice against horseracing
Supporters of the Opera House being used for advertising purposes claim that it is cultural elitism to try to prevent it being commercially exploited, particularly in relation to the Everest Cup.
According to this line of argument, the sensitivities of a minority are denying a potential advantage to the majority of the state's citizens. Supporters of using the Opera Hose as an advertising backdrop argue that it is a government-funded facility and should be used in the best interests of all taxpayers.
Racing New South Wales chief executive and NRL commissioner, Peter V'landys, stated, 'The Opera House belongs to the taxpayers of New South Wales and not just to a minority of elites - it should be used to showcase Sydney so the taxpayers of New South Wales get a return on this magnificent asset.'
This point was also made by 2GB talkback radio host, Alan Jones, in an interview with Louise Herron, the chief executive of the Sydney Opera House. In response to Herron explaining the limitations that were to be imposed on using the Opera House sails to promote the Everest Cup, Jones stated, 'We own the Opera House. Do you get that message? You don't. You manage it.'

When Herron stated that text and logos would not be projected onto the Opera House sails, Jones responded, ' Who said? You. Who the hell do you think ... who do you think you are?'

Jones's implication appears to be that the Opera House's management committee is adopting a proprietorial attitude to what is a public asset and preventing the facility being used in the interests of the whole state.
Explaining his demand that Herron be removed from her position if she continued to restrict the use of the Opera House to promote the Everest Cup, Jones stated, ' Yes, I did say I believed her job should be on the line. She might have been representing some people but not the wider public.'

Jones suggested that the attitude of Herron and the Opera House management committee was highhanded and discriminatory and not reflective of popular attitudes. He has noted that the sails of the Opera House have been used for advertising in the past and that the refusal to allow explicit advertising of the Everest Cup suggests an elitist prejudice against this particular event. Jones stated, 'Many people have had problems with the same lady [Louise Herron] in the past. I won't go into those problems now. But plenty of correspondence [sic] has talked to me about her being a tyrant... Well done Louise, have you told your left-wing mates that no one has commercialised the Opera House more than you? What's the issue with The Everest?'

Peter V'landys, chief executive of Racing New South Wales, has similarly argued that the current dispute represents an elitist bias against horseracing rather than against advertising per se. V'landys stated, 'The Opera House sails have been used to promote other events...such as the Ashes and rugby union. The sails have also been used to promote the Mardi Gras and photos have been displayed on the sails for a Samsung phone promotion.'

V'landys asked Louise Herron, chief executive of the Sydney Opera House,why, if rugby union branding was projected on the sails, the emblem of the Everest Cup could not be similarly displayed. 'Why,' he queried, 'is racing being discriminated against?'