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SYDNEY ARTS AND CULTURE SCENE GETS A SUMMER BOOST
Sydney’s arts and culture scene is set for rejuvenation with the completion of Wharf 4/5 at Walsh Bay and a new late night city-wide series, Culture Up Late.
Locals and visitors will be able to enjoy extended operating hours at some of Sydney’s iconic arts and cultural institutions to experience blockbuster exhibitions and events as part of Culture Up Late.
From January to March 2021, Art Gallery of NSW, Australian Museum, Museum of Contemporary Art, Powerhouse Museum, State Library of NSW and Sydney Living Museums will leave the lights on for visitors at least one night a week, and Sydney Opera House will offer new evening tours and special programming.
Treasurer Dominic Perrottet said the Government was focused on bringing people back to the city to support businesses and jobs and restore Sydney city’s cultural life.
“The NSW Government has committed $1.47 million to support the extended opening hours across our major arts and cultural institutions, which is just one of many initiatives designed to draw people back to the CBD over the coming months.
“Sydney’s city centre has been one of the biggest casualties of the pandemic, but as the weather warms up and more people start to get out and about, Culture Up Late will give Sydneysiders the opportunity to visit exhibitions straight after work, well beyond the standard closing time,” Mr Perrottet said.
For individual start dates and programming, visit participating institutions’ websites:
- Art Gallery of NSW – Wednesdays, 5-9pm (Streeton closes 14 February)
- State Library of NSW – Wednesdays and Thursdays, 5-8pm
- Australian Museum – Thursdays, 5-9pm
- Powerhouse Museum – Thursdays, 5-9pm
- Museum of Contemporary Art – Fridays, 5-9pm
Meanwhile, the rejuvenation of the Walsh Bay performing arts district has moved forward with the completion of Wharf 4/5, re-establishing the precinct as a premier arts destination and enhancing Sydney’s reputation as an innovative global player in arts and cultural tourism.
The renovations to the precinct will provide some of Australia’s foremost performing arts companies – including Bangarra Dance Theatre, Sydney Dance Company, Sydney Theatre Company, Sydney Philharmonia Choirs, Gondwana Choirs and The Song Company – with brand new theatres, rehearsal spaces and studios, while ensuring the preservation of the heritage building and its intricate network of supporting piers.
Minister for the Arts, Don Harwin, said the completion of Wharf 4/5 was an exciting step towards further establishing Sydney as a premier arts destination.
“The NSW Government recognises the vital importance of arts and culture in enriching our lives and the essential role it plays in our wellbeing and the essential role it plays in our economy. This role has never been more evident than this year, with arts and culture our place of refuge and constant source of inspiration and hope through challenging times, and a vital sector of employment.”
“With improved performance spaces and improved patron amenities situated right on Sydney Harbour, Wharf 4/5 now offers a truly world-class cultural experience for all to enjoy as we welcome audiences back to the precinct this summer,” Mr Harwin said.
Resident companies will progressively move back to Wharf 4/5 over the coming months and will announce dates for their return on their websites.
To plan your own arts and culture experience in Sydney this summer, click here.
TWO-WAY TRANS TASMAN BUBBLE TO OPEN IN 2021
In promising news for international visitation, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has announced a two-way, quarantine-free travel bubble with Australia, to commence in the first quarter of 2021.
While a firm date has not been confirmed, the announcement reinforces the New Zealand Government’s confidence in Australia’s management of COVID-19, setting the standard for the gradual resumption in international travel and inspiring hope around the world.
The news has been welcomed by tourism bodies, providers and small businesses, who are excited to see a reciprocal boost for the state once international travel resumes with New Zealand. In the year ending December 2019, New Zealand was NSW’s third largest market with 444,700 visitor arrivals and sixth largest for visitor spend and nights.
Tourism Accommodation Australia CEO Michael Johnson said the travel arrangement was an important milestone, noting the significant impact the announcement will have on the Australian accommodation sector.
“We know that Australia’s hotels desperately need international borders to open up before we can see a sustained recovery from what has been the most challenging year in living memory,” Mr Johnson said.
“Domestic tourism has assisted hotels greatly in recent months, however as we head into 2021, we do need to see travellers from overseas to safeguard Australian jobs in the accommodation sector.
“Australia has traditionally been a key destination for New Zealand holiday makers and we look forward to these travellers returning.
“Similarly, the trans-Tasman travel bubble will allow business visitation from New Zealand which provides an important revenue source for many Australian hotels.
“We hope this arrangement is but one of many that we see emerge in the New Year, as other countries successfully contain COVID-19 and vaccines are distributed,” Mr Johnson said.
GOVERNMENT SUPPORT FOR HOME GROWN LIVE MUSIC
The Australian Government this week announced the first tranche of Live Music Australia funding, a significant step in supporting the industry which is worth $16 billion to the Australian economy.
Dean Ormston, CEO of APRA AMCOS (Australasian Performing Right Association and Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society), said: "Live music is the beating heart of the Australian music industry, supporting the careers of songwriters and musicians at every stage of their career and propelling their success both at home and around the world.”
"This funding, a direct result of APRA AMCOS advocating with other key industry organisations for a broad-based tax offset for the presentation and development of live music, is the first step in seeing how live music not only supports the careers of artists, but helps drive the hospitality and tourism sectors and supports communities nationally,” he said.
The Live Music Australia initiative is part of the $30.9 million Australian Music Industry Package, providing $22.5 million over four years to assist small businesses with grants such as artist costs, equipment or infrastructure, upgrades to live music venues and scheduling more performances.
Tourism Research Australia data shows investment in music and cultural events has one of the greatest impacts in increasing regional visitation. Music, in particular, is one of the highest value events that can drive overnight trips and provide a competitive advantage to regional areas.
For details on the next round of Live Music Australia grants, click here.
A GAP YEAR AWAITS IN REGIONAL NSW
With international travel off the list, the NSW Government has launched a campaign encouraging young people to take a gap year in regional NSW.
Deputy Premier John Barilaro and Minister for Regional Youth Bronnie Taylor this week attended the Avorama avocado packing facility at Stuarts Point on the mid north coast to announce the Government’s new Regional Gap Year campaign. The program offers young people the opportunity to acquire new skills and a chance to earn extra money.
Mr Barilaro said regional agriculture, hospitality and tourism sectors continued to face significant worker shortages, so the campaign and website would be a first port of call, encouraging young people to take a gap year break in regional NSW and helping them to find work and plan ahead for a safe, fun and rewarding experience.
“It’s great to see so many people holidaying in regional NSW and enjoying country hospitality but it’s also clear that there aren’t enough staff to fill tourism and hospitality positions,” Mr Barilaro said.
“We want to remind young people that a Regional NSW Gap Year is a chance for career development and adventure, and with thousands of jobs, there’s something for everyone, from fruit picking in Armidale, to pulling a beer in Ballina, to taking tours in Tamworth.”
Visit the Regional NSW Gap Year website here.
GREEN DOTS BOOSTED ON PUBLIC TRANSPORT
Commuters on NSW buses, trains, ferries and light rail will notice more green dots, as capacity is increased across the public transport network.
Minister for Transport and Roads Andrew Constance said with community transmission remaining low, NSW Health recognised that transport usage will increase across the network.
“We know more people are moving around this summer and we are at a stage where we can safely let more people onto the public transport network to help people get back to jobs, recreational activities and public spaces in a COVID-safe way,” Mr Constance said.
A Waratah train will now be able to carry 86 customers per carriage (up from 68) and a typical two-door bus will be able to carry 27 customers (up from 23).
An additional 1,200 services have also been added to the 3,300 extra services rolled out in June, while additional demand for NSW TrainLink services is being met by supplementary coach services to maintain physical distancing for long distance trips.
Commuters are being urged to plan ahead and check physical distancing capacity, wear a mask, and sit or stand on a green dot.
HISTORIC HIGHWAY PROJECT REACHES FINISH LINE
Australia’s biggest regional road project has been completed, with the final section of the Pacific Highway upgrade between Woolgoolga and Ballina on the NSW north coast opening to traffic.
The 15km section between Devils Pulpit and Woodburn marked the final link in the 657km Pacific Highway duplication between Hexham and the Queensland border – a project which has involved more than 40,000 jobs over 20 years to complete.
Deputy Prime Minister and Federal Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development, Michael McCormack, said: “This project is already delivering safer, quicker journeys right up and down the coast and we’re going to see even greater dividends having honoured our commitment to open to two lanes each way by the end of 2020.”
State Member for Clarence Chris Gulaptis said: “The Woolgoolga to Ballina upgrade will transform holiday journeys this festive season, bypassing five towns and providing a safer and more reliable road to complement the expected increase in domestic travel.
“We’ve installed the largest directional signs in NSW to showcase what each of our bypassed towns along the Pacific Highway have to offer, so I would love even more people to visit our regions and check out what they have to offer.”
PORT MACQUARIE LAUNCHES WILD KOALA BREEDING PROGRAM
The Port Macquarie Koala Hospital has joined forces with Taronga Zoo Conservation Society, Australian Museum and University of Sydney to launch the world’s first wild koala breeding program.
The goal is to have up to 60 breeding koalas, which will be sourced initially from the NSW mid north coast with the aim of releasing selected offspring into specific areas within the region. The program will follow best practice guidelines for breeding healthy disease-free koalas stipulated by the NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment and Department of Primary Industries.
Director of the Koala Breeding and Research Program, Cheyne Flanagan, said, “The first three years of this breeding program will be undertaken as a pilot study.The data from this will be made available for other groups to use in setting up their own breeding programs.”
The breeding facility will be funded by public donations made during the 2019/20 bushfires and built on land owned by Forestry Corporation NSW (FCNSW).
To learn more on the ABC, click here.
FURTHER COMMONWEALTH SUPPORT FOR AVIATION
The Australian Government has extended its support for domestic airlines for an additional eight weeks, helping carriers to manage costs as they bring capacity online and allowing for more flights to be available sooner. The Domestic Aviation Network Support (DANS) program will continue until 28 March 2021 as economic momentum builds and airlines continue to add more flights to meet renewed demand. “As we know, air travel was hit hard from the start of the outbreak with the number of domestic passengers falling from 5.35 million in January to just 344,100 in April,” Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development Michael McCormack said. During the pandemic, DANS and its regional equivalent enabled more than 600,000 passengers to travel across Australia, including essential workers. The Australian Government has also established a Future of Aviation Reference Panel to assist government in its decision-making.
CUTTING EDGE FACILITIES FOR WESTERN SYDNEY
Western Sydney Aerotropolis will be connected to more than 220 countries globally through a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the NSW Government and the world’s largest express transportation company, FedEx Express. The MoU will support the design and development of a new 24/7 freight and logistics hub, which will allow fresh produce to be transported from local paddocks to international plates in under 36 hours. It joins a raft of other MoUs between the NSW Government and companies across aerospace, defence, manufacturing, agribusiness, education and logistics. Western Sydney is also celebrating the announcement of a world-class, multi-disciplinary university campus delivered within the Westmead Health and Innovation District as part of an agreement between the NSW Government and University of Sydney. It is expected that the NSW Government’s vision for the District will create more than 20,000 new jobs and contribute an additional $2.8 billion of economic output per year to the NSW economy.
SYDNEY TOUR OPERATOR REINVENTS ITSELF
Sydney-based tour operator Ultimately Sydney this Saturday will launch a new type of post-pandemic experience – a city exploration game. The new phone-guided experience was created during the lockdown in partnership with Questo, the platform for city exploration games. The first-of-its-kind city-exploration game is a mix between an outdoor escape game, a treasure hunt and a safe city tour. Users of the game can walk around town following on-screen instructions inside the Questo app and solve puzzles to discover popular and lesser-known places and local stories. Helen Fraser, founder of Ultimately Sydney said: “Our city game helps locals rediscover their beloved city and spend quality time outdoors and takes tourists to Sydney's top and hidden landmarks as they discover local stories in a fun way.” The game costs $A12.99 for access on two devices. Free tickets will be offered on Saturday 19 December using the promo code –golocal. For more information, click here.
NEW UNITS BOOST EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS THIS SUMMER
The NSW Government will deliver eight new Cell on Wheels (CoW) units to boost emergency communications capabilities this summer. CoWs are portable Public Safety Network (PSN) sites that provide temporary network coverage during critical incidents and emergencies to areas needing extra network coverage or when existing towers suffer damage. Minister for Customer Service Victor Dominello said: “In an emergency, every second counts, and it is paramount emergency services on the ground and in the air can communicate to coordinate operations in a crisis.” The NSW Government plans to deliver another 14 CoWs in 2021, preparing emergency services for a La Niña event and the possibility of grass and bush fires. Commissioner of Resilience NSW Shane Fitzsimmons said: “CoWs were deployed on 36 occasions across eight NSW regions where network infrastructure had been lost or damaged last bushfire season, which ensured emergency services could continue to communicate.” The new fleet is funded by the Critical Communications Enhancement Program.
TRAVEL AGENTS CAN NOW APPLY FOR SUPPORT
Travel agents and tour arrangement service providers impacted by COVID-19 can now apply for a one-off support payment under the the Australian Government’s Consumer Travel Program. The government estimates travel agents have experienced a 90 per cent drop in revenue due to COVID-19. The program acknowledges that businesses are operating in exceptional circumstances and continue to hold travel credit for consumers, and the payment will ensure the sector’s sustainability for Australian travellers. Under the $128 million COVID-19 Consumer Travel Program, eligible businesses will be able to apply for a taxable payment of $1,500 for a business with a gross income of $50,000, and a payment of up to $100,000 for a business with a turnover of $20 million. Claims will be processed and administered by Services Australia until midnight (AEDT) 13 March 2021 or until funds are exhausted. To find out more, visit Services Australia.
MARKET LANE POP UP AT MANLY FOR SUMMER
Manly’s Market Lane is alive this summer with a pop-up outdoor wine and food garden activating local laneways until 31 January. Market Lane Live takes place every Thursday-Sunday plus public holidays offering guests the chance to enjoy their favourite food delights from a selection of surrounding restaurants through a contactless ordering marketplace, as well as some of the best brews of the Northern Beaches: Nomads Brewing, 4Pines, Dad & Dave’s, and Manly Hops. To enliven the atmosphere, Market Lane Live will host a talented line-up of local musicians every day, supporting local artists back to the mic. The event is supported by Northern Beaches Council, and Mayor Michael Regan said when Sydneysiders think summer, they think beaches and a relaxed, fun lifestyle. “One of the great ways to enjoy a Sydney summer is to experience the great vibe at Manly, made better by Market Lane Live,” Cr Regan said. Market Lane Live is family and pet friendly, and will be licensed. For more Manly inspiration, click here.
