No Images? Click here MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR BOOST FOR KOSCIUSZKOA multi-million dollar funding boost for the Kosciuszko National Park was announced this week by Deputy Premier, Minister for Regional NSW and Member for Monaro John Barilaro and Minister for the Environment Gabrielle Upton. Mr Barilaro said the $27 million in funding, secured through the NSW Government’s Regional Growth Environment and Tourism Fund, will be spent developing walking and biking trails in the National Park which will transform Summer tourism in the region. “The development of these hiking and biking trails will ensure the region is vibrant and busy all year-round,” Mr Barilaro said. The funding will go towards two projects, with $17 million for the Kosciuszko Snowies Iconic Walk and a further $9.8 million to extend the Thredbo Valley Track, which will be constructed using International Mountain Bike Association Guidelines. For more information on funding boost, click here. NSW SECURES AACTA AWARDS UNTIL 2020NSW has retained its crown as Australia’s premier state for film and television production by renewing the rights to host the annual AACTA Awards – Australia’s equivalent of the Oscars – for another two years until 2020. Premier Gladys Berejiklian made the announcement while officially launching the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) 2018 Asia International Engagement Program in Mumbai, encouraging the Indian film and TV industries to film productions in Australia. “NSW has a proud history of working with Indian film productions – since 2008 more than 10 Indian productions have filmed in NSW, generating estimated direct production expenditure of more than $14 million,” Ms Berejiklian said. Ms Berejiklian also presented the 2017 AACTA Award for Best Lead Actor to budding Indian film star Sunny Pawar, whose debut performance in the Oscar-nominated Lion earned widespread critical acclaim and made him the youngest ever recipient of the prestigious acting prize. The 8th AACTA Awards will be held in Sydney in December 2018. For more information on the announcement, click here. Image: From L to R: Geoff Lee Parliamentary Secretary to the Premier, Western Sydney and Multiculturalism; actress Shabana Azmi; actor Sunny Pawar; and NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian WOMEN'S STATE OF ORIGIN TICKETS ON SALETickets are on sale for the 2018 Holden Women’s State of Origin match, to be played at North Sydney Oval on 22 June. The match will fall under the State of Origin brand for the first time (previously the Interstate Challenge) and NSW Minister for Tourism and Major Events Adam Marshall said Sydney is set for a blockbuster weekend of Origin action. “The NSW Government is pleased to be supporting the Women’s State of Origin in Sydney, the home of rugby league in Australia,” Mr Marshall said. “I encourage fans to come to Sydney for the historic stand-alone Origin Two on Sunday 24 June and to make a long weekend of it, as with the women’s match on Friday night and the 2018 Pacific Test on Saturday, the Harbour City is the place to be for rugby league excitement.” NRL Chief Executive Officer Todd Greenberg said the match would be another highlight for women’s rugby league, as part of a full year of competition. “There’s nothing quite like State of Origin rivalry and what an occasion this will be, as our Queensland and NSW women’s teams battle it out on the iconic North Sydney Oval, to kick off our representative weekend,” Mr Greenberg said. Tickets for the Women's State of Origin and the men's State of Origin Game Two can be purchased here. AUSSIE PRODUCT SHOWCASED AT ATE 2018Australia’s largest travel and tourism business-to-business event, the Australian Tourism Exchange (ATE), was held in Adelaide this week. ATE attracts over 2,200 delegates from across the country and from more than 30 international tourism markets. This year’s event brought over 650 international tourism buyers to Australia to meet with 540 Australian tourism products and experiences, helping to promote tourism as a key pillar of the Australian economy. There were 59 sellers from NSW participating in ATE 2018, with 11 of those attending for the first time. ATE is a significant contributor to the realisation of the Australian tourism industry’s Tourism 2020 goals by facilitating productive links between Australia’s tourism providers and the global distribution network. For more on the Australian Tourism Exchange, click here. SYDNEY FILM FESTIVAL HAS BRIGHT FUTURE IN NSWThe NSW Government has announced its continued support for the Sydney Film Festival, reinforcing Sydney’s position as Australia’s creative industries capital. Minister for Tourism and Major Events Adam Marshall said NSW Government’s tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW, has committed to funding the event until 2019. “This strategic investment is in addition to core funding from Create NSW and contributes to reinforcing Sydney’s position as the creative industries capital of the Asia Pacific while aligning with the NSW Government’s broader work to support film production in our State,” Mr Marshall said. Destination NSW Chief Executive Officer and Vivid Sydney Executive Producer Sandra Chipchase said, “In 2018 and 2019, the Sydney Film Festival will continue to collaborate with Vivid Sydney to deliver the ‘Sydney Film Festival presents…’ talk series as part of the Vivid Ideas program, which attracts leading filmmakers and experts to NSW to speak about their work.” The 65th Sydney Film Festival is on 6 -17 June, for information visit www.sff.org.au. BOLLYWOOD SUPERSTAR PARINEETI CHOPRA IN NSWBollywood actress Parineeti Chopra has visited Sydney and the Blue Mountains this week, sharing the experience with her millions of social media followers. The visit was supported by the NSW Government via its tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW, in collaboration with Tourism Australia. Ms Chopra is a leading Bollywood actress, A-list celebrity and social media influencer, boasting 13 million followers on Instagram, 12 million on Twitter and 10.6 million on Facebook. Her Blue Mountains visit included a trip to Scenic World and the Blue Mountains National Park. When in Sydney, Ms Chopra enjoyed the Bondi Coastal Walk, lunch at Bondi Icebergs and a Sydney Tallship experience on Sydney Harbour. Check out Ms Chopra’s NSW experience on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. RENNIE ADAMS TO DELIGHT CROWDS AT MOREE RACESA veritable highlight on the annual Moree social calendar, The Moree Picnic Races will return on Saturday 26 May. The Voice semi-finalist, Rennie Adams, will perform during the marquee dinner dance, with a six-race program, Calcutta, fashions on the field competition and traditional marquee picnic luncheon also features of the event. For more information and to buy tickets, click here. ALL EYES ON WOLLONGONG FOR THE FED CUPThere are still tickets remaining for this weekend’s must-see Fed Cup World Group Play-off tie between Australia and the Netherlands at the Wollongong Entertainment Centre. The tie is supported by the NSW Government, via its tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW, with the winning side to qualify for the 2019 World Group. To purchase single or OUTDOOR ART IN BLUE MOUNTAINS AND SOUTHERN HIGHLANDSExperience sculpture amongst nature at Sculpture at Scenic World in the Blue Mountains, and Hillview Sculpture Biennial in The Southern Highlands. Make the most of the Blue Mountains with a Sculpture at Scenic World Season Pass, or if heading to Sutton Forest, drop into the pop-up café. For tickets to Sculpture at Scenic World, click here, and for Hillview Sculpture Biennial, click here. STATE HERITAGE LISTING FOR |