As Prime Minister Tony Abbott prepares to unveil his promised commission of audit, unions have called for it to be transparent and evidence-based.
Business Council of Australia president Tony Shepherd is set to chair the five-person panel, which is expected to be approved in a Cabinet meeting Tuesday.
Former Liberal minister and former ambassador to Italy Amanda Vanstone is expected to be named as a member.
CPSU national secretary Nadine Flood said the government should make sure the commission did not pursue pre-determined outcomes.
“If history is anything to go by, these audits simply become a shopping list for razor gangs,” she said.
“To maintain trust with the community the government must ensure the process is open, transparent and evidence-based.”
Ms Flood said speculation about public sector job losses, including in the Canberra public service, was of concern to members.
“While Mr Abbott clearly has a mandate to conduct a Commission of Audit, he does not have a mandate to introduce the large scale cuts to job and services that followed similar exercises in Queensland, Victoria and other Liberal state governments,” Ms Flood said.
She called on commissioners to acknowledge the value of the public service and ensure communities don’t lose out through cuts to jobs and services.
The panel is expected to make public its first recommendations within three months.
The new code will regulate the sale of puppies and kittens to ensure animal welfare standards.
People selling pets in Canberra are now subject to tougher restrictions and penalties.
The new Animals Sales Code came into force today covering everything from pet stores to backyard dog breeders selling on the internet.
The code also includes livestock, backyard poultry and live animals sold in restaurants and markets such as fish.
Territory and Municipal Services Minister Shane Rattenbury says the new regulations are an important step forward for animal welfare.
“It will achieve this by requiring sellers to provide hygienic accommodation,” he said.
“To provide adequate exercise to the animals and to provide written information about the care of the animal that is being sold.
“And it will also restrict animal sales to buyers who are under the age of 16.”
The code also gives greater enforcement powers to the RSPCA, TAMS officers and police if they see a breach.
“By making it enforceable this means that we do have officers who can go out and make sure that standards are being adhered to which underlines the importance of animal welfare,” Mr Rattenbury said.
“And making sure that people do get the information they need before becoming a pet owner.”
It can be enforced with a written warning, on-the-spot fines or court imposed penalties of up to $11,000 for an individual.
Canberra vet Michael Archinall welcomes the new code.
“It is all about the animal welfare and it’s all about looking after the animals and making sure they’re cared for in the best way possible,” he said.
“So if we need to have a code or an act that’s enforceable, so be it.
“But it’s been operating well as a volunteer code of conduct for a while.”
Beginning as a humble gathering of motorcyclists 13 years ago, the Snowy Ride has grown into the largest community motorcycle event in Australia and the upcoming 2013 event is sure to be a success.
With just over one week until the 2013 Snowy Ride, Honda Australia, who has been the major sponsor since its inception, is gearing up to join around 3,000 participants who will descend on the beautiful Snowy Mountain region of New South Wales for the two-day event.
All funds raised by the Snowy Ride assist the Steven Walter Children’s Cancer Foundation in their vision of achieving 100% survival for all children suffering with cancer. To date, the Steven Walter Children’s Cancer Foundation has raised around $5 million for childhood cancer research.
To add excitement to the 2013 Snowy Ride, Honda has donated both a first and second prize motorcycle for two lucky Snowy Ride participants. To be announced on November 2 when the ride culminates at Thredbo Village, first prize will be Honda’s sports touring VFR800F and second prize Honda’s championship-winning CRF250X. All Snowy ride participants will automatically go in the draw to win.
During the event, Honda will be offering free test rides to participants. With a fleet of motorcycles to choose from including the stripped back Goldwing F6B, the adventure touring VFR1200X, the new CBR500R and more, participants can simply register on the day for the ride of their choice.
A third motorcycle will be up for grabs via the Snowy Ride raffle. Honda has donated a CBR1000RR which features accessories donated by Motologic. Tickets for the raffle can be purchased via the Snowy Ride website and during the event with the lucky winner drawn during the Australian Motorcycle and Scooter Show in Sydney on November 17.
Attracting riders, pillions, manufacturers and service providers from all over the country, the Snowy Ride is the largest single event held in the Alpine Region of NSW outside of the ski season.
Honda Australia has a strong commitment to contributing to the community and is proud to have shown unwavering support to the Snowy Ride and the Steven Walter Children’s Cancer Foundation.
Media Contact: Emma Kershaw
Public Relations Coordinator, Honda Australia
Ph: (03) 9270 1183 General Enquiries: (03) 9270 1111
The Snowy Ride is on 2 November 2013
The Snowy Ride is a motorcycle event run annually in the Alpine Region of NSW and the ride is now in its eleventh year and has raised in excess of 3 million dollars for the Steven Walter Foundation.
The Steven Walter Foundation which is the organiser and main benefactor of the Snowy Ride. is a non-profit organisation which was started following the passing of nineteen year old Steven Walter after an eight year battle with cancer The Foundation is involved in raising money for research into childhood cancer and the side effects of cancer treatment in children.
All monies raised by the Foundation goes to childhood cancer research programs and support of children with cancer.The aim of the Snowy Ride was to involve the motorcycle riders of Australia into raising money for research into childhood cancer and its side effects and to give the local volunteer organisations of the Snowy mountains area the chance to raise money for their own communities.
Melbourne Victory coach Ange Postecoglou has accepted an offer to become head coach of the Socceroos but his club are still demanding $1 million in compensation before releasing him.
Fairfax Media understands that while Postecoglou was one of three candidates in the running – the other two being Central Coast’s Graham Arnold and Western Sydney’s Tony Popovic – he is the only one to be offered the role so far by the FFA.
Postecoglou, a former national youth team coach, has always coveted the senior job and accepted the offer that was put to him by the FFA over the weekend.
However, no deal can be done until Victory agree to release their coach. Postecoglou is believed to be on $600,000 per year for this season and next, and the club wants this amount paid out in full, which amounts to around $1 million.
Having already paid out departed coach Holger Osieck, the FFA will now haggle to bring down the price of this payout. It is thought they would be reluctant to pay any more than one season of Postecoglou’s club salary.
Victory’s compensation claim is understandable, considering how long they had to wait for Postecoglou’s services to become available.
They originally wanted him after he led Brisbane Roar to their maiden title in 2011, but the coach stayed another year with the Roar and led them to another title in 2012.
He then finally agreed to join Melbourne, his home-town club, on a three-year deal. In their first season, Victory finished third, and bowed out in the first week of the semi-finals after suffering defeat to Central Coast.
Victory chief executive Ian Robson said there could be movement on the appointment soon.
“We might be making some comment later today. We will go and have some breakfast first,” he said on Fox Sports on Tuesday morning. “There are conversations going on and, for the moment, we want to keep those conversations directly with the FFA.”
While Victory are one of few A-League clubs to turn a profit, they are aware that replacing Postecoglou would be almost impossible, at least in the short term.
Club favourite Kevin Muscat, who became assistant coach immediately after retiring from the club, will take over the reins should the club agree to release Postecoglou.
However, while Muscat would seem a natural to take over on a full-time basis, it is also thought the club would prefer someone with senior coaching experience given the pressure associated with the job.
Victory also had a disastrous time when they promoted from within, as youth coach Mehmet Durakovic was sacked half-way through a season where they failed to make the finals.
Although a deal is likely to be completed for Postecoglou’s services this week, it is thought he will be allowed to take charge for a final home match, against Brisbane Roar on Friday night at Etihad Stadium, where a crowd of close to 35,000 is expected.
14 year old boy charged with lighting a fire near a tennis club at Rutherford yesterday
Detectives questioning an 11 year old boy over last week’s blaze at Port Stephens, which forced evacs and closed Newcastle Airport
PORT Stephens detectives are interviewing an 11-year-old boy over the fire which burnt out more than 5000 hectares.
The Hank Street fire caused widespread emergency evacuations last Thursday, closed Newcastle Airport for almost a full day, destroyed several sheds and caused widespread traffic chaos as it jumped containment lines and roared towards Williamtown.
It started at Heatherbrae several days beforehand.
Detectives arrested the boy on Monday morning and are expected to charge him with intentionally causing a fire and being reckless about its spread.
Boy in court over fire
A BOY, 14, has been refused bail after being charged with lighting a fire at Rutherford.
Fire crews were called to an area of scrub off the New England Highway after it was set alight on Sunday afternoon.
He will face Broadmeadow Childrens Court on Monday.
PORT Stephens detectives are interviewing an 11-year-old boy over the fire which burnt out more than 5000 hectares.
The Hank Street fire caused widespread emergency evacuations last Thursday, closed Newcastle Airport for almost a full day, destroyed several sheds and caused widespread traffic chaos as it jumped containment lines and roared towards Williamtown.
It started at Heatherbrae several days beforehand.
Detectives arrested the boy on Monday morning and are expected to charge him with intentionally causing a fire and being reckless about its spread.
Boy in court over fire
A BOY, 14, has been refused bail after being charged with lighting a fire at Rutherford.
Fire crews were called to an area of scrub off the New England Highway after it was set alight on Sunday afternoon.
He will face Broadmeadow Childrens Court on Monday.
Australia has had the biggest jump in new HIV cases in two decades, leading experts to call for urgent action to tackle the disease.
David Wilson, program head at the University of NSW’s Kirby Institute, said more than 1250 people were newly diagnosed with HIV last year. NSW led the way with a 24 per cent increase, while Victoria was stable.
The 10 per cent increase nationwide in new HIV cases last year has hit young people particularly hard, with hundreds of people in their 20s diagnosed. HIV groups and infectious disease researchers say urgent action is needed to increase condom use, speed up access to new rapid HIV tests and ensure everyone who needs medications can access them.
“Traditionally, HIV has been diagnosed in the late 30s and early 40s but we are now seeing a trend away from that,” Mr Wilson said. ”These people were not around in the [’80s and] ’90s and didn’t experience the fear campaigns.”
However, figures provided exclusively to Fairfax Media covering the first half of this year show a high-profile campaign to reduce the disease, called Ending HIV, may be starting to have an effect.
NSW Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant said the second quarterly NSW report on new infections shows 179 diagnoses in NSW in the first half of this year, compared with 196 last year and 175 the year before. However, testing levels had also increased. ”These numbers could mean you are bringing in groups that haven’t engaged with testing before and that can be a positive thing,” Ms Chant said. ”But HIV is still present and it’s still at unacceptable levels.”
She said people needed to be tested as soon as possible after exposure, as that was when they were most infectious.
Australasian Society for HIV Medicine president Edwina Wright said that Australia was not doing a good enough job of putting in place key recommendations on reducing HIV transmission, including getting people on treatment early.
”A lot of people are on pensions and, in fact, aren’t able, at times, to afford their antiretroviral therapies,” Ms Wright said.
She said an application was before federal health authorities to subsidise medication for all people with HIV, not just those with progressed conditions.
Premier Barry O’Farrell has declared a state of emergency across NSW for the next 30 days, which will give special powers to all emergency services to force evacuations and deal with what could be a catastrophic fire disaster.
The last time such an order was used was in March 2012, to cope with devastating floods.
The entire Blue Mountains and the suburbs of Western Sydney around Penrith and Richmond are in danger of burning over the next few days, as hotter and drier than expected weather conditions combine with huge fire fronts already burning, the NSW Rural Fire Services Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons has said.
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The dire predictions have come after it became clear on Sunday that the weather forecast for high temperatures, low humidity and high winds over the next few days was much worse than had been predicted last week, the commissioner said.
“We are not in a catastrophic [weather] ratings scale [but] we are talking about fire danger ratings that will be in the severe category and you overlay that with the fires that are already burning and it’s a whole new ball game,” Mr Fitzsimmons said.
The worst case scenario, he said, based on modelling was “we could see the communities of the Blue Mountains from Mt Victoria and Blackheath all the way down to Penrith will be affected by fire, and also the Bells Line of Road and then into north western Sydney and Richmond”.
The official NSW property toll is 208 homes destroyed and 122 damaged. A 63-year-old man has died fighting the fires. There have been 610 insurance claims for damage estimated at $43 million, a number expected to rise significantly.
The worst fire disaster in NSW for at least 45 years could lead to the forced evacuations from high-population centres such as Katoomba and Leura over the next three days.
Temperatures into the 30s and wind gusts up to 100kmh could potentially threaten all Blue Mountains communities, Mr Fitzsimmons warns.
‘‘I hope like hell that at the end of this week people are criticising me because we’ve acted on forecasts and it didn’t happen,’’ Mr Fitzsimmons said. ‘‘But what would be worse would be if we didn’t act on the forecasts.’’
The hottest day of this coming week is expected to be Monday. Tuesday might bring some rain but it might be as little as 2 millimetres, Mr Fitzsimmons said, which is not enough to have any positive effect on the fires. On Wednesday, the wind strengths would be at their worst.
‘‘There is no doubt these fires will continue to grow. The only uncertainty is to what extent.’’
When asked why if it is expected to be so bad he was not advising everyone who lived in the mountains to leave, he said: ‘‘ In some areas that is exactly what we are talking about [but] we cannot sensibly look at demanding [that we empty] the entire Blue Mountains of its population. It may not be necessary to do that or it may in some areas depending on developments in the coming days.’’
Assistant police commissioner Alan Clarke warned: “Let me say this: police will be doing forced evacuations if necessary.”
“Undoubtedly that will cause distress to those people,” Premier Barry O’Farrell told a news conference on Sunday at the RFS headquarters, where he and Emergency Services Minister Mike Gallacher flanked the fire and police chiefs. “It may cause some wider controversy, but it’s clear that at times like this that it’s better to be safe than sorry.”
After a briefing at the RFS headquarters at Lidcombe, Mr O’Farrell said the destruction of 208 homes “may not be the end of it”, so people in targeted areas would be asked to leave their homes.
That process began on Sunday when the residents of the small village of Bell were advised to evacuate on Sunday. So were more residents west of Bilpin village, including the communities of Mt Tomah and Berambing, who were told to leave along the Bells Line of Road towards Richmond. In Bilpin residents were told they could choose to stay but were warned power was likely to be cut and they may be unable to leave the town for days because fires would block roads in and out.
But Mr O’Farrell said: “If the choice is life of property, the choice clearly should be life.”
Assistant Commissioner Alan Clarke said emergency services would provide as much information as possible for people to save their properties, but he appealed for them to evacuate as soon as that advice was issued.
“At the end of the day, we hope we have buildings standing, but if we don’t have buildings standing, we don’t want bodies in them,” he said.
“It’s important to understand that the single tragedy we’ve had in these fires so far has been … where an individual chose to remain and fight a fire.”
Emergency services could not tie up resources “wrestling with one person to get off a property if they are capable and able to make a decision”. They needed to focus on people who couldn’t help themselves.
With worsening weather conditions forecast, “culminating on Wednesday”, Commissioner Fitzsimmons said: “We are talking wind strengths starting at 25 to 30 kilometres [an hour] and gusting up to 50, 60 and right up to – as the days roll on – wind strengths of 70 to 100 kilometres per hour across of these fireground areas.”
He said it was always dangerous to draw parallels but “you’d be going back to time periods in the late ’60s, where the ’68 fires would be close”.
“The reality, however, is these conditions that we’re looking at are a whole new ball game and in a league of their own.”
Commissioner Fitzsimmons warned the entire Blue Mountains community needed to be on alert for possible evacuations, from Mt Victoria and Blackheath to Katoomba and Leura, “right down to the fire burning in Springwood” and beyond to Kurrajong and Richmond.
“We are not talking necessarily at this stage of mass evacuations of the entire Blue Mountains community,” he said. “But what we can’t rule out is that there will be parts that may well so be evacuated. We have very changing, dynamic, volatile situations that will unfold over the next three to four days.”
Asked how evacuations would work, if necessary, in the bigger population centres of Katoomba or Leura – where the Great Western Highway, the only major escape route, could be a traffic jam in the best of conditions – Commissioner Fitzsimmons said those strategies were now being considered.
On Sunday, an emergency warning was placed over the 37,000-square-hectare State Mine fire, which started on defence land near Lithgow. An investigation is yet to determine whether or not it was ignited by explosives training.
Commissioner Fitzsimmons said light rain expected on Tuesday would be “inconsequential” and any marginal improvement on the extreme weather that triggered the initial fire disaster last Thursday would be “academic” – now that fires were burning over such vast terrain.
“When you overlay that fire weather forecast across [the Lithgow fire] … and an active fire edge of more than 300 kilometres, and you couple that with a fire only several kilometres to the south near Blackheath, and indeed a fire where we’ve seen so much devastation already down towards Springwood and Winmalee, we’ve got what would be unparalleled in terms of risk and exposure for the Blue Mountains and Hawkesbury communities throughout this week.”
Cancer Council Queensland has commended the Queensland Government for announcing a full ban on commercial solariums.
The ban will take effect on December 31, 2014.
Cancer Council Queensland CEO Professor Jeff Dunn welcomed the decision in response to the Cancer Council’s call for a total ban.
“This is an important law to protect Queenslanders against melanoma and other potentially fatal skin cancers,” Prof Dunn said.
“The evidence is clear, sunbeds can be lethal.
“We congratulate Health Minister Lawrence Springborg for his leadership on this issue.”
Prof Dunn said young people who used solariums were more vulnerable to risks of skin cancer.
“A systematic review of the research on the link between skin cancer and solarium use concluded that the risk of skin cancer from any sunbed use was 20% which rose to 59% if exposure was before 35 years of age.
“This risk increases with number of sunbed sessions, with a 1.8% increase in risk for each additional sunbed session per year.
“Furthermore, increased melanoma risk associated with sunbed use is found in all Caucasian populations, irrespective of the individual skin type.”
Cancer Council Queensland also applauded the Health Minister for his action earlier this year to discontinue issuing new solarium licenses.
“The Minister’s decision to cease granting new solarium licenses has helped to minimise the number of business owners who will be impacted by this ban.
“By the time the ban comes into effect, only 11 solarium licenses will be current in Queensland.
“There is no such thing as a safe way to use solariums – unprotected exposure to UV radiation is extremely dangerous.
“Tanning has taken a tragic toll on Queensland lives.
“This law reinforces the fact that UV radiation is not safe and will help to deter young people from the dangerous practice of tanning.”
Call the Cancer Council Helpline on 13 11 20 or go to http://www.cancerqld.org.au for more information about skin cancer, cancer prevention, and risk factors.
ENDS
For more information or interviews, please contact:
Katie Clift, Executive Manager, Media and Spokesperson, Cancer Council Queensland
Ph: (07) 3634 5372 or 0409 001 171
The Sydney Opera House – a masterpiece of modern architecture and an icon of Australia – is celebrating its 40th birthday.
Take a look at the controversy and celebrations that have made the building part of the nation’s psyche:
1954
‘We need an opera’
Eugene Goossens, conductor of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and the director of the NSW Conservatorium for Music, is introduced to then NSW premier Joseph Cahill and the two men agree that Australia needs an opera house.
In December 1955, Mr Cahill announces an international design competition for an opera house, with Sydney’s Bennelong Point approved as the site for the project.
The main requirement of the competition is a design for two performance halls – one for opera and the other for symphony concerts. The guidelines also request a restaurant and two public meeting rooms.
The competition closes in December 1956 after 222 entries have been submitted from 28 countries.
Organising judge Harry Ingham Ashworth, government architect Cobden Parkes and the head of architecture at Cambridge University, Sir Leslie Martin, begin the judging process.
The fourth judge, American architect Eero Saarinen, arrives in Sydney late and finds his colleagues have already narrowed their choices.
January 29, 1957
Winner announced
Danish architect Jørn Utzon is announced the winner of the competition.
There is no clear record of how Mr Utzon was chosen but popular belief is that judge Eero Saarinen looked through the rejected entries and stopped at Mr Utzon’s design to declare it a clear winner.
Sir Leslie also backed Mr Utzon’s design, leaving Harry Ingham Ashworth and Cobden Parkes content to agree with their more experienced colleagues.
Mr Utzon is awarded 5,000 pounds for his work.
In July 1957, the NSW Parliament votes in favour of building Mr Utzon’s design and allocates 3,500,000 Australian pounds of public funds to the project.
The same month, Mr Utzon makes his first trip to Sydney.
Although he designed the Sydney Opera House he never saw the site in person, relying on photographs and first hand accounts of the area.
Once in Sydney, Mr Utzon is required to pass an examination by the NSW Board of Architects and is coached by local architects.
1959
Construction
Construction of the Opera House becomes as controversial as the design itself, with the building work taking more than a decade.
It took more than three years just to complete the design for the glazed ceramic tiles that make up each of the house’s shells.
Following this, it took eight years to build the shell structure – one of the most difficult engineering tasks ever to be attempted.
In October 1959, premier Joseph Cahill dies from gastric ulcer complications and is succeeded by Robert James Heffron.
Mr Cahill makes his minister for public works, Norman Ryan, promise not to allow the Opera House to fail.
1966
Utzon resigns
In mid-1965 a new state Liberal government is elected and problems arise between Mr Utzon and the new works minister, Davis Hughes.
Sir Davis questions Mr Utzon’s designs and costings – which have blown out significantly – and eventually takes financial control of the project.
In 1966 Mr Utzon quits the project, telling Sir Davis in a letter: “You do not respect me as an architect. I have therefore today given my staff notice of my dismissal.”
Sir Davis announced the resignation on March 1, stating: “The government will complete the Opera House.”
Mr Utzon leaves the country, never getting the chance to realise his design vision for the interior of the building and never to return again to see his masterpiece.
His resignation prompts street protests with many calling for him to be reinstated.
A panel of Australian architects, Peter Hall, DS Littlemore and Lionel Todd, are appointed to finish Mr Utzon’s vision.
The Opera House is formally completed in 1973 having cost $102 million. The original completion date was January 26, 1963 and the original cost estimate was about $7 million.
October 20, 1973
The opening
After a number of test performances, a production of Sergei Prokofiev’s War and Peace is given in the Opera Theatre on September 28, 1973 – the first public performance in the Sydney Opera House.
The following night, the Concert Hall is inaugurated with a performance of an all-Wagner program by the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.
The house is formally opened by Queen Elizabeth II on October 20 in the ceremony complete with fireworks and a performance of Beethoven’s Symphony No 9.
Thousands of boats crowd the harbour along with thousands on the shore to get a view of the proceedings, which are also broadcast to around 3 million television viewers around the world.
Mr Utzon was not invited to the opening ceremony, nor was his name mentioned.
1978 – 1996
Australia’s world stage
In October 1978, Irish rockers Thin Lizzy play a free concert on the steps of the Sydney Opera House to an estimated crowd of 100,000 people.
Countless major performances follow over the years, including a Royal variety performance in 1980 which Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh attend.
The all-Australian concert features performances from Julie Anthony, Roger Woodward, Paul Hogan, Olivia Newton-John and Peter Allen.
In 1987 Pope John Paul II visits Australia gives a speech in the Concert Hall.
In 1990, Mandela-mania hits Sydney following Nelson Mandela’s release from prison in South Africa.
During a visit to Australia, the anti-apartheid hero addresses the nation from the steps of the Opera House on October 24, 1990.
Mr Mandela thanks Australia for its support of the African National Congress and asks then prime minister Bob Hawke to maintain economic and sporting sanctions against South Africa.
The next year, Australia’s opera darling Dame Joan Sutherland, affectionately known as La Stupenda, gives her final performance in a gala production of Les Huguenots at the Opera House.
In 1996, Melbourne-based band Crowded House give their Farewell to the World concert on the Opera House steps.
More than 100,000 people attended the concert. Some estimates put attendance at 250,000.
1999
Utzon re-engaged by Opera House
After a series of conversations and meetings with the Opera House Trust and the New South Wales government, Jorn Utzon agrees to be re-engaged as a design consultant for future work on his masterpiece.
Over the next few years, he develops a set of design principles as a basis for all future changes to the building.
Mr Utzon said his renewed contact with Sydney felt like a “wonderful welcome back to Australia, a hand extended in the spirit of reconciliation, a hand I shake with warmth and gratitude.”
2000
Olympic centrepiece
The Olympics opening ceremony focuses on the Opera House, with swimmer Samantha Riley standing on top of one of the Concert Hall’s shells with the Olympic Torch to send the flame on its final journey to light the cauldron at Stadium Australia.
The Opera House is also a focal point for triathlon events during the Games, with the circuit taking in the Opera House grounds and Botanic Gardens.
2003
Pritzker Prize for Utzon
Jørn Utzon is awarded the Pritzker Architecture Prize, the most prestigious architectural award in the world.
The judges recognise Sydney Opera House as a masterpiece of the 20th Century.
2003
Canvas for protest
On March 18, Briton Will Saunders and NSW Central Coast man David Burgess climb one of the Opera House sails and paint the slogan “NO WAR” in protest of the Iraq War.
The men are eventually talked down by police but the stunt lands them in jail for about nine months.
The protest prompts the Opera House to put security guards on duty 24 hours, seven days a week.
2004
Utzon honoured
On September 16, the newly refurbished Reception Hall – the first interior space rebuilt to an Utzon design – is renamed the Utzon Room in the Dane’s honour.
Mr Utzon describes it as the greatest honour he could ever achieve.
2007
World Heritage site
The United Nations adds the Sydney Opera House to the World Heritage list of culturally significant sites.
The harbour-side landmark wins the approval of around 800 delegates at a World Heritage committee meeting in Christchurch, New Zealand.
It takes its place on the register among more than 800 sites of outstanding cultural and natural significance, including China’s Great Wall and India’s Taj Mahal.
In 2005 the Opera House was added to the National Heritage List.
November 29, 2008
Jørn Utzon dies aged 90
Mr Utzon dies peacefully in his sleep in his hometown of Copenhagen on November 29, 2008.
His legacy lives on in a number of architectural projects in various countries but his masterpiece remains the Sydney Opera House, though he never got to see the completed work in person.
Mr Utzon is survived by his wife, two sons and a daughter.
2009
Lighting of the sails
The first Vivid light festival takes place, illuminating the sails of the Opera House in an array of colours, shapes and images.
The festival, billed as the biggest sound and light show in the Southern Hemisphere, attracts around 200,000 people to The Rocks and Circular Quay.
The opening night is streamed live to a worldwide audience.
March 2010
The Opera House stripped bare
Around 5,200 people strip off in the name of art to transform the Opera House forecourt into a sea of naked flesh.
Entitled The Base, it is the latest installation by US photographer Spencer Tunick who has made a name for himself by snapping mass nudity at iconic locations across the globe.
December 2010
Stunt gone wrong
Hugh Jackman makes international headlines with a spectacular entrance-gone-wrong at an Oprah Winfrey television special at the Opera House.
The actor swoops in on a 100-metre flying fox strung between the building’s sails and a stage set up in the forecourt but applies the brakes too late.
He crashes into a piece of lighting equipment, sustaining an eye injury and temporarily halting the show.
October 20, 2013
Sydney Opera House celebrates 40th birthday
Hailed as one of the 20th Century’s greatest buildings and an icon of modern Australia, the Sydney Opera House today attracts over 8.2 million visitors every year.
With its gleaming white sails set against against the blue water of the Sydney Harbour, it is one of the most photographed sites in the world.
Through a combination of tourism, travel, hospitality and other activities, the Opera House is estimated to contribute more than $1 billion to the Australian economy.
GREEK WORLD MEDIA 