Falling funds could fizzle New Year's Eve frolic

[MILIUX]

Falling funds could fizzle New Year's Eve frolic

Ignatius Jones was keen to reminisce about his "Eternity" moment, the glory days of big budgets and the five creative plans he launched to help Sydney usher in the new year.

The artistic director and entertainer was also keen to air his concerns yesterday about what he saw as a money squeeze on one of the country's biggest public events, Sydney's New Year's Eve celebrations.

Today the City of Sydney begins its search for a new creative director for the 2005-06 celebration. The current one, Leo Schofield, will end his three-year tenure in the position after this year's celebrations.

Mr Jones, who ran the event from 1997 to 2001, said budget cuts were threatening the status of the celebration, which attracted a million people to the harbour foreshores last year.

"It was $6.2 million for the millennium celebrations, then the next year it went down to $3 million, and it's been falling rapidly since," he said yesterday.

"I don't care what they say, but it's sitting somewhere between $1.5 to $2 million now.

"Given its huge impact [in attracting tourists], it's a crime, I think, the way it's been treated by the city fathers and the people in charge."

He also said he thought the event had lost some of its "emotional resonance" in recent years, with a lack of a defining symbol last year taking the focus off the harbour.

The producer of this year's New Year's Eve celebrations, Ed Wilkinson, hailed both men for their contributions to the event.

"Leo brought a more artistic sort of bent to it, while Ignatius was responsible for growing it from a very small, parochial fireworks celebration to [something that has made] Sydney the New Year's Eve capital of the world."

The council was considering taking the event in a new direction, Mr Wilkinson said. "When people get accustomed to 15 minutes of fireworks at midnight it's a bit of a worry. We want to build on the event, but not necessarily make it bigger."


Comment: Shame on you City of Sydney Council, Shame! City of Sydney came out with a big surplus and debt free and can't be stuffed making this big celebration bigger? This will enhance the local economy!

[Muse]

Not sure how many tourists it actually brings in. I don't think many are sitting in Europe, The U.S. or Japan planning their holdiday around 15 minutes of fame. I see lots of drunk yobbos tho'.

It's really obscene the amounts of money spent on this. Only yesterday I was downtown and saw on 3 seperate occasions, terrible sights of homeless people. If I can see them, imagine what and how tourists view them - Australia, The Lucky Country.

What did we do before expensive cracker nights? I can't remember.

[MILIUX]

I think the reason why homelss people lie around the city because of the checkpoints where foods and coffee are given out. My teacher works for the St Vincent Night patrol and he says they know where to get food and shelter. St Mary's Chuch is a big spot.

Also, Sydney City Council does provide shelter for the homeless. It's the matter of going there and ask.

Back to the question:

I been to every NYE party to watch the fireworks and there were so many peole from Europe, Americas and even Asia coming here to watch the fireworks. There were Germans, Candadians, Americans and Japanese. In fact in Maquarie Point, most of the spectators were foreigners. They know the fireworks celebration, thus brings big bucks to the economy.

I wish though the illuminations of key buildings stay permanantly like everyday coz it looks great.

[Muse]

You missed my point completely. I'm just not talking about seeing hoemless people in the city. No excuses for it anyway.

I think any tourists that are here, are here for the Xmas/New year periods, not just fireworks.

[Trances]

I dont Muse i have views on that
But you start cutting corners and people do notice
there is reason why sydney NYE is one of the biggest in the world
Sure its not just about the fireworks but it is large part

[hk-star]

Don't give me that bleeding heart BS Muse. Those "homeless" people are more often than not professional beggars - I live in the city and often see them comparing notes with each other after a hard days' "work". I have zero sympathy for them - as far as I am concerned they can get the dole like everyone else. Begging should be illegal.

And regardless, what is with your STUPID attitude? Just because we, as a society, have some problems, we shouldn't celebrate or spend money on beautiful things? You're just like all those short-sighted idiots in america who want to cancel the space program because it's taking money from social security.

For the record i know 2 people who are visiting from japan on NYE. The thought that the council is trying to save pennies this year and deliberately put on a less-than-impressive show sickens me.

As for the homeless, I would like nothing so much as they all be rounded up and shot. They're the scum of the earth, most of them, and if you'd been abused by them a few more times you'd think so too.

I'm going to ring the SCC right fucking now and complain.

[hk-star]

Ha! just spoke to Ed Wilkinson. Nice guy. Felt guilty after blowing my top at him, haha. But he mentioned that the article isn't "all that accurate", whatever that means. He seemed to appreciate ratepayers' putting their names down in support, so if you're in the SCC zone why not call them on 1300 65 1301 and let them know that as a ratepayer you want your money spent on fireworks, god damn it.

[Fabian]

I think the reason why homelss people lie around the city because of the checkpoints where foods and coffee are given out. My teacher works for the St Vincent Night patrol and he says they know where to get food and shelter. St Mary's Chuch is a big spot.

Also, Sydney City Council does provide shelter for the homeless. It's the matter of going there and ask.

Back to the question:

I been to every NYE party to watch the fireworks and there were so many peole from Europe, Americas and even Asia coming here to watch the fireworks. There were Germans, Candadians, Americans and Japanese. In fact in Maquarie Point, most of the spectators were foreigners. They know the fireworks celebration, thus brings big bucks to the economy.

I wish though the illuminations of key buildings stay permanantly like everyday coz it looks great.

Matix is right. I can back it with statstics with at a quarter of the million or so that turn up being tourists!!!! :)

To cut the budget is crazy, especially for an event where Sydney is placed in the worlds spotlight and the fact it's the biggest and best NYE party on the planet. The people of Sydney and the world expect a good display each year, and cutting funds places doubt on whether the city can replicate the success of past years. The SCC needs to realise this

[Fabian]

& the article never said that sponsors will be footing half the bill for the NYE fireworks display which will include a 20 metre tall disco ball being suspended from the harbour bridge which will rotate.

There will also be a light show three times each evening in January as well

It's not as bad as it seems afterall Matix :)

[MILIUX]

Disco ball...can it get any worse.

[Trances]

very b grade
dont expect any thing much this year
when will be the big return

[CULWULLA]

i think the disco ball is a fab idea.the song isnt. Sydney will have a "ball" on NYE. best place in world to be! The homeless will do ok. they always seem to get by.

[Trances]

ur i about to throw up i just heard the new version !
stupid lord mayor gave it the go ahead
only chance i may be to drunk to hear it on the night i might spoilt my nigth

[cammo2004]

I've only heard a few seconds of that anthem (and I'm in the 'young people' age bracket) and I h8 it. Nice one Clover. I can guarantee there won't be many people going in for NYE next year.... I mean

The disco ball's ok though, and it's good to see they've moved the focus back onto the harbour bridge. (I mean, c'mon, it's a Sydney tradition!)

Sydney really needs to go off at NYE, especially considering we're the first world city to go into the new year.

[Barsby]

errrm i think you may find that there are afew more cities before the eastern seaboard of Australia that see in the New Year first :)

[cammo2004]

True, but they're mostly small Pacific Island nations. The only cities of any real significance to click over before the Eastern Seaboard are those in NZ. But Sydney's the first truly world-significant city to cross over. Not many Americans would have heard of the NZ cities, but they sure know Sydney's there (mind they have some very strange delusions as to what it's like. Auckland would probably be the only city that goes before Sydney that anyone would bother watching from an international perspective.

If you look at this map, you'll see what I mean.

http://aa.usno.navy.mil/faq/docs/world_tzones.html

[MILIUX]

Kiribati or Millennium Island gets to celebrate the New Year first.

[MJW]

Hi there, long time reader first time writer. I have some friends involved in NYE in Sydney and so i wanted to add a few points. Sydney has larger crowds and a larger firewroks display than those in New York, Paris, London or Edinburgh (though in all fairness Edinburgh got rained out last year). Sydney had 1.2million people around Sydney Harbour last year, 300,000 were International tourists. The Hotels around Sydney had 93% occupancy in 2003, and 96% occupancy in 2002 making it the highest average night of hotel occupancy in Sydney each year.

The event costs only a few million Australian dollars (half provided by sponsors) yet generate over AUD$1 billion in Tourism Awareness for Sydney. This cost is also significantly less than that spent in those other cities mentioned above which cater to crowds of only around 800,000.

There has been no budget cut this year that was a furphy, and there is exactly the same amount being spent on fireworks now as was in 1999.

The Lord Mayor is also probably getting a little unfair criticism as she has notihing to do with the creative of the event. I heard someone suggest that criticising her for the anthem remix is like criticising John Howard because you don't like the colour paper that your tax return is printed on. There does seem to be a select few media outlets in particular who have it in for her.

[Randwicked]

The Lord Mayor is also probably getting a little unfair criticism as she has notihing to do with the creative of the event. I heard someone suggest that criticising her for the anthem remix is like criticising John Howard because you don't like the colour paper that your tax return is printed on. There does seem to be a select few media outlets in particular who have it in for her.

Yeah, I've noticed...
The Daily Telegraph's getting rather heroic in its retardedness of late.

"The ANZACs didn't fight overseas to hear our anthem desecrated."

1. It's a shit anthem anyway, and
2. No, you dumb falied journalism students, they fought to protect our RIGHT to make crappy remixes of our crappy anthem. Do I have to draw ya a diagram?

P.S. I love the way they have to call it a 'disco version', because their average readership age of 96 thinks this is what the kids are up to these days:

http://www.allposters.com/IMAGES/PEPH/JT1B7.jpg

[Tony P]

3) The Anzacs fought under 'God Save the Queen' anyway.

I flicked through the Terrorgraph today and found one person saying something like "It's just Clover Moore pandering to the minorities yet again" about the remixed version of the Anthem and the mirror ball.

Prey tell, which minority is she pandering to, here? Is there a regular "Remixers of National Anthems Purely to Piss Off the Typical Talkback Radio Listening and Daily Telegraph Reading Dumbass from the Suburbs" group meeting that I don't know of, and that Clover Moore is in bed with?

The people who protested against the lack of Christmas decorations may have had *some* validity saying it was pandering to political correctness, but in this case the protesters are digging through shit to claim a nugget of poo.

Me? Like the mirrorball (better than the original smiley face at any rate) but the song is disturbingly embarrassing. Its' only glimmer of sunshine is that it pisses off the neo-cons.

[perthwa]

its getting pleanty of media attention with that crap anthem remix

[zulu69]

*Sigh* journalism was once a very respected profession (until Murdoch and his tabloids)...now they only seem to try to ride or entice public sentiment and scandalise at every opportunity. I agree Ms Moore has little to do with this.

[Blabbyboy]

Not sure how many tourists it actually brings in. I don't think many are sitting in Europe, The U.S. or Japan planning their holdiday around 15 minutes of fame. I see lots of drunk yobbos tho'.

It's really obscene the amounts of money spent on this. Only yesterday I was downtown and saw on 3 seperate occasions, terrible sights of homeless people. If I can see them, imagine what and how tourists view them - Australia, The Lucky Country.

What did we do before expensive cracker nights? I can't remember.
agree on this - i lurve big fireworks, but it's a crime, really. 1.5-2 mil is plenty IMHO. and the crowds aren't made up of that many international visitors from my past experience. and it may be "broadcast" to many countries on TV, but I think even that isn't what it's made out to be - i think it means sydney gets the traditional 10 second spot on the news, but i never knew of anybody being able to watch it on pay TV anywhere outside Australia!

[zulu69]

agree on this - i lurve big fireworks, but it's a crime, really. 1.5-2 mil is plenty IMHO. and the crowds aren't made up of that many international visitors from my past experience. and it may be "broadcast" to many countries on TV, but I think even that isn't what it's made out to be - i think it means sydney gets the traditional 10 second spot on the news, but i never knew of anybody being able to watch it on pay TV anywhere outside Australia!

^ well let me tell you where i was sitting on NYE (blue's point) there were PLENTY (im talking a good 50%) of people around me actually tourists. Talked to a lot too, and they all said that they just had to visit Sydney for the fireworks because it has such a great rep internationally. So i actually believe that the fireworks are worth it....i have even relatives in Paris that always comment on how the fireworks in Sydney are the best 4 NYE, they tell me their news channel even state it in polls!!!!

[Fabian]

agree on this - i lurve big fireworks, but it's a crime, really. 1.5-2 mil is plenty IMHO. and the crowds aren't made up of that many international visitors from my past experience. and it may be "broadcast" to many countries on TV, but I think even that isn't what it's made out to be - i think it means sydney gets the traditional 10 second spot on the news, but i never knew of anybody being able to watch it on pay TV anywhere outside Australia!

You might be surprised at the attention Sydney does receive

CNN has carried it live over the years with commentary by whoever is reading the news at the begining of the bulletin.

I was also told by British tourists visiting Sydney on NYE that it is also screened live in the UK (at least parts of the display) , as it is the "lead" story for their 1pm news bulletin's.

Americas CBS News website also has a video of the Sydney Fireworks from the 2003 NYE celebrations (courtesy of channel nine :)) with the countdown and start of the display which you can find when doing a search of their news site. They even did a video of Sydney's NYE celebrations from 1999!!!

^ well let me tell you where i was sitting on NYE (blue's point) there were PLENTY (im talking a good 50%) of people around me actually tourists. Talked to a lot too, and they all said that they just had to visit Sydney for the fireworks because it has such a great rep internationally. So i actually believe that the fireworks are worth it....i have even relatives in Paris that always comment on how the fireworks in Sydney are the best 4 NYE, they tell me their news channel even state it in polls!!!!

There were a fair number of tourists at Mrs Macquaries Point as well. Many of those sitting around me were Brits and they were all there simply because they love our display's and felt that they had to be there!!!! They also would watch the display on TV back at home.

My family in South America have also commented on the city's NYE celebrations as well when I make contact with them and they say how impressed they are with our fireworks displays.

[MILIUX]

Wishing:

Wishing that Port Denison will be the location for dazzling spotlight shows. Like the ones 'Symphany of Light' in Hong Kong. One big spotlight pointing towards the sky vertically sitting next to the beacon. Then the other four along the footsteps dazzling with its colour and intensity.

[MILIUX]

Bloody hell...the ball is still dangling. Someone get me a cable cutter.

[Blue_Copper]

http://img177.exs.cx/img177/1573/bridgeball7zz.jpg went down yesterday

[Blue_Copper]

please kill this thread!!!!!!!!!

[mic]

That ball looks terrible-remove it please

[Blue_Copper]

it went ages ago