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How Oprah could salvage Sydney’s pride

Kristy McSweeney

by Kristy McSweeney

22 Jan 06:00am

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Filed under: Business, Nsw, Oprah, Sydney, Tourism, Victoria

30 comments

This week, we have seen two incredible women on television who have both made us feel proud to be Australian.

Oprah the saviour of Sydney?

One is Anna Bligh, with her outpouring of emotion, reminding Queenslanders and the rest of the nation that people from the sunshine state are “the people they breed tough, north of the border.”  The other is Oprah.Yes, Oprah.

In Sydney, we are struggling to harness a sense of pride.

It has taken the importation of an American talk show host showcasing the beauty of the harbour and the Opera House to give us something to get us talking about how great Sydney is. Oprah’s visit has enabled Sydney to capture the same level of excitement and energy not seen since the 2000 Olympics – over 11 years ago.

If we think back, the 2000 Olympics was the last time we saw a major infrastructure project happen in Sydney. It was the last time we had a major event and it was the last time the people of this city had occasion to come together to celebrate something they could be proud of.

Sydneysiders are, for all intents and purposes, fairly apathetic about where we live. We’re so apathetic that we keep leaving.  Of the 62 per cent of our state’s population that lives in Sydney, around 10,500 of us are thinking of living somewhere else. That’s how many people NSW lost last year, making it the only state aside from South Australia to experience an interstate migration loss.

Victoria, by comparison, experienced interstate migration increase of over 2,600, and Western Australia 2,000. Figures from the West are not a particularly accurate portrayal, as fly-in-fly-out workers to that state’s North West can live in Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane and fly directly to WA for work. This means that the people that aren’t moving there are certainly still contributing to the growth of the Western Australian economy.

These are two challenges for the likely-to-be-incoming O’Farrell Government, who are going to the polls with a slogan to ‘make NSW number one again’.  The secondary issue of arresting the population drift and competing with the mineral resources-rich states of Queensland and Western Australia for opportunity crosses a number of policy platforms - not in the least planning and infrastructure.

But, the first challenge is to put a stop to this city’s apathetic, defeatist attitude and try to restore some pride.

It’s been done before.

Jeff Kennett is perhaps the best known ambassador of state pride in Australia. He set about reforming rustbucket Victoria (as it was known) into a state that was ‘on the move.’  Love him or hate him, you probably won’t find a Sydney-sider that wouldn’t agree that Melbourne is a transport utopia.

To ensure that this utopian transport system was used by as many people as possible, Kennett harnessed the Joan Kirner-established Victorian Major Events Company and turned Melbourne into a city where things happened. Things like major events. Things like the Grand Prix.

He was so determined to make Melbourne a place where things happen that he outright stole this event from Adelaide.  He was instrumental in ensuring Crown Casino became a world-class international venue for business and cultural events. Civic pride in Melbourne ensued.

That story began in 1991, and a recent audit of the Victorian Major Events Company has put the direct benefits of the Melbourne events calendar at $730 million. Twenty years later, the Baillieu Government is unlikely to drop the ball, appointing Deputy Leader Louise Asher to the portfolio of Tourism and Major Events.

In NSW, these two portfolios are currently separated and overseen by two Ministers. O’Farrell has taken the first step towards replicating the Victorian model and has appointed a Shadow Cabinet Minister who has both Tourism and Major Events under the one banner. He has also pledged a new convention centre estimated to cost around $700 million, and driving home economic benefits of over $270 million a year.

As Morris Iemma would say, all of these things are a step in the right direction, but there is certainly more to do.  In the meantime, we can watch Oprah be excited about our city…even if we’re not.

Most commented

30 comments

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    • Gregg says:

      06:20am | 22/01/11

      Is there also the real Ostentatious Oprah and also the other Off put Bitchy Oprah rather pissed off with having to wait on a helicopter getting fuel and returning to finish their Bridge shoot.
      And what about that other real and another on the bandwagon, suppose they do have a couple of things in common and that’s a mouth and unreal dark and other sides

      And then ”  It was the last time we had a major event and it was the last time the people of this city had occasion to come together to celebrate something they could be proud of. ” and the need for our two major cities to run with tourism and general events, the third most populous state also heavily reliant on tourism does say a lot about this country.

      Reply

    • Skippy says:

      07:06am | 22/01/11

      It’s time this country got over flamin Oprah! Any galah can see that we don’t need anymore yanky doodle in this country! Yeah sure Oprah’s blood may be worth bottlin but stone the crows we don’t need the likes of her spruikin our wares, fair dinkum we have enough Ocker’s, cane toads, cockroaches and bushies to do the job! I’m mad as a cut snake over this! Give it a bone Austraaalya or your gonna come a gutser, deadset!
      Our

      Reply

    • Against the Man says:

      07:26am | 22/01/11

      Getting rid of the ALP at all levels of government will save not only Sydney’s but Australia’s pride.

      Reply

    • Lazy Jesus says:

      07:33am | 22/01/11

      “In Sydney, we are struggling to harness a sense of pride.”

      1st I’ve heard of that. Sydney-siders are quite assured in the knowledge they live in the best of all Australian cities, we know it, so do all the immigrants and tourists that flock to Sydney in numbers that far exceed the rest of the country. You might be confused by the the fact we don’t need to bring attention to ourselves some sort of ridiculous moniker like ‘Syd-vegas’ or claims to be ‘the ________ capital of Australia’ like our insecure southern neighbours.

      “around 10,500 of us are thinking of living somewhere else”

      Um, how do you know that? Clearly poor journalism is one of your powers but I’m quite confident the ability to read minds is not. Just because something has happened once, doesn’t mean it will happen again. Also, the state of NSW is not Sydney so your argument is flawed from the get go. Also, Sydney has a population of over 4.5 million, so a loss of 10,500 from NSW as a whole is really not even worth mentioning as it is less than 1%. Sorry to state actual facts.

      “Oprah’s visit has enabled Sydney to capture the same level of excitement and energy not seen since the 2000 Olympics – over 11 years ago.”

      So what? Here’s an interesting fact, New York, the biggest, most famous, most recognised city in the world has never hosted the Olympic games, in fact they rarely have any major upgrades to infrastructure either and host major events even less than that. But that is still a proud, proud city, just like Sydney, they know it, so they don’t need to continually boast about it.

      I can run down pretty much every other argument you’ve got too (not that you really have any others), but instead I think I’ll go and enjoy my wonderful city that I am immensely proud to be part of and leave the wallowing in misery and half truths to you.

      Cheers!

      Reply

    • Mayday says:

      09:14am | 22/01/11

      Lazy Jesus, you are lazy why not do some research before you claim to have “run down pretty much every other argument you’ve got”

      According to the Centre for Population and Urban Research Monash University 2003.

      “Since 2001 population increases in both Sydney and Melbourne now surpassed that of Sydney by at least 19 percent.” 

      “Sydney-siders are quite assured in the knowledge they live in the best of all Australian cities”  That is a big call, maybe ten years ago but since then services have gone downhill while costs have increased.

      The figures above say as much and the slide is still on.

    • S.L says:

      12:43pm | 22/01/11

      Sydneysiders don’t have problems with Melbourne that Melbournians have with Sydney.
      Interesting that research favouring Melbourne over Sydney in population increase comes from a Melbourne based university.
      They must be the mob that issue the rubbery AFL participation figures too?

    • john says:

      07:48pm | 22/01/11

      Lived in Adelaide, Melbourne, and now Sydney, the social fabric that used to bind us has almost disintegrated in all 3 cities. All three cities have large areas that resemble other countries, a clear sign integration has failed and segregation has taken hold.
      All three cities are in decline for their own reasons. Melbourne’s air quality on many days is poor, Adelaide has poor employment/career prospects especially for young people and is viewed as a backwater. In all 3 cities the standard of living has fallen dramatically in many areas, as prices are beyond most peoples affordability. The whole eastern seaboard in the last 20 years has now become over developed and many parts are over populated. Congestion is at a point where commuting by car is pointless.

      Over development in all cities has turned them into Mac-cities. Simply awful on so many levels, now with glass residential towers springing up like mushrooms {our future glass ghettos} at this rate our cities are going to become completely undesirable for so many reasons.

      Its more valuable to be unique, size isn’t the answer.

    • steve parker says:

      07:34am | 22/01/11

      I don’t feel proud of Anna Bligh. I just remember the absolute in your face lies told to the Queensland community before the last election. Don’t be swayed by the look and words of the woman - she can turn it on and off at will.

      Reply

    • TChong says:

      08:29am | 22/01/11

      “She can turn it on and off” agree , the same as all politicians, of all factions,of all electorates, since Adam was a boy.

    • NEFFA says:

      11:49am | 22/01/11

      totally agree, i am tired of this woman being beatified because she had a bit of a cry. she was probably crying because all of a sudden she had to do something and what politician wants that?

    • Paul says:

      08:26am | 22/01/11

      Tosh.  Utter tosh.  Sydney: great harbour, pity about the other 1500 square kilometres not directly around the water.  And to point to Kennett as your model, oh man - all he did was pimp Melbourne’s ride, abetted a housing bubble and provided a whole pile of corporate welfare: that’s not so much visionary as directly out of the shallowest, most peurile, crowd-egging PR handbo….oh, I see now.

      Reply

    • TChong says:

      08:45am | 22/01/11

      10, 500 out of a Sydney pop. of about aprox. 3.5 mill, out of a state of aprox 6-7 mill.
      So what?
      The way to turn things around is via bread and circuses? “Things like the Grand Prix”? Yes that will help the infrastructure problems.
      70% of a billion dollars for a new convention center? Great!!!!!
      Just dont tell Abbott , he wants govt spending directed towards flood relief, with NSW also affected, so wouldnt 700 million be better directed?
      An LNP editorial, but with the authors impeccable conservative credentials, why expect anything different ?

      Reply

    • Gregg says:

      09:50am | 22/01/11

      Errr, Pinko, that confucious stream has escaped again.
      Now what is it you do not want me to tell Tony on tomorrow mornings ride?

    • Joan says:

      08:49am | 22/01/11

      Wow… Sydney must be desperate to be satisfied with the scant snippets of Sydney amid screaming, silly Ozie female audience aping silly Yank female audience. Embarassing to watch people turn into screaming idiots as they receive gift bestowed on them by Oprah bellowing like some roaring bull. No gracious gift giving or receiving here.

      Reply

    • Nexus says:

      08:58am | 22/01/11

      Could not care less about Oprah, a tubby middle aged American tourist.

      Reply

    • Adam Diver says:

      01:11pm | 22/01/11

      I think not commenting on an article with “oprah” in the title is caring less, but thats just my opinion.

    • Servaas says:

      09:30am | 22/01/11

      Is it a pro or con to be endorsed by Oprah? Because some of the stuff she endorses sucks big time. But yes, it’s true, if your home gets airtime through whoever you look at it through the eyes of an outsider and grow a new appreciation for it.

      And, does a compliment to those living North of the border turn into an automatic compliment to those living to the South of it as well, although the South was used as a measure to point out the North’s superiority in a certain aspect?

      Reply

    • Lapun Pinis says:

      11:04am | 22/01/11

      I read this through to see what the writer’s comment was on Anna Bligh - Zilch.
      Captain Bligh deserves a big pat on the back for her handling of the floods over the past weeks and I congratulate her despite (like most Queenslanders) not liking her Government one little bit.  Most noticeable was the wat in which she outshone Julia Gillard both in effort, looks and personality.  Once again I felt the embarrassment felt by so many Aussies where our PM is concerned.

      Reply

    • Nicko says:

      12:16pm | 22/01/11

      “the 2000 Olympics ... was the last time we had a major event and it was the last time the people of this city had occasion to come together to celebrate something they could be proud of.”
      Kirsty, I see you a PR flack. That would probably explain why you live in a weird bubble that is fixated on Oprah and the Olympic Games.
      Haven’t you heard of World Youth Day??
      I beleive it was held in Sydney in 2008?
      That about a million people showed up from Oz and overseas to see a world leader called Benedict XVI / Joseph Ratzinger?
      That it had worldwide coverage?
      That in fact it was something to celebrate, especially no arrests or violence among that many people?
      Geez, some people have short memories.
      Sydney’s a great place, and Oprah is welcome as anyone, but your argument is rubbish.

      Reply

    • MCoud says:

      02:59pm | 22/01/11

      World youth day cost Australian Taxpayers $64 MILLION dollars! (and people complain about $4 Millon spent on Oprah)

      http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/youth-day-64m-in-the-red-20100529-wmfs.html

      “something to celebrate, especially no arrests or violence among that many people?”-  Yes there were all those unfortunate riots caused by Oprah Fans ?

      The only people celebrating WWD were Catholics… And it had nothing to do about Sydney as a city.

    • Nicko says:

      10:51pm | 22/01/11

      Hey MCoud - I wasn’t arguing about how much it cost (and probably, just to be accurate, those weren’t Australian taxpayers footing most of the bill, I imagine NSW tax/rate/excise/stamp duty/license fee payers footed most of it).. And also - its not a swipe at Oprah fans either.
      Fact is, a million bods came to Sydney in ‘08; 300 grand of them came from overseas for a week. They didn’t do any actual damage to the joint - had a great time - went home - most likely said what a beaut place Sydney was, and what a great time they had. So your $64mil was spent as advertising Sydney as a great joint. Maybe your NSW govt has wizzed $64mil up the wall on worse things? Am I wrong?
      But the main thing I was pointing out was that Kirsty should realise is that a few things have happened in Sydney since 2000. Big stuff, whether its your religion or not. These PR types live in a weird universe… Possibly even one that is being paid for by Oprah.

    • Shane From Melbourne says:

      03:20pm | 22/01/11

      Oprah was in Australia? When did this happen? What did she do here?

      Reply

    • Gregg says:

      04:58pm | 22/01/11

      It was that woman with a better tan hanging ariund with a redhead whose nose is often made fun of in cartoons both running ample B&Bs; though not too much running done as in even jogging but Anna does!

    • Joel B1 says:

      05:55pm | 22/01/11

      Sydney is a shit-hole, they just pump “primary” (code for NO treatment) sewerage into the pacific ocean.

      And when the shit washes up on beaches they just extend the pipes another few kilometres.

      Malabar   High-rate primary 498,000,000 litres/day
      North Head   High-rate primary 307,900,000 litres/day
      Bondi   High-rate primary 126,500,000 litres/day

      That’s nearly a billion litres of untreated shit into the ocean every stinking day.

      And Sydneysiders reckon they’re “king-shit”, oh wait they are.

      (numbers today from Sydney Water.com)

      Cheers

      Reply

    • Davo from St Kilda says:

      11:22pm | 22/01/11

      I can’t believe that Sydney is still hanging on to an event that occurred more than a DECADE ago. Get over it, Sydney – no one else remembers the 2000 Olympics and no one cares. The fact that Sydney keeps trotting out such an average event as their greatest achievement proves that nothing has happened there since. This is a city in serious decline. What an embarrassment it was watching Sydney people falling all over themselves because someone on TV from America happened to be there. So desperate to be noticed by anyone shows what an insecure lot they are. Mature cities like London and New York don’t need a TV personality like Oprah to validate their status, but apparently Sydney does. So shallow with nothing to offer except for a building which they think the rest of the world loves.  It’s no wonder that everyone is moving to Melbourne - one of the world’s greatest cities with a calendar packed with events, such as the current Australian Open. The world is watching Melbourne now, just as it will be in March with the Grand Prix. No one cares about Sydney.

      Reply

    • Mr Pod says:

      08:53am | 23/01/11

      “This week, we have seen two incredible women on television who have both made us feel proud to be Australian.”
      May be for fawning media circles and squint eyed banjo players who think squillions in the bank is a mark of greatness or being able to work without an autocue in a press conference is intellectual brilliance (we’ll just forget about trashing a states finances eh Anna).  It would have been better to court “Jerry Springers” audience, they may not have good teeth, but at least they may have some cash as they don’t spend feverishly on self help books and other Oprah endorsed products.

      Reply

    • Mayday says:

      01:44pm | 23/01/11

      McCoud @2.59

      You are right to bring to attention the cost of World Youth day, that was the trade of to canonize our Saint Mary McKillop and considering the large percentage of atheists in this city I for one was aghast at both “events.”

      Reply

    • John Tracey says:

      01:52pm | 23/01/11

      Kristina Kenneally is more Australian than Oprah Winfrey and she makes me proud to be an American.
      Latest Galaxy Poll Nsw State Election 23 Jan 2011
      Liberals 51% Labor 20% and Greens 15%
      Doers that make me proud to be an Australian??

      Reply

    • OchreBunyip says:

      10:32am | 24/01/11

      If an American talk-show host is needed to salvage Sydney’s pride then the city is in worse shape than I thought.

      Reply

    • Wilma J Craig says:

      12:12pm | 24/01/11

      Come off it,Kristy!
      Anna Bligh, if she was genuine & not just pulling an early election stunt to make her & her government look good, appeared to be a decent, humane & caring politician (A Novelty).
      Oprah? She came here at great expense to Australian TaxPayers. She is, let’s face it, just one of many American Chat Show Hosts. It has been reported that her show is being axed this September.
      She is no different to so many other, particularly American entertairners, be they chat show performers, singers, sportspeople, etc.
      Over the years, whenever they are coming to the end of their careers, either because they want to retire, their home-town shows are being axed or they no longer appeal to the public they suddenly “Discover” Australia. many of these performers have had 20, 30,40 years to come here but they could not be bothered. Suddenly they see an untapped pot of gold and all the bigger pot if some Government or Government Agency is prepared to pay out millions to bring them here. They walk away with their bank accounts full. The SA Premier has been paying a bike rider millions of taxpayer’s money just to have him show up. He isn’t expected to actually win anything just be here so that the SA Premier can bask in some sort of reflected glory.

      Reply
 
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