Get Involved - Parliament

Vivid Festival

Published on: May 2022

Record: HANSARD-1323879322-124990

Vivid Festival

Ms FELICITY WILSON (North Shore) (14:46:43):

My question is addressed to the Minister for Tourism and Sport. Will the Minister update the House on how the New South Wales Government's investment in the visitor economy is ensuring a bright future for New South Wales?

Mr STUART AYRES (PenrithMinister for Enterprise, Investment and Trade, Minister for Tourism and Sport, and Minister for Western Sydney) (14:46:57):

— I thank the member for North Shore for her question. The member for Mount Druitt can come and run in Penrith any time, particularly when he needs to free up the spot.

The SPEAKER:

The member for Rockdale will come to order. I call the member for Prospect to order for the first time.

Dr Hugh McDermott:

We've got a great candidate for you, don't worry. We'll announce it. You'll see.

Mr STUART AYRES:

You are going to get sorted out by your own team. We don't have to worry about you.

Dr Hugh McDermott:

We have a great candidate waiting for you, mate.

The SPEAKER:

I call the member for Prospect to order for the second time.

Mr STUART AYRES:

Keep them coming. The member for North Shore is a passionate advocate for the visitor economy. Through her role as Parliamentary Secretary she is doing some fantastic work supporting the 24‑Hour Economy Commissioner and engaging small businesses right across New South Wales and particularly across Sydney that are recovering from the damaging impacts of COVID. Right now there is a fantastic opportunity for everyone to put a smile back on their face. Visitors are coming back in, the economy is strengthening and there is a low unemployment rate. We hear about none of those things from members opposite, who are constantly talking the economy and our community down.

Members on this side of the House are all about creating a brighter future for people across New South Wales. There is no better way to do that than to have Vivid back. After two years of not being able to have Vivid, it will be a real showcase of Sydney and Australia on the global stage. It is fantastic right now to have the Australian Tourism Exchange in Sydney. Over 1,000 tourism businesses are connecting with each other, setting up new trade opportunities and new businesses. Vivid will light the way for everyone to come back into New South Wales.

ElvisThe West WingExtension of time

Vivid kicks off on 27 May. There are over 51 light installations and eight kilometres of Light Walk. It will be amazing. Yarrkalpa will light up the Sydney Opera House, and it will be one of the most spectacular things that we have seen. This is all about creating confidence and making sure that small businesses, particularly across the Sydney CBD, can get people back in their shops and people back staying in our hotels. These things are about creating a bright, prosperous future. It goes well beyond the light show that we know Vivid is famous for. There are also over 111 music events. Vivid Live at Sydney Opera House will have for the first time Paul Kelly and Thelma Plum playing live. It will be an absolutely cracking show; members should definitely get along to that. We also have all the wonderful ideas festivals. There is the talk with Baz Luhrmann about his new show, . Members should get along to that. Gretchen Carlson will talk about women's rights. That will definitely be a thought-provoking session. Aaron Sorkin, the writer of , will also appear. All of Chris Minns' speech writers will be there getting new ideas for their future speeches. [.]

The West Wing

All those nuts who live in the building can get down there and enjoy that fantastic show. We are also seeing a lot of confidence across western Sydney. The Sydney Zoo in western Sydney is conducting its GLOW Light Festival, which has sold 57,000 tickets in the first four days. That is a great vote of confidence. It is doing a fantastic job and it shows how confident families are under this New South Wales Government. The Government is keeping people employed and putting money back into people's pockets, which means they are getting back out and spending. On top of what is happening at Sydney Zoo, one of the stars of Vivid is Taronga Zoo in the electorate of the member for North Shore, which is one of the great cultural institutions in New South Wales. It does wonderful research but it will also be right at the forefront of everything that we do at Vivid.

Members on the opposite side of the Chamber constantly talk down our State and the economy when what people want to hear right now is about the confidence that the Government has built so they can get back out and spend. They want a smile on their face. They have battled hard for the past two years. Members on this side of the Chamber recognise that. We want to be upbeat and confident, and we will constantly reject the negativity that keeps coming from the other side of the Chamber.