Bradfield Oration 2020: Morrison, Berejiklian speak at Sydney summit
Sydney is perfectly poised to come out of the pandemic and lead the world into the roaring 2020s a gathering of business, political and entertainment leaders were told at the Bradfield Oration.
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Sydney is perfectly poised to come out of the pandemic and lead the world into the roaring 2020s a gathering of business, political and entertainment leaders heard on Friday.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian told The Daily Telegraph’s annual Bradfield Oration that “we know people are looking at us.”
“We have had a lot of interest from major corporations from Australia and around the world who want to set up shop here,” she said.
“There is a lot of frustration from companies based in Victoria and other jurisdictions.”
Ms Berejiklian said it all came down to attitude. “Don’t be scared to take a decision nobody else in the world has done.
“We’ve grown in confidence as a government and our citizens are better for it…NSW is probably the most assertive (state) in how fast we move.”
In a video address Prime Minister Scott Morrison said: “Jobs and infrastructure are our road to recovery.
“This government has supported some of Sydney’s biggest and most ambitious projects… We are working together with the Berejiklian Government to fast-track many more infrastructure projects,” he said, “The comeback has certainly begun.”
Their confidence was echoed among the business, political and entertainment leaders in the COVID safe ballroom at Luna Park including Merrivale hotels chief Justin Hemmes and celebrity chef Luke Mangan.
Also there were billionaire developer John Boyd, Western Sydney Minister Stuart Ayres, Sydney Olympics pioneer Rod McGeoch, Australian Museum chief executive Kim McKay and Greyhounds NSW chief executive Tony Mestrov.
NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet and Planning Minister Rob Stokes sat at a table with News Corp executive chairman Michael Miller and developer Lang Walker.
Ahead of next Tuesday’s budget Mr Perrottet said: “The pandemic is a great opportunity to relook at the way we look at our city and the way we invest.”
He pointed to areas such the Western Harbour, which had been allowed “sit there for way too long” and said it was time to do better with such assets.
Singer Guy Sebastian opened proceedings with Before I Go and hot Aussie export singer George Maple, later sang her hits Fade and Everybody Wants You. She told the “important people in the room” that the music industry “needs you to support us in multiple ways” through the pandemic.
Fittingly the event was held in the shadow of the Harbour Bridge which was designed by John Bradfield, whose vision future-proofed the city and inspired the occasion.
Daily Telegraph editor Ben English recalled that Bradfield went through an earlier pandemic. “John Bradfield prevailed. To honour his legacy we need to do the same,” he said.
Delivering the Bradfield Oration, Customer Service Minister Victor Dominello said “In the roaring twenties of the last century, Bradfield built a structure that connected the North and the South.
“However in the 21st century, the medium for connectivity is digital,” he said. ‘Within the next three years NSW will become the cyber capital of the Southern Hemisphere.”
The day before the event musical producer Michael Cassel had a meeting with Broadway producers who were looking at the upcoming productions of Pippin and Frozen in Sydney: “The only two productions in the world are under way in Sydney,” he said. “The eyes of the world are on us.”
And he said next year’s production of Hamilton was not only its first overseas run but it would also be the only production of the show running in the world.
Mr Cassell also inspired the next Destination NSW marketing campaign when he said: “There is so much to see in Sydney you might even forget to see the Opera House.”
Steve Cox, Destination NSW chief executive, got straight onto his marketing team with that one. “People can go to New York City and not get to see the Statue of Liberty,” he said.
“We need to make sure when someone visits this city and goes to Circular Quay they don’t say we have done Sydney and walk away.”
Bradfield board governor Tony Shepherd said that was a message everyone needed heed. “In terms of infrastructure we’ve not had an infrastructure burst like this anywhere in Australia ever before.”
Now is the time to build on it. “We need to get the soul back into the wonderful city of Sydney,” he said.
Sydney’s culture scene to bounce back
Despite a horror year for the arts and entertainment industry – Sydney’s culture scene is set to make a stunning comeback with a spate of big-ticket events.
A panel of industry leaders delivered the Bradfield Oration to a crowd of the city’s leading minds including Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Treasurer Dominic Perrottet on Friday.
Destination NSW chief Steve Cox said Sydney’s upcoming calendar of world-leading events will help the economy thrive during a recession.
“The diversity of this city is amazing. When we think about diversity it is not just culture, it’s diversity of food, we have Cabramatta, Bankstown, the West, we have diversity of lifestyle with our Mardi Gras,” Mr Cox said.
“We have the World Cup coming, Hamilton (the musical) is kicking off next March.. We have more (music) gigs happening in NSW than any other place in the world.”
Mr Cox said the tourism recovery plan for Sydney should focus on celebrating the different regions not just the harbour.
“People are happy to go to New York because they know they can go to different parts of the city and situate themselves in a different place. We have that here in Sydney… in Western Sydney we’ve got so much to offer,” he said.
Michael Cassel Group boss Michael Cassel said locals needed to be more proactive about advocating for Sydney’s many advantages.
“We don’t talk about it as much as we should. We need to shout it from the rooftop. The backup end of this crazy year is a great opportunity (to do that),” he said.
“Going forward hopefully we will see a much more connected city and so many stakeholders will be interested in collaborating to get more people to Sydney.”
Business industry leader Ann Sherry AO said the pandemic had presented the city an opportunity to rebrand.
“(We need to ask) what is it that we need to know ourselves to be absolutely passionate advocates for Sydney. If I asked the people in this room when was the last time they went to Cabramatta and enjoyed a delicious Vietnamese meal, not many hands would be up,” she said.
NSW Premier urges QLD to open borders
Premier Gladys Berejiklian has urged her Queensland counterpart to give NSW residents enough time to prepare a visit to the sunshine state instead of opening borders at the last minute ahead of the holidays.
Ms Berejiklian said she was proud of how NSW had managed the pandemic in a Q&A panel with Daily Telegraph Editor Ben English.
“I don’t know any other jurisdiction in the world who has our level of infections, our economy and our borders,” she said.
"When you're pushing all the time, the last thing you want to do is go backwards," says @GladysB on easing #COVID19 restrictions in NSW
— The Daily Telegraph (@dailytelegraph) November 13, 2020
“The bottom line is the PM is confident that all states barring WA will open their borders by Christmas… I hope the Queensland Premier’s decision will give people time to prepare.”
Ms Berejiklian said the travel bubble with New Zealand was working “really well” but it had been a struggle to find other countries with infection rates as low as NSW.
“The last month we welcomed New Zealanders without quarantine… that’s worked really well. Japan and South Korea are doing well. Singapore is doing well but nowhere near us,” she said.
The Premier said the health experts were positive about a vaccine being available next year for a select population.
“As a government we have to operate as if we don’t have a vaccine… because even if a vaccine is available it won’t be available to everyone,” she said.
“We’ve grown in confidence as a government and our citizens are better for it…NSW is probably the most assertive (state) in how fast we move.”
She added that she believed NSW had the nation’s best Chief Medical Officer in Dr Kerry Chant.
PM’s plan to drive Sydney economy out of recession
NSW is set to become the cyber capital of the southern hemisphere in the next five years, experts say.
Customer Service Minister Victor Dominello told the Bradfield Oration he wants NSW to be a leader in the digital revolution that has emerged in the aftermath of the pandemic.
The last two weeks in the United States is a pertinent reminder of this. Biden has emerged as the winner. However, there remains a segment of America who don’t trust the result,” he said.
“The day before the US election, millions of people placed a paper bet on the Melbourne Cup - which was then processed digitally within seconds of the race being run.
“Why can’t we use the same techniques for our elections. This way you get the speed of digital that can be backed up with the assurance of paper. Digital also can help eliminate the risks of voter fraud, thereby increasing trust.”
Mr Dominello said he wants NSW to have the lion’s share of new cyber jobs that emerge during the country’s COVID-19 recovery.
“Australia’s cyber industry alone contributes $15 billion dollars to GDP and sustains more than 19,000 jobs. That is only going to grow. We want NSW to have the lion’s share of these new jobs,” he said.
“I firmly believe that within the next three years, NSW will become the cyber capital of the Southern Hemisphere.”
Social demographer Claire Madden said while the pandemic had changed the way Australians lived and worked, it has also created the perfect opportunity to create a richer and healthier society.
'Your children's children will be very different, inside and out' - @VictorDominello 'Digital is changing our understanding of health. Healthcare will be one of the great beneficiaries of the digital age.'
— The Daily Telegraph (@dailytelegraph) November 13, 2020
“Most Australians don’t meet the recommended physical activity guidelines. What if this reset was a time to turn this around? What if instead of sitting in the commute for hours, we trusted our workers to work flexibly? What if we use it to rethink what was truly possible,” she said at the Bradfield Oration.
Ms Madden said three out of five of the top growth areas across the country had been in Western Sydney, highlighting the need for flexible work and a more digitally connected city.
“(We now have) the opportunity of working from home, and hubs like Parramatta and business parks emerging all across Sydney,” she said.
Jobs and infrastructure our road to recovery: PM
Prime minister Scott Morrison has reassured Sydneysiders his government will continue to boost and support infrastructure projects across the city to drive the economy out of recession.
Speaking at The Daily Telegraph’s Bradfield Oration, Mr Morrison said the country’s post-COVID comeback had well and truly begun.
“Jobs and infrastructure are our road to recovery. This government has supported some of Sydney’s biggest and most ambitious projects… We are working together with the Berejiklian Government to fast track many more infrastructure projects,” he said.
“(We) are stimulating infrastructure activity to drive our economy out of recession. The comeback has certainly begun.”
Mr Morrison cited the Western Sydney Airport and its new railway link and the NorthConnex as some of the major initiatives primed to improve the economy post-pandemic.
Among the movers and shakers at the 2020 Bradfield Oration at Luna Park were Merrivale hotels chief Justin Hemmes and celebrity chef Luke Mangan.
Those in the COVID safe ballroom were also joined by Customer Service Minister Victor Dominello and Western Sydney Minister Stuart Ayres, developer John Boyd, Australian Museum chief executive Kim McKay and Greyhounds NSW chief executive Tony Mestrov
Planning Minister Rob Stokes sat at a table with News Corp executive chairman Michael Miller and developer Lang Walker.
Industry heavyweights will discuss timely issues including Sydney’s recovery post the coronavirus pandemic, technology and NSW and the demographic changes redefining the state at this year’s event.
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