• iconNews
  • videos
  • entertainment
  • Home
  • News
    • UK News
    • US News
    • Australia
    • Ireland
    • World News
    • Weird News
    • Viral News
    • Sport
    • Technology
    • Science
    • True Crime
    • Travel
  • Entertainment
    • Celebrity
    • TV & Film
    • Netflix
    • Music
    • Gaming
    • TikTok
  • LAD Originals
    • Say Maaate to a Mate
    • Daily Ladness
    • Lad Files
    • UOKM8?
    • FreeToBe
    • Extinct
    • Citizen Reef
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • UNILAD
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
Snapchat
TikTok
YouTube

LAD Entertainment

YouTube

LAD Stories

Submit Your Content
NSW Ditches Controversial Plan To Spend $25 Million On Installing Aboriginal Flag On The Sydney Harbour Bridge

Home> News

Published 23:43 10 Jul 2022 GMT+1

NSW Ditches Controversial Plan To Spend $25 Million On Installing Aboriginal Flag On The Sydney Harbour Bridge

Premier Dominic Perrottet has dumped the proposal after questions were raised about the eye-watering cost of the project.

Rachel Lang

Rachel Lang

The NSW State Premier has backed out of his promise to install an extra flagpole atop the Sydney Harbour Bridge for the Indigenous flag, after questions were raised about the eye-watering cost of the project.

Instead, the Aboriginal flag will now permanently replace the NSW state flag on top of the iconic bridge.

The $25 million (£14.2 million) cost of the additional flagpole for the Harbour Bridge, which has already been set aside in the state budget, will now go towards Closing the Gap initiatives instead.

Kumar Sriskandan / Alamy Stock Photo.

Advert

"This is a practical and pragmatic solution which makes sense and ensures that we celebrate our nation’s ancient heritage alongside its modern history in a continuing story, which we can all be part of, and celebrate together as one," Premier Dominic Perrottet said, as per the Daily Telegraph.

The Aboriginal flag was erected on the Harbour Bridge last week to mark NAIDOC Week, and was due to be pulled down today (Monday, June 11).

The flag will now remain on the bridge permanently, with the state flag relocated to the site of a redevelopment on Macquarie Street.

"The work that we’re doing on Macquarie Street - I will ensure that the NSW flag has a place there of prominence so that people can see it, appreciate it, learn from it and value it," he said, as per the Sydney Morning Herald.

The Premier had initially defended the cost of installing an extra flagpole on the Sydney Harbour Bridge but faced backlash from the public who couldn’t quite believe it the cost would be so high and take two years to be installed. 

Advert

Robert Wallace / Wallace Media Network / Alamy Stock Photo.

The NSW Premier seemed equally bewildered by the cost and construction time when asked about the installation process by Channel 10’s The Project last month.

He said: "I don't know. But it does, apparently. I'm even surprised it takes this long," he said.

"I mean I made the announcement a while ago and the first brief that came back was that it takes two years to do."

The Premier, who has been dubbed ‘Dom the Builder’ because of his construction spending, even claimed he would get up there and do the job himself.

Advert

He added: "I’ll go to Bunnings myself and climb up there and put the pole up."

However, following widespread ridicule on the cost, Perrottett told 2GB on June 20 that the cost ‘doesn’t seem to pass the pub test’. 

He said: "I accept that it’s not a simple process and it's not a simple construction.

"But like most fair-minded people across the state, I would say that it seems to be a pretty ridiculous and outrageous cost."

Featured Image Credit: Frédéric araujo / Alamy Stock Phot. Paul Green / Alamy Stock Photo.

Topics: Australia, News, Unheard

Rachel Lang
Rachel Lang

Rachel Lang is a Digital Journalist at LADbible. During her career, she has interviewed Aussie PM Malcolm Turnbull in the lead up to the 2016 federal election, ran an editorial campaign on the war in Yemen, and reported on homelessness in the lead-up to Harry and Meghan’s wedding in Windsor. She also once wrote a yarn on the cheese and wine version of Fyre Festival.

X

@rlangjournalist

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

12 hours ago
13 hours ago
14 hours ago
  • Getty Images
    12 hours ago

    Doctor reveals why McDonald's coke and fries could 'fix' a migraine better than medication

    It's certainly a tasty form of pain relief...

    News
  • YouTube/JackSucksAtLife
    13 hours ago

    Man trained like a professional athlete for an entire month and shared insane impact it had

    Reckon you could train like an athlete for a month?

    News
  • (CTV News)
    14 hours ago

    Man dies horrific death after drinking drink he thought was beer

    The 21-year-old had been gifted the cases of beer from his boss at work

    News
  • YouTube/Odysseas Froilan
    14 hours ago

    Man who showed ‘terrifying’ reality after dropping GoPro off cruise ship shares ‘truth’ behind footage

    A YouTube video captured what happens when a GoPro is dropped into the ocean

    News
  • NSW Premier Can't Believe It Will Cost $25 Million To Fly Aboriginal Flag On Sydney Harbour Bridge
  • NSW Government Refuses To Permanently Fly Aboriginal Flag On Sydney Harbour Bridge
  • When Will The Aboriginal Flag Be Installed On The Sydney Harbour Bridge?
  • Aboriginal Flag Will Permanently Fly On Sydney Harbour Bridge By The End Of The Year