Plans for a permanent stage at Botanic Gardens

The Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust has outlined a plan to install a permanent sound stage in the Sydney Domain.

The stage would be used to host "year-round events" and is part of a proposed refurbishment of the entire area, which also includes a railway station, an hotel, an orientation centre, associated retail, 200-seat cafe, 100-seat outdoor dining area, and a ferry wharf.

Ex-Prime Minister Paul Keating has struck out against these plans, which he claims "fundamentally commercialises" the garden.

Speaking out against the sound stage, Keating wrote in the SMH:

"The trust invokes the name of Dame Joan Sutherland to defend its decision to provide a permanent sound stage to allow what it describes as "year-round events" in the Sydney Domain. Such a decision would, in essence, turn the Domain from a garden and congregation space into an arena; an arena open primarily to use by concert promoters.

"The trust will say it is for carols for Christmas and summer concerts, and it might be. But it will also be open to massive exploitation by the for-profit music industry.  And if the shell is to be placed back, further south towards St Mary’s Cathedral, as is mooted, this will necessitate destruction of more of the historic tree-scape. Given all the places in greater Sydney pop music concerts can be held, why should the trust be bending over to facilitate this kind of abuse?"