News in brief
Greenwich affirms Aussie citizenship
New State Member for Sydney, Alex Greenwich has responded to suggestions he may not be an Australian citizen, and is therefore ineligible to be an MP. New Zealand-born Mr Greenwich – who has an American mother and Russian father – said he became an Australian citizen in 1999. “Along with marrying my husband Victor, the day I became an Australian citizen is one of the proudest days of my life,” he said. His statement comes on the back of a query by Andrew Woodhouse, President of the Potts Point and Kings Cross Heritage Conservation Society, who wrote to the NSW Electoral Commission, asking it to investigate Mr Greenwich’s citizenship status.
Paralympic team to be welcomed home at Opera House
The Australian Paralympic Team will officially be welcomed home at a celebration this Friday, and Sydneysiders are being invited to join in the festivities. Entry is free. More than 200 team members will be at the Sydney Opera House from 11am to 1pm. It’s the last chance for Paralympians to say thank you to the Australian public for their support of the 2012 team which won 85 medals at the London 2012 Paralympic Games. The Australian music group, the Potbelleez, and Brazilian dancers are among the entertainers. The event is hosted by the NSW Government and City of Sydney in conjunction with the Australian Paralympic Committee.
LED light charge
Sydney’s switch to light-emitting diode (LED) lights continues apace with Bicentennial Park in Glebe becoming the first public park to have LED lighting installed. LED lights, currently being rolled out across Central Sydney, appear brighter than traditional street and park lights, use less energy and last longer. “Sydney will be the first city in Australia to install the new LED street and park lights across its city centre, and joins other major cities such as Berlin, Barcelona, Los Angeles and San Francisco who are embracing the technology,” Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore said. More than 1,400 LED lights have already been installed on inner city streets.
Sydney becomes a classroom
The second annual World’s Biggest Classroom (WBC) initiative has commenced, with over 150 NSW schools and 2,500 students creating visual art, multimedia displays and literary pieces for public display. The Sydney Entertainment Centre (SEC) and numerous inner city railway stations – including Central, Circular Quay, St James, Museum and Redfern – have become galleries for the works, which herald the 2012 Schools Spectacular, to be held on Friday, November 23 and Saturday, November 24. “The aim of the WBC is to open the doors of the Schools Spectacular to all students with skills across all areas of the NSW curriculum. Ultimately, the WBC adds depth to the community’s understanding of the amazing and diverse work occurring in NSW public schools every day,” said a NSW Department of Education and Communities spokesperson.
