Politics

Sydney’s Opera House not illuminated for King Charles coronation due to cost

Sydney, Australia, May 8 (EFE).- Sydney’s iconic Opera House was not lit up to commemorate the coronation of King Charles III, Australia’s head of state, due to the expense involved, New South Wales Premier Chris Minns said Monday.

The former NSW government had planned to light up the building, which is usually illuminated for commemorative events, but the new administration elected in the March elections put the idea on hold.

“We’ve got to be mindful of where taxpayer money is spent,” Chris Minns, premier of New South Wales – whose capital is Sydney -, said in an interview with radio station 2GB.

The premier said that the cost of illuminating the Opera House was around AU$ 100,000 ($67,680) and that it was lit up about 70 times last year, including in September for the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

Although the Opera House was not illuminated, other official buildings in Sydney, such as Admiralty House and the Australian National Maritime Museum, were lit up in royal purple to celebrate King Charles III’s coronation in London on Saturday.

The decision has caused some controversy in Australia, where there is a debate on its connection with the British monarchy.

According to polls, the country’s 25 million inhabitants are divided between remaining a constitutional monarchy or becoming a republic.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who traveled to London for the coronation, has promised to hold a referendum on the republic if re-elected in 2025. EFE

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