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Steve Irwin honoured with Star on Hollywood

It was announced from Los Angeles that The Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin has been selected to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his outstanding contribution to the entertainment industry through his wildlife documentaries.

Steve was named among a notable group of entertainment professionals in Motion Pictures, Television, Live Theatre, Radio and Recording by the Walk of Fame Selection Committee of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce.

The honourees were chosen from hundreds of nominations to the committee at a meeting held in June and ratified by the Hollywood Chamber’s Board of Directors. Television Producer and Walk of Famer Vin Di Bona, Chair of the Walk of Fame Selection Committee for 2017, announced the new honourees alongside Leron Gubler, President/CEO of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce.

The new selections were revealed to the world via live stream exclusively on the official website www.walkoffame.com as the Irwin family – Terri, Bindi and Robert watched on live.

The Irwin family were ecstatic to hear the news from one of Australia Zoo’s conservation properties in western Queensland, Australia.

“Steve always said that he didn’t care if anyone remembered him, as long as they remembered his message. I truly believe that this recognition for Steve’s achievements will ensure that his message of wildlife conservation is remembered,” said Terri Irwin.

“This is the most extraordinary moment, honouring Dad’s legacy and all that he achieved for global conservation. Dad changed the world by reaching out to people through their television screens to bring them on the adventure of a lifetime. To have his name on a Hollywood Star means the world as we carry on with his important work,” said Bindi Irwin.

“I am so proud of my dad. He was the best conservationist and inspired so many people and he was also the greatest dad in the world. I am so excited that everything he loved and was passionate about will carry on,” said Robert Irwin.

Steve Irwin’s Hollywood Star nomination has been sponsored by Visit Sunshine Coast

who made it possible for the application to be considered. Visit Sunshine Coast is the destination partner for the area where Steve’s beloved Australia Zoo is situated, the beautiful Sunshine Coast.

CEO of Visit Sunshine Coast, Simon Latchford, said the Sunshine Coast was already benefiting as a result of the Irwin’s high-profile in America: “Last year the US market was one of our best performing international markets, growing 11.8% over the year. Steve had already established an incredible reputation in America, and that was followed up with Bindi’s phenomenal success in Dancing with the Stars, so this latest accolade is testimony to the tireless work that Terri and her family have put into honouring Steve’s legacy and highlighting Australia Zoo and the Sunshine Coast in the international market.”

Through his wildlife documentary series, Steve brought conservation and education into people’s living rooms all over the world. His work inspired a whole new generation of Wildlife Warriors and stills inspires us today to continue his work and protect our precious wildlife.

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56 billion reasons to value the Great Barrier ReefA new Deloitte Access Economics report has calculated the total asset value of the Great Barrier Reef to be $56 billion, assessing the World Heritage site’s economic, social and iconic brand value together in one study for the first time.

In the report commissioned by the Great Barrier Reef Foundation with support from National Australia Bank and the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, Deloitte Access Economics analysed the Reef’s:• Economic, social, and iconic value;• Contribution to the economy through industry value added and employment;• Brand value to Australia and the international community; and• Significance to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Traditional Owners.

Great Barrier Reef Foundation Director Steve Sargent said: “Like the Great Barrier Reef itself, the numbers revealed in the report are big and highlight just how significant the Reef’s contribution to Australia’s economy is:• $56 billion value as an economic, social, and iconic natural asset;• $6.4 billion economic value added to the Australian economy in 2015-16;• $3.9 billion in economic value added to Queensland’s economy in 2015-16;• $2.9 billion economic value added to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park (GBRMP) region in 2015-16; and• 64,000 jobs nationally linked to the Reef, including 33,000 in Queensland.”

“At $29 billion, tourism is the biggest contributor to the Reef’s $56 billion value, followed by $23.8 billion from indirect or non-use value, i.e. those who haven’t yet visited the Reef but value knowing it exists, and its value to recreational users ($3.2 billion) makes up the balance,” Mr Sargent said.

“As the largest living structure on Earth and one of the world’s most complex and diverse natural ecosystems, the Great Barrier Reef is justifiably considered priceless and irreplaceable.

“Alongside its important environmental and ecological function, this report demonstrates that the Reef also offers substantial value to Australia and the world in terms of

the economic activity it generates and the employment and experiences it supports across the tourism, fishing, recreation and scientific industries.

“The Reef added $6.4 billion to the national economy in 2015-16 and supported more than 64,000 full time jobs making it a bigger ‘employer’ than many well-known Australian companies including National Australia Bank, Qantas and Telstra.

“The study also confirms that no single Australian natural asset contributes as much in terms of brand and iconic value to international perceptions of ‘Brand Australia’.

“At $56 billion, the Reef is valued at more than 12 Sydney Opera Houses!

“This report sends a clear message that the Great Barrier Reef – as an ecosystem, as an economic driver, as a global treasure – is too big to fail.”

The report calculates the Reef’s total economic, social and icon value by adding the benefits accrued to those who directly use the Great Barrier Reef – for recreation, fishing, science or as tourists – and the value attributed by people for its existence, its iconic stature or so it can be there for future generations.This is the first time a natural asset’s brand value has been assessed in this way and considered as part of the overall asset value.

The Deloitte Access Economics analysis included a survey of 1500 Australian and international respondents from 10 countries which found that people value the Reef for a range of reasons – some more concrete, such as its importance for tourism, and some more abstract, such as beliefs that Australia would just not be the same without it.

Two-thirds of the survey respondents were prepared to pay to protect the Reef, based on its importance to the planet, a belief that future generations should be able to visit it, its importance to biodiversity, and feelings that it is morally and ethically right to pay for its protection.

“The Reef’s remarkable asset value and annual economic contribution points very

strongly to the need for all of us to do all we can to protect its future – as citizens, as business leaders and across all levels of government,” Mr Sargent said.

“This report is a critical step toward truly understanding what’s at stake, as most of us can’t, and don’t want to, imagine a world without the Great Barrier Reef.”

Deloitte Access Economics partner and lead report author John O’Mahony said: “The Great Barrier Reef is clearly so much more than the world’s largest living structure, and by every measure it’s seen as the natural asset that contributes most powerfully to Australia’s global brand.

“Of course it’s priceless and irreplaceable, but we’ve been able to look at it as an ‘asset’ that has incredible value on multiple fronts – from its biodiversity and job creating potential to its support for critical industries and standing among international visitors to Australia, and even those who have never been there.

“With the Reef under threat, our report is a major step in looking to value nature’s significance in monetary terms and using this information to help inform what we do to protect and save important natural assets.”

National Australia Bank State Director Government, Education, Community, Rachel O’Neill said: “Fifty-six billion is an extraordinary contribution to our economy and that there is such a strong dependency of a healthy reef on such a large number of businesses and jobs means it is imperative that we understand the value and the linkages. It is vital that society understands just how important the Reef is so we can address the threats.”



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World record haka wins international attention

The world’s biggest haka in Rotorua, organised as part of the nationwide festival of events for the DHL New Zealand Lions Series tour attracted extensive international media attention and was a huge hit with travelling fans.

More than 7,500 locals and Lions supporters gathered on Rotorua’s village green, chanting Ka mate, Ka mate, smashing the current world record set in France.

Working with the International Rugby Club who masterminded the event as part of Rugby 2017 Festival, Tourism New Zealand funded drone footage and a video of the extraordinary event which then went out to international media.

The feedback has been great with the story and images being picked up extensively overseas, including coverage from the UK, Germany and India.

When the travelling media are not covering the games, they are enjoying, and reporting on tourism experiences throughout New Zealand, hosted by Tourism New Zealand.

Tourism New Zealand is also supporting Sky Sport’s ‘Fan Van’ which is touring the country with commentator Scott Quinnell enjoying activities and

interviewing fans and locals along the way.

And judging by the responses he is getting, the fans are receiving a great welcome from Kiwis and loving their time in New Zealand.

René de Monchy, Tourism New Zealand’s Director PR, Major Events and Trade said: “The feedback from the travelling media so far has been excellent. They have experienced a wide range of activities from Waitangi in the North, through to Rotorua and the magnificent haka; they have visited Hobbiton and tried sky diving and rafting. They have experienced the Canterbury and Otago regions and now they get to spend time in the Wellington region in the run-up to the second test match.

“For Tourism New Zealand, this is a great opportunity to promote our key areas of seasonality and regional dispersal. The Lions tour has given us the opportunity show a group of international journalists great Kiwi experiences outside of the popular tourism hotspots and outside of the peak season. It is also an opportunity for Tourism New Zealand to support the Regional Tourism Organisations (RTOs) who have opened their cities to the fans with a programme of events from Whangarei to Dunedin,” said René.



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Airline mulls standing seats because planes aren’t squished enough

An airline is considering drastic measures to make flying cheaper for consumers, but are ‘standing seats’ really something people would consider?

As Aussies are well aware, given our distance from the rest of the world, long-haul flights aren’t fun. In fact, they’re often cramped and exhausting, so why on earth would we want to take away seats from the experience?!

According to news.com.au, budget airline VivaColombia claims to be very interested in this extreme solution to both price and space issues of airlines.

“There are people out there right now researching whether you can fly standing up,” VivaColombia’s founder and Chief Executive William Shaw told the Miami Herald.

“We’re very interested in anything that makes travel less expensive.”

But it’s not the first time standing room only has been something the AV industry has mulled over.

In 2003, Airbus got the ball rolling on the possibility of standing room flights, with a design for a vertical seat that would allow passengers to stand while still strapped in, per news.

In 2010, Irish budget airline, Ryanair,

was prepared to offer tickets as low as $7 for anyone willing to stand on flights.

The airline’s Chief Executive Michael O’Leary put forward the concept of Airbus’ vertical seats for special sections on planes, however never came to fruition as both British and European aviation authorities were against it.

And in the same year, Italian seat design company, AvioInteriors, came up with the ‘SkyRider’, a seat that passengers could ‘perch’ on.

The design for the SkyRider allowed for just 58cm between seats, meaning more people could be squished and squashed onto the plane. Thankfully, this design never got off the ground.

Per news, even Chinese carrier Spring Airlines discussed introducing vertical seats as recently as two years ago.

And according to Colombia’s Civil Aviation Director Alfredo Bocanegra, VivaColombia’s standing seat idea might follow in the footsteps of previous attempts.

“People have to travel like human beings,” Bocanegra said on Colombian radio, per news.

“Anyone who has ridden on public mass transit knows that it’s not the best when you’re standing.”



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