The New South Wales government and a supportive Opposition are facing a fierce backlash after a controversial decision to project a horse racing advertisement across the white wings of the iconic Sydney Opera House.

NSW Heritage Council chair Stephen Davies told The New Daily that while the Sydney Opera House had displayed light projections and images before, they had been expressions of artistic creativity or to celebrate special, non-commercial occasions.

“If we’re going to start using it for a commercial advertising, and racing is a commercial event, I think it’s completely unsatisfactory,” Mr Davies said.

Australian Institute of Architects NSW past president Shaun Carter told The New Daily the decision demonstrated that both the government and opposition had a weak understanding of the public interest.

He likened the decision to allowing advertising on Egypt’s pyramids, Coca Cola ads on the Taj Mahal or a giant Barbie doll substituting for the Statue of Liberty.

“This idea that the government is a business facilitator and not about protecting public life as a society needs to be discussed,” Mr Carter said.

“The people of NSW have been the bastions of common sense but there are a range of voices across the political spectrum that are lost with this decision.”

Criticism mounted on Saturday at the news NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian had overruled Opera House chief executive Louise Herron’s decision to refuse Racing NSW’s request to promote the Everest logo on the Opera House.

The state government’s instruction to the arts administrator followed Sydney shock jock Alan Jones leveling a blistering attack on Ms Herron, who insisted until ordered otherwise that the World Heritage architectural marvel would not be turned into “a billboard”.

That refusal infuriated Jones, who accused Ms Herron of being out of touch with his Sydney listeners by treating a public building as if it were the private property of an artistic “elite”.

Racing NSW chief executive Peter Vlandys added his vitriol to the on-air encounter, telling Jones that Ms Herron’s offer to let him project the competing jockeys’ racing colours onto the Opera House, but nothing more than that, was a meaningless gesture.

“You can’t do a barrier draw without putting the horses name and the number,” he said.

“That’s the whole idea of the promotion is to beam that around the world by doing this in a unique landmark of Sydney.”

Mr Carter and Mr Davies were just two of the voices denouncing the state government’s decision to make Racing NSW happy.

Outspoken Sydney Morning Herald columnist Peter FitzSimons fired a stinging volley – not only at Jones but also at Premier Gladys Berejiklian.

“Your craven collapse to the desires of the shock jock is not remotely the stuff leadership is made of,” he thundered in his Saturday column.

“It not only deeply disappoints, dismays and disgusts your detractors, but also many of your remaining supporters – and I used to be one, at least personally.

“I repeat. How could you?

There were even protesting voices from within the racing community.

Media academic Joan Evatt, who has interests in several horses, tweeted a protest against “a nasty case of bullying by a shock-jock and a weak government”.

I love racing & own shares in horses. Sydney’s Everest & Kosciuszko carnival is a great event.
BUT, the Sydney Opera House, a world heritage site, is not a billboard. I’m appalled it’s to be used in this way as a result of a nasty case of bullying by a shock-jock & a weak Gov’t.

— Joan Evatt (@Boeufblogginon) October 6, 2018

NSW Labor leader Luke Foley backed the Racing NSW proposal in the name of boosting tourism and reducing “stubbornly high youth unemployment”.

His defence was mild in comparison with former Labor leader Mark Latham, who also sided with the Everest organisers.

Funny how the Lefties whinging big time about using the Opera House sails to promote Sydney's Everest race are the same elitist spongers who never fail to get their arses into marquees at carnival time, mainly to be seen.
Led by Barrie Cassidy and his pissed offsider, Knickers.

— Real Mark Latham (@RealMarkLatham) October 6, 2018

Federal Labor frontbencher Anthony Albanese told ABC radio on Friday “people should chill out a bit” in response to public concern the iconic building would be used to promote the $13 million Everest race.

Mr Foley told The New Daily that lights had been projected onto the sails of the Opera House on many occasions and for many events.

“Of course there should be sensible limits to use the Opera House sails,” he added. “That is a discussion we need to have.”

The Everest Cup takes place on 13 October at Sydney’s Randwick racecourse.