NSW GOV’S Weirdest Spend of 2025 — And Why no one knows about it

It started as a whisper. Then it was a tweet. Then... thats it.

In 2025, the NSW Government allocated $2.3 million for something that has flown under Sydney residents radar — a state-funded “digital heritage drone light show” outside Parramatta Stadium. Yep, lasers and drones over government buildings in the name of cultural tech.

Here’s why this bizarre budget line item matters more than you'd think:

🤯 1. The Spend Could’ve Hired 200 Full-Time Cleaners

According to average NSW cleaner salaries, $2.3M = 200+ full-time hires. Imagine the transformation across schools, stations, and public toilets.

💸 2. The Government Has Cut Cleaning Budgets Elsewhere

Despite the drone show, several government documents reveal reduced cleaning allocations for council facilities — particularly in regional NSW. 🤨

🧼 3. Businesses Are Held to a Higher Standard

Sydney businesses get fined for missed hygiene marks, but some public buildings still run on once-a-week cleans. Where’s the accountability?

📈 4. Public Reactions Were... Brutal

"Would love a drone to disinfect my local library's toilets," one X user wrote. Others suggested using the drones to clean rather than perform.

🤔 5. This Isn’t New

In 2023, the NSW Parliament greenlit a $1.1M ‘digital duck pond’ in Darling Harbour. The trend of strange tech + optics over fundamentals is growing.

📣 Call to Action

Want to know how businesses actually keep things clean — without light shows? Book an Ultrix walkthrough. We don’t do drones, just damn good cleaning.