Cate Blanchett is urging authorities in Sydney, Australia to redevelop the streets around her theatre company to transform the area into a vibrant cultural centre.

The Australian actress and her husband, screenwriter Andrew Upton, work as co-artistic directors of the Sydney Theatre Company, which is based in the city’s Walsh Bay.

The Oscar-winner has helped improve the theatre by installing an eco-friendly power system and now she is urging local authorities to follow her lead by revitalising the surrounding area, according to the Aap.

She stood up in front of a massive crowd at Sydney Town Hall on Tuesday (08Mar11) to call for improvements, telling the audience, “It’s hard to believe Sydney Theatre Company was once a solitary outpost of the arts in Walsh Bay. Now, with so many artists and companies already resident and more on the way, the development and enhancement of this growing precinct can be a great economic driver with boundless potential to assist in positioning Sydney as a multi-dimensional global city… (The area needs improved transport), revitalised nooks and crannies (and places for people to) linger and soak up the atmosphere.”

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