Should Melbourne get a new state opera company? The government commissioned a study to find out. “The consultant’s final report, handed to the Government shortly after Christmas, outlines five options. They range from increasing Opera Australia’s state government funding and asking it to perform 10 to 11 operas at the Arts Centre (up from the current seven) to setting up a new state opera company that would also perform at the Arts Centre. It is estimated the latter would cost $5 million to $7 million a year. Neither of these options is expected to be taken up by the Government. The option emerging as the most favoured is to fund a new smaller-scale company whose primary focus would be to create innovative new work pitched at a youngish audience. It is believed this would cost the Government up to $3 million a year.”