Sydney’s live music scene hopes to prosper from a new plan put to council.
Almost one year since it was established, the City of Sydney’s 11-member Live Music and Performance Taskforce has returned with 57 recommendations, including:
- Simplifying approval for small events;
- Financial support for new and existing venues to present live music and performances;
- Making City-owned properties available as rehearsal space;
- Establishing a new major outdoor event space for Sydney;
- Creating a live music and performance liaison officer to help cut through red tape;
- Reviewing the liquor freeze for venues that have live music and entertainment as their primary purpose;
- Protecting areas that are significant to live music history.
According to the City of Sydney, Sydney’s live music venues have faced mounting threats, including noise regulations and poker machines overtaking live bandrooms. In the past 9 years, there’s been a 61 per cent decrease in music event listings. And currently, 6.3 per cent of Sydney venues with a liquor licence also hold a live music license.
The Live Music Performance Taskforce wants to see those figures improve.
John Wardle is the Taskforce chair and Co-Director of the National Live Music Office. He says, “It’s about understanding that in certain parts of the city, there are going to be places where at night-time people play music. We have lots of parts of the city that have an existing night-time economy and we’re looking at identifying those areas, and encouraging more venues through the planning system.”
The City of Sydney will discuss the recommendations at their next meeting, and will then invite public feedback until 18 January 2014.
Read the report here.
And have your say.
Listen to Taskforce chair John Wardle’s entire discussion with Adam Spencer on 702 ABC Sydney (via audio player).
