Restrictions ease for venues in NSW & Victoria

Music venues in NSW and Victoria have had various restrictions lifted.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said today that nightclubs could open from Monday, March 29, and music venues and theatres can go back to 100% of their seated capacity.

In Victoria, the Government announced on the same day that wider restrictions lifted from Friday, March 26 would also benefit music venues.

“Additional people will also be allowed in indoor non-seated entertainment venues with an increase from 50% to 75% capacity however, the limit of 1000 people per space remains,” the Victorian Government said.

“Dancefloors will move to the same density limit of the venue and the 50 patron cap will also be removed.”

Venues will be given 28 days to set up the use of the Services Victoria app or a Government-linked API digital system for electronic record-keeping.

The announcements by the two states were made just four days before JobKeeper wage subsidy ends – something which the live music sector is highly anxious about.

A members survey conducted by the Australian Live Music Business Council (ALMBC) released this week showed loss of wage subsidies were considered the second-greatest hurdle to a return to profitability.

Increasing venue capacity to 100% topped the list, while interstate border closures and a lack of certainty and confidence across the industry were also of concern.

The surveys showed 70% of live businesses dropped their revenue by 75% to 100%, with  77% expecting to close in six months unless things changed, and 45% in three months.

Earlier this week, some of the live sector met with Prime Minister Scott Morrison and some ministers about the need to extend JobKeeper for the arts sector, among other issues.

So far, there’s been no positive actions from the Federal Government.

Today NSW shadow minister for music and the night time economy John Graham called on a financial package from the NSW sector.

“JobKeeper finishes on Sunday, rental moratoriums are ending, and venues still can’t operate at full capacity,” Graham said.

“These are government restrictions – important government restrictions – but venues have had no NSW government support.

“We are calling on the government to get moving and take this final opportunity to act before it’s too late.”

“There is a very real deadline for a financial support package if we want to stop venues from closing permanently.”

He said that while NSW entertainment venues and theatres can fill 100% of their seated capacity, “because of the complexity of licencing laws, for many music venues this rule will not apply”.