Sydney, Newcastle live sector put their case forward to authorities

NSW’s live music sector has responded to calls from the NSW upper house inquiry into the state’s music and arts economy to provide feedback and submissions.

Some major names have put forth their opinions, the Sydney Morning Herald said.

A group of 15 entities – including the operators of the Lansdowne Hotel, the Keep Sydney Open lobby group and the director of Sydney Festival – under the name Lansdowne 15 pointed out that “The current regulatory environment (the lockouts) has contributed to a 40 per cent decline in attendance revenue in live music venues in the CBD in recent years.”

It also stated that the NSW Government had failed to make Sydney a regional entertainment capital because it had not worked on making it liveable enough.

The SMH also reported that Live Music Office made a number of suggestions to spark up the NSW live scene.

These included a dedicated minister for the night economy, devise a strategic plan for promoting contemporary music like most of the other states, and cutting red tape for events that draw less than 50 patrons or allowing exemptions for a certain number of live music events per council per year.

The NSW live music sector contributes $3.6 billion to the state economy and 23,000 jobs, according to research by the University of Tasmania.

In the meantime, the Newcastle Council is working at addressing the problem of escalating apartment blocks driving venues out of the city.

It has voted to adopt the strategy instituted by Wollongong five years ago, when it faced a similar dilemma.

It set up a Live Music Taskforce made up of councillors, bookers, police, bands and venue managers and came up with a 42-point-plan.

Among these were to notify prospective apartment owners they were buying near an existing music venue, greater promotion of music venues, improved public transport at night, increased late night trade near music venues to make the areas attractive for patrons, more artist-friendly parking conditions outside venues, a summer tour involving regional councils, summer gigs at swimming pools, and remove planning conditions for festivals on Crown or Council land.

It also recommended that venues foster a better working relationship with police, independent mediation between venues and residents, and encouraged more live music in industrial zones.

The review of the Newcastle lockout laws of 15 CBD venues by the NSW Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority has brought submissions from two extreme positions.

The review is conducted by barrister Jonathan Horton QC.

The Australian Hotels Association pointed out, as reported by the Newcastle Herald, that one in four hospitality workers lost their jobs.

It also pointed out the financial loss to venue owners as their value of their properties in lockout zones plummeted.

It cited an example of a hotel which in 2008 was bought for $6.8 million and with an annual turnover of $10 million.

Five years later, the submission said, “The hotel was in receivership, sold for $2.4 million with a turnover of $6 million annually.

“The cost to the licensee was immense, but the hotel itself trades on under different ownership so the perception is nothing has changed.”

Last Drinks, a coalition of police and health workers, warned that weakening lockout laws would bring back previous assault rates.

It also called out a proposal by Newcastle City Council to lessen conditions for low-risk venues.

“[The council] fails to recognise that exemptions applying to individual venues, even well managed venues, contributes to the violence of the precinct as a whole,” it emphasised.

It is calling on a uniform closing time of 2am, stopping high alcohol sales by 10am, and the mandatory introduction of ID scanners for venues.