The City of Sydney needs you: An appeal to the music industry

The summer is still baking, it’s stinking hot but the holidays are done. For Sydneysiders, it’s time to get down to other business.

With the deadline fast approaching for feedback on the City of Sydney’s plans to rejuvenate the night economy, councillor Jess Scully is appealing for industry to get cracking with input.

In a week from today, on Feb. 8, submissions officially close on the development control plan for Sydney. There are no plans to extend the public consultation period. This is it, warns Scully, who with Lord Mayor Clover Moore and the Nightlife and Creative Sector Advisory Panel have set about fixing the problem that is Sydney’s ruined inner-city night culture.

After assembling a panel of 15 experts from across the nightlife and creative sectors, a plan was hatched and, in November, those details were shared widely. A set of late-night trading planning controls were proposed, in a so-called late night transformation plan.

Among the five key points, a 24-hour city centre, an increase in hours (until 2am) for “low impact venues” in local centres and a flexible new set of provisions to encourage performance and culture businesses, while not punishing unlicensed shops. Essentially, it’s a blueprint for having fun in Sydney after others have gone to bed. There hasn’t been much fun lately.

“In all my conversations with people they’re really supportive of it, but this where we need people in the industry to get really specific. They’re the ones who are going to have to live with it,” Scully tells TIO. “This is the moment where we can still tweak the details.”

Jess Scully

For music industry professionals, Scully draws particular attention to the mooted “bonus hour” for performance and live music. “I’ve been talking with promoters, DJs and bookers who need to get some clarity on that. Does that include electronic music and DJ sets? I don’t know.” If people think this ingredient should be included, Scully says, “let us know. That’s an important piece of feedback. What we’re proposing in terms of how that hour will be managed and operated, how much performance you need to trigger that hour, how far you need to program in advance. Let us know if that works in practice.”

At this stage, Scully hasn’t yet seen any of the submissions, and a spokesperson declined to talk numbers while the draft DCP is still on exhibition. What is for certain: the City of Sydney received feedback from more than 10,000 people that led to this point.

Earlier this week, Scully turned to social media to bring attention to the looming deadline. “Tell us specifically how this affects you and if you think it’s the right plan for Sydney going forward because we’re going to be living with this for a long time,” Scully says in the Facebook clip. “Like a bad tattoo,” chimes in councillor Jess Miller.

https://www.facebook.com/jessscullysydney/videos/232418287663316/

The next stage in the process could move ahead swiftly.

“If we get the detail right,” Scully tells TIO, “it’ll come back to council probably in this first quarter.” And then the final plan would be presented, which will need to be adopted by council. If it goes through, it becomes a regulation. With a diverse strategy in place, Scully is keen to see music professionals and business owners invest, and make long term plans.

“The sector has lacked certainty and consistency. This is going to give people a really clear idea of where the nightlife can grow and thrive, where it needs to lift. This gives people, I think, all the certainty they need. That they can plan for the future. The rules will stay like this.”

View the planning proposes and share your thoughts here.

This article originally appeared on The Industry Observer, which is now part of The Music Network.