Venues Update: new additions, sales, fines and more

THE LUSHINGTON NEW ADDITION TO BRISBANE

The latest addition to the Brisbane scene is the 400-capacity The Lushington in Woolloongabba.

Built in 1925, the warehouse-style venue with exposed brick, four-metre-high ceilings, it caters for live music events (it has no noise limits) as well as corporate gatherings.

CLOVELLY CHANGES HANDS THIS WEEK

The Clovelly Hotel, which TMN reported was on the market in July, will on October 8 see the Solotel hospitality group pass the baton to the new owner (apparently Nick Wills’ Tilley & Wills Group) after two years.

Solotel showcased live bands at The Clovelly on weekends.

LIVE MUSIC COMING TO GOLDMINES HOTEL

The new operators of the historic 1850s Goldmines Hotel in Bendigo, in country Victoria, have confirmed that the venue will re-open in December after a massive refit – and showcasing live music is part of their strategy.

FOR SALE

Two establishments are on the market in Far North Queensland.

Whitsundays live music venue Banjo’s Bar in Cannonvale has advertised its leasehold at $740,000.

Leo Hotel in Clermont, which has its own nightclub, has a price tag of $1.1million.

MELBOURNE BARS FINED FOR UNLICENSED MUSIC

Kristine Becker, owner of Melbourne bars Hairy Little Sista on Little Collins street and nearby Hairy Canary, has been fined nearly $200,000 in Federal Circuit Court for playing music without getting a licence from the PPCA.

The PPCA complained it had tried to contact her about a licence but Becker, had not complied.

MICHAEL BUBLÉ FAREWELLS ALLIANZ STADIUM

The path is now clear for the demolition of Sydney’s Allianz Stadium in autumn after Michael Bublé played the last concert there last Friday.

He drew 33,000 people who braved the rain – 12,000 less than capacity – and told them “This stadium has seen rugby finals, Bono, U2, Streisand, Coldplay.

“You don’t know how much it means to me to be the one who got the call to do this.”

WAM CONGRATS WA GOVT ON PRECINCTS PLAN

WAM has congratulated the WA state government on pushing forward with town planning reforms that should benefit the live sector.

CEO Mike Harris said, “Entertainment precincts offer venue operators protection as long as they remain within agreed noise limits; any development encroaching into these precincts must build for those embedded noise levels.

“There’s lots more work to be undertaken to ensure that the precincts are established in a way that is fair to the music industry, but we are looking forward to working with the state government on that.”

OPERA HOUSE ACHIEVES CARBON NEUTRAL GOAL

The Sydney Opera House announced it has reached its carbon neutral goal – five years ahead of schedule.

Working with major partner EnergyAustralia, it reduced electricity use by 14%; set up a control system to monitor energy and water use and manage climate control; reduced energy by 9% by replacing chiller units connected to the Opera House’s pioneering seawater cooling system; and a new waste management program which included new recycling streams and diverting food waste from landfill to an organics facility.