WA Labor promises $3M music fund, more protection for venues

Image: Mark McGowan, WA Labor leader

In the run-up to Western Australia’s elections in March, the Opposition Labor Party is reaching out to the music industry with a number of initiatives, if elected.

These include a $3 million Creative Music Fund, different strategies to protect live music venues, new grants to help WA’s emerging music talent, and an investigation into adopting Victoria’s Agent of Change to the state.

WA Labor leader Mark McGowan, announcing the music initiative at The Bird club, pointed out that the contemporary music industry is worth almost $1 billion to the WA economy each year and creates almost 3,000 direct full time jobs. He also acknowledged its role in generating tourism.

“The WA music industry is a strong contributor to our economy. Every week, thousands of Western Australians visit music venues to watch WA bands, pumping millions into our economy,” McGowan said.

“We need to take advantage of WA’s vibrant music scene and use it to create more jobs for Western Australians.”

He added that the arts sector alone accounts for $23.6 billion of national economic activity annually and employs an estimated 285,000 people, supported by a further 500,000 volunteers.

The aim of the Creative Music Fund will be to “help develop a vibrant, productive and profitable local music industry and ensure the industry continues to expand. It will support individual musicians, bands and other creatives as well as the WA music industry as a whole.

“A McGowan Labor Government is committed to working with industry leaders, such as WAM, to continue to promote WA’s music industry, both nationally and abroad.

“As part of the strategy grants will be made available to local emerging artists to assist with performance, recording, marketing and promotional costs and provide opportunities to tour throughout WA and interstate.

“The injection of funding will be an important catalyst for social, cultural and economic growth in WA. The Creative Music Fund builds on the work of the previous Labor Government, which recognised the cultural and economic benefits of live music.”

Planning reforms will be instituted to protect existing music venues and make it easier for new venues to launch by streamlining approvals processes with the introduction of a State Planning Policy on live performance.

Additionally, “We will investigate ‘agent of change’ principles similar to those introduced in Victoria, where the responsibility of noise mitigation will fall to a new development and not existing venues and residents.

“Existing venues in entertainment precincts should not be burdened solely with the responsibility of noise amenity when urban infill comes into existing entertainment zones.

“We will introduce a requirement that new developments in an existing entertainment precinct must inform buyers if they are moving near an entertainment precinct.”

The Metropolitan Redevelopment Authority will be tasked to develop and manage additional live music venues by identifying government buildings which could potentially be used as creative hubs.

The Liquor Control Act will be amended to add a new public interest assessment category which allows for a venue’s tourism, community and cultural benefits to be considered in licence applications as part of their commitment to do more to encourage an arts friendly hospitality culture.

“How you monetise your music is playing live,” McGowan said. “Anything that encourages and makes artists have exposure to live venues or access to live venues is a great thing as well. So we heartily endorse any investment in music and really appreciate the policy statement today.”

WAM CEO Mike Harris responded, “WAM welcomes any additional investment in music that will provide stimulation and opportunities for the WA music industry.

“Music delivers significant economic, social and cultural enrichment to the lives of Western Australians, but that doesn’t happen without giving artists the ability to create and play their music. Investment in programs that support artists and the broader music sector are imperative as we want WA’s music scene to flourish.”

Harris, who spoke at the press conference, also noted that the international success of a band like Tame Impala “doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Music exists at a grass roots level, through emerging bands, through to becoming a major international player. And to do that we need investment in music and investment in the arts.”