Council demystifies DAs for live music sector

Wednesday, 12 December 2018

Inner West Council has today opened a new service to help live music venues with development applications.

The new live music planning liaison officer will offer expert advice and assistance to music venues, in overcoming often complex approval processes.

Mayor Darcy Byrne said that the service was all about encouraging and guiding new and existing live music venues through what can be a bureaucratic maze of planning, noise, safety and alcohol rules and regulations.

“Live music venues are closing their doors at an accelerating rate across Sydney,” he said.

“For far too long councils, the liquor regulator and the licensing police have come together to form a tacit ‘fun police force’ that has waged a war against the Inner West’s live music scene.

“As Mayor, I see it as my responsibility to end the prosecution of music venues, which are being subjected to unfair and overly restrictive planning controls, and to go into bat for venues that are being harassed with noise complainants.

“It’s time for governments and their agencies to stop prosecuting and start promoting live music.

“That’s why we now have a dedicated officer who will assist music and cultural venues navigate the labyrinthine and burdensome approval processes.

Live Music Office Director John Wardle said the creation of a designated live music planning liaison officer by Council was very welcome news for the creative sector in the Inner West.

“Navigating the planning approvals pathways and parallel liquor licensing process in NSW continues to be incredibly complex and difficult, so having this type of support is going to be of great value to venues and artists,” he said.

The new Live Music Planning Liaison Officer will be responsible for mentoring and developing a ‘navigation tool’ and ‘cheat sheets’ for businesses.

Mayor Byrne recently gave evidence at the parliamentary inquiry into the music and the arts economy in New South Wales, saying that a combination of state and local government red tape were partly responsible for “killing the live music scene”.

To access the new service, contact Freya Ververis, Acting Cultural Planning and Policy Leader freya.ververis@innerwest.nsw.gov.au

Media contact: Elizabeth Heath | Media and Communications Coordinator P: +61 2 9392 5334 | E: elizabeth.heath@innerwest.nsw.gov.au