Citizen Kay performs at the announcement at Squeaky Clean in Verity Lane: “It feels like our city’s actually got our back.” Photo: Ian Bushnell.
The struggling live music industry is lauding the introduction of new noise standards, liquor licence discounts and a free loading zone permit trial as the start of a new era for bands, performers and venues in the city.
As part of measures to support the declared City Entertainment Precinct, from today, venue noise can be up to 75 decibels – up from 60 decibels – between 10 am and 11 pm Sunday to Wednesday and until 1 am Thursday to Saturday.
If small and medium-sized venues up to 150 capacity host a minimum of 10 events in a year, they will be eligible for an 80 per cent reduction of liquor fees, which could amount to $4000 or $5000 for some businesses.
In addition, musicians across Canberra will soon be able to apply for a free permit to park and unload equipment in loading zones across Canberra for 30 minutes in a 12-month trial.
MusicACT president David Caffery said the changes were a turning point in the city’s cultural development.
Mr Caffery said the package would not only protect music venues in the city but foster new investment and attract new venues and new festivals into the CBD.
“Currently, there are a lot of venue managers and festival managers looking at Canberra but not investing. From today, festival managers and venue managers will look at Canberra differently,” he said.
“We are open for business, for music. We are open for business, for audiences. Come and buy your tickets!”
Mr Caffery said the noise increase was reasonable and came with requirements for venues to be better insulated.
The level would still be less than that for the dance floor of a rock concert, where it would be about 110 decibels.
Jon Murphy, the owner of Squeaky Clean in Verity Lane, where Minister for the Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy Tara Cheyne announced the new measures, said the reforms would be a game changer for the CBD and businesses like his.
“This just opens it right up for whoever wants to express themselves and give venues an opportunity to put on those shows,” he said.
Minister for the Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy Tara Cheyne announces the reform package at Squeaky Clean, flanked by owner Jon Murphy, right, and MusicACT president Dave Caffery, left. Photo: Ian Bushnell.
A 15-year veteran of the industry, Mr Murphy said Civic had struggled with more people working from home since the pandemic and not staying on after work for drinks.
“There is a flow-on effect, and we’re still seeing it, but this sort of thing definitely encourages people,” he said.
Mr Murphy said his Verity Lane neighbours were ready for the extra noise.
“We’ve got a pretty tight community within the venues around this space, so we’re all on board,” he said.
Ms Cheyne said the reforms would support the City Entertainment Precinct and help it transform it into a place where people could enjoy themselves.
“We want there to be fun, and fun is not silent,” she said.
“We want people to know that there’s things going on and we want our venues to not be worried about making noise.
“We want people in the city, and we want this to be an entertainment district, not just a business district, and that’s what these changes do.”
Ms Cheyne said the entertainment precinct and reform package was a model that could be replicated outside the city, but the government would first need to see how it worked in the CBD.
“This is something that I would be hoping we can essentially copy-paste into some of our town centres,” she said.
Mr Caffery agreed, saying an entertainment precinct could be implemented at settings appropriate to the particular town centre.
He also called for a new festival precinct, saying EPIC was not up to scratch, particularly with creeping residential development around it that made noise problematic.
Ms Cheyne said the venue was challenging for everyone – festival organisers, performers and residents.
“We are certainly working on a master plan for EPIC, and I’m sure the Chief Minister will have more to say in due course,” she said.
Local act Citizen Kay (AKA Kojo Owusu-Ansah), who performed for the announcement, was all smiles about the changes, particularly the free loading zone permits.
“We’re pretty stoked, especially hyped about the permits,” he said. “We’ve talked about these things for a while.
“So it’s great to see things like that come into place and feel like our city’s actually got our back.”
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