Council Vow To Save Live Music In Wollongong

A live music taskforce will be set up to revitalise Wollongong's live music scene after Wollongong City Council voted unanimously to develop cultural guidelines for the city.

The New South Wales city has had a worrying run of venues closures in the last 12 months, which most recently resulted in venue The Patch succumbing to noise complaints. Yesterday music writer Jessie Hunt and music student Jack Tickner met with the council to request a new policy on live music, with a submission that included the recommendation of a live music taskforce, similar to that of Melbourne's and Sydney's.

Today Hunt, 19, told theMusic.com.au, “There actually isn't a timeline for the task force to be established as yet – hopefully, this is something that will be confirmed over the next few weeks. We'll definitely continue lobbying council until a more concrete plan is established.”

According to Hunt the biggest challenges for live music in the region is the manner of policing and policy, with claims that the expunged Place Of Public Entertainment license – which enforced a number of blanket regulations on all live venues – is still being used.

“There are huge problems with the ways in which live music in Wollongong is being policed at present,” she said. “There are definite instances of administrative overreach in terms of the ways in which our local constabulary is using the Environmental Planning Act.”

The proposal was brought to the council last night by Labor councillor Ann Martin. Fellow Labor party member and Leichhardt Mayor Darcy Byrne has been behind much of the push to save Sydney's Annandale Hotel and previously expressed to theMusic that he would be urging other councils in the state to push for live music reform. Wollongong's Mayor Gordon Bradbery is an independent.

Councillor Martin told theMusic.com.au today that the taskforce “will work only if we set ourselves clear targets, deadlines, and work out who should participate. I don't need another committee, we need to work through problems and come up with solutions.”

She said that she wants to see an increase in venue availability for all ages, better management of conflict between venues and police, neighbours and other stakeholders, the growth of local talent and the broadening of “thinking” for performance spaces.

“[That's] what we should be doing to support current creative communities, including artists, as well as making the most of our parks, beaches, as a whole place, from Helensburgh to Windang,” the councillor said today.

“Also [we] should encourage social enterprises, night time activity in town. Get artists from different art forms and facilities, buildings working together, not competing for resources and brownie points.”

Along with local musicians, venue owners and event organisers, Hunt is hopeful that experienced live music advocates such as John Wardle, who is the Chair of the Sydney Live Music Taskforce and was an advisor to Labor's live music policy, and Ianto Ware, Sounds Australia's National Live Music Coordinator, will come on board.

“This is the key way to introduce the music community's perspectives to cultural planners,” Hunt said.

Jessie Hunt addressing the Council gallery last night.

Article updated 4.54PM to include councillor's quotes.