Confirmed: Improvements To Sydney Live Music Venues Are On The Way

A set of new planning reforms unveiled by the City Of Sydney, including better sound management for live music and nightlife venues, have been unanimously endorsed by Council overnight.

The City announced the Open and Creative Planning Reforms and Draft Sydney Development Control Plan reforms earlier this month, which include: 

• Identifying areas in the city that are most likely to be affected by entertainment sound, so that new developments within 50 metres of an existing venue or a 24-hour ‘late night management’ zone are designed, constructed and operated to mitigate sound impacts.
• New and streamlined sound criteria to assess new developments against, which will provide better and more consistent guidance for new developments that either generate or are affected by entertainment sound.

Lord Mayor Clover Moore said the plans are crucial for Sydney to re-engergise its night time economy on the back of lockout laws being relaxed and coming out of the COVID pandemic.

“While we’ve been working on these reforms for some time, they’ve become more important than ever – making it easier for businesses to open longer and with a more diverse offering that will help our community get back on its feet as we recover from the pandemic,” Moore said.

Last night the Council also endorsed more than $570,000 in grants to businesses who want to put on more live music and performance, or diversify their activities after dark including Golden Age Cinema & Bar and The Gaelic Club.

The plans will now be forwarded to the NSW Government for approval.