NSW MPs Call On Government To Save Iconic Sydney Venue From Demolition

Labor MPs from Sydney's Coogee Bay have put the pressure on local government to declare the Coogee Bay Hotel as a "Special Entertainment Precinct" - allowing the venue and its iconic bandroom Selina's to be saved from demolishment.

After the announcement in August that the legendary venue was slated for permanent closure, NSW government have now gone on to introduce new precinct guidelines that would allow the venue to remain open, on the provisor that it would be awarded this special dispensation.

"Special Entertainment Precincts can comprise single venues or defined localities, and give venues special dispensations like extended trading hours and more favourable noise management conditions," a statement from the offices of Shadow Minister For Music And Nighttime Economy John Graham and MP Marjorie O'Neill explained.

"Should the Coogee Bay Hotel be declared a Special Entertainment Precinct it would be provided with the regulatory support for entertainment and live music necessary to save Selina’s."

Graham added of the proposal, "The State Government now needs to deliver on its end of the bargain and use the reforms to save our iconic venues and support emerging ones. The framework now exists for governments to establish entertainment precincts and get on with the work of refreshing their planning controls to foster live music and cultural activity for the benefit of their communities and visitors.”

He continued, “Selina’s is the first test of getting this right or risking losing a Sydney music institution. A stage which has hosted so much of Sydney and Australia’s music history – hosting Midnight Oil, Crowded House, the Angels and the Hoodoo Gurus as well as landmark international tours by the likes of Elton John and David Bowie – deserves to be preserved not just as a relic but as a living entertainment venue.”

O'Neill also voiced her concern for the future of live entertainment in her precinct, noting, “Selina’s has played a huge part in the history of the Eastern Suburbs and our musical legacy. The disappearance of landmark venues like The Bondi Lifesaver and now potentially Selina’s have meant that the new generation of creatives have limited local stages to perform or get their big breaks.”

She went on, “the survival of Selinas is vitally important, that's why I have moved a Notice of Motion in NSW Parliament that would ensure the sustainability of the venue.”

You can sign the Save Selina's petition here.