'Please Meet With Us': Live Music Industry Groups Urge NSW Premier To Call Industry Roundtable

Some of the biggest groups in the Australian live music industry have urged NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian to "immediately" arrange an industry roundtable following news that the Government has retabled a Bill to enforce changes to the state's festival licenses.

Just weeks after the changes were disallowed following a vote in Legislative Council, the Government yesterday retabled the Bill, which has led to a response from the Australian Festival Association, Live Performance Australia, APRA AMCOS, Music NSW and Live Music Office. 

"Please meet with us," an open letter issued to the Premier today reads.

"As you are aware, the live music industry has repeatedly expressed our strong desire to work collaboratively with your government on our shared commitment to safer music festivals. Since February this year we have requested that you convene an industry roundtable to discuss regulation and safety at music festivals.

"At a meeting on 20 February with government advisors and agency representatives, including from your office, we were assured proper industry consultation would be undertaken post the March election. This has not happened.

"We again request that you immediately convene a roundtable to discuss regulation and safety at music festivals. The draft Bill tabled yesterday is unworkable. The industry was not consulted on the design of this draft legislation. In its current form, it appears to be based on the regulations disallowed by the NSW Upper House which were unworkable for all the reasons outlined by industry. Without serious consultation with our industry this proposed legislation will not work and we do not support it."

Read the full open letter below. 

Speaking to The Music yesterday, Labor’s Shadow Minister for Music, John Graham, who was instrumental in taking the changes to the Legislative Council, said the news is "not good news for the music sector”.

“It’s targeted at festivals and no one has sat down to talk with the festival sector, unbelievably,” he said.

“We’ll scrutinise the bill closely and try to encourage the government to talk directly to the industry and sort these issues out. It just shouldn’t be this complicated.”

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Dear Premier,

Please meet with us.

As you are aware, the live music industry has repeatedly expressed our strong desire to work collaboratively with your government on our shared commitment to safer music festivals. Since February this year we have requested that you convene an industry roundtable to discuss regulation and safety at music festivals.

At a meeting on 20 February with government advisors and agency representatives, including from your office, we were assured proper industry consultation would be undertaken post the March election. This has not happened.

We again request that you immediately convene a roundtable to discuss regulation and safety at music festivals. The draft Bill tabled yesterday is unworkable. The industry was not consulted on the design of this draft legislation. In its current form, it appears to be based on the regulations disallowed by the NSW Upper House which were unworkable for all the reasons outlined by industry. Without serious consultation with our industry this proposed legislation will not work and we do not support it.

Setting aside the total lack of respect for the live music industry which is the largest contributor by far to NSW live revenue and attendance, providing thousands of jobs, particularly in regional areas, this draft Bill also delivers huge uncertainty for all music festival operators and concert promoters in the lead up to the summer touring season.

We believe it is imperative that you immediately convene an industry roundtable to develop a workable framework that supports our shared objectives.

If you are genuine about your commitment to better safety at music festivals and saving lives, you will understand that collaboration with industry is the only way to deliver better safety outcomes.

We stand ready to work with you.

Yours sincerely,

Australian Festival Association

Live Performance Australia
APRA AMCOS
Music NSW
Live Music Office