NSW's Biggest Overhaul Of Live Music Regulations 'In A Generation' On The Way

The biggest overhaul of regulations on live music in New South Wales "in a generation" was passed in Legislative Council on Thursday night. 

Changes to the Liquor Act, Planning Act, Local Government Act and the Building Code have all been confirmed. 

The amendments to liquor licensing, planning and local government legislation include:

• Establish cultural and entertainment precincts to foster live music and cultural activity
• Remove entertainment conditions in venues including the type of music, instruments or number of musicians
• Incentivise live music and cultural activity through license discounts and extended trading for venues including participating venues in the NSW Government Great Southern Nights program
• Integrated licensing and planning processes and the removal of restrictions on mirror-balls and dancing and the elimination of entertainment prohibitions on restaurants and small bars
• A streamlined process to enable the creation of small bars and live music and small arts spaces
• The power for local councils to remove entertainment bans with new planning rules prohibiting councils from regulating music genres, types of instruments, and numbers of performers
• Low impact live entertainment to be classified as exempt development under planning regulations
• Temporary measures for the period of the COVID-19 pandemic to allow local councils to encourage the use of outdoor space for outdoor dining and performance to assist with social distancing measures
  
  

“APRA AMCOS and the Live Music Office have long advocated that one of the major keys to supporting the Australian music industry’s global success is for the removal of unnecessary and complex regulations on live music,” APRA AMCOS CEO Dean Ormston said.

“For decades, regulations in NSW have had a strangle-hold on live music and cultural activity. These days are now passed and both APRA AMCOS and the Live Music Office are proud to have been instrumental in working on these reforms with the NSW Parliament.

“The changes passed last night will support small businesses, live music and cultural venues to get back up on their feet once COVID-19 restrictions are lifted. Crucially, the objective of the liquor act will now include the need to consider employment opportunities for live music, arts and cultural activity.

“These changes will also see the creation of special entertainment precincts to encourage live music and cultural activity in city centres and regions throughout NSW. From the City of Sydney to Local Governments across metropolitan and regional NSW, Councils will be able unlock the potential of local economic areas.

“All these changes will help support small businesses and drive an economic recovery across the state, and importantly, getting musicians back to work."