Peak industry body to add more staff
The future of Victoria's peak body for contemporary music has gone some way to being assured today thanks to a $150,000 injection from the Coalition State Government.
Music Victoria has been an integral part in validating the value of live music in recent years but was beginning to feel the strain of dwindling government funding amid pressure to be self-sustainable.
Along with the existing $100,000 funding from Arts Victoria, today's announcement – made up of quarterly payment over the next financial year – will allow the body to boost their staff and continue to work on regulatory reform.
Music Victoria's CEO Patrick Donovan told theMusic.com.au today, “This much needed funding boost will increase our staffing by a third and enable Music Victoria to employ an operations/sponsorship manager for the next 12 months and help deliver outcomes from the Live Music Roundtable, including the Agent of Change and the reform of EPA's [Environmental Protection Authority] noise standards.”
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While the funding sures up their immediate future, it is still down on the $500,000 across two years they recieved in the 2011 budget.
The announcement was made by Edward O'Donohue, the Minister for Liquor And Gaming Regulation, who had previously expressed support for the live scene.
The Minister said today, “The previous Labor Government tried to fix the street violence problem by effectively regulating live music venues out of existence. It was an approach that was both unfair and ineffective, and the Coalition Government is proud to be supporting live music and the outstanding work of Music Victoria.”
The live music industry generates an estimated gross $301 million for the Victorian economy and a 2009/10 study found it created approximately 15,000 jobs.
“Music Victoria is a valuable partner and we look forward to a long relationship working side by side to secure the future of Victoria's live music scene,” O'Donohue said.
Donovan said they will now begin to work on the 19 recommendations in their 2014 white paper by working with a number of government portfolios, including tourism, small business, innovation, employment, trade, education and regional development.
“It makes sense that we are funded through different government portfolios,” he said, “as we don't just contribute to the arts portfolio, but through liquor licensing to help venues."
They will now look towards a four-year funding plan moving forward.
"While we will continue to work towards self-sustainability through membership and sponsorship, what we need next is a four year commitment from government as part of an election promise so we can put our heads down and do what we do best - service the music sector and state – instead of constantly chasing money."
As part of their own fundraising Music Victoria have begun selling memberships and revamped the EG Awards last year.