Cities will never be the same post COVID, and councils will be looking to develop strategies to bring people back to the cities. This recovery can be led by the night time economy and creative industries, and the precinct model will enable councils to promote live music and ensure that all of the relevant policies align to ensure this can happen seamlessly.
It ranges with each model, but essentially precincts allow councils to identify areas where live music entertainment is encouraged or where there are high concentrations of licensed premises or clusters of live music venues, and to implement measures to protect and enhance the social, economic and cultural benefits that such areas offer to the community. This can include the retention of existing, and the development of new, live music entertainment venues. They will become increasingly important in the planning for the future of 24-hour cities, allowing councils to set consistent, enforceable rules for venue owners, operators, developers and residents to protect amenity while encouraging economic activity, enabling live music venues to co-exist with nearby residential and other noise sensitive land uses.
Why does the music industry care?
Because without supportive laws for live music, there is less likely to be investment in venues and studios, meaning less work for artists and industry. Once a planning precinct is in place, all other laws and policies need to align with the objective of encouraging live music.
