Red Tape Reform to Boost NSW Night Time Economy | Music News

New South Wales is in for a boom after the NSW Legislative Council passed amendments to the Liquor Amendment (24-hour Economy) Bill 2020.

Led by the Labor Opposition, particularly John Graham, the Shadow Minister for Music and the Night Time Economy, some of the most ludicrous and outdated regulations governing music venues have been thrown onto the scrapheap. These included telling pubs what music they could play, if only cover bands were allowed, no mirror balls over the dance-floor, how many musicians should be allowed onstage and - our personal favourite - which way they should be facing the audience.

The NSW Upper House debated late in the hour and rushed it through without the all-important provision that allowed councils to remove similar restrictions from development consents.

But Graham plans to bring that up in November when Parliament sits again.

“Until councils are given the power to remove entertainment conditions from development consents nothing will change on the ground,” he said.

The successful Labor reforms included giving music venues an 80% discount on licensing fees and a half hour extension on trading hours, as well as establishing special entertainment precincts based on Fortitude Valley in Brisbane.