21 February 2019

NSW Govt rushing festival regulation

NSW’s peak council body has backed music festival organisers who’ve called for proper consultation before the Berejiklian Government rushes punitive licensing regulations into effect on March 1.

The Australian Festival Association - a coalition involving Live Performance Australia, Music NSW, APRA AMCOS, and the Live Music Office established by the Federal Government - says there has been no attempt to work constructively with them to prevent the end of many music festivals in NSW.

Local Government NSW (LGNSW), representing councils that are themselves festival regulators and organisers, said meaningful consultation was critical to developing a regulatory system that worked.

“Premier Gladys Berejiklian is clearly committed to trying to keep festivalgoers safe, and we very much want to work with her Government to achieve that objective,” LGNSW President Linda Scott said.

“We all want to ensure that each and every festivalgoer gets to go home, healthy and happy, when the music stops – but NSW local governments don’t want the music to stop altogether.

“Local Governments want to work with the NSW Government to make workable regulation without creating new problems.

“We call on the Government to bring everyone together and nutting out viable, effective and evidence-based safety protocols, along with other requirements.”

Cr Scott said contemporary music and music festivals attracted six million attendees and generated $325 million in revenue for the NSW economy each year.

“I do not believe attendees at the Cobargo Folk Festival or the Bowral Classical Music Festival, both scheduled for March, will be any safer because rushed regulation has been imposed,” she said.

“For that reason, our sector would join with the live music sector to urge the Government to reconsider this decision, and to proceed in a far more collaborative and sensible way.”

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