The Melbourne live music scene is looking to get the protection it needs from noise complaining inner-city residents and the legislative reforms that live music venues have been longing for, with Victorian Planning Minister Matthew Guy revealing the timeframe in introducing the coveted ‘Agent of Change’ principle.
The much-hyped policy, which aims to drastically reduce noise complaints by placing the onus on costly soundproofing on residents new to an area with an established music scene, was conspicuously absent from the Napthine Government’s raft of 36 reforms and red tape cuts earlier this month, despite previous assurances from Minister Guy, stating it was still a ‘work in progress’.
In a new interview however, the State Minister for Planning has indicated that the proverbial holy grail of live music reforms will be implemented in an approximately “six or seven weeks.”
“We are looking at implementing the Agent of Change Principle well before the election in seven months, it’ll be more like six or seven weeks. It needs to be signed off and gazetted,” reveals Minister Guy in an interview with Herald Sun’s resident music scribe, Mikey ‘Mr Rock City’ Cahill.
Adding: “We will do a Planning Scheme Amendment which will cover a number of councils when it’s ready and it will be a regulatory change. I’m expecting a brief of the details in the next few days to make sure it’s right. I’m going to sit down with [Minister for Liquor and Gaming Regulation] Ed O’Donohue and go through it.” “We are looking at implementing the Agent of Change Principle well before the election in seven months, it’ll be more like six or seven weeks.”
“We are looking at a local, not a state-wide plan, there’s no use having the Agent of Change Principle in the Alpine Shire council or the Wimmera, it’s for urban councils.”
The policy to put the responsibility on developers to front for costly volume control measures on properties close to live music venues was first put forward by Minister Guy on the last Parliament hearing of 2013.
“Whether it is through a state amendment or a local planning scheme amendment, we will find a way,” went the Minister’s comments in December. “We will do this because no other government in Victoria has had the guts to do this. Whether it is at the Palace or other live music venues, Mr O’Donohue and I will do that work over the summer period and the coming weeks to ensure that live music remains one of Melbourne’s great assets.”
Speaking with Herald Sun, Minister Guy reinforced this position, lending his personal support to the idea that residents moving into an area with established music scene should be culpable.
“I live on a street in Preston with a live music venue six doors up and I accept that there’s noise. It’s a part of life. If you move near Melbourne Airport you’ll expect airport noise,” he says. “There’s 4.5 million in the city, if you don’t like noise, don’t move to the inner city.”
“You can’t try and close down live music venues after moving into the city. I hope the City of Yarra takes advice from the City of Melbourne. There’s no use blaming the operators or the police, these people knew there was a live music venue near their house when they moved in. There’s 4.5 million in the city, if you don’t like noise, don’t move to the inner city.”
Pressed upon the issue of the controversial application to raze the Palace in favour of a luxury tenement and hotel project, the Minister remarked: “As for the Metro, sorry, Palace Theatre site, I’ve said I’d love to see a W Hotel in Melbourne but the proposal being put forward was off kilter for that site. We want the restrictions to be adhered to. I don’t want another Windsor Hotel debacle.”
Minister Guy also has the final word on approval of another (though supposedly less controversial) construction proposal, a $70 million redevelopment of The Forum Theatre that includes the construction of an adjoining 32-storey boutique hotel and office complex to the rear of the live music venue.
The news emerges shortly after a number of Melbourne’s live music venues were named among the world’s top venues in an international poll, with Richmond’s The Corner Hotel, Northcote Social Club, Rod Laver Arena, Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Etihad Stadium, and The Palais ranked among a collection of Australian venues in Pollstar’s global rankings.
(Image: Len Panecki. Source: Karnivool & Dead Letter Circus Photo Gallery)
