Page 1159 - Week 05 - Wednesday, 30 May 2007
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would add—and I will not have time to go into it in this speech—that there is an issue of music venues for underage people. There are not many places where they can go which their parents will happy with and which also meet the young people’s criteria, which are somewhat different. That is a really important issue too. Toast is not for them.
Kerrie Tucker also hosted a forum where people from the industry, including musicians, producers, venue managers, teachers, DJs and writers, expressed their concerns about the existing legislation, about government support and about the change in cultural tastes.
There are complex causes for the decline in local live music over the last three decades. The solutions will require a whole-of-government approach. For instance, in relation to planning, the government must consider establishing and protecting zones that are music and culture friendly and introducing legislation that protects the existing right of live music venues when residents move into their proximity. We really have to give this thought. When we look at densifying the city’s population, we are, paradoxically, reducing the amenity that is the reason people live here if those people insist on their quiet comfort after 10 o’clock at night.
The insurance authority could provide some advice and assistance to venues and organisations that are having difficulties in meeting increasing insurance costs. The environment authority must consider regulated noise levels. And artsACT can provide a diverse range of support mechanisms for new and young musicians and assist and encourage collaborative promotion and marketing programs.
I believe that we should also encourage a regional approach. We should see the whole region as an audience and a source of performers. We should promote events across the region, which is culture hungry, and provide incentives for buses to bring groups here.
In relation to economic development and planning, it might also be worth studying the so-called Florida effect—that high indices in culture diversity, same-sex couples, innovation, patents and Bohemian arts activities lead to regional economic growth. And let us not forget Montmartre; it is probably the ultimate example of that kind of thing.
The ACT government’s economic white paper and Live in Canberra campaign have highlighted the ACT government’s desire to retain young people in Canberra. Yet government-reported statistics show that one of the key reasons young people leave is that they do not find the place lively enough. To quote Nirvana’s song Smells Like Teen Spirit, “Here we are now—entertain us.”
Mr Woods, the responsible minister at the time Kerrie Tucker’s motion was debated, provided a response in August 2004. He noted that, after consulting with local stakeholders, the four core live music issues in the ACT were the need for a music association, young people’s participation in live music, noise from live and recorded music, and the viability and diversity of live music venues. The ACT government committed itself to about eight key actions, but it appears that the government has successfully completed only one of those actions.
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