Local council in Melbourne’s affluent suburb and (once) thriving music hub, St Kilda are at it again.
Following their rescue of the popular music-focussed St Kilda Festival from a potential cancellation due to budgetary concerns, the City of Port Phillip council has now been staunchly enforcing a music ban in St Kilda, just as they enter caretaker mode to prepare for the upcoming council elections.
The Age reports that disgruntled traders in Acland Street are refuting a council ruling that’s attempting to ban amplified music outside playing in the streets of one of Melbourne’s most popular tourist attractions.
Bar and restaurant owners have told the paper that Port Phillip Council has banned all types of music being played outside their businesses, with several already noting that they had been issued breaching warnings from council offers in the past fortnight.
Bianca Dawson, presdient of the St Kilda Village Traders’ Group, urged the council to reconsider its strategies and to ‘show flexibility’ in retaining the culture and vibrancy on Acland Street.
“No one wants anything that’s blaring or anything that’s offensive, but banning it completely dramatically affects the ambience and general vibe of the street,” said Ms. Dawson. “We’re meant to be a bustling precinct that’s busy and exciting. I guess as traders this is just another example of of the council setting unrealistic restrictions.”
Catani Ward coucillor Serge Thomann, who has previously been fighting in favour of the survival of St Kilda’s music culture, said that the music ban ruling was first introduced in June 2010, following noise complaints made about amplified music playing in the street, which were introduced in line with EPA guidelines.
Traders had already been offered to make a submission at the time, said Cr Thomann, but had failed to do so. Both Thomann and mayor Rachel Powning ‘could not say’ to The Age why the band had only recently been enforced in Acland Street.No one wants anything that’s blaring or anything that’s offensive, but banning it completely dramatically affects the ambience and general vibe of the street
It’s a bizarre turn of events from the local council, who seemed to have turned a new leaf regarding their support of live music, including calling for government funding the $1.6 million budget needed to ensure the survival of St Kilda Festival for 2013, as well as help balance out the issues over St Kilda’s beloved venue-come-record store Pure Pop Records, who were the target of staunch council restrictions before they did a backflip and helped the venue rather than hindered it. There’s also been the upward turn of fortunes for the Prince’s new bandroom over their Public Bar re-opening.
These events will all be taken into account as Victorians prepare for upcoming local council elections, with several potential candidates responding to music advocacy body Music Victoria’s open survey about where they stand on music in their electorate.
Considering only 15 of 27 potential candidates in the City of Port Philip responded to the survey, it was uplifting to see just how many in the area plan to support live music.
Former Mayor Dick Gross claims that the ‘campaign of complaints’ from residents grumbling about noise levels were “unreasonably undermining the viability of music venues in long standing entertainment precincts.”
Meanwhile Junction Ward candidate Dick Gross bluntly criticised the Port Phillip council’s inability to negotiate sponsorship for St Kilda Festival, nearly ruining the popular music event; “The current council have been hopeless. Imagine being unable to sell sponsorship to the largest open air festival in the southern hemisphere!” exclaimed Gross.
