Following news that Sydney’s live music scene is set to be hit by tough curfews and 1:30am lockouts as part of Government reforms that were successfully rushed through Parliament overnight, it seems that the strong opposition to the crackdown is all for naught, as the “live music industry is dead” anyway.

At least, that’s the opinion of NSW Police Minister Mike Gallacher, who spoke of the city’s ailing music scene during the State Parliament hearing last night that saw NSW Premier Barry O’Farrell’s late night trading bills to introduce mandatory minimum sentencing rushed through the upper house in order to be introduced this weekend.

“I’m sorry that the live music industry is dead,” the 52-year-old Police Minister said in Parliament, as FasterLouder reports.“You only have to look at the ‘70s and ‘80s to see how prolific it was right across the pub scene. The places were packed to the rafters to go and listen to the music, not go and packed to the rafters for the grog.”

Audio of Mr. Gallacher’s Parliamentary statements were captured by 2GB journalist Katie Kimberley, who then posted the recordings to twitter. Mr Gallacher also discussed the halcyon days of Sydney’s live music scene, including veteran bands like Cold Chisel, Skyhooks, and Dragon – rocking old venues like Selina’s Nightclub in Coogee – in their prime.


The hearing was to discuss the application of new reforms to an expanded section of the Sydney CDB stretching from Darling Harbour To Kings Cross (as seen in the map below); changes that include 1:30 am lockouts on licensed venues, a cease on serving alcohol by 3am, a statewide enforcement that bottle shops close their doors by 10pm, and new mandatory minimum sentencing.

Despite the strict changes only being proposed last week by NSW Premier Barry O’Farrell, the bills were swiftly and successfully passed through the upper house on Thursday Night.

The same State Parliamentary hearing also saw Greens MP John Kaye voting against the bills. Following his policy of offering alternative amendments to the tough legislation in defence of the live music sector, he told Parliament: “Late-night performances will be driven out of the central business district and some very important venues… We know that good quality live music contributes to a reduction in violence.”

Mr Kaye was one of five MPs – including members for The Greens and Labor – that voted against the rushed new legislation on Thursday night, including Independent MP Alex Greenwich who said that “normal parliamentary process was abandoned to prevent scrutiny of the legislation and time for debate.”


(Image: A map showing the proposed Sydney CBD Entertainment precinct. Source: NSW Government)

Premier O’Farrell’s new mandatory minimum sentencing – an eight-year minimum sentence for fatal alcohol or drug-fuelled assaults and an increase to the maximum penalty for assault by two years – are confirmed to come into effect this weekend, while the the laws on 1:30am lockouts, 10pm drink curfews, and liquor reforms will come into effect in April 2014.

“The new measures are tough and I make no apologies for that,” said the NSW Premier previously of the new crackdown on late night trading. The tough changes have been introduced in a bid to curb the wave of alcohol-related violence in Sydney’s CBD, in response to the death of teenager Daniel Christie on New Years from a fatal one-punch ‘coward’ assault in Kings Cross.

The Government crackdown may have slipped through Parliament successfully, but live music supporters and industry are taking a stand against the new measures, including the formation of the Sydney Late Night Culture Alliance, with a mission statement to ‘Keep Sydney Open!’

The new Alliance includes Sydney-based music organisations, including representatives of state body MusicNSW, community radio FBi, venues GoodGod Small Club and Oxford Art Factory, as well as music media TheMusic, InTheMix, and SLAM, as The Music Network reports.

The Sydney Late Night Culture Alliance is hosting a community forum – following the first weekend of O’Farrell’s new legislation – on Monday 3rd February to allow the music sector to voice its disapproval on the restrictive reforms; to be held from 6pm at Sydney’s Metro Theatre in George Street.

(Photo: Andrew Linturn. Source: Wolfmother @ Oxford Art Factory)

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