Western Australia hasn’t been too receptive to live music of late.
What with this year’s Big Day Out being the ‘last ever’ in Perth, while festival promoter AJ Maddah has also hinted that next Monday’s Soundwave could also be the last in the West after ongoing battles with Claremont Council.
Now one of Western Australia’s leading live music promoters, has faced opposition for their plans to reinvigorate Fremantle with a multimillion dollar live music venue come arts hub.
Sunset Events presents some of the biggest music festivals in WA – including Southbound, Laneway, Groovin’ The Moo, and Blues ‘N’ Roots – and have applied to open a new concert venue in Fremantle’s Arthur Head Reserve.
Having submitted an application with the City of Fremantle for a 21-year-lease to redevelop the city’s J-Shed, Sunset Events plans to transform the West End with a 1,500 capacity live music venue, with an adjoining arts hub and gallery, 850 capacity boutique tavern, and a microbrewery, as The West Australian reports.
Described as an “artisan food and beverage space” by Managing Director David Chitty, the Sunset Events music hub is designed to gather multiple Fremantle’s creative disciplines into one space, with the concert venue aiming to host between 12 to 14 high-profile ticketed music events.
“Our vision draws on the relaxed and bohemian culture that already exists in Freo,” Mr Chitty says.
But local residents have voiced their concerns on the proposal, with the Fremantle Inner-City Residents Association calling for a local meeting over claims that their opposition was falling on council’s deaf ears.
An artist’s impression of the new Sunset Events live music hub. (Source: The West Australian)
A bird’s eye view of the submitted proposal. (Source: City Of Fremantle)
“This is about council plainly disregarding the views of its electorate and planning a large-scale development on one of the State’s most significant A-class reserves,” said FIRCA J-shed committee chairman Dick Baynham.
In a Special Electors Meeting on Monday 24th February, a crowd of around 200 Fremantle residents voiced their disapproval with the proposed venue, chiefly over size and capacity, according to Fremantle Gazette.
Among concerns about loud music, increased anti-social behaviour (and its policing), the committee took issue with the patron numbers. FICRA put forward an alternative motion to reduce Sunset Events’ proposal to be rejected, with a a new expression of interest for a a small bar restricted to a capacity of no more than 120 people, while limiting venue numbers to 850. Sunset Events plans to transform the West End with a 1,5000 capacity live music venue, with an adjoining arts hub and gallery, 850 capacity boutique tavern, and a microbrewery.
Fremantle Mayor Brad Pettitt tells The West Australian that Fremantle Council were attempting to “get the balance right” between promoters and residents to give the new live music hub the green light.
“I appreciate and understand reservations some residents might have about noise and amenity when it comes to a large venue like this being in their area,” he said. “At the same time the proposal has many merits – it will invigorate the area and be a major hub for our local creativity industry.”
It’s not the first time that Sunset Events has faced opposition from residents and run into trouble with WA councils.
Last October, the promoters ran into hurdles over getting the Southbound music festival relocated from its traditional location in Bussleton to a new site to accommodate its growing success and attendance numbers. A proposed shift to Hamelin Bay saw the coastal community digging its heels in, raising issues that the festival’s arrival would bring with it noise pollution, traffic congestion, and environmental damage.
(Photo: Brandon Davies. Source: Laneway Festival 2014 Gallery)
