If You Move House Next to Live Music, Expect Live Music

Labor's new direction for the economy starts locally – with the places we love to go, and the bands we love to see.

That's why a re-elected Carroll Labor Government will protect local live music by:

• creating live music precincts that shift the balance away from noise objectors
• simplifying rules and red tape for permits and noise
• stepping in to help, with more gigs and mandated local music in advertising

Because more sold out shows means more jobs for Victoria.

Creating new live music precincts

We must protect venues in our nightlife precincts from people who move next door and try to shut them down.

In the coming weeks, the Carroll Labor Government will gazette live music planning overlays.

And if re-elected, Labor will go further.

We will create targeted live music precincts in inner Melbourne and regional Victoria, including Fitzroy, Collingwood, Geelong and Ballarat.

These precincts will have reformed noise rules that shift the balance away from objectors.

The onus will now be on them to prove their case, rather than falling on beloved local venues to plead their survival.

These venues are the reason people want to live in these suburbs – and Labor will protect them.

Labor will also help venues meet compliance costs, including soundproofing, acoustic assessments and accessibility with new grants.

Simplifying rules and red tape

Right now, venues bounce around between different agencies and councils on planning, licensing and permit issues.

Labor will fix that – with a permanent Live Music Desk to coordinate planning, licensing and permits.

It’s a simple change that means venues get answers instead of the runaround.

We will also simplify the EPA’s noise regulations for everyone, not just venues in the new live music precincts.

Our changes will make it easier for live music venue operators to comply – and protect venues from complaint-driven closures.

Stepping in to help

We will deliver a $2.5 million Live Gigs Fund to help venues stage live gigs and all ages shows.

We will also invest $1.5 million to activate underutilised spaces for live music and the arts.

It will support established venues and support new spaces in former industrial areas.

Government should put its money where its mouth is, and we will.

If re-elected, Labor will mandate that all music used in Victorian Government advertising will be Victorian music or performed by a Victorian artist.

It could save taxpayers money – and it means Victorian artists get more work and recognition.

It’s all about local jobs

There are more than 2,400 live music venues across Victoria employing thousands of people.

Labor’s plan is all about protecting these venues, the jobs they create – and what they mean to our state.

This is all under threat. 

A Liberal-One Nation Coalition will unwind Labor’s planning reforms and back NIMBYs who will cancel live music.

Only Labor will protect what’s great about this state.

Quotes attributable to Minister for Creative Industries Vicki Ward

“From the small pub gig to the all-ages show, live music is where Victorians love to come together – and venues deserve the confidence to keep bringing us those moments, not held up with a maze of red tape holding them back."

"We back venues to do what they do best to create the shared experiences that connect us, support local jobs, and keep Victoria's live music scene Australia’s number one."‍