City of Sydney Council call for repeal of liquor regulation for music festivals
Amendments to liquor licensing at festivals across NSW have been labelled ‘shameful and rushed’ by a group of Sydney councillors, who called for the regulation to be repealed immediately.
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Amendments to liquor licensing at festivals across NSW have been labelled ‘shameful and rushed’ by City of Sydney councillors during Monday night’s meeting, who called for the regulation to be repealed immediately.
City of Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore received a letter from Kerri Glasscock, co-chair of the City of Sydney’s Night-life and Creative Sector Advisory Panel, who relayed the panels concerns about the Liquor Amendment regulation 2019.
The regulation, which came into effect on March 1, was met with criticism from thousands who attended the Don't Kill Live Music rally held in Hyde Park last month.
Cr Moore told councillors she supported the panel in their call on the government to defer implementation of the new regulation.
Councillors voted unanimously on Monday night to call for the liquor amendment on music festivals to be repealed.
“The panel points out that the contemporary music industry contributed $3.6 billion and 23,207 jobs to the NSW economy, with music festivals providing a platform that celebrates our sub cultures and provides the community with a space to connect,” Cr Moore said.
“The panel is deeply concerned about the economic and cultural impacts that this rushed regulatory change will have on the live music industry and our sectors.”
Cr Jess Scully said it is ‘absolutely disgraceful’ that there was less than 90 minutes of consultation with the live music sector before the decision was rushed through.
“It is also absolutely shameful that there’s still no clarity as to the criteria that designates one festival as higher risk and another as not high risk,” Cr Scully said.
“It is affecting 14 festivals now, but because of this lack of guidelines, there is no clarity as to what other festivals might be endangered by this rush job.
“What the sector has asked to do is support their call for a regulatory impact statement and whoever forms the next government should suspend this regulation should do the proper process.”
She said rather than ‘taking the bull by the horns and actually deal with pill testing’, they have taken a ‘knee jerk, sledgehammer approach’.
“I’m so glad the City of Sydney are taking it seriously.”
Cr Linda Scott said with such a large economic contributor, there must be longer consultation and a better system.
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