Enmore live music plan: Darcy Byrne spearheads plans

Restrictions are set to be slashed in an inner west suburb making it possible for gigs to be held anywhere from shopfronts to bookshops and offices.

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The inner west strip of Enmore is a step closer to becoming Sydney’s live music Mecca after the council voted to allow the suburb’s iconic theatre freedom from the “fun police”.

Councillors on Monday night voted in favour of the move its mayor says would bring a post coronavirus economic boom to the once thriving hub.

The proposal to designate the Enmore Theatre NSW’s first “special entertainment precinct” would make it harder for it to be shut down over noise complaints, give it an 80 per cent cut in liquor licencing fees and enable extended trading hours.

It comes as the council also voted to further lift restrictions to promote live music over poker machines across the whole strip.

The Enmore is the first venue on the list.

That move also allows bookshops, empty offices and warehouses along Enmore Rd to host gigs without having to lodge a development application.

“This groundbreaking change will give real incentives for venues to host live music instead of pokies, through late trading allowances and reduced avenues for noise complaints against music venues,” Inner West Mayor Darcy Byrne said.

EARLIER

By Anton Rose on May 11, 2021

A plan has been revealed to slash restrictions along Enmore Road making it possible for gigs to be held anywhere from office blocks and bookshops to cafes and shopfronts.

The Inner West Council plan is part of an attempt to make Enmore a Mecca of arts and live music.

The Enmore Theatre will be the first venue in NSW to be considered a “special entertainment precinct” and planners at Inner West Council are now recommending every venue on Enmore Rd follow suit to save them from what has been dubbed “the fun police”.

The move means it will be harder to shut down venues over vexatious noise complaints and will promote live music over poker machines at venues.

It also means that noise complaints against the venues no longer go through licencing police, the liquor regulator and the Land and Environment Court with council instead taking the calls for noisy neighbours.

“Enmore Road and King Street in Newtown are one of Australia’s premier creative destinations. It has kept thriving throughout the period of the lockout laws and has weathered the COVID pandemic,” Inner West Mayor Darcy Byrne said.

“Enmore Road is the most obvious location to start with, but I want to see similar precincts established across the inner west.”

The Enmore will be the first venue in the state to benefit from an 80 per cent cut in liquor licencing fees and extended trading hours.

Bands such as the Gang of Youths, pictured at the Enmore Theatre, would be able to play at venues across Enmore as part of the plans. Picture: Christian Gilles

The strip of Enmore Rd is home to pub The Duke of Enmore and the nearby Young Henry’s brewery bar but if it goes ahead anyone on the strip can host a gig.

The move would make it fair game for warehouses, offices and local shopfronts to hold live gigs and scrap the need for them to lodge a development application for the privilege.

Nearby venues like the Young Henry’s brewery, pictured, and even office spaces can now be live music venues.

“These simple set of rules will allow local musicians, actors and visual artists to make use of shopfronts, warehouses and office spaces, which are currently sitting dormant and unused after dark and on weekends,” Cr Byrne said.

“No costly DA will be necessary so landlords will have an incentive to make some extra cash and artists will have a plethora of potential local properties to make use of for their work.

Darcy Byrne said it was the shot in the arm the live music scene desperately needed. Picture: John Appleyard

“For example, this will mean that a teenager, who is learning her craft as a musician, can simply pitch to the owner of a bookstore to make use of their premises after dark or on weekends, when the property would be sitting empty and unused. Council has no business getting in the way of that.

“When combined, these policies will give the inner west live music scene a desperate shot in arm.”

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