New parking permits offer musicians free ride in Port Phillip

MUSICIANS will headline a new class of permit allowing them to park for free outside live music venues in Port Phillip.

MUSICIANS will headline a new class of parking permit in Port Phillip an effort to boost live gigs.

Promoters and musicians in the area have long been beating the drum for the specialised permit that will allow musos to park for free in loading zones outside live music venues while they bump in and out.

Esplanade Hotel opens for St Kilda Arts Crawl live music once more

Call for greater protections to save Melbourne’s ‘culturally significant’ live music pubs

Dan Sultan talks social justice, music and the St Kilda Festival

Music promoter Nick Haines, who has been lobbying on the cause for years, said he was rapt

it had been given the green light after councillors last night unanimously voted in favour of the new permits.

St Kilda Live Music Community president Suzi Dhol said parking restrictions in the area were hitting bands in the hip pocket, potentially driving them away.

“(Live music in St Kilda) is what differentiates us from other bayside suburbs and it’s a great economic factor for our community,” she said.

“Band often don’t have a lot of money so for them to pay for parking or suffer a fine is a significant impact and if we could alleviate that cost in some way … it would be a positive.”

Music Victoria deputy chair Michelle Nicholl said Live Music Census data showed live music and music-based venues in Melbourne made a “significant contribution” to the economy of about $1 billion in 2017 and it was important musicians could “come here and get in and out of venues”.

Johnny Iodice, who runs The Vineyard, said up to five live gigs a week were hosted at his venue but musicians often had to “do laps” to avoid parking tickets while loading and unloading their gear.

“(Musicians are) usually hand-to-mouth type people, they don’t have roadies anymore they just do it all themselves,” he said.

“Giving them some kind of permit … would be fantastic; they wouldn’t get tickets,” he said.

“When they get tickets, unfortunately they don’t get paid that much and it kills them.”

In putting forward the motion, Cr Andrew Bond said giving acts free short-term parking in loading zones would “make the task of performing that little bit easier”.

“Live music is an important part of the vibrant culture of many parts of Port Phillip and St Kilda in particular,” he said.

“This is a tiny thing the council is able to do to make the live music culture just that little bit easier to incubate.”

MORE NEWS

Port Phillip council votes to paint $28K rainbow on St Kilda street

Balaclava neighbours fight Port Phillip council plan for Marlborough St public housing

Port Phillip Council announces plan to install underground sensors to enforce parking limits