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Here is a letter for you to email to the Arts Minister, Lynne Kosky and the Planning Minister, Justin Madden. The email addresses are below the text. Just copy and paste the text into the body of an email, copy the email address over and send. The letter has both Ms. Kosky and Mr. Madden so be sure to email it both of them. It wouldn't hurt to CC the email to your local member and you can find yours here.
The ministers are required to write a reply to you so the more letters get sent the more work is being created and the quicker someone might sit up and take notice. Let's bury them under some paperwork!
Dear Ms. Kosky and Mr. Madden
In 2003 the Live Music Taskforce released a report to help ease growing tensions between residents and live music venues because of noise pollution from bands at venues. The report looked at all the planning, building, environment and liquor laws and regulations for live music noise.
The main recommendation of the Taskforce was that the ‘onus of responsibility’ – for the cost of management of music noise – ‘should fall upon the agent of change’ which to me is fair and entirely sensible. This means established venues aren’t expected to foot the bill for soundproofing when a new residence is built near them and established residents aren’t affected when a new venue gets built in their area.
On May 21, 2004, the Victorian Government made a commitment to enforce the recommendations made by the Live Music Taskforce. Mary Delahunty, the Minister for Planning and Minister for the Arts agreed that the government had accepted all recommendations made by the Taskforce.
The Live Music Taskforce Report “Live Music – The Way Forward” outlined what action needed to be taken. The report said that the government was committed to making Planning Practice Advice, “to inform planning authorities on effective development practices and methodologies around the ‘agent of change’ principle.”
There is no sign that this Planning Practice Note was ever produced but it looks like it was perhaps the most vital aspect of making the ‘agent of change’ concept work. A proper planning system would ensure that the agent of change concept was applied before people move in and complain. If the planning system doesn’t make agent of change work, venues and residents will not be protected by the recommendations and the entire exercise will have been a waste of time.
In Victoria the recommendations made by the Live Music Taskforce have not been implemented or enforced, particularly in the Brunswick St, Fitzroy area where venues are continuing to be encroached upon by residential developers, effectively crippling the live music industry. An industry which, on one hand, receives substantial State Government funding yet, is being ‘cut off at the knees’ when residents move next door to an established live music venue. Inevitably, the high density style of living hasn’t been built with any thought to minimise noise entering from outside and it’s not surprising residents complain when they can’t get to sleep until 1am most nights of the week.
The contribution of live music to the culture and economy of Victoria is obviously considered of some value by the Government as it features heavily in much of the advertising used to entice tourists to Victoria. Brunswick St. is considered the artistic focal point of Melbourne. I find it totally unacceptable that, despite a firm commitment being made by the State Government to follow through with the Live Music Taskforce recommendations, virtually nothing has been done; much to the detriment of the live music scene recently.
I would like to know why this commitment has not been fulfilled, when the recommendations will be implemented and when adequate systems for good Planning will be produced so that the agent of change commitment actually happens to protect our venues, your soonest response is appreciated.
Yours Sincerely,
Email to: lynne.kosky@parliament.vic.gov.au; justin.madden@parliament.vic.gov.au
Here is on online petition you can sign that has basicly the same message as the letter. Both sending the letters and signing the petition will help enormously. Thanks a lot!
