12 September 2024
The Hon. R.A. SIMMS (15:20): I rise to speak in favour of the motion from my colleague the Hon. Tammy Franks. This proposal for a parliamentary inquiry into live music comes after the debate about the Crown and Anchor. It has really exposed some of the challenges that our live music venues face. As I indicated at the time when we were dealing with that debate, one of the big challenges, of course, has been planning laws and the lack of protection for our heritage buildings—and I am really pleased the parliament has dealt with that—but there are lots of other challenges that live music faces in our state. One need to only look at the closure of venues that we have seen in recent years.
Those challenges were magnified during COVID, but we have seen the closure of The Producers on Grenfell Street; the Tivoli on Pirie Street; Enigma, which closed after operating for nearly 25 years; and the King's Head, once the stomping ground for the original line-up of The Masters Apprentices, which rehearsed in the pub's back shed, has been closed down. The Wright Street Hotel has also been put on the chopping block, and that has closed down. The Edinburgh Castle on Currie Street—I have some good memories of that hotel back when it was a gay venue in the early 2000s. I used to go there a bit then. It has closed, it has reopened a few times, but, sadly, it has also fallen by the wayside and it closed in 2018, and it had been licensed since 1837. And then, of course, The Austral, which has faced challenges through planning.
I acknowledge that, as a result of the bill that passed the parliament the other day, there will be protection for some of those remaining live music venues. Some of our iconic venues potentially could get protection—that will be a decision the minister will make in terms of those that meet the criteria that he establishes—but that could theoretically ensure we do not have the problems that have been faced by pubs like The Austral, for instance, where they had a development pop up next to them and, in effect, that meant that their business model was no longer viable.
There are other challenges that live music venues face and, indeed, the arts community face more broadly in our state. The need for more government funding is one challenge, but I know the Hon. Tammy Franks has spoken previously about some of the peculiarities that exist in liquor licensing laws, for instance, and the impact that can have on business operations. This is a really worthwhile committee, and I am very pleased to hear that it has broad support across the parliament.
I very much look forward to hearing about the issues that come to light and having an opportunity for the parliament to look at the recommendations and see what can be done to ensure that we make Adelaide, and our state, a place that really celebrates live music and the arts well into the future.