Australia's peak live music industry bodies again called on the Berejiklian Government to do the right thing and establish an industry roundtable and amend the draft Bill to include this in the legislation. This comes after the government today refused this key amendment to the Bill.
Live Performance Australia's Chief Executive, Evelyn Richardson, said, ''Industry has been calling for meaningful consultation since September 2018, when the Premier refused to include industry representatives on the Music Festivals Expert Panel.
"The industry has since then repeatedly called for establishment of an industry roundtable to work together to ensure safety at music festivals for all patrons.
"There is a long history of the music industry being repeatedly ignored when legislation is rushed through parliament. An industry roundtable would be a positive first step by the Government to ensure the regulatory framework is workable and unintended consequences for the sector are avoided.
"We were disappointed to hear Minister Dominello emphatically oppose the proposed amendment to include industry consultation, even after stating during the debate that he is committed to a 'genuine dialogue'.
"If the government is serious about 'genuine dialogue' it will ensure an industry roundtable is established that brings together government and industry representatives in a formal process and that this is enshrined in the legislation.
"Given the urgency in the Government's communications around this Bill we are surprised the Government has delayed a vote for this Bill in the Legislative Council until mid-November. However, this presents a good opportunity for the Government to sit down and work with industry, as recommended by the recent Legislation Council Regulation Committee Inquiry.
"The industry's aim has always been to work with government to develop a more workable regulatory framework for improving safety at festivals. The draft legislation in its current form is unworkable. However, we believe the proposed amendments would get us one step closer to a genuine dialogue and go a long way to ensuring that music festivals can thrive and continue to deliver cultural, economic and tourism benefits across the state", she said.
