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24-Hour Economy Strategy

Published on: November 2020

Record: HANSARD-1323879322-114701

24-Hour Economy Strategy

Mr JAMES GRIFFIN (Manly) (13:24):

:23 I move:

That this House:

Acknowledges the announcement of the Government's 24-hour Economy Strategy.

Acknowledges the COVID-19 pandemic has hit the tourism, hospitality and the arts sectors hard, and this strategy sets out a pathway to activate homegrown events that create safe opportunities for people to enjoy across the Greater Sydney Region.

Notes the strategy is designed to grow and support jobs hospitality, tourism, retail and the arts.

Recognises the efforts of the Minister for Jobs, Investment, Tourism and Western Sydney; the Treasurer; their respective offices; the Hon. Natalie Ward, MLC, and agencies that developed the strategy.

I am very keen to bring this motion to the attention of the House, and with very good reason. On 15 September the Minister for Customer Service launched the 24-Hour Economy Strategy for Greater Sydney, which represents the culmination of a lot of hard work, effort and energy from people within government, many stakeholders across the vibrant night-time economy and the arts, entertainment and hospitality sectors. The strategy comprises 39 actions across five pillars that support more integrated planning and place making, encourages the diversification of night-time activities, nurtures industry and cultural development, explores ways to enhance mobility and improve connectivity, changes Sydney's night-time narrative to boost local engagement, attracts outside visitation and encourages healthy and respectful behaviours.

In addition, what is clear when reading this strategy is it will also create jobs, foster the arts and culture, and cement Sydney's status as Australia's only truly global city. It presents a road map for recovery through growth for some of the State's businesses hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, A phased implementation will be delivered by a collaborative governance framework to set out the strategy that will ultimately be presided over by the new role of coordinator general. The strategy goes above and beyond looking at music—although that has been a keen focus of the work that has taken place—to activate the night-time economy and support businesses across Sydney. It has created a neon grid that highlights the significant opportunities a 24‑hour economy would present not only in the CBD, but also throughout greater Sydney in, pleasingly for me, places like Manly. This will bring financial benefits and jobs to different areas of Sydney. The Manly area has great potential in this respect. It has already evolved over the course of many years from what was unfortunately a very violent and difficult place to be after midnight into a vibrant night-time economy through the voluntary Manly Liquor Accord and great work between the police and local pubs and clubs.

The strategy also promotes opportunities for businesses in the arts and hospitality sectors across New South Wales. It actions a lot of the findings of the Joint Select Committee on Sydney's Night Time Economy, the Minister and various agencies throughout New South Wales. The strategy builds upon the September Summer Summit, from which an outdoor dining task force was established to increase the number of venues with enhanced alfresco dining for a wide range of performances. The Government has done a terrific amount of work developing the Sydney 24‑Hour Economy Strategy, which sets out a detailed action plan as to how we will measure success and ultimately turn around some of the more challenging times that this city's night‑time economy has experienced. It also shines a light on the significant economic investment and jobs that a buzzing and proactive night‑time economy generates.

The strategy sets the foundations for invigorating the night‑time economy and strikes the right balance between the safety that we need and the safety that we deserve. It is true that this Government has gone above and beyond in setting the scene for a post‑COVID recovery for entertainment, hospitality and dining venues. I am incredibly excited about that, which is why I have moved this motion in the House. Wherever people live in New South Wales, they will reap the benefits of the Sydney 24‑Hour Economy Strategy as they go out and enjoy a newly reinvigorated and vibrant nightlife that will exist in all parts of New South Wales, and particularly in the Sydney CBD.

Ms SOPHIE COTSIS (Canterbury) (13:30):

:41 I speak to the motion move by the member for Manly. I acknowledge that the Government announced its 24‑Hour Economy Strategy during the COVID‑19 pandemic in the past few months but I take exception to a comment of the member. Particularly in the past few weeks of the parliamentary sittings, the Hon. John Graham, who is the Labor shadow Minister for Music and the Night‑time Economy, has been doing an enormous amount of work. Over the past three to four years he has been speaking with stakeholders and, together with many stakeholders, running the Labor Loves Live Music campaign.

It has been a very difficult time for the night‑time economy, particularly since 2014, for a range of reasons which have been ventilated in this place. As we speak, the Parliamentary Friends of Music are outside supporting the Ausmusic T‑Shirt Day, which is a very important cause supporting artists and cultural performers, who have particularly suffered this year. Thousands of hospitality workers, musicians, bars, clubs, pubs, event venues and event management companies have done it really tough. Having spoken to many of them as the shadow Minister responsible for this area, I know that some businesses have lost 80 per cent to 90 per cent of their turnover. It has been very difficult for them.

I acknowledge the work that our shadow Minister has done and I also acknowledge Minister Ayres, Minister Dominello and the Treasurer with respect to the 24‑Hour Economy Strategy. The strategy has been passed, which is fantastic; we want to see it in practice. Having talked to some of the stakeholders, this puts New South Wales on par with best practice. It puts us at number one in terms of what can do to enhance our vibrancy, particularly leading into and over summer. The alfresco innovation is thinking outside the square.

The Manly electorate is visited by many tourists; a lot of people from my community go to Manly. Other members are saying to Sydneysiders when they are planning their staycation itinerary, "Come to my electorate". Come to Campsie or Earlwood or south‑west Sydney and enjoy what we have to offer. I am pushing for my council to look at how to utilise our local squares to bring in musicians. Many members here represent multicultural communities. A lot of festivals have had to be cancelled, particularly on weekends. The Deputy Speaker is nodding in agreement; in his electorate a lot of events have been cancelled or postponed because of COVID‑19. That means that many musicians from multicultural backgrounds have suffered because they have not had an opportunity to play. Many of them rely on performing.

It is very important that we all follow the rules. We are all being very positive and encouraging of our communities. Councils should consider how important tourism will be and how important it is to encourage everyone to spend in hospitality. I acknowledge our musicians from multicultural backgrounds. With Mr Assistant Speaker's indulgence, if I could demonstrate—

Mr Geoff Provest:

You're not going to sing?

Ms SOPHIE COTSIS:

I will not sing and I will not play because I am crap at both. I seek leave to show members the instrument I have.

The ASSISTANT SPEAKER:

Yes.

Ms SOPHIE COTSIS:

The bouzouki, as many people would know, is played in Greek bands. Many performers, whether they are of Arabic, Asian or Greek background, are suffering. Performers who play instruments like the bouzouki or the pipes or who dance are suffering. They are all suffering. I acknowledge the member for Manly for moving this motion. We are all working together to make sure that over summer we will be able to see live bands perform. I encourage everyone who can to contribute to Ausmusic T‑Shirt Day. It is very important that we support our performers. The member for Tweed is nodding; he understands. We should encourage people to visit rural and regional communities in particular because those communities are suffering. We want to see people playing their musical instruments and dancing. I encourage our communities to get out there, spend money and enjoy themselves. I urge government agencies with responsibility for implementing the new Act to look at it in a coordinated way. Sydney is a global city and we need to demonstrate to the rest of the world that New South Wales is the best place to be. This summer, let us showcase our amazing performers and entertainers and let us urge people to get out there and spend.

Ms FELICITY WILSON (North Shore) (13:37):

:56 I acknowledge the member for Manly for introducing this motion. He is an avid supporter of the arts and the night‑time economy and of ensuring that we invest in hospitality and tourism. I acknowledge also the challenges of this year's COVID‑19 pandemic for our night‑time economy. In Manly there are a lot of people who like a good night out. Since the member for Manly and I both have two children under the age of two, and I know that the Mr Assistant Speaker has a one‑year‑old, our night‑time enjoyment is usually of a different nature.

The ASSISTANT SPEAKER:

Wiggles concerts.

Ms FELICITY WILSON:

We look forward to getting out and about, seeing more of Sydney and more live bands, theatre and music and having an opportunity to get involved with hospitality and our small bars and cafes and artists. I commend the member for Manly for bringing this motion to the House today. As Mr Assistant Speaker just noted, this time last year I was looking forward to a Wiggles concert—which, I must say, was outstanding. For those who do not have small children and have never experienced a Wiggles concert, the Wiggles are consummate professionals in their performances. It was an exceptional day.

Some really exciting events are coming to Sydney next year, which I will speak about in a moment. I will speak as well about the tourism industry and the challenges it has faced during the COVID‑19 pandemic and how our night‑time economy strategy works to ensure that we can invest in our tourism industry as well as the broader visitor economy and the tourism supply chain. That includes frontline businesses that directly provide services to tourists, support businesses such as catering, the many companies providing services to events and conferences, laundromats providing services to hotels and motels, and so on. To support the recovery and growth of these sectors, now is the time to embrace the vibrant, diverse, inclusive, and most importantly, safe, 24-hour economy in Sydney. I congratulate Minister Stuart Ayres for his work on this.

I was one of the members of the Joint Select Committee on Sydney's Night Time Economy. We made key recommendations that would open a vibrant and safe Sydney. Once again I acknowledge the work of the chair of the committee, the Hon. Natalie Ward in the other place, and the member for Tweed, who is present in the Chamber. The Government supported the key recommendations that the committee made and has made a number of regulatory changes in the Sydney CBD precinct, including Oxford Street. Some of the changes now in effect include: the removal of the 1.30 a.m. last entry for all venues in the CBD precinct; removal of restrictions on cocktail shots and drinks in glass after midnight; extending last drinks at venues with good records by 30 minutes; extended bottle shop opening hours; and increased patron capacity for small bars. These are all changes to help our night-time economy bounce back, including after the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

PippinHamiltonHamilton

The Government's 24-hour Economy Strategy sets out a road map for recovery through growth that will create jobs, foster arts and culture and reinforce Sydney's status as Australia's only truly global city. In June this year the Government announced the Great Southern Nights initiative to kickstart the recovery of the live music, entertainment and hospitality industries. Events will occur across the State with more than 2,500 artists in 300 venues. In my community of the North Shore, Big Music Studios at Crows Nest will host four events, Music@StreetMarket in Crows Nest will host four events and The Oaks Hotel in Neutral Bay will host five events, giving locals in my electorate a variety of events to attend and enjoy. Musical theatre has also returned to Sydney. opens next week—on the Minister's birthday, I note. Hopefully that will be his birthday celebration on 24 November. To great joy, arrives in March 2021. If my husband is watching, his early Christmas surprise is learning that his present this year is tickets to for next year. I look forward to watching that with him. I am very excited about this motion and the effort going into Sydney's night‑time economy. I thank the member for Manly once again for moving the motion.

Dr MARJORIE O'NEILL (Coogee) (13:42):Gully Days

:01 I am happy to contribute to the motion moved by the member for Manly. Unfortunately, the Government's 24-hour Economy Strategy fails to adequately address the issues at hand and leaves many stakeholders, businesses and punters out in the cold. Labor wants to see the soul returned to Sydney, as well as towns and cities across New South Wales, but the Government's strategy to date falls short. In his motion the member for Manly says that the strategy is designed to grow and support jobs in the hospitality, tourism, retail and arts sectors. If that is the case and the Government is serious about having an impact on these sectors then the strategy must support live music and must include the removal of live music bans. I take this moment to acknowledge a local band from my area, , who I have been speaking with.

Mr Geoff Provest:

That's what's on the T-shirt.

Dr MARJORIE O'NEILL:

Yes, it is. They are a little local band straight out of Bronte that I have been working with quite closely recently. They have been struggling as venues have been shut down and restrictions have curbed their capacity to perform. They have been doing a great job creating their own venues but they want to see the return of live music. What we propose is commonsense. Supporting live music is a chunky solution to injecting much needed stimulus into the arts, hospitality, tourism and retail sectors. Here is just one example why this should be done. Tim Freedman is not only one of the Labor movement's favourite sons, he is also the lead singer of one of Australia's most iconic bands, The Whitlams. Tim is currently on tour in New South Wales to promote the band's new single. The tour has 15 dates between November and January, visiting 12 different New South Wales electorates. Wherever this tour goes it provides work for travelling crews and local crews in each location.

The audience members come from across the State, choosing to design holidays around this fantastic live show. However, due to the Government's restrictive legislation limiting live music in Sydney, there are very few of Tim's performances in Sydney at all. It is great for the regions but not great for Sydney. I would love to see him performing in the eastern suburbs at Selina's, bringing back one of Sydney's great venues. Live music and performances provide businesses of every industry that the member for Manly named, yet the Government refuses to support live music as part of its night-time economy strategy. By failing to give councils the power to remove conditions from development approvals, no new venues will appear. By failing to remove bans on live music or restrictions on mirror balls and dance floors, no new business opportunities will emerge and no new emerging artists will have venues to play in.

What we need is a new generation of artists able to play in venues both big and small right across our great city and the State, and they need a government that supports them to do this. The Eastern Suburbs has always been a fertile spot for up-and-coming musicians, from fantastic small venues like Little Jack Horner right through to the famous Selina's at Coogee Bay Hotel. But many venues like these are disappearing under this Government. I long to see the glory days of live music returning to the Eastern Suburbs and the streets, towns and cities across this great State. It is the responsibility of the Government to make this happen. It cannot continue to ignore the calls from businesses and creative industries that are begging for live music to return and bring with it the vibrant, dynamic, safe and accessible night-time economy that we all want to see again. Giving people a $25 voucher to attend a venue does not work unless the venue has artists. The legislative instruments exist to support live performances. Business communities and the public are right behind the support of live performances. It is the Government that is holding them back.

Mr GEOFF PROVEST (Tweed) (13:46):

:28 I make a contribution to the discussion on the motion moved by the member for Manly on the 24-hour Economy Strategy for Greater Sydney. I was a member of the Joint Select Committee on Sydney's Night Time Economy with the member for North Sydney and others. We toured venues in Sydney as well as Newcastle and Wollongong and looked at the various issues. We all know why those regulations were made. We all know why Thomas Kelly's killer is serving jail time. Unfortunately, people lost their lives. The committee made recommendations to the Government about lifting the regulations. A large number of those have been put in place and we are seeing a revitalisation.

I am probably one of the few members in the House who worked in the industry. I was the entertainment manager at Revesby Workers Club in its heyday in the eighties that saw Tina Turner; AC/DC; Mental As Anything; the famed The Cockroaches, who became in their later years The Wiggles; The Radiators; and the list went on, performing in the main auditoriums. There were also many standalone duos performing at the club. I am a great believer in fostering local talent. What we have gone through in the pandemic is unusual. This is a work in progress motion. There are some good things coming out of it.

I was one of those poor venue operators who would have locals ringing up saying they could not get to sleep and the windows were shaking. I would have the licensing police there. We would turn the sound down and the band would turn it up again. It went on and on. But a lot of people gained a lot of entertainment out of it. We can joke about mirror balls, dancing, kissing and cuddling on the dance floor and so on but at the end of the day our priority is to keep people safe. I was buoyed by the focus on outdoor dining. That is a good initiative. I had the fortune to be in the city on a Sunday and I noted in The Rocks area a lot of venues had tables and chairs in the street and it created a great atmosphere. There were some buskers and things like that. We support more integrated planning and place-making, more "joined up" State, local government and industry collaboration to enable 24‑hour economies to thrive.

One venue mentioned used the rooftop to have an outdoor barbecue, which was very popular on Sundays and Mondays, but a block of units was built and the tenants complained about the smell of onions and steak. When a hotel has been operating for many years we need to continually adapt our planning system. I feel very proud to be a member of this Government. I believe my colleague the member for Cootamundra cuts the rug occasionally in Coota at various venues, or will do once the restrictions are lifted. I can see her with a mirror ball. We need to keep this work in progress because we have a changing market. When I worked in the industry ACDC—Acca Dacca—Rose Tattoo and, heaven forbid, the Angels were at venues, but people's music tastes have changed as a result of social media. This Government is recognising the change in dining habits and the entertainment industry, and is supporting them. I support the motion.

Mr JAMES GRIFFIN (Manly) (13:50):

:47 In reply: I thank the member for Canterbury and shadow Minister for her contribution to this debate. I appreciate her invitation to visit Campsie and Earlwood, and her bringing along the bazooka, which is a wonderful instrument. I also thank the member for North Shore for acknowledging the work of the Great Southern Nights initiative and for her contribution to this debate. I thank the member for Coogee for her passionate contribution and the promotion of her local band. I also thank the member for Tweed, a member of the committee, for his contribution to this debate. This outstanding policy has been put forward by this Government. I commend the Minister and all involved in bringing it to the House and ultimately delivering on this wonderful policy that will revitalise Sydney's night life. It is an outstanding piece of work and sets the foundation for a bright future. I commend the motion to the House.

Motion agreed to.