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Noise restrictions would be loosened to allow more live music under a state government proposal to make it easier to organise events in Victoria.
Environment Minister Steve Dimopoulos said on Friday the state government would conduct two reviews, which both aim to modernise noise rules.
Amyl & The Sniffers performing at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl in January.Credit: Richard Clifford
One review by the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) will examine noise control rules for outdoor events.
The government will also scrutinise rules for live music precincts – areas that prioritise live music and have different restrictions – to encourage councils to use the zones to allow more indoor music venues in suburban Melbourne.
In a discussion paper, the EPA said the changes to outdoor venues might lead to more noise complaints, but it identified problems with the current regulations requiring permits for Anzac Day dawn services and fun runs.
While other states exempt outdoor New Year’s Eve events from standard nighttime restrictions, Victoria does not.
Outdoor gigs would still be subject to noise limits under the proposed changes, but organisers would not need to wait for EPA approval to stage them unless they were major music festivals or planned for irregular times.
The report has also clarified that beer gardens are part of indoor venues, which operate under different regulations.
A separate review of live music precincts, which includes indoor venues, was announced by Dimopoulos on Friday.
The Old Bar in Fitzroy.Credit: Penny Stephens
The major events minister told reporters at the Corner Hotel in Richmond on Friday that the review of the precincts would simplify the process of hosting a music gig.
Dimopoulos urged councils to define more live music precincts, so Victorians could choose whether to live close to noisier entertainment zones.
Joel Morrison, entertainment manager at The Old Bar, said that while any assistance provided to the live music industry was important, the review into live music precincts lacked detail.
“[The announcement] mostly seems to be for outdoor events … I assume it might make it easier to start a new venue. I don’t think it has much impact on existing venues,” he said.
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Morrison said some of the new provisions offered protections already covered by existing planning regulations.
One suggestion by Dimopoulos on Friday was a simplification of acoustic report requirements, so one noise assessment covered an entire area.
“[Businesses] could all contribute to one report, rather than the EPA requiring separate reports from each individual business, as an example,” he said.
“So there’s a cost-regulatory burden which can be offloaded from the live music operator and the venue, which has next to no impact on the resident.”
EPA chief executive Joss Crawford said extensive consultation would take place next year.
“We’ve had feedback from both local government and venues that our noise protocol is complex and isn’t clear,” Crawford said.
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