Live music plays a vital role in theCharlestown community, butit is under threat by acomplex set of regulations that stymie growth.

A NSW Parliamentary inquiry recently found that a total of 176 venues across NSW have closed down in the past four years, and there are fewer entertainment venues than when the Liberals and Nationals were elected in 2011.

I want to ensure that livemusic stays alive in the Charlestown electorate.

Live Music Venues in Charlestown:

- The Mattara Hotel, Charlestown

- Charlestown Bowling Club

- Charlestown Central Leagues Club

- Warners at the Bay

- Warners Bay Hotel

- Sephardim, Warners Bay

- The Nags Head Hotel, Adamstown

- The Royal Crown Hotel, Dudley

- The Ocean View Hotel, Dudley

- Club Redhead

- Kahibah Sports Club

- The Rooftop, Westfield Kotara

- Club Kotara

- Gateshead Tavern

- Windale Gateshead Bowling Club

In order to prevent this live music crisis from hitting Charlestown, Labor will act to:

Amend the Liquor Act to introduce the right to play and create a new class of licence specifically for venues dedicated to live entertainment;

Create a one-stop shop for both venues and residents to deal with noise complaints, and streamline the complex regulations that govern noise from live venues;

Establish a single process for venues to obtain planning and liquor approvals to significantly reduce wait times for venues and provide the community with a simple comprehensive process for consultation;

Create a Minister for Music and Night Time Economy, and hold regular roundtable discussions for the Night Time Economy;

Conduct a census to establish the number of venues, musicians and performances that take place at any given time in NSW; and

Provide practical assistance for venues with a new $1.2 million programme to venues to assist with soundproofing.

Labor will also conduct an independent census of live venues every two years and will report statistics including the number of venues, number of performances, number of working musicians, and number of hospitality workers.

The census would provide valuable data to performers, venues and local councils, and would inform policy decisions on the sector that Labor would make in Government.

If you are aware of a live music venue in the Charlestown electorate which is underthreat from overdevelopment and overregulation, please contact my office on 4942 1242.