A number of key players in the Australian music industry are joining forces to ensure the NSW festival scene has a strong future, regardless of this weekend’s election result.
The coalition, which consists of the Australian Festival Association, Live Performance Australia, Music NSW, APRA AMCOS and the Live Music Office, is urging voters to back parties which will make live music and festivals a priority.
After going directly to a number of candidates, the coalition said they received “positive responses” from Labor, the Greens and Keep Sydney Open, all of whom stated “strong support for live music and music festivals, support for overturning the NSW Government’s regulations, and a commitment to working collaboratively with the festival industry in future".
READ MORE: Industry Launches #VoteMusic Campaign At NSW State Election: 'Our Voices Will Be Heard'
Meanwhile, they claim most Liberal and National party candidates did not respond or backed the current Government’s position.
“Music lovers and festival fans have a clear choice at this election, and we’re urging them to ‘vote music’ when casting their ballot,” a statement released on behalf of the coalition reads.
Their #VoteMusic campaign has been established to “help inform voters of heavy-handed, rushed and poorly designed new regulations for music festivals, following years of live music venue closures”.
“Regardless of the election outcome, the music industry will work with whoever wins the election to ensure that this sector which supports jobs as well as economic and cultural activity across the state isn’t subject to such clumsy and rushed policy development again,” the statement continues.
“The music industry deserves better. For a sector that touches the lives and enjoyment of millions across the state, generating millions in economic and tourism revenue, we have been appalled at the NSW Government’s lack of consultation.
"Voters across Sydney, Wollongong and Newcastle, up and down the coast and west of the ranges are deeply worried about the impact badly designed policies have on such a critical and important industry. This is why we had to launch the #VoteMusic campaign.”
The #VoteMusic campaign has reportedly already reached 465,000 people across NSW, with its accompanying video viewed more than 218,000 times.
Last week, a festival named on the NSW Government's "high risk" list launched a GoFundMe campaign to garner support for a forthcoming legal battle.
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