Live Music and Night-Time Economy - Question Without Notice
My question is directed to the Minister for Music and the Night-time Economy. In its submission to the inquiry into the state of live music in New South Wales, the Australian Live Music Business Council said:
"While pokies have generated large and reliable revenue streams for venues and governments, extensive evidence shows they have systematically undermined live music ecosystems, particularly at the grassroots level. The impacts are long-term, cumulative, and difficult to reverse."
As part of the Government's vibrancy reforms and incentives, why is it not supporting pubs to go pokies-free and support live music?
The Hon. JOHN GRAHAM (Special Minister of State, Minister for Transport, Minister for the Arts, and Minister for Music and the Night-time Economy) (11:11): I thank the member for the question. These are issues the member has pursued over her time in Parliament, and she is welcome to continue to pursue them. I do not accept the description, though, in that very much the direction of the vibrancy reforms, which I have been up‑front about in the House and in public, is that we are trying to provide an alternative path for venues to raise money, to fund themselves, to stay open, keep the doors open, through not only pokies or alcohol but also entertainment and music, giving people a chance to be together with family and friends. The House has made that much easier. The House has dropped costs on the licence fees by 80 per cent for those venues which are playing music and doing the things that society should encourage and that this House has decided should be encouraged. Measures in the approach of the Government in its regulation and in its legislation have been passed and debated by this House and have that effect.
Is there more to do? Certainly. Will the Government move further in this area? The Government has been clear. It will be acting in this area and will be conscious of the harm caused for some people through gambling but will also be conscious of not wanting to lose more venues. That is the balance we must strike in New South Wales. We lost so many venues during those tough times. We do not want to lose more. That is a real balance. That is why the Government's focus is on changing the regulatory approach to say that things that are of societal benefit, having people together in the community, with family and friends, should be encouraged. That is why we are tipping the law in that direction.
Ms CATE FAEHRMANN (11:13): The Government's 24-Hour Economy Strategy states:
"Our vision is to forge globally acclaimed 24-hour precincts, fostering an environment where businesses and workforces can thrive, communities flourish and individuals connect in a vibrant, inclusive after-dark experience."
Some $2.3 billion was lost to pokies in the first three months of this year. That is a very strange definition of flourishing and connecting, where tens of thousands of people are sitting in front of poker machines, losing what will be $10 billion to those machines each year in New South Wales. That is $10 billion that is not going into small bars, not going into restaurants, not going into local communities and not going into family budgets, including, in the regions, to the National Party. That is not supporting vibrancy.
The Hon. JOHN GRAHAM (Special Minister of State, Minister for Transport, Minister for the Arts, and Minister for Music and the Night-time Economy) (11:14): To the Premier's credit, he has been very up‑front in saying that if you are starting somewhere, you would not start from here. I am paraphrasing, but that is the position the Premier has put publicly. The member is pressing the Government to say why this is not moving faster. I am open to that. I would love this agenda to move faster. I will reassure the House and the member: The laws and incentives that have been passed by this House, debated in this Chamber and supported by every member of this House and every member of the Legislative Assembly, have led to four times as many venues playing music than there were before the election. And there are more on the way. There is more to do. I am the first to concede that. I am keen to drive this agenda further. But I reassure the House: This is moving in a way that no‑one thought possible. Jurisdictions around the world are now looking to New South Wales to work out how this happened. It is because of the laws this House debated and we all passed together.