Tuesday, 13 May 2025

Richmond electorate

Gabrielle DE VIETRI (Richmond) (14:51): (1106) My question is to the Minister for Creative Industries. Live music is in crisis. Rising costs for both punters and venues are pushing venues to the brink. Last year I joined live music venues to call on the government for more support and the government responded with a round of grants, but frankly venues told us that they were hardly worth the time they took to apply for. Live music precincts were supposed to be the government’s way to protect venues long term, but with the Night Cat, the Old Bar, Bar Open, Punters Club, Sugar Glider, Labour in Vain, the Evelyn, Nighthawks and more in Fitzroy alone and other legacy venues like Bakehouse Studios, the Tote and the Corner, why hasn’t the state government declared a single live music precinct in the inner north? Minister, please listen to live music venues and provide the solutions that they actually need to stay alive.