Page 4018 - Week 09 - Thursday, 26 August 2010
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
committee members, Ms Porter and Mr Coe. I am very happy to say that this report originated in a motion that I introduced in the Assembly way back in February 2009. A year and a half later, we have what I think is a very good report.
I note that the committee did table an interim report in December last year, and this report builds well on that. The only regret I have about this whole report is that we have two reports. I think that we are running a bit of a risk that the recommendations and the discussion in the first report will be forgotten, because people will go to the final report and we did not repeat the recommendations in the final report—although I understand that the final PDF on the website will include both reports. That would be my only regret about the whole report.
This is something where we can say that this Assembly has worked well in a collegiate fashion. Obviously all three parties were represented on the committee, and both the interim report and the final report were reports of the whole committee. We do not have dissenting reports.
I would also say that it has turned out to be a very good process. From a public point of view, it did take a while to get going. I remember thinking for many months that we needed submissions. But we ended up with 73 submissions, and they have been great. They have been on a wide variety of subjects. The inquiry has been one of the best supported by the public. We even ended up with a Facebook page largely devoted to it, which I think is a really positive outcome.
It has also been a positive outcome for me and, I think, my fellow committee members in terms of learning about the live music industry, both in the ACT and in Fortitude Valley. Ms Porter mentioned that we did a field trip to Fortitude Valley, which was a very interesting and enjoyable event for us.
Before I move on to talking about some of the points raised by the committee and the report, I would like to point out a fact which we sometimes overlook in these sorts of reports. There is already a live music industry. Live events are happening in the ACT, quite successfully in many cases. There are problems, and of course the committee’s report tends to dwell on the problems, but we must not lose sight of the fact there are some great things happening in the ACT.
The first recommendation of the committee is that the government should be reflecting upon the importance of live events in Canberra in the objectives of the relevant legislation—this would include planning, licensing and noise regulations—to ensure that it is a factor which is given appropriate consideration in relevant decisions. This is a key recommendation, because putting this statement into legislation makes it a real commitment and gives it teeth. This is the sort of thing that will move us past just rhetoric—saying that of course we all support live events—and actually give us teeth. It will make sure that the rules really support the continuation of live events.
A first suggestion for the drafting of this would be “music venues, live performances and arts and cultural facilities make an important contribution to Canberra’s character, vitality, cultural life and activity centres”. This is the sort of sentiment that has come through very strongly to the committee over the days of public hearings and through the 73 submissions we received.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video