Crowd Control Caught Up In Red Tape
News posted Thursday, March 18 2010 at 10:00 AM.
Related: SLAM.
Melbourne venues will now be able to apply to have their crowd controller requirements reviewed thanks to an accord signed between the state government and music industry bodies Save Live Australia’s Music (SLAM), Fair Go 4 Live Music and Music Victoria.
Consistent with the accord, which was struck on the eve of February’s SLAM rally, the Director of Liquor Licensing has introduced a special, cost-free process to review conditions whereby security guards are required each time a band plugs in. However, before those requirements are lifted, venues will need to go through some seriously red (perhaps even crimson?) tape first.
Venues can only apply under the new process if the conditions were imposed between January 1 2009 and February 23 2010, and were not imposed as a result of: compliance issues; mediated outcomes with local government, residents, the Director of Liquor Licensing or Victoria Police; planning requirements, including any restrictions on varying conditions because of a planning permit or planning scheme; and a decision of the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal. In other words, a venue’s bill of health must be as squeaky clean as Justin Bieber’s backside.
Licensees who do not meet the above criteria may seek to vary their licence conditions, but must use the standard licence variation process. This involves a $170 application charge, as well as a formal application and notification of the proposed licence changes to local councils, the community and Victoria Police, who may object.
Ultimately though, whether a venue goes through the new or old rigmarole, all decisions will be made by the Director of Liquor Licensing – make of that what you will.
One of the venues who won’t be applying for a variation is Fitzroy’s The Old Bar. The venue’s crowd controller conditions were implemented in August 2007 when the business changed hands, meaning the current licensees cannot apply under the new form.
“The variation of a license form not only costs money, but there is a lot of paperwork involved,” licensee Liam Matthews told M+N. “I would also have to advertise, at my expense, to the surrounding neighbours and businesses about the fact that I am trying to change my license. It’s just not worth it when there is such a slim chance of getting it over the line.”
Live and amplified
Despite the apparent relaxing of crowd controller requirements, both SLAM and Fair Go 4 Live Music are continuing to lobby the government on the removal of “live and amplified music” as a precondition for a raft of high risk licensing conditions.
“It is our strong belief that Victoria's musical culture and heritage should not be used as an identifier or viewed as a precondition for violence, antisocial behaviour or excessive alcohol consumption,” a press release from SLAM read.
To remind the Victorian Government of the community concern about the threat to live music, a petition will be presented to parliament in April by six generations of well-known Victorian musicians. The petition is available to view and download here.
A public forum with the City of Yarra looking at the needs of live music and the development of a support strategy for the music industry is also in the works.
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Hmm.
Apart from the first qualification (which - I think - could be an area of dispute), aren't those other qualifications (as pre-conditions to having the security conditions re-assessed) entirely reasonable? The problem identified via SLAM is the blanket application of the 'proxy' condition - which is no longer relevant if a condition has been imposed because of some external factor (eg. police complaints, VCAT decision etc).
PISSFACE I HAVE FIGURED OUT WHO YOU ARE!!!!!!!!!!!!! ahahahahahahahaaaaaaa
i think the problem with the first qualification is that to dispute it costs $$$ ?
compliance issues can be for completely menial shit like not filling in a form correctly, no?
Doesn't the $170 charge apply only if the condition wasn't imposed between the relevant dates?
I doubt an administrative oversight - while notionally a 'compliance issue' would necessitate a mediated outcome (even with LLV), police complaint or VCAT decision that would result in the imposition of a security condition.
With last year's Tote (administrative) 'compliance issue', that didn't involve the imposition of a security condition.
liamsnice is best person to answer that so i'll butt out.. he wrote re applying for an exemption:
liamsnice said 6 days ago:
i cant actually submit the form unless they were imposed after 2009. i cant even test the system.
for me to apply to have these conditions removed i have to send in a standard license variation form which is not free like the other one and as it is not part of the accord i dont feel confident about it.
i am waiting to hear back from FG4LM for advice.
liamsnice said 6 days ago:
i think it will cost me around $170 just to hand in the application.
But *does *it cost $170 to use the accord-sponsored review process?
no, it's free.
Fucked
so how many venues fall into this category?
Good question.
Is slam doing anything outside vic? Maybe they should change their name to slvm?
Bitchy? Yes.
Hahaha! Looking after the whole of Australia's live music concerns would be a very big job!
SLAM has been pretty quiet about this part of the accord, I'd be interested to hear their take on it.
It's interesting in this article SLAM is described as one of the 'music industry bodies' who signed the accord. I'm still confused which part of the 'music industry' SLAM represents.
A lot of people who are involved in SLAM are also part of the music industry in various capacities. That does not mean they ''represent'' any sector thereof. Anyway, is there a point to this constant questioning the bona-fides of SLAM? I'm not even part of SLAM and it's starting to grate with me.
oh maybe hang on to your horses, slam are being open and transparent here
which is nice to see
SLAM has been pretty quiet about this part of the accord, I'd be interested to hear their take on it.
Clearly you didn't get the press release, nor saw the update here
I'm still confused which part of the 'music industry' SLAM represents.
You could always just ask us, Meg. SLAM, as per our website et all, are a group of non-politically aligned, independent entity made up of musicians and music-lovers. All volunteer. All non-funded. All sacrificing work and home time to fight for the de-linking of 'high risk' and live music.
In conjunction with Fair Go 4 Live Music, SLAM have been in various negotiations with the State Government as per the Live Music Accord, implemented just prior the rally on the 23rd of Feb. SLAM existed purely for the purposes of staging the rally, because as music lovers and musicians we were frustrated and felt we needed a galvanizing action to which other music lovers could contribute. We never foresaw ourselves as anything more than a pressure group but our group has grown and strengthened since then and has been incredibly effective.
In conjuction with FG4LM members and the newly incorporated Music Victoria (news coming soon), we will continue to advocate and negotiate policy with all parties. Most importantly, we will not ease the pressure on the State Government until all points of the Live Music Accord have been implemented. Hello Sue if you're reading, and we know you do.
You have our contact details, liam and meg. Just ask.
i'm looking forward to the public forum in april because i love to hear what progress is being made and debates and stuff. but sadly if i make to the forum i'll be looking bashed up so am a bit hesitant as it may make people run in horror. hopefully if an agenda is available beforehand i can email in some questions?
ps. fitzroy town hall has been getting some late night action and is marked as an entertainment area or something? there was a bunch of goths out the front the other week. that would make a nice venue for something a little classier - dinner and shows?
ps and it's really good to see open transparent dialog between venue owners, punters, policy nerds, musos etc - it should be encouraged
i'd love to sue maclellan to enter this debate on here
come on sue
To Liam from the Old Bar and Meg from 3CR, it's Helen from SLAM here, got a beef with SLAM, feel misrepresented?
we've heard this constantly via your undercover blogs. You have our contact details, we still haven't heard from you, don't like the way we are doing things...time to stop the annonymous blogging and start your own campaign!!
Ps, Bek has been working hard and effectively on this campaign, better things to do than answeing to negative bloggers. I won't be replying till I hear from you in person
steps away from thread
very wise block.
hey helen, no one is trying to offend anyone or stir up an argument for the sake of it. i just have real concerns and i have contacted both you and jon about them. im not sure that we are anonymously blogging either as we both use our real names here and i think we have made it clear where we are from. anyway thats not important.
i wont make any more comments about this issue.
i had a beef, but i didn't know who to have a beef with, so i emailed beef to someone at fg4lm and he replied that something would be issued soon and then the slam update came out. thank you.
so does slam represent punters&musos / fg4lm represents live music venues / music vic represents the totality of biz?
so as i'm a punter from now on i'll email my beef/kudos/support to slam!
if liam is a venue guy - is his main body fg4lm? i think he has a lot to contribute
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