Community-Sector Submission on the Wollongong Live Music Taskforce Report and Proposed Action Plan

Robert Carr

2014

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The ‘Wollongong Live Music Taskforce Report’ (Wardle, 2014) (hereafter, ‘the report’) including the proposed ‘Live Music Action Plan’ (hereafter ‘the action plan’) is logical, straightforward, insightful and for the most part good practice in the development of public policy. However, the action plan is insufficient in its current form. This submission does not support endorsement of the action plan without significant revision. There are four parts to this submission that follow. Part 1 reflects on the expectations of the community and stakeholders prior to the establishment of the Wollongong Live Music Taskforce. Part 2 provides a brief rating of the action plan on a point-by-point basis. Part 3 is a qualitative discussion of the Live Music Taskforce Report. Part 4 is an evaluation of the proposed action plan and conclusions. The report is a valuable cultural mapping exercise, though there are a number of gaps as identified in this submission. The submission suggests there is a need for greater recognition of and a more strategic response to economic change in Wollongong particularly with respect to income generation in the live music sector. The submission provides a qualitative discussion of how the taskforce report and action plan met and did not meet community and stakeholder expectations. Information extracted via a qualitative survey (see Appendix 1) as well as anecdotal feedback informs this submission. The submission explores a criticism that the live music action plan is ‘regulation-centric’ with too little direct action proposed in terms of cultivating opportunities for live music, growth of the sector and expansion of Council’s arts funding program. Further, the submission examines the issue of resourcing and enabling Youth Services as well as educating, training and professionalising young people in the music sector. The submission draws questions about how realistic and informed the action plan is. This is done by suggesting, firstly, the need to include in the ‘Background’ of the report a broader consideration of the historical and social context with respect to more recent analysis and scholarship about the Wollongong music scene; and second, by greater consideration of the LGA, its history and the policy context. The submission recommends greater recognition of community diversity in the action plan to ensure the delivery of an equitable live music policy. The submission highlights the need for effecting an improvement in police- community relations, citing feedback that this has been achieved through the taskforce. It calls for the action plan to aspire to a greater understanding of night spaces within the context of the prominent issues traversing trust, policing and live music. The submission suggests that “changing perceptions” may be more difficult than acknowledged in the report, foreshadowed by negative media stereotyping and populist concerns on social media about the City Centre being “unsafe”. The submission undertakes a parity exercise between the proposed ‘Live Music Accord’ and the live music action plan. Observations are made about process and pecuniary interests implicating the taskforce. This is followed by a review of feedback on issues relating to participation in and membership of the taskforce. The submission discusses grants and other forms of support and how effectively these issues are incorporated into the action plan. This joint-community submission incorporates valuable insights provided by community members and stakeholders interested in and intimately involved in the live music scene. Its broad position, which is grounded in both written and anecdotal feedback, is that the report has many strengths. However, in its present form the report is inadequate, and without sufficient context, substance and understanding. The report is desperately in need of more research, surveying and coverage among practioners. The proposed action plan and report are regarded to be the beginning of a process. Therefore, one expectation is that this submission will be regarded part of that process. Some of the recommendations proposed in the submission may not be taken up by Wollongong Council. It is expected, however, that Council will respond appropriately to the recommendations stated in this submission and explain it’s reasoning for objecting to them via procedural channels. The following recommendations are derived from what Wollongong’s knowledgeable and active practioners know to be required for a successful and sustainable live music sector. Their ideas and recommendations ought to be considered with diligence by Council as they will improve and inject significant strength into Council’s Cultural Plan and put Wollongong on the tourist map.