The state government have announced their support for Kiama’s entertainment precinct and are on standby for the community and incoming council to adopt the new rules.

Labor representatives and local business owners met to continue the momentum for the entertainment precinct, calling upon incoming council members to show support”

The Hon. John Graham, Special Minister of State, Minister for Roads, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Music and the Night-time Economy says it’s up to council to get the precinct to the next step,

“We need council to back it, state government is standing by with these rules ready to change, having the communities, having the venues on board is a great first step.”

A special entertainment precinct is a defined area where noise levels from amplified music is managed by a council through a management plan. Any requirements on amplified music that would normally fall under the NSW Liquor Act 2007 will not apply in precincts.

Kiama local and community advocate and Branch President of the Kiama ALP, Katelin McInerney, says it’s important to fast-track the precinct and get council onboard ahead of the upcoming election.

“We want to make sure our incoming council knows how keen we are to get one blanket envelope of conditions across a precinct in town… and [to allow] our local performers to put events on with minimal fuss and minimal effort,” McInerney says.

The special entertainment precinct was launched with a petition in July of this year. Following the petition, Kiama Council worked with the 24 Hour Night Time Economy Commissioner to develop a strategy suitable for Kiama. 

A council identifies a precinct by amending their local environment plan and displaying the noise management plan on their website. A precinct may be a single premise, streetscape or another defined area.

Graham says the process will be to change the rules in the centre of town to “make it easier and cheaper to put events on, making it a bit more relaxed, a little bit less costly to do these things.”