DEVELOPERS who build next to live music venues could be responsible for including after-hours noise controls in their dwellings under a Newcastle City Council plan to grow the city’s night life.
The council’s proposal, which also prioritised preventing antisocial behaviour as a result of irresponsible alcohol consumption, included a plan to see developers address noise management in new buildings near live music venues.
Meanwhile, established venues would be responsible for seeking noise control modifications if they planned to begin hosting live music events. This “agent of change” measure has been implemented in other cities, council said, to prevent potential noise disputes between venues and residents.
"When new apartments are built next to an existing music venue, they would be responsible for noise attenuation, such as by installing double glazing,” Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes explained.
"Likewise, if a live music venue seeks to extend its trading hours later at night or opens a beer garden, then it would be responsible for noise issues.”
Council announced its “Newcastle After Dark” strategy on Wednesday. It followed the “Newcastle solution” of 2008, which introduced widespread lockout laws to mitigate alcohol-related violence and disturbances in the central business district. A review of the city’s lockout laws was announced earlier in the year.
"We want the City of Newcastle to have a thriving and diverse night time economy, with high quality facilities, amenity and local services for everyone," Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said.
"A well-planned city night-time economy has a central role to play in city centre revitalisation, as well as a major influence over the visitor and cultural economies of the city and the region.”
Cr Nelmes said Newcastle has experienced significant changes over the past 10 years with strong growth in smaller low-impact venues and a burgeoning creative and dining scene.
The 48-page strategy details six priorities and 10 programs of action to:
- Prevent and mitigate the harmful and anti-social impacts of irresponsible consumption of alcohol
- Encourage a sustainable, safe and diverse night-time economy
- Design urban areas to facilitate safe, attractive and engaging night-time spaces
- Encourage diverse cultural activities
- Regulate and plan to enable and support the overall vision
- Research and evaluate programs implemented
Simon McCarthy
Simon McCarthy is a journalist working at the Newcastle Herald in NSW. He writes news and features, and produces video and multimedia, for the Herald and Herald Weekender magazine. He contributes regularly to the Newcastle Herald’s daily Topics column, and is the co-creator and producer of the Toohey’s News podcast. McCarthy has worked as a journalist in regional NSW since 2013. He joined the newsroom of the Newcastle Herald in 2017 from the Northern Daily Leader in Tamworth where he worked from 2015 to 2016.
Simon McCarthy is a journalist working at the Newcastle Herald in NSW. He writes news and features, and produces video and multimedia, for the Herald and Herald Weekender magazine. He contributes regularly to the Newcastle Herald’s daily Topics column, and is the co-creator and producer of the Toohey’s News podcast. McCarthy has worked as a journalist in regional NSW since 2013. He joined the newsroom of the Newcastle Herald in 2017 from the Northern Daily Leader in Tamworth where he worked from 2015 to 2016.
