SMALL VENUE LEGISLATION

The Hon. T.A. FRANKS (14:57): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the minister representing the Minister for Business Services and Consumers a question on the topic of the small venues licence and entertainment consent.

Leave granted.

The Hon. T.A. FRANKS: Members would be well aware that we have passed a new small venues licence as an amendment to the overall Liquor Licensing Act and that that has taken effect from earlier this year. Members would also be aware that the difference in the small venues licence goes in some way to provisions around entertainment consent.

Indeed, in the report to the small venues bill, the government noted that it had consulted with small bar owners, live music venue operators and organisations such as Renew Adelaide, the Adelaide West End Association, the Adelaide City Council and the AHA SA and that, as a result of this consultation, the government proposed the creation of this small venue liquor licence, one that would allow a licensee flexibility in terms of the business operated under it to cut red tape and business costs and, indeed, a new streamlined process for small venues under this scheme.

It is noted that although the need to obtain a separate entertainment consent may be appropriate for large venues, or venues that seek to offer entertainment into the early hours of the morning, for small venues that wish to offer entertainment only up to midnight, it is unnecessary and the requirement that multiple approvals be obtained adds to the costs incurred by the small venue owners who wish to offer entertainment. Consultation with small bar owners and live music venue operators indicates that this is a major disincentive to small venues offering live entertainment and has a detrimental impact on the live music scene in Adelaide.

So imagine my surprise when looking at the most recent small venue licence, or perhaps the second most recent small venue licence—licence 51600065 for Babushka on Peel Street, the now iconic home of vibrant Adelaide—that their venue licence, for no more than 70 persons to be on their premises on Peel Street, states:

Other than the playing of background music through an in-house speaker system, there shall be no live entertainment, including a performance, show, band or similar live music.

From conversation with stakeholders, and, indeed, the venue itself, they are not sure why this condition sits in the licence. So I ask the minister representing the Minister for Business Services and Consumers: can the minister provide clarity to this council, to this particular licensee, and to any potential small venue licence holder as to why entertainment consent has been restricted in this small venue?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, Minister for Forests, Minister for Regional Development, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for State/Local Government Relations) (15:00): I thank the honourable member for her important question. I have been given some information in relation to this particular venue and licence and am advised that the venue in question opened recently under a small venue liquor licence. The small venue licence provides an entertainment consent for venues until midnight; however, I am advised that in this instance the Adelaide City Council has included conditions that prohibit any entertainment, other than background music, as part of its development approval for this particular site.

I am advised that the government will raise this issue with the council. These sorts of restrictions are not part of the government's intent in relation to encouraging small venues or entertainment in the city. Only today the Premier released the Thinker in Residence report by Martin Elbourne, which provides a number of recommendations that seek to encourage the growth of the live music industry in this state. The government is committed to taking the report and developing a whole of government strategy that supports the industry.