Entertainment hubs to encourage live music are being explored as part of a plan to help make Canberra’s night economy even stronger and more vibrant.
This includes a pilot to allow higher noise levels in parts of the City Centre over the summer months and during the festive season.
We will review the community and business response and the pilot results will provide a case study to inform future entertainment hubs across the Territory.
Canberra’s night life is a major driver of jobs and economic growth for the ACT and our burgeoning bars, restaurants and venues help make our city a great place to live and visit.
The ACT Government’s Entertainment Action Plan balances entertainment and night-time activities with the needs of residents in our growing town centres.
We’ve heard calls from the local music, hospitality and building industries for entertainment locations across Canberra and greater certainty around noise regulations.
The plan proposes designated hubs that emphasise nightlife activities in specific locations through higher noise limits, land use planning, soundproofing, and building design. We want more gigs in Canberraand for entertainment, retail and hospitality to be enjoyed well into the evening.
This builds on our ongoing reforms to support sport, music and creative industries in the ACT. So far, we have:
- worked towards allowing more noise in town centres on weekend evenings
- tasked the National Capital Design Review Panel to consider acoustic amenity when it reviews new developments
- provided better information for residents, including renters, and businesses
- created an interactive noise zones map.
The Entertainment Action Plan complements work the ACT Government is doing in the Managing Buildings Better reforms, which will assist the relationship between residents and businesses in mixed-use developments.
The Government will continue to work with stakeholders to deliver on our commitment. A progress report is due to the Legislative Assembly in July 2020 and will be made available to the community.
The plan is available at: www.planning.act.gov.au/planning-our-city/planning-projects/entertainment-areas
