Australia News: Industry Proposes New Worker Permit, Broader Reopening, More

Aussie Biz Proposes Essential Live Music Industry Worker Permit
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 – A graphic from the Australian Live Music Business Council

The Australian Live Music Business Council proposed March 22 an Essential Live Music Industry Worker Permit to keep artists and their entourages on tour in case of a border closure or if a pandemic outbreak creates a ‘hotspot.’

The permits would be granted by a national standard application process and in place indefinitely once approved.
If a border closure is triggered, those with permits will allow artists to liaise directly with health authorities to notify them of travel plans. On the road they must stick to guidelines developed with health authorities to eliminate contact with audiences, venue/ festival staff and the broader community.
“Our hands are tied with government policy preventing us from getting back to work supporting our employees and the thousands of small businesses around the country that are integral to the industry,” ALMBC executive general manager Craig Spann said.
The council also set up a Gig Ready Dashboard, a website updated daily of changing restrictions around the country.
A recent membership survey underscored the urgency of reigniting the biz. Almost 70% saw revenue drop by 75% to 100%; 77% can only hold out for another six months unless trading conditions improve and 45% give it three months; and the uncertainty of the past year has negatively impacted the mental health of almost 93% of live music business owners and workers.
With the Australian government’s wage subsidy JobKeeper set to end March 28 and new studies showing damning financial and mental health figures, the live music biz is ramping up calls to get the industry to get back on the road.
The council represents concert and festival promoters, event presenters, venues, booking agents, artists, DJs, crew, show labor, venue staff, and ticketing, merchandise and catering companies.
LPA Pushes For Return To 100% Capacity
Arts and entertainment industry body Live Performance Australia (LPA) called on March 19 for all states and territories to move to 100% capacity in live entertainment venues and to keep borders open. Only Queensland has returned to full capacity, some states have gone to 85%.
LPA chief executive Evelyn Richardson noted, “At 75% capacity most of our shows are still not breaking even. We’ve also had the constant disruption of snap lockdowns and changing border and density restrictions. This has impacted both consumer and industry confidence.”
Richardson also wanted the one person per two square meter rule as it prevented smaller venues from returning to programming.
“The challenges of eight different frameworks with anomalies in indoor and outdoor settings plus lack of consistency across industry sectors is severely impeding business recovery. We are concerned that sport and cultural events are being treated differently, despite the venue settings being broadly the same,” she said.
On March 17, 200 of Victoria’s music venues coordinated by Save Our Scene, sent an open letter to the state government, asking for “a clear and balanced roadmap” for easing restrictions and increasing capacities. Operating at 30% capacity lead to a 70% drop in income, it said.
A few days earlier, 120 Adelaide pubs and venues asked the South Australian premier Steve Marshall to allow more customers before they are forced to close their businesses. They asked for rules to allow for one person per 1.5 sqm, instead of one per 2 sqm, and for dance floors to allow 100 patrons over the current 50.
New 15,000 Seat Arena For Adelaide
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 – Artist impression of Adelaide’s Riverbank Arena

The South Australian government confirmed building on the 15,000-seat concert and sports Riverbank Arena will begin in 2025 at a cost of A$700 million ($540.3 million). 

Built along the River Torrens in a A$2 billion ($1.5 billion) Riverbank precinct, it replaces Adelaide Entertainment Centre which caters for 9,000 for concerts and less for sports.
State premier Steve Marshall said South Australia was losing too many major concerts and conferences to other states with larger venues. 
The arena will be connected by tunnel to the Adelaide Convention Centre. Adelaide Venue Management Corporation, which operates the AEC and Convention Centre is behind the proposal for the new venue.
Idris Elba Joins Lime Cordiale In Sydney
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 – Lime Cordiale

On the final show of a sell-out tour, at Sydney’s Enmore Theatre, Aussie duo Lime Cordiale welcomed British actor, rapper and singer-songwriter Idris Elba – mooted the first black James Bond – onstage for a surprise appearance on “Unnecessary Things”. 

In Australia shooting Three Thousand Years of Longing, Elba took a liking to their music.
“Following an introduction, we invited him into the studio to feature on a track,” Oli Leimbach said. “One track has now turned into many and we’ve got an exciting project in the works. It was his idea to jump on stage last night.  He killed it!”   
Dark Mofo Out For Blood
Hobart’s radical Dark Mofo festival in June, is out for blood. A major project is an artwork by Spanish artist Santiago Sierra where the British flag will be dipped into the blood in an aluminum bucket of First Nations people from territories colonized by the British Empire. 
Sierra asked expatriates from these countries living in Australia to donate their blood. He said the First Nations people “suffered enormously” in Australia and Tasmania’s genocidal wars.