South Australian government promises live music support, increase grants, legislate against ticket scalping

The new Liberal government which took power in South Australia on Saturday night has promised to maintain most of the major music initiatives implemented by the former Labor party under Jay Weatherill.

These include the music tech cluster St. Paul’s Creative Centre, the Music Development Office, and the Robert Stigwood Fellowship.

The Music Development Office, set up in 2014 to expand growth of the local music industry has, through pushes for regulatory changes, initiated a 34% increase in the amount of venues hosting live music and a 15% increase in the number of gigs.

“We believe that South Australia’s artistic and cultural sector can be even stronger,” according to new premier Steve Marshall before the election.

“Through the arts, we show the world who we are.”

He said his new government would continue to promote Adelaide as a UNESCO City of Music.

That would “gain the best possible outcomes for South Australia as a state where performers from around the world want to perform for our audiences, and where local musicians are able to successfully develop their craft.”

Also to be maintained for music tourism will be the Umbrella: Winter City Sounds festival, the AIR Awards and Indie-Con, the Unsound Festival and the new talent discovery program Scouted.

All these came out of the previous government’s newly created $1.35 million Live Music Events Fund.

There is a pledge to expand through regional areas and more music education in schools.

South Australia’s first Arts Plan in almost 20 years includes “ensuring that South Australia’s creative industries can thrive around the year, improving funding arrangements for performing arts companies, helping them diversify income streams, and delivering a strong digital access plan for our irreplaceable cultural collections.”

There will be an increase in grants for artists “leading to sustainable careers”.

Major events funding to attract more significant cultural events to South Australia will be boosted.

To be established is a Commissioner for Cultural Development “to lead a whole-of-government approach to improving connections and collaborations between the community and the arts sector.”

In a pre-election outlining of music and arts policies to the Music SA association, Marshall promised to continue to support the state’s cultural sector –  “and live music is a key part of that story and culture.”

Also promised is a change in law to tackle online ticket scalping.

It would make it an offence to resell a ticket for more than 10% of its original cost.

The current law only applies protection to music shows which are dubbed “major events”.

A ban on using “bots” software, which allows scalpers to buy up tickets very quickly, leaving most of the real fans out of the equation.