The " Noise " Problem !

Many of the Australian bands that have made it big on the world stage got their start playing gigs in suburban pubs on Sunday afternoon and gravitated from there to wider audiences.  That was weekend entertainment for a lot of suburban music lovers.  The pub was the social centre in most suburbs and it was welcome relaxation for patrons to have a few beers and listen to some interesting music before having to face the coming work week.

Such music has almost disappeared because obtaining a liquor license to serve alcohol now comes with so many restrictions that a live band is impossible.  Many pubs that used to host bands have been forced to cease because nearby residents object to the " noise problem ".  Even opening hours face restrictions because of the chatter of people leaving at closing time and the opening and shutting of car doors being considered a nuisance factor.

What we have seen in the recent past is severe restrictions imposed on venues where live music was traditional.  It takes just a few noise complaints from nearby residents and the liquor licensing act is used either reduce hours or restrict volumes.  In many cases the people complaining are new residents who bought in the full knowledge that living near a pub would be noisy.  It is possible that the price of their property was influenced by that noise factor and despite that advantage they are the most strident in demanding the noise cease.

Perhaps the most evident of that syndrome is the reaction of residents of Sydney's Milsons Point to the presence of Luna Park.   Milsons Point was simply bare ground when the Sydney Harbour bridge opened in 1932.  Three years later, Luna Park started construction of a harbour front amusement park and the land behind it began to house unit blocks attracted by the magnificent water views and panorama of the city skyline.  The price of these units was set according to demand.

The people living in those units are forever demanding that Luna Park either shut down, or severely restrict its opening hours.  They object to the construction of new rides and oppose the renovation of existing entertainment.  They say they are affronted by the sound of people enjoying themselves.  They ignore the fact that Luna Park was there when they made their buying decision and should it close the site would probably attract more high rise living that would block their views.

Where noise is a problem, modern building materials such as double glazed windows can reduce that noise substantially.  Luna Park has survived the relentless onslaught of winging nearby residents and now the state government is taking a new approach to this noise problem.  It is scrapping those live music bans in most suburbs and taking the approach that noise is something that people choosing to live in proximity to a pub must expect - and tolerate.

Hopefully, this will result in a wider dispersal of live music gigs and the emergence of more Australian bands.  It will also widen the entertainment scene in Sydney now those lockout laws have been revised and we will be unlikely to see such a concentration occur again like the problem that arose in Kings Cross.

The message is loud - and clear.   If you choose to live near a noise outlet - learn to live with it  !