Newcastle’s King Street Hotel is one of the thirty-nine live music venues that are recipients of a Venue Upgrade Grant, courtesy of Sound NSW.
Part of Russell Richardson’s Richardson Hotels, King Street received $100K for soundproofing from the NSW Government grant.
Newcastle MP Tim Crakanthorp said he was glad to see the city’s live music scene receive the boost, which is expected to enhance the night-time economy of the precinct.
“There is a lot of development going on in this area,” Crakanthorp said.
“So, it’s crucial that our venues are properly soundproofed to protect current and future residents, as well as the sites themselves.”
This latest round of funding has delivered over $5 million in support across two streams.
The first stream was for venue upgrade advice and consultation. Nine venues have received a total of $117,336 to access expert advice on planning, licensing, legal services and energy efficiency, with the aim of growing expertise in the sector.
The second stream, of which King Street was one recipient, was for venue upgrade infrastructure development.
A total of $4,950,114 was distributed across the remaining thirty venues to build live music venues capabilities. This will both reduce sound impact and deliver world-class experiences for visitors by supporting infrastructure, sustainability and energy efficiency upgrades, and by purchasing audio visual equipment.
Minister for Music and the Night-time Economy, John Graham, said that while these venues are crucial to NSW’s live music sector, many were facing pressures from rising costs, noise restrictions and ageing infrastructure.
“We’re supporting them through those challenges so they can keep bringing communities together, backing local music and driving the night-time economy,” he said.
“Last year we focussed on soundproofing grants, this year we’ve tripled the program and increased the ways we’re helping venues get gig-ready.
“This funding will improve the safety, sound quality and experience for artists and audiences alike.”
