Insights - 18 October 2024
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VIBRANCY REFORMS TO REBOOT NIGHTLIFE AND LIVE MUSIC ACROSS NSW
The second tranche of the NSW Government’s Vibrancy Reforms were announced on 15 October 2024, aimed at reinvigorating the state’s nightlife by removing restrictions for licensed venues.
The reforms have been designed to remove red tape and encourage more live music and entertainment precincts especially at night.
One change will see a clause added to a property's planning certificate requiring residents wanting to move into entertainment precincts to acknowledge they are moving into an area of late-night activity.
Minister for Music and the Night-time Economy John Graham said: “A guiding principle of the Vibrancy Reforms is building communities in which after work hours and weekends are not simply a time to retreat behind a closed front door at home, but a time that brings people together.
“We are rebuilding Sydney and regional centres across the state neighbourhood by neighbourhood and giving councils the tools to use the special entertainment precinct model.”
SECOND TRANCHE OF VIBRANCY REFORMS
The second set of vibrancy reforms address several areas that have impacted nightlife and entertainment communities including:
- Tearing up restrictions on licensed venues that include “no entertainment” clauses or dictate what genre of music or even how many musicians can play
- Requiring property buyers to be notified that they are moving into an existing entertainment zone to protect the intent of Special Entertainment Precincts and reduce the friction between venues and their neighbours
- Ending the antiquated rule that prevents people living within five kilometres of a registered club from signing in without first becoming a member
- Binning the restriction on outdoor dining approvals that prevented patrons from standing while drinking outside a licenced premises
- Amending the Major Events Act to make it easier to support foundational events like Sydney Festival and Vivid Sydney
- Empowering the Minister for Music and the Night-time Economy to refer live music and performance venues with legitimate disputes to mediation
A $1 million grant program is expected to open later in the year to kickstart more Special Entertainment Precincts (SEPs), which will help councils establish precincts, including support to engage staff or expert consultants to undertake strategic planning, sound standards, acoustic frameworks, consultation, communications and engagement.
FINAL WEEKEND AT SXSW SYDNEY 2024
SXSW Sydney will wrap up for its second year on 20 October 2024, after exhibiting a week-long program of more than 1000 experiences.
Some of the highlights across the first five days have included the opening keynote with Canva CEO and Co-Founder Melanie Perkins as well as a performance from grammy-nominated, platinum-selling UK singer Jorja Smith.
Visitors also had the opportunity to hear from Destination NSW CEO Steve Cox, who participated in a panel discussion on the benefits and challenges of enticing brands to global cities.
The final two days of SXSW Sydney's free event program in Tumbalong Park will feature a showcase of up-and-coming indigenous musical talent by Sydney's own global superstar The Kid LAROI, as well as ‘+91 Calling!’, a single-day festival of Indian music.
SXSW Sydney brings together inspired thinkers, creators and innovators from across the world, transforming Sydney into an international hub of culture, creativity and innovation.
RECORD-BREAKING $4.41 BILLION SEASON FOR NSW CRUISE INDUSTRY
The Australian Cruise Association (ACA) and Cruise Lines International Association Australasia (CLIA) have released the Economic Impact Assessment of Cruise Tourism for the 2023-24 financial year in Australia.
The report reveals that the cruise sector in NSW saw a record-breaking economic output of $4.41 billion in the 2023-24 season - a 60.4 per cent increase from the previous year.
The growth is expected to continue with more than one million passengers and 312 cruise ship visits set to sail into NSW ports over the coming summer.
Also highlighted was a 50 per cent jump in jobs with NSW cruising supporting 13,714 full time jobs in this period, making it the largest contributor to Australia's cruise economy.
A panel of cruise and tourism experts has been established to work on identifying NSW's next new cruise terminal to allow NSW to maintain and grow its market share of Australia's multi-billion dollar cruise industry into the future.
This season promises a significant boost to the NSW visitor economy, with cruise passengers contributing to local businesses and communities across the state.
NSW WINE MONTH PROGRAM UNVEILED
The NSW Wine Industry Association will launch NSW Wine Month in November, bringing local wineries and winemakers from across the state to Sydney for a series of special events and activations. The inaugural four-week festival, supported by Destination NSW, will feature tastings, long lunches, happy hours, degustation dinners and masterclasses.
SYDNEY LIGHTS UP AHEAD OF ROYAL VISIT
The Sydney Opera House will be illuminated on 18 October 2024 as NSW welcomes Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla to Australia, with Sydneysiders and visitors invited to see the projection. NSW residents will also have the opportunity to see Their Majesties at the Sydney Opera House Forecourt on 22 October at 4:20pm for their official visit.
ICONIC SCULPTURE EVENT IS BACK BY THE SEA
Sculpture by the Sea will kick off from 18 October 2024 at the Bondi to Tamarama Beach coastal walk. Destination NSW is proud to partner with the world’s largest free to the public exhibition, which transforms the iconic coastal walk into a two-kilometre sculpture park featuring 100 sculptures by Australian and international artists.
REPRESENTING NSW AT G'DAY AUSTRALIA 2024
G’Day Australia 2024 has wrapped up in Perth, providing NSW visitor economy businesses with the opportunity to meet with Aussie Specialist Agents across key markets. Delivered by Tourism Australia and Tourism Western Australia, the conference was attended by representatives from Destination NSW and 13 NSW sellers.
ARINEX FOUNDER RECEIVES LIFETIME AWARD
Roslyn McLeod OAM, founder of Arinex, one of Australia's largest PCOs, will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Australian Event Awards on 23 October 2024 to celebrate her industry contributions. Her company, which eventually became Arinex, became a PCO in the 1990s and now organises major local and international conferences.
NEW PRODUCT WORKSHOP SET FOR 2025
Destination NSW will hold a New Product Workshop on 5 March 2025 at Western Sydney Conference Centre in Penrith. The full-day event will provide newly export-ready NSW visitor economy businesses an opportunity to meet and present their products to western and eastern markets. Applications close on 30 October 2024.
NEW NSW SCREEN AND DIGITAL GAMES STRATEGY
A new three-year screen and digital games strategy has been introduced by the NSW Government with key priorities focused on supporting Australian storytelling, developing the next generation of creative talent and a plan to grow the digital games sector. This strategy outlines four strategic priority areas to support and sustainably grow this industry.
$18 MILLION FUNDING FOR FISHING PROGRAMS
The NSW Government has announced more than $18 million of funding for world-class programs to boost recreational fishing across NSW. The investment will help make recreational fishing more accessible and ensure it contributes to the local economies of communities around NSW, helping to drive growth in the NSW regional visitor economy.
UFC TO RETURN TO SYDNEY IN 2025
UFC will return to Sydney's Qudos Bank Arena on 9 February 2025 for UFC 312. This marks the second Pay-Per-View event as part of a four-year, multi-event agreement secured by the NSW Government via Destination NSW. The highly anticipated UFC 312 will reinforce Sydney’s status as a premier city for major sporting events.
INCREASE IN SHORT-TERM VISITOR ARRIVALS
The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has published the latest data on international visitor arrivals in Australia as of August 2024, highlighting 658,810 short-term visitor arrivals - a 9.2 per cent increase from 2023. NSW witnessed the highest number with 240,840 short-term visitor arrivals, an increase of 10,390 from August 2023.
VISITOR ECONOMY WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS
GLOBAL GREEN DESTINATIONS TOP 100 LIST ANNOUNCED: For the fourth year the NSW Central Coast has ranked as a finalist in this global sustainability competition showcasing the region's commitment to sustainability. Learn more.
QANTAS INTERNATIONAL NETWORK TO GROW WITH 222,000 MORE SEATS, NEW AIRCRAFT AND NEW ROUTE: Qantas has announced a number of new changes which will better utilise its fleet and support growing customer demand in key Asia Pacific and US markets. Learn more.
AUSTRALIA’S LIVE PERFORMANCE INDUSTRY EXPERIENCES RECORD NUMBERS: Australia's live performance industry has reported record levels of attendance and ticket revenue in 2023 during its first full year of operation without COVID-19 related disruptions or restrictions. Learn more.
NORTH COAST SMALL BUSINESS NAMED NSW EXPORTER OF THE YEAR: A small business from the state’s mid north coast which helped light up the Paris Olympics has been named NSW Exporter of the Year at the Premier’s NSW Export Awards. Learn more.
MERLIN ENTERTAINMENT TO SELL ICONIC AUSTRALIAN ATTRACTIONS: Otway Fly in Victoria and Illawarra Fly in NSW are now on sale with the decision made by Merlin Entertainment to focus on building out clusters of attractions in key cities. Learn more.
AUSTRALIAN TOURISM DATA WAREHOUSE (ATDW) PLATFORM UPDATE: ATDW is undergoing changes to its platform and exploring new partnerships for the next chapter of its platform development. One-on-one optimisation sessions can be scheduled. Learn more.
CYBER SECURITY AWARENESS MONTH 2024: This year's theme is ‘Cyber security is everyone’s business’ and by taking four simple steps, everyone can help make Australia the most secure place to connect online. Learn more.
FOLLOW DESTINATION NSW ON LINKEDIN: Stay up to date with all the latest Destination NSW initiatives by following us on LinkedIn. Click here
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