The Australian Festivals Association this week criticised the Premier of New South Wales after he implied that new trading restrictions in the Australian state on Anzac Day each April could stop festivals from being staged on that day. Meanwhile, in Western Australia, government officials defended paying millions of dollars to Live Nation to support the live music giant’s events in the state, including two Coldplay concerts.
NSW Premier Chris Minns confirmed this week that trading restrictions were being increased on Anzac Day, the national day of remembrance in Australia that commemorates the country’s military veterans. Previously supermarkets and other retailers in the state were not allowed to open until 1pm on that day, but under the new rules they won't be able to open at all.
Discussing the changes, Minns said, “Anzac Day is a day for Australians to come together and if it is in a social environment, at a pub, at a club, as long as it’s part of an RSL club or a pub” that is fine. RSL is the Returned And Services League Of Australia, a support organisation for people who served or are serving in the Australian Defence Force.
He then added, “there is a distinction, and I think it’s reasonable for the government to draw this distinction, between a for-profit major rock concert that has nothing really to do with Anzac Day, that hasn’t been done in co-operation or consultation with the RSL”.
That seemed to be the premier saying that concerts and festivals would be covered by the new trading restrictions on Anzac Day. Responding, the Australian Festivals Association said any move to stop festivals on that day would be “a complete overreach”.
“Allowing people to go to the pub yet not attend a music festival shows the NSW government's priorities are completely out of line with the community. Music festivals contribute to culture and community. The ongoing war on music festivals must end”.
Despite the tough talking, the trade body added that it was committed to working with the NSW government so that festivals “can respectfully co-exist alongside important commemorations” on Anzac Day.
Over in Western Australia, a report by The Guardian revealed that the state’s government has paid millions of dollars to the US-based global live music giant Live Nation over the past four years, including $8 million to subsidise two Coldplay shows.
The Guardian report said “the state Labor government under Roger Cook has steadfastly refused to disclose how much it paid Live Nation Entertainment”. However, government documents seen by the newspaper’s reporters “reveal that $8 million was paid in relation to the appearances by Coldplay”.
A spokesperson for Tourism WA defended the payments, insisting that the Coldplay concerts injected “tens of millions of visitor spend” into the state’s economy. The decision to award the live giant the funding, they added, was made after “a rigorous assessment, cost benefit analysis, review and approvals process, including review and approval by the Tourism WA Board, Treasury and final sign off by the minister for tourism and premier”.