Yarra locks in its live music heartlands as venues feel the squeeze

Yarra City Council has unanimously adopted an Amendment (C331yara) that creates designated Live Music Precincts in Brunswick Street, Smith Street south, Johnston Street, Collingwood Yards and around Richmond Station. Council will now request the Minister for Planning give authorisation to prepare and exhibit the Amendment to the Yarra Planning Scheme. 

Yarra City Council Mayor, Stephen Jolly said the proposed changes will require new residential developments in and around those areas to include stronger noise protection, shifting some of the onus for managing sound away from venues and onto incoming residents and developers.

“Yarra’s live music venues are a large part of our economic and cultural fabric,” he said. “They provide opportunities for up-and-coming artists and boosting our economy.”

A small municipality, a big music footprint

Despite covering just 19.5 square kilometres, Yarra has more than 130 spaces for live music, including 77 small to medium-sized venues. Together they host about 20,000 gigs a year and attract an estimated 2.5 million attendees.

Those numbers help underpin Melbourne’s long-held reputation as a live music capital.

Before the COVID-19 shutdowns in March 2020, Melbourne had more live music venues per capita than London, New York and Los Angeles, according to the Music Victoria Live Music Census.

But the council report notes that several venues have not returned in the years since, and those that survived the pandemic face a new wave of pressures.

Rising rents, higher operating costs, shifts in ticket-buying behaviour and broader cost-of-living pressures have all taken a toll. Food and beverage sales are down, audiences are thinner, and many venues have reported difficulties obtaining public liability insurance, with some premiums rising by up to 800 per cent.

At the same time, operators are grappling with rising music licensing fees, stricter noise controls and growing tensions with nearby residential developments.

What the planning change will do

Amendment C331yara proposes to refine Yarra’s planning policy framework and formally introduce Live Music Precincts into the planning scheme.

Under the changes, new residential developments (excluding extensions to existing homes) within 50 metres of an existing live music venue, or within one of the designated precincts, would need to incorporate noise attenuation measures in their design.

The aim is to minimise future conflict between residents and venues and make it easier for live music businesses to continue operating – or to relocate within a precinct – without facing complaints or costly retrofits.

The amendment would replace the existing Schedule to Clause 53.06 (Live Music Entertainment Venues) with a new schedule listing:

• Brunswick Street

• Smith Street south

• Johnston Street

• Collingwood Yards

• Richmond Station

The core areas mark the highest concentration of venues, while an additional buffer generally captures the 50-metre zone around each core.

The clause also provides a mechanism for council to identify and support individual live music venues outside the mapped precincts.

State government may go further

The move comes as the Department of Transport and Planning considers statewide changes to elevate the visibility of live music in planning schemes, including the use of a specific overlay.

Mayor Jolly say this could address a key concern raised by stakeholders about the current tools available to protect venues.

“When an overlay appears on property certificates, it will signal to buyers and developers that the land sits in a live music precinct and may be subject to additional requirements.”

Beyond planning: call for a Live Music Action Plan

Mayor Jolly also said that planning controls alone cannot safeguard Yarra’s live music ecosystem.

“Venues and performers facing broader legal, financial and creative pressures,” he said.

“To respond, we will develop a dedicated Live Music Action Plan to protect and enhance our existing live music venues and strengthen the broader live music scene.”

The timing and detail of that plan will be informed by community consultation on the planning amendment and by targeted roundtable discussions with venue operators and artists at the 2026 Leaps and Bounds Festival.

Insights from those conversations will be reported back to councillors, forming the evidence base for the eventual action plan.

Part of a wider push to support local business

The Live Music Precincts Amendment is one of several Yarra City Council initiatives underway to support businesses, including a “Fast Track” service for food and health business registrations, a new business stream within the statutory planning branch and a review of local laws.

“By addressing the challenges faced by current live music venues, the Action Plan will also help support the establishment and long-term viability of future venues,” said Mayor Jolly.

“This will ensure the continued vibrancy of Yarra’s live music scene.”