A handful of Newcastle West businesses have banded together in an attempt to breathe life back into the Hunter Street strip.
Bella Italia, Jam's Karaoke, Charlie's Rooftop, Granddad Jack's, The Koutetsu, The Rogue Scholar, Mad Poet, Bernie's Bar, Calamari Kitchen and The Happy Wombat are representing a newly formed Newcastle West entertainment precinct.
Their aim? To access funding and advice available through the NSW Government's Uptown District Accelerator Program to create and advance Newcastle West's Midtown Precinct, as it will be called.
Uptown is a two-stage program designed to fast-track the formation of local business communities and encourage the growth of their districts into vibrant going-out hubs.
And this year, for the first time, Uptown Accelerator opened to applicants from 43 local government areas, including key regional hubs in Newcastle, the Central Coast and Illawarra-Shoalhaven.
Adamstown, Carrington, Shoal Bay and Newcastle East, as well as Newcastle West, are among those who have been working with 24-Hour Economy Commissioner Michael Rodrigues at various workshops.
"Michael's really shaken things up, to be honest," Mad Poet owner Dylan Oakes said.
"We've had people complaining about pubs and lockouts over the past 12 to 15 years, and he's flying the flag for legislation to be put in so it takes a lot for a venue to be closed over noise complaints.
"Our precinct was already ahead of the curve, in a way, because we have worked together on events like West Best Bloc Fest."
Last month the Midtown Precinct venues launched a month-long "Midweek in Midtown" initiative where special deals and events were promoted on Thursdays to encourage more midweek engagement. More "activations" are planned, which I'll share in the coming weeks.
"The Uptown Accelerator enables groups of like-minded local businesses to have a unified vision for their district," Rodrigues said.
"In so doing they are empowered to tell a more compelling story about what makes their locale an exciting place to visit, for both residents and tourists.
"The program began in Sydney in 2021 when the impact of COVID was at its height. Entertainment options at home via streaming services and home delivery had proliferated, essentially stealing market share from our much-loved high streets.
"The Uptown program is an intervention aimed at getting audiences back out in our cities and towns and it's great we have seen a strong showing from districts in Newcastle, keen to get involved."
The Accelerator part of the program, he said, is all about education, upskilling and collaboration. Participants get a masterclass on the disciplines of place making, governance, grant writing and how to pitch to attract sponsors and partners.
"Other Newcastle and Central Coast precincts who are taking part in the Accelerator program include teams in Adamstown, Carrington, Shoal Bay, Newcastle East, Terrigal and Gosford," Mr Rodrigues said.
"Newcastle venues are particularly interested in finding more ways to attract visitors not just at peak times, but during quieter periods as well.
"There is also a wealth of music and performance talent in Newcastle. We want to help these artists find new audiences and one way to do it is through a district approach which elevates performance as an integral part of the going out experience."
City of Newcastle is also on board. A spokesperson said the council was "committed to the ongoing implementation of our Newcastle After Dark: Night Time Economy Strategy and Live Music Strategy, which have both been unanimously supported by the elected Council".
"These strategies outline key priorities and actions to be delivered by City of Newcastle in the development of a creative, safe and vibrant nightlife that contributes significantly to the cultural and economic revitalisation of Newcastle," the spokesperson said.
"City of Newcastle is also supportive of the NSW Government's new Vibrancy Reforms framework as it allows for consistency across NSW."
The Vibrancy Reforms designated Liquor & Gaming NSW as the lead regulator for noise and disturbance complaints for all licensed premises.
The complaint framework has been strengthened to ensure all complaints are "reasonable and valid", the number of complaints has increased from three to five for it to be considered, and complainants must attempt to resolve disputes with the licensee before lodging a complaint.
The length of time a complainant has been living in the household will become a central consideration in disturbance complaints.
Complaints are lodged via the Liquor & Gaming website and City of Newcastle has no role in investigating these complaints.
The spokesperson said City of Newcastle received 30 complaints about noise from commercial premises during the last financial year. Also, the night-time economy in Newcastle accounts for 13 per cent of the local workforce, which is significantly higher than the national average.
Short and Sweet
Bernie's Bar launched its month-long Kindness Kitchen on Sunday for people in need which included a $5 food menu.
Susuru Ramen & Gyoza Bar's August ramen special is Korean Fried Chicken Ramen.
TINTA Belmont is hosting a wine dinner on August 15 with Margan Wines and Binnie Beef. Tickets are on sale now.
The Freeze Queen Emporium at Cardiff is opening a store at Warners Bay.
Signal Box is hosting a four-course dinner with Boydell's Wines on August 29.
