Liquor licence fees would be cut in half for Canberra venues with space for up to 350 people if they showcase artists and live music if Labor is re-elected, as part of a plan to boost the capital's night-time economy.
ACT Labor said it wanted to boost the city's nightlife and would help by changing regulations to open up more public spaces to events as well as promoting local artists and musicians.
Canberra's night-time economy grew by 16 per cent in the 2022-23 financial year and is now worth $4.5 billion annually, research released by the Council of Capital City Lord Mayors on Thursday said.
Smaller cafes and restaurants with a capacity of less than 150 would be granted an automatic discount of 50 per cent on their liquor licence fee, an extension of an existing program available to venues with a capacity of 80 or less.
A re-elected Labor government would extend the fee cut to venues that support and showcase artists with a capacity of less than 350.
Businesses would save up to $3800 a year under the plan, Labor said. The party did not say how much the entire commitment was worth.
A registry of artists would be established by the government to assist venue owners and managers to book local musicians and artists.
ACT Labor committed to encouraging more night-time events by opening up more public spaces to event organisers. More locations for markets, food trucks, live music and other activities would be identified under this new plan.
Town centres and areas across the ACT would be examined for their suitability as future entertainment precincts.
Canberra's city centre and Gungahlin were identified as entertainment precincts in the 2023 Territory Plan, which introduced new noise standards to cover live and amplified music.
ACT Labor said new entertainment precincts would support more hospitality business and venues to expand Canberra's nightlife across the territory.
Australian Hotels Association ACT general manager Chris Gatfield said the association fully supported this set of changes as they were "a clear statement of intent from ACT Labor that the night-time economy matters".
"Our industry is always looking to support local musos, artists and creatives, and these licence fee reductions for medium sized venues will encourage more live entertainment in more venues more often," Mr Gatfield said.
"Rolling out the entertainment precinct model out to other areas will hopefully put an end to the age-old sport of moving next door to an established venue and complaining until they turn the music down or shut down entirely."
