Submitter
Submission id number: 964899
Submitter name:
Dave Theobald
Organisation
Do you want to speak to Councillors at the hearings?
Yes
Supporting information
No associated documents with this submission.
Submission
How are we doing? Is there anything you would like to tell us?
What other ideas should we be thinking about to include in future plans for our city?
It is essential, for the long term cultural health of the city that there is space and tolerance for loud music in venues and practice spaces in the city. Christchurch bands suffered badly after the earthquake, as few residents wanted impromptu venues near them, and currently a wealthy individual is pursuing a one-person campaign to shut down an inner city venue over noise issues -- he explicitly states he will spend whatever it takes to close it down.
I played music in chch from 1981 to three years after the earthquake, moved to Dunedin, principally because of the musical culture, and am impressed with the number and variety of upcoming bands.
A very important thing to consider is that no one driven to play music will stop because venues close, noise complaints are made in areas not zoned residential, etc. They will move from the spaces that they could play, that were closed due to complaints, to places that will annoy residents. Currently the crown is under threat and there is great concern that there will be noise complaints from people moving into newly built accomodation.
I understand that overseas in areas that care about culture, venues have been designated as safe zones with no noise complaints able to be made within a certain radius. Putting the onus on any landlords wanting to build near a venue to adequately soundproof or do their speculating and capital gains elsewhere.
Musicians have long memories, they will creatively re-route around any damage, and they have no problem explaining to folks in a residential area bothered by noise that "well we used to have places to play and practice, it was taken away, why not go and chat with the folk responsible, here were our requests, and here are their names, and their statements, it's tough that we're holding a gig here, it's a one-off as we're holding them all through the suburbs this year as there's nowhere else to do it" That will happen if the last few venues for alternative music close as none of us intend to stop playing. Thank you for listening.