Call to extend Job Keeper for live music industry

Blues Festival organiser Peter Noble has joined calls for the government to step forward and Save our Stages.

‘We need government to find money to get us through this time, lots of it. We need them to Save Our Stages, as has been done in the US and across Europe through large grants, tax write offs and investment,’ he said in a press release.

Mr Noble highlighted the fact that while many people had been able to get back to work the music industry, along with the hospitality and tourism industry haven’t.

‘Many of our favourite musicians and event company workers are on the dole, and suffering mental health issues,’ said Mr Noble

‘We need government to find money to get us through this time, lots of it. We need them to Save Our Stages, as has been done in the US and across Europe through large grants, tax write offs and investment’.

Mr Noble highlighted the need to create a business interruption insurance policy to incentivise event presenters to put on events so that they would be protected and not go to the wall should an out break of COVID shut down their businesses at short notice.

That would protect artists, crew, and suppliers’ so that they will get paid should that occur said Mr Noble.

‘The Federal government did it more than six months ago for the film industry to get them back to making movies – why are we still waiting?’ he is asking.

‘Is time to raise our voices, we are the live arts and we love what we do, and we are a fundamental part of society. It is unjust for government not to support us more than they have financially. Simply by extending Job Keeper to those industries they have regulated not to be able to get back to work without major restrictions –the live music industry – [otherwise] we will see many of our fellow workers be laid off when it end in March. How can that be justified on any level?’