Sarah Hanson-Young (SA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak about the state of live music in my home town of Adelaide. The Crown and Anchor, also affectionately known as the Cranker, is one of Adelaide's most vibrant and loved cultural institutions, home to live music since 1853. With Adelaide designated a UNESCO City of Music, the Cranker is the heartbeat of live music in our city, a living cultural icon. Yet the Cranker is the latest in a long line of music venues at risk of shutting down, with big developers trying to destroy the hotel, muscle in and make maximum profits. Shutting down the Cranker will be devastating for the future of South Australia's live music scene and our homegrown artists. That's why the South Australian community are coming together in a big fight to save the hotel, with a petition reaching over 24,000 signatures. This Sunday, I'll be joining with my fellow South Australians at 1 pm in Victoria Square to save this wonderful living icon.

The threat to the Cranker is just the latest. We know that live music, not just in South Australia but across the rest of the country, is on a knife edge. From the pandemic right through to the devastation of extreme weather events, the cost of living, people are struggling to put on live performances and keep audiences coming back. We know we need to do much more to support our live music industry if we are to support the next generation of musicians in this country. We cannot wait while another live music venue is shut down, another festival is cancelled. Now more than ever we need support from state and federal governments. Music and art are what makes life worth living.