Venues across Melbourne are being crushed by noise complaints from people who moved in knowing exactly where they were moving.

This is happening to pubs, clubs, and small venues across the CBD, Fitzroy, Collingwood and beyond. Business owners are getting punished for keeping Melbourne’s culture alive — all because someone moved into a known music area and now wants it quiet.

 
If this keeps going, we’ll lose what made these neighbourhoods special in the first place.

Live music venues aren’t just places to catch a gig — they’re small businesses. They provide jobs, give artists their first stage, keep bar staff and bookers working, and bring people together. When you shut down these spaces, you don’t just lose music — you gut a whole economy of workers and creatives.

And let’s be real: if you move into the middle of Fitzroy, next to a venue that’s been there for decades, you shouldn’t get to complain about the sound. That’s on you.

 This needs to change — now.

We’re aware that Victoria introduced the Agent of Change principle back in 2014 — a law meant to protect venues from exactly this. But the reality is, it’s not being properly enforced. Venues are still getting hit with fines, shutdown threats, and huge soundproofing costs while new residents walk in and complain.

This campaign isn’t about starting from scratch — it’s about strengthening and enforcing the protections that were promised. No venue should have to go to court just to prove they were there first.

We’re calling on the Victorian Government to introduce a law that:

• Stops residents who’ve moved into a music precinct in the past 4 years from making noise complaints about venues that were already there.
• Puts the responsibility back where it belongs — on developers and landlords, not on venue owners.
• Protects music venues as cultural institutions — because they are.

This isn’t just about music. It’s about fairness, common sense, and protecting the small businesses that make this city what it is.

Just look at The Night Cat in Fitzroy.

They’ve been supporting live music for over 30 years — now they’re scrambling to raise $60,000 for soundproofing just to keep the doors open. Why? Because new residential developments triggered complaints and compliance demands. It's a perfect example of how broken the current system is.

You moved to the music. Don’t try to shut it down.