City of Yarra pushes for a ‘Revs Express’ tram as live-music venues to be shielded from noise complaints

“The people who will want to live in the inner city in an apartment next to a nightclub, they won’t mind paying a little bit over the odds [for soundproofing].”

More widely, Jolly said the new planning changes would signal to developers and new residents that the council would always prioritise its music venues.

“You’re coming in to a noisy, live-music area – the most cosmopolitan sort of dynamic part of Melbourne,” he said. “So if somebody wants to downsize for a quiet retirement, nothing wrong with that – but go to Camberwell. Whack on your back episodes of Dad’s Army and knock yourself out.

“But if you move into the inner city, we’re full of live-music venues. They’re the lifeblood and the backbone of a key part of our local economy.”

Night Cat owner Justin Stanford welcomed the move. “I think it’s terrific to see politicians listening,” he said. “One of the reasons I made a public campaign around [The Night Cat] was not only to raise awareness of the case but for the whole sector – we’re all getting squeezed out.”

The Age has previously detailed how Melbourne’s live-music venues are under increasing pressure from rising rents, higher operating costs and patrons with less cash to spend. Many are struggling to obtain public liability insurance, with those able to secure insurance copping premium increases of up to 800 per cent.

City of Yarra has 77 small-to-medium live-music venues within its 19.5 square kilometres.

Shane Hilton, co-owner of Collingwood’s iconic The Tote Hotel which is within one of the proposed precincts, also welcomed the push.

He said it would be good to get formal recognition that live-music venues are a priority in their areas, and a reminder to developers and governments that these long-standing venues need protection, but he was concerned the amendment might only be a “paper tiger”. “Hopefully, the state government will take that and turn it around and give it some teeth,” he said.

Music Victoria CEO Fiona Duncan said the council’s local work was essential because the Victorian Labor Party’s 2022 election commitment to create a stronger cultural precinct planning overlay has not yet been realised.

“Yarra’s current work provides important context for that broader policy conversation,” Duncan said, adding that the City of Port Phillip’s own precincts were submitted more than 20 months ago but remain unapproved by the planning minister.

A spokesperson for Minister for Planning Sonya Kilkenny said the state was “developing new planning rules to protect live-music precincts and keep venues open”, which would be finalised next year.

‘Revs Express’ Brunswick-Prahran tram line push

The council is also embarking on a push for an extended tram line to give nighttime revellers easy transport between Brunswick Street in Fitzroy and Chapel Street in Prahran.

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Jolly confirmed the council would also vote to request the state to explore extending the 78 tram route (Balaclava – Prahran/South Yarra – Richmond) along Victoria Street to the Fitzroy interchange and have it turn into Brunswick Street.

The motion argues this new line would create a direct north-south shuttle link that avoids the CBD, with Jolly saying it would be a relatively tiny expense that would bring a “great bang for the buck” by linking the inner-north and inner-south nightlife areas.

Some punters have dubbed the proposal the “Revs Express”, after the famous Chapel Street nightclub Revolver.

Mike Callander, a resident DJ at Revolver Upstairs for 15 years, said the tram would be great for nightlife.

“I’d love to see a Revs Express bringing northside ravers to the home of late-night partying in Melbourne, and of course back home safely,” Callander said. “Good public transport options are vital to safe clubbing, and ridesharing services across the river can be prohibitively expensive. All aboard!”

The route travels through both Port Phillip and Stonnington councils, which are also expected to sign on to the advocacy push in the lead up to the state election.

Public Transport Users Association president Daniel Bowen supported the extension, which would involve inserting two small turn sections of tram tracks.

“Currently to do that trip would take three different trams and waiting 20 to 30 mins for a connection,” he said. “This would also boost capacity on the existing line up Brunswick Street.”

Kilkenny’s office said Yarra’s tram proposal would be “considered on its merits”.

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