Sydney's Oxford Art Factory moving closer to expanded operating hours

Facing off against the potential of a costly Development Application to open during daylight hours, Darlinghurst's Oxford Art Factory had a landmark meeting with Sydney City councilors that could see them stand to reason. 

Live music in Australian capital cities seem to be making headlines for all the wrong reasons of late. From Melbourne's The Tote closed down (before its subsequent reopening) and the tragic departure of Sydney's Hopetoun Hotel, council regulations and the live music scene are locked in a fierce battle. Or at least, that's what the newspapers would like you to believe.

The Oxford Art Factory, located on Oxford Street in Darlinghurst NSW, recently made an announcement that it was planning to expand its operating hours in a venture to explore day time trading. Initially, this amendment was shaping up as cause for a costly Development Application that would have culled off any plans of day time tunes and art showings, a position that may now be seeing sanity prevail. 

Last week saw a landmark meeting between the OAF and the City of Sydney council with an outcome that highlighted a breakdown in communication between the town planning officers and the OAF’s application planners. Amongst passionate speeches emphasing the OAF’s commitment to live music and the arts and support from select councillor's criticising the council's languishing on technicalities, the meeting was wrapped with a positive spin that may see the OAF open for lunch-time tunes in the near future.

Lord Mayor Clover Moore concluded the hearing by stating that the council does support live music and the OAF. Oxford Art Factory has been asked to come up with a new amended Section 96 condition to satisfy the council. Mark Gerber is now in the process of drafting this condition with the OAF’s legal team.

With recent laws introduced to encourage live music at small venues in Sydney, the stripping of live music venues as high risk and Victoria, and now this decision by Sydney council to attempt to cooperate with arts institutions in the city, things are starting to look up.

Stay in touch for more news on the Oxford Art Factory's plight and how this might affect your Sunday afternoons in the future.