It comes as both council and performers acknowledge the shortage of live music venues and performance spaces in the city and are working together on an overarching plan.
The Ōtepoti Live Music Action Plan, presented to councillors this week, listed ways to improve the live music environment in the city, but noted several of these would require the council to set extra money aside.
Some of the aspects which would require extra money included exploring options for increased live performances in the city; creating a pilot project to encourage street performance on George St; increasing the number of alcohol-free and child-friendly events; and considering "options for a mid-sized music venue that can be accessible to a diverse range [including national and local] of artists, promoters, touring and ticketing companies".
The mid-size venue options would become more specific in next year’s long-term plan.
Save Dunedin Live Music spokesman David Bennett said the plan had required a lot of work.
"There’s definitely progress being made on the things that fit within the council’s arts and culture remit.
"The areas of the plan where we’re seeing little action on are the larger barriers to fostering live music and the related infrastructure."
Mr Bennett was "optimistic" the council was listening to the live music community’s concerns, but wanted more clarity on the bigger projects.
"The mid-sized venue proposal is up in the air.
There had been no protection for live music venues in the council’s present planning framework other than more liberal acoustic and inner-city noise limits, Mr Bennett said.
"This is a big issue that the council needs to work on as a whole. At the moment, there’s no planning encouragement for vibrancy in the city.
"What it feels like right now is that we’ve got a very arts-focused approach, rather than a holistic approach."
Mr Bennett said the group would like to see the council appoint someone to act as an intermediary to get some of the larger projects under way.
"It would provide a point of contact where people could bring their concerns and wishes.
"It also would mean the council would receive good information, and the public would have a better idea about what the council could do for them."
At this week’s community services committee meeting, Cr Jim O’Malley said the Ōtepoti Live Music Action Plan was "robust".
Cr Mandy Mayhem said she was looking forward to more music venues and spaces being established as the plan’s recommendations were implemented.
But Cr Carmen Houlahan said the council needed to streamline its approach, so groups were not "sitting there waiting" for action.
