About the Valley Special entertainment precinct

On 1 July 2006, Brisbane City Council created Australia’s first designated Special Entertainment Precinct in Fortitude Valley (the Valley). Its creation was one of the first steps towards achieving the aims of the Valley Music Harmony Plan.

The precinct was created to ensure the long-term future of the music-based entertainment industry in the Valley without exposing residents or businesses to unreasonable levels of amplified music noise.

The Special Entertainment Precinct designates areas within the Valley where music-noise and development laws apply.

Entertainment venues in the Special Entertainment Precinct are exempt from the amplified music noise requirements of the Queensland Government’s liquor licensing laws. Responsibility for regulating amplified music noise from venues in the Special entertainment precinct has been transferred from the State Liquor Licensing Division to Council.

Amplified music noise levels in the precinct are regulated by Council’s Amplified Music Venues Local Law, which requires amplified music venues to have an Amplified Music Venues Permit.

The music-noise and development laws protect music venues from having to turn down their volumes when residential development is built nearby. Instead, the onus is on new developments to incorporate extensive noise insulation.

New music venue buildings will also be required to incorporate noise insulation, but this won’t mean zero noise on the streets. The development laws for the Valley Special entertainment precinct recognise that noise levels will be higher than in other parts of Brisbane, but they don’t give music venues a blank cheque  to make as much noise as they want.

Brisbane City Plan 2014 sets out the Special Entertainment Precinct referred to as Special entertainment area in the Fortitude Valley neighbourhood plan code.

The creation of the Special Entertainment Precinct does not mean that the Valley is only for music. It will remain a vibrant mixed-use precinct including residents, backpacker and hotel accommodation, nightclubs, live music venues, cafes, restaurants and retail businesses.

The Valley’s live music scene is important for a creative and prosperous Brisbane, and the community feedback Council has collected suggests broad public support for the continued growth of live music culture and venues that support it.

The Valley has nurtured some of Australia's most talented artists and performers. Without our continued support of the Valley as a valuable incubator for the development of local live music of all types and styles, our future musical icons may not have the same opportunity to cultivate their talents.