This research report has been prepared by a research team from the School of Business and Creative Industries (SBCI) of the University of the Sunshine Coast (UniSC). The report presents findings derived from an initial qualitative phase of a research project investigating the Sunshine Coast night-time economy (SCNTE).
Australian Bureau of Statistics data indicate that core night-time economy businesses – those directly working in hospitality and entertainment venues -make up 8.63% of the Sunshine Coast labour force, while various non-core support workers (e.g. transportation) night-time economy businesses make up a further 21,75% of the labour force in the region.
This first phase of the research project comprised a series of face-to-face interviews (n = 10) with industry practitioners involved in the live entertainment industry of the Sunshine Coast region. Analysis of the interview scripts showed nine emerging themes around the “state of play” for the SCNTE. For perceptions of the SCNTE the themes are:
1. The covid factor – how the lockdowns affected consumer behaviour and post-pandemic business
2. A lack of vibe – perceptions there are limited entertainment opportunities on the Sunshine Coast and venues close too early
3. Sunshine Coast culture – perceptions of an early to bed, early to rise culture amongst locals
4. Zoomer culture – how Generation Z values and behaviours appear to differ from previous generations
Five additional themes, which revolve around various barriers or constraints emerged. These included:
5. The cost of living – rising inflation impacts the overall cost of doing business as well as consumer spending habits
6. Transport – lack of reliable and efficient public transport appears to be a major constraint
7. Safety – although not highlighted as a prominent issue, remains a consideration given the lack of public transport
8. Community permissions – noise complaints and the complexities for operators of permits and compliance
9. Venues – a disconnected array of venues with significant capacity gaps and no clear pathway for fostering emerging artists
Initial conclusions and corresponding recommendations to be drawn from the industry interview findings include:
Village hub development - adapt the example of Noosa Junction (provided as a case study) whereby local business collectives, commercial property owners and lessees are encouraged and supported to create smaller precincts across the string of ‘villages’ that make up the Sunshine Coast.
Boutique festivals and events – the Sunshine Coast’s plethora of community parks and rural spaces could better serve what appears to be some demand for smaller boutique style ‘camp and play’ music festivals.
Industrial Spaces – A novel opportunity exists to reconceptualize various industrial spaces as entertainment spaces.
A centralised 2,000 capacity performance venue –the establishment of a dedicated mid-sized pub rock style performance space as part of the Maroochydore CBD cultural precinct development would fill a gap in the market that sees the Sunshine Coast missing out as a destination for national touring bands.
Review entertainment policies and procedures – while the rights of communities should be protected, the current policies and procedures around entertainment permits are not conducive to the SCNTE.
The results from this phase of research offer insights as to how the Sunshine Coast region can expand and improve its night-time economy, while maintaining its unique regional character. Building on these findings, the second phase of research, which includes developing and administering a quantitative instrument to calibrate the qualitative findings on a larger scale, will now commence. Collectively, both phases of research will provide an evidenced based foundation to help guide SCNTE decisions and strategies moving forward. These findings might also prove useful to other regions in Australia.