As part of Labors Soundtrack Australia Music Policy,a Shorten Labor Government will commit $100,000 to establish a music hub in Shellharbour to provide a place for young musicians to learn, rehearse and practice the art of live performance.

This election will be a choice between a united Shorten Labor Government that will revitalise the Australian music industry, or more of the Liberals cuts and chaos.

Funding for the project will help Shellharbour City Council to develop the Black Room performance space at Blackbutt Youth Centre.

The funding would also allow the installation of a Bio Box a room in an event space for technicians to control audio visual equipment in the same facility.

One of the biggest barriers for younger musicians is having a space to practice together. This project will help give young people that space to practice and will also train young people to plan, produce and construct creative music performances.

It will increase the opportunities for locals to perform in established venues, with top-class facilities.

The investment will upgrade sound proofing and acoustics in the Black Room performance space to enable further use as a recording studio.

This will improve technical capabilities for local artists to record and produce music.

It is estimated between 10-20 jobs will be created during the upgrade of the Youth Centre and fit-out of the Performance Space and Bio Box.

The Illawarra was once a nursery for live music talent producing amazing performers with dozens of venues. Its fallen away over recent years due to inaction, but there is a demand for venues to practice and perform.

Developing a live music culture in a community like ours also makes good economic sense.

Vibrant communities need places where people can come together watch, perform and enjoy themselves.

We need a night time economy which provides things for people to do when they are not at work.

Laborsmusic policy will provide a package of measures to support more children to learn and play music at school and in community Music Hubs, more young bands reach overseas markets and to support industry keep live music in the community and heard around the nation.

Labor wants to see more Australians making music, listening to music, and seeing music live.We want Australian music to be heard, Australian artists to stay in the industry and the next generation to be inspired.

Labor believes in what our songwriters, musicians, performers and music industry do. We think it matters. Our Australian soundtrack matters. Lets turn up the volume.