Southwick campaigns for concert
"We're thankful that the event is being discussed in Parliament and we look forward to the day that we can gather physically to experience the incredible Israeli music that will be on offer."
DEPUTY Victorian Liberal leader David Southwick has put pressure on the state government to exercise discretion and allow a Jewish communal concert to proceed six days earlier than the date for the most significant relaxations of the lockdown.
The Andrews government’s roadmap currently states November 5 as the “indicative date” of Phase C, when 80 per cent of Victorians are projected to have had two vaccinations. On present indications, major events will be allowed from that date.
However, a St Kilda concert by Israeli-Jewish group Habayit has already been “rescheduled three times”, according to coordinator Hallely Kimchi. It was planned for October 30, but this is currently before Phase C is due to start.
When Kimchi learned about a major event at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl set for October 30, she contacted Southwick, the MP for Caulfield. Stating that “we are ahead of schedule with vaccination rates”, Kimchi added, “Our community is eagerly waiting for this … a lot of planning is involved.”
Kimchi told The AJN that concertgoers would fit within the maximum capacity of Memo Music Hall’s interior auditorium which can accommodate a total of 300 spread across two levels. (The Myer Music Bowl event – promoted by the government as part of Melbourne’s reopening – is expected to draw up to several thousand outdoor attendees).
She said if Habayit can’t stage its concert on October 30, the next available date for the hall won’t be until March. She is keenly waiting for the green light, so ticket holders can be notified, musicians brought in and rehearsals can take place.
In an adjournment motion in Parliament, Southwick said Kimchi “is seeking to have the same rules applied for her community concert” as the Bowl event.
“All event organisers, whether small or large, community or national, require certainty and consistency – not last-minute shifts in goalposts that serve only to create confusion,” Southwick said.
At the time of going to press, the government had not responded to an AJN request for a comment.
Zionism Victoria president Yossi Goldfarb told The AJN, “We’re thankful that the event is being discussed in Parliament and we look forward to the day that we can gather physically to experience the incredible Israeli music that will be on offer.”
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