Northern Beaches Advocate, 12 March 2023
Teal candidate for Pittwater Jacqui Scruby has won the support of Lime Cordiale for her stance on music.
Northern Beaches musicians Lime Cordiale have backed Teal candidate for Pittwater Jacqui Scruby (main image, centre), following her declaration of support for a ‘Vote Music’ policy paper released by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA).
The multi-ARIA award-winning band Lime Cordiale was started by Northern Beaches brothers Oliver (Oli) and Louis Leimbach (main image, left and right). They threw their weight behind the Independent candidate for Pittwater after she declared her support for the policy paper.
“Since Lime Cordiale started in 2009, we’ve witnessed the fall of live music on the Northern Beaches. It was once a relevant cultural hub but now feels as though we’re tiptoeing around sleeping grandparents.
“Lime Cordiale must’ve played about a hundred shows around Pittwater before we were able to branch out. Angus and Julia, INXS, Midnight Oil and The Choirboys did the same thing before us. I heard that David Bowie once played in Whale Beach! That’s hard to believe these days.
“It’s tough for upcoming bands that don’t get the community support that we once did. We need to fuel music, art and culture that has always been such an integral part of Northern Beaches history,” said Oli Leimbach.
Jacqui Scruby was a senior adviser to Mackellar MP Dr Sophie Scamps (image above, left) before deciding to run for the seat of Pittwater in the NSW Election. She said that Triple J’s Hottest 100 has regularly featured Northern Beaches bands, including Lime Cordiale, Ocean Alley, The Rions, Flume, Winston Surfshirt, Angus and Julia Stone.
Ms Scruby said that in her time working with Dr Scamps, she had made representation on behalf of the music industry to government.
“The Northern Beaches is the breeding ground of some of Australia’s best bands – and many of us hope our aspiring young musicians will join their ranks in the future. I will push for both the funding and policy positions outlined in the Vote Music policy paper.
“To keep Australian music thriving after years of challenges including COVID, I’m proud to support the Vote Music plan to make NSW the premier music state and call on both major parties to do the same,” said Ms Scruby.
The ARIA sponsored Vote Music policy paper claims that the $3.6b music industry is not flourishing as it should in NSW and outlines three policy actions:
- Establish a Contemporary Music Office in government to drive music development
- Provide significant government investment in artists, and industry initiatives
- Protecting and building venues, festivals and spaces to make NSW a proud home of contemporary music
The Vote Music policy paper can be read in full, or more details can be found at the Vote Music website.
The NSW Election will be held on Saturday, 25 March 2023.