Sydney Lord Major Clover Moore details position on lockouts

Representing her electorate, Lord Mayor Clover Moore has detailed her position on Sydney’s lockout laws in a statement penned for Sydney Morning Herald.

Published last night, Moore’s statement calls for a more flexible approach to nightlife operations in Sydney.

“To achieve balance, the city’s submission to the NSW government’s Liquor Law Review is recommending that well-managed licensed premises and live music and performance venues be exempt from the 1.30am lockout, and that the 3am “last drinks” rule be reconsidered based on evidence such as a venue’s compliance history, planning controls and economic, social and environmental factors,” Moore said.

The statement sees Moore represent her electorate in opposition to the lockout laws.

“Rather than addressing the real problems, the NSW government’s response was to introduce a blanket lockout across the city centre and in Kings Cross (with an inexplicable exemption for the casino),” she wrote. “It was a sledgehammer when what we needed was a well-researched, evidence-based, flexible response using transport, planning, licensing and police.”

Moore admitted the laws have benefitted the Kings Cross area in terms of making it safer for residents (BOCSAR data released in 2015 showed the laws coincided with a 32% drop in assaults) but said “the lockout law has hurt Sydney’s cultural life and had negative impacts on businesses, including live music venues, small bars and restaurants, and many people have lost their jobs.”

Moore’s recommendations will make up City of Sydney’sfull submission to the NSW Government’s review of the lockout laws. The independent review was introduced by the NSW Government in early 2014, and is being overseen by former High Court Justice Ian Callinan.

City of Sydney’ssubmission is also expected to include a request for the introduction of new “saturation zone” rules to manage venue growth and concentration. The proposed rules will consider the number and type of licensed premises in a given area, along with relevant crime data and transport options.

City of Sydney’s lockout submission includes 31 recommendations, they include:

• A 12-month trial exemption from the 1.30am lockout for well-managed premises and live music and performance venues;
• Reconsideration of the blanket 3am ‘last drinks’ rule, taking into account a venue’s compliance history, planning controls, and local factors;
• Continuation of the 10pm take-away liquor sales restriction as a measure to address pre-fuelling;
• Replacing the existing liquor license freeze with new ‘saturation zone’ rules that consider the number and type of licensed premises in a given area, along with relevant crime data and transport options;
• Making base trading hours until 2am consistent for all small bars across NSW, along with an increase in their capacity limit from 60 to 120 patrons;
• Reduction or removal of the ‘trading hours loading fee’ (paid by venues considered ‘high-risk’ because they trade after midnight, are located in the CBD or Kings Cross entertainment precincts, or have a high patron capacity) for small bars and live music and performance venues;
• Non-renewal of a venue’s liquor license for ongoing non-compliance or representation on the ‘violent venues’ list;
• The extension of train services on Friday and Saturday nights until after venue closing times, to ensure people can get home quickly and safely;
• Establishment of a licensing panel, with representation from Liquor and Gaming NSW, NSW Police and the relevant local council to review and determine liquor license applications and revisions; and
• Establishment of NSW Government-led working groups focusing on the development of a sustainable night-time economy, including support for the live music sector, and late-night transport improvements.
• If all recommendations were to be implemented, the City would also recommend the NSW Government consider removing the 1.30am lockout for all venues.

NSW Premier Mike Baird has been open in his support for the lockouts. Speaking at astate government roundtable which examined Sydney’s nightlife lastThursday morning, Baird said:“[…] if we have saved lives, if we have avoided serious brain injuries – which the emergency doctors will tell you we have – well, it’s a pretty important thing to do.”