Sydney music venues propose new initiative for lockout exemptions

Around 20 Sydney live music venue operators have banded together to issue a proposal to the NSW Government that would exempt their establishments from Sydney lockout laws and make outside areas safer.

The proposed plan, titled City Safe, pivots on the idea that venues in CBD and Kings Cross which can prove not to have breached their liquor licences and actively work at safeguarding their patrons, should be able to trade without restrictions.

The group, calling itself Operation Phoenix, argues that its proposals do not have to go through the same process of getting new legislation ratified by Parliament or Liquor & Gaming (L&G).

It says discussions with industry, legal and government circles have confirmed that the change could be instituted through last December’s 30-minute relaxation of trading hours for music venues after recommendations from the Callinan review.

The crux of the City Safe proposal calls for the increased use of Electronic Incident Registers (EIR). These would act as a digital licensing inspector, monitoring the checks and risk policies that each venue uses to make it safer for patrons and staff.

By installing these, venues can apply to L&G for exemption. L&G could ask for EIR data to determine if a venue should receive a special status or lose it if it doesn’t remain compliant.

The second part of the proposal is that exempted establishments would become Sydney Safe Venues.

They would be identified by Safe Venue certifications situated on the outside of their buildings. Anyone on the street feeling unsafe could find refuge inside while they wait for transport. Staff will call an ambulance or police if need be, and provide first aid.

Jason Thomas and Clive Dillen, Directors of AusComply, which manufactures the cloud-based EIR software, have agreed to be the face of the City Safe campaign.

AusComply provides its service for the hospitality and security industries in NSW, ACT, Queensland and Victoria.

The next step is a petition to push Parliament into debating the scheme. Technically, it just needs 500 signatures. But it is aiming for at least 10,000 to establish a strong base of support.

AusComply will start at this weekend’s (February 18) Keep Sydney Open rally in Martin Place. Their team will be highly visible in vests bearing their logos.

From February 27 to March 3, the petition gathering will extend to notable CBD locations including Town Hall, Hyde Park and along George Street.

On March 3 and 4, the AusComply team will be collecting signatures at a number of venues, to be announced shortly. Updates and background information can be found here.