Amsterdam Night Mayor Slams Sydney Lockout Laws, Says Venue Operators Aren't To Blame

The night mayor of Amsterdam has come out swinging against the NSW government, insisting that Sydney's lockout laws have only punished venue operators and failed to address a cultural issue. 

Currently in town for the 2016 Electronic Music Conference (EMC), Mirik Milan has spoken to ABC about the controversial lockouts, saying, "I wouldn't come in and say you're doing it all wrong, it just doesn't make a lot of sense to me".

"I think [lockout laws] will not work because, probably, what the State Government wants is behavioural change, and you don't get behavioural change from blaming it on the operators," Milan, who has held the night mayor position since 2012, said.

"If alcohol-related violence is a problem, then it's a societal problem, and not a problem of a certain nightclub in a certain area."

While it has been reported NSW Premier Mike Baird could push back the lockout cut-off by just 30 minutes, Milan is currently working on securing 24-hour permits for nightclubs throughout the Dutch capital, as he says, "Cities benefit from having a vibrant nightlife from a social, cultural and economic perspective".

"What you see happening everywhere in the world is that when the venues close, they all close at the same time," Milan explained of the motivation behind the 24-hour permits. 

"When you push 1000 people out on to the street at 4am, this of course will cause a lot of noise for neighbours…

"So widening the opening hours, making sure that people can decide for themselves when they want to leave and when they’re outside, they have to go home."

Milan also backed calls for Sydney to adopt a night mayor, just months after Keep Sydney Open's Tyson Koh pushed for the position to be introduced. 

"This role can definitely work, but I also see some challenges in Sydney as well," Milan said.

"You have to speak in one voice, you really have to be on topic… I see a lot of different groups, with different interests."