‘Sydney Has Been Damaged’: Keep Sydney Open Enters Night Time Inquiry Submission

Keep Sydney Open will appear at a parliamentary hearing into Sydney's night time economy this coming Monday, and the NSW government has made the group’s submission publicly available.

In their submission, KSO highlight the damage Sydney’s lockout laws have done to the city’s reputation and economy.

“Keep Sydney Open believes that being known as ‘the city with lockouts’ is so damaging to the city’s psyche, that nothing but a full repeal of the lockout laws will restore any sense of confidence in Sydney’s night-time economy,” they said.

Keep Sydney Open’s extensive research references more than 120 reports, studies and news articles and presents a detailed look at how Sydney has transformed since the lockout laws came into effect while offering suggestions around how the night time sector could potentially grow by $16 billion.

They also note that while “the last five years have also seen a reduction in assaults within the lockout precinct”, there has been “increased violence in neighbouring precincts”.

The submission recommends the following:

• A complete removal of the 1:30am lockout
• Incentivising well-run venues with later cease-of-service trials
• An overhaul of the state’s licensing laws, including a lifting of the ‘liquor license freeze’
• Introducing 24-hour public transport
• More effective and collaborative policing
• Establish an independent NSW Government ‘night-time office’
• Develop a State Government vision for nightlife and culture to which government can be held accountable

“We’re at a crossroads where our nightlife can either bounce back or risk permanent damage, but the NSW Government needs to act now,” Keep Sydney Open’s Tyson Koh said.

“Regardless of whether we needed the lockouts in 2014 or not, the laws no longer reflect the Sydney of today and certainly not of tomorrow. It’s time to usher in a new era of Sydney as a 24-hour global city.”

The inquiry kicked off on Monday, with musicians and politicians having their say on "Sydney’s music venue crisis".

Keep Sydney Open’s full submission is available here.