Overview
Lord Mayor Clover Moore has long been a supporter of small bars, live music and Sydney's creative culture. And now, she's putting her weight behind opposition to the lockouts.
In an article published in the SMH on April 3 titled, 'It's time we grew up and ditched the one-size-fits-all lockout', the Lord Mayor wrote that "well-managed licensed premises and live music and performance venues should be exempt from the 1.30am lockout" — and considering Sydney's live music venues have lost almost half their revenue since the lockouts, we're psyched. She added that the 3am 'last drinks' rule should be determined according to each venue, taking into account its "compliance history, planning controls and economic, social and environmental factors".
What's more, the Lord Mayor has put all this into the City of Sydney's submission to the NSW Government's Liquor Law Review, which is underway under the leadership of former High Court judge Ian Callinan and due to be done and dusted by August.
"It's about balance," the Lord Mayor told the SMH. "It is about enabling people to go out safely in a rich and diverse night life that you have in a global city."
She also pointed out the lockouts have had negative impacts on live music (which they bloody well have), culture and businesses, leading to job losses. In 2013, Sydney's late-night activities were worth $17.8 billion and kept more than 30,000 people at work.
At the same time, the Lord Mayor acknowledged that levels of violent behaviour in Kings Cross and other areas had become concerning. For years before the lockouts, the City had appealed to the State Government to take action, such as putting on more public transport and better planning, but had received little or no support.
Since the introduction of the lockouts in February 2014, live music ticket sales in Sydney have dropped by 40 percent. On 1 March 2016, Music Australia reported that the Oxford Art Factory alone had suffered a 30 percent drop in revenue.
Consequently, industry bodies, such as the Live Music Office and MusicNSW, have been lobbying for exemptions for live music venues. Meanwhile, numerous artists and bands, including The Preatures and Flight Facilities, have voiced their opposition to the lockouts, and on 22 February 2016, more than 15,000 people rallied under the banner #KeepSydneyOpen.
Via SMH. Image: Stocksnap.