Overview
Buying a bottle of wine after 10pm has been a thing of the past for the last 18 months in Sydney, but at what cost or gain? In a move certain to trigger many a heated debate, the NSW Office of Liquor and Gaming is reviewing the statewide 10pm time restriction on takeaway sales of alcohol.
Introduced in February 2014, alongside the Sydney lockout laws, the ban applies to all sales of alcohol in all areas — including pubs, bottle shops, clubs, hotels, venues and even online stores with delivery. The law's stated goal was to “reduce alcohol-related violence and anti-social behaviour in the community", but what's the actual impact of the 10pm cut-off?
A debate-ridden 18 months later, the Office is taking a close look at the ban’s impacts, both positive and negative. Investigators are considering not only whether or not the ban has reduced violence but also its influence on revenue for venues selling alcohol. The review will take place in two stages, beginning with regional areas, before moving to metropolitan areas.
As part of the consultation process, stakeholders were invited to lodge public submissions. Among the seven received, three came from individuals or independent businesses, while the other four came from the Liquor Marketing Group, the Liquor Stores Association (NSW), the NSW/ACT Policy Alliance (NAAPA) and the Shoalhaven City Council.
According to The Liquor Stores Association (NSW), the ban has led to reduced revenue, increased unemployment, a rise in aggressive and intimidating behaviour from customers, and loss of business to cross-border towns. The Association quotes the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research to demonstrate that alcohol-related public assaults have been decreasing steadily since March 2009, suggesting that recent decreases cannot be directly attributed to the ban.
“We do question whether the blanket measure was necessary in the first place,” Michael Waters, the Association’s executive director, told the ABC.
However, the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons is calling for the ban to be maintained. And, according to crime statistician Dr Don Weatherburn, a nine percent reduction in assaults between February and December 2014 is a result of the ban in combination with other alcohol restrictions. “It’s helped reduce assaults across the state as a whole outside the Sydney entertainment precinct,” he said.
Keen for a good takeaway longneck in the meantime? Head to Sydney's ten best craft beer bottle shops or head to these online stores to get 'em delivered — all before 10pm, of course.