The First Venues to Benefit From Sydney's Lockout Extensions Have Been Revealed

Remember when you could enter a bar after 1.30am and order a drink after 3am, Sydneysiders? Yes, those were the days. Thanks to the NSW Government's rightfully unpopular lockout laws, those times have been etched into the brains of anyone who likes to head out for a tipple or two at night; however, for three venues, the cutoffs have shifted to half an hour later.

It was revealed back in December that the powers that be were planning to push back lockout and closing times for both bars and bottleshops as part of a two-year trial, and now something is actually happening. Deputy Secretary for Liquor, Gaming and Emergency Management at the NSW Department of Justice, Paul Newson, announced that CBD venues the Palace Hotel, Observer Hotel and ArtHouse Hotel are now allowed to admit patrons until 2am and serve beverages until 3.30am.

Hopefully, there'll be more where they came from, with Newson flagging that others should follow. "We expect to announce more venues soon, with Liquor & Gaming NSW assessing a further 13 applications for the 30-minute extensions to lockouts and last drinks times," he said. "More applications are expected in the next few weeks. Industry feedback suggests up to 50 venues could take advantage of the relaxed lockout and last drinks times."

Will it make a difference? If you need a reminder of the impact the lockouts have had since they were implemented, here's a breakdown that we prepared earlier. On the one hand, half an hour is better than nothing. On the other, entry and last drinks cutoffs remain earlier than everyone who enjoys the city's nightlife scene would like. Maybe it's a step in a more positive direction, or maybe it's a gesture to help appease the unhappy masses; either way, at a time when protests keep coming (and then shut down), the lockout debacle isn't going to end any time soon.