Following this morning's news that the NSW government will trial a slightly more relaxed version of Sydney's lockout laws over the next two years, activist group Keep Sydney Open have responded by slamming the decision and NSW Premier, Mike Baird.
"The New South Wales Government has today acknowledged that the lockout laws as they exist are a failure," Keep Sydney Open campaign director, Tyson Koh, said in a statement given to The Music.
"These go-to-bed laws have damaged our communities, small businesses and Sydney’s vibrancy without solving the problem of violence.
"It's sad that in the face of this failing policy the Government has not had the imagination and ambition to consider world class alternatives to create a safe night time economy, but instead the Premier only has enough vision to tinker around the edges."
It has been reported that the 1.30am lockout will be pushed back to 2am, the 3am last drinks rule will be pushed to 3.30am and the 10pm ban on home takeaway alcohol sales will be pushed to 11pm.
"The NSW Government has shown itself to be wholly inadequate in providing sensible solutions for the community and Sydney’s night time economy," Koh said.
"Cities around the world, or just down the Hume in Melbourne, have trialled lockouts and found that they’re a waste of time. We demand better.
"If the government thinks that 30 minutes will patch up this complete policy failure, they're wrong; it simply exposes the fact that they have made a terrible mistake by putting their trust in go-to-bed laws to make Sydney safer.
"This latest announcement ensures that the Premier will continue to be dogged well into the New Year."
Keep Sydney Open have called on the government to abandon the lockout laws altogether and to work with the community to implement alternative solutions to addressing violence, while supporting a vibrant nighttime economy.
Meanwhile, Member for Newtown and NSW Greens spokesperson on Night-time Culture and Economy, Jenny Leong MP, also rejected the changes.
"The fault with the lockouts is that they were – and are – a blanket punishment," Leong said.
"Instead of dealing with the people or the venues that were the problem, the lockouts punished everybody in our city who wanted to be out late and have fun.
"The changes announced today will have a minor impact on a limited number of venues. This isn’t the boost the Sydney’s night-time culture and economy that our musos, creatives, shift-workers, and all-night party-goers know we need.
"You can dance to a DJ, a jukebox or a band. You can be entertained by a drag queen, a performance poet or a heavy metal covers band.
"It’s laughable to think that a government bureaucrat will be responsible for determining what live entertainment is."
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