Live Music Biz Remains Angry Despite Lax Lockout

The New South Wales (NSW) government has relaxed lockout times for live music venues and nightclubs in Sydney’s entertainment precincts in the central business district (CBD) and Kings Cross.  

These will be trialed for two years, and the news follows a government-commissioned statutory review by former High Court Judge Ian Callinan. Starting in January, the lockout times, when no new patrons can enter a venue, are moved from 1:30 a.m. to 2 a.m.

– Keep Sydney Open

State Premier Mike Baird said, “If we continue to see improvements in violence or maintenance of violence at levels where it’s currently at, that gives us capacity to further liberalise these laws.”

He cited NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research data that since the lockout laws were introduced two years ago, non-domestic violent assaults dipped by 45.1 percent in Kings Cross and by 20.3 percent in the CBD.

As part of the changes, a freeze on new venues in the precincts will be extended to mid-2018. Small bars, which are considered low risk, will have their capacities extended from 60 to 100 people, and can now trade until 2 a.m.

However, critics say that the move is too little and too late. Tyson Koh of activist group Keep Sydney Open told TheMusic site, it “will do little to help small businesses, the music scene or reinvigorate our dying inner-city precincts. Thirty minutes is not enough to help out struggling businesses, to bring back the jobs lost in the night time economy, it’s not enough to restore confidence in our live music scene and it’s certainly not enough to get this issue off the Premier’s back.”

Amsterdam Night Mayor Mirik Milan, visiting Sydney to speak at the Electronic Music Conference, suggested on ABC Radio of bigger-picture strategies that think past curfews as a way to manage activity after dark

In the meantime, NSW Opposition Leader Luke Foley has asserted that the NSW government could do more for less-risk venues outside the lockout zone. His proposals include appointing a night mayor to invigorate the nighttime economy, employing all-night transport on the weekends, and enacting a new licensing tier where venues showcasing live bands are allowed to stay open later.