Greens NSW Submission to the Sydney Lockouts Review

The NSW Government is in the process of reviewing the Liquor Amendment Act 2014, the legislation that brought in the Sydney CBD and Kings Cross lockouts two years ago.

The NSW Greens have made a submission to the independent review, outlining our case for repealing the current laws in favour of innovative, integrated policies that reduce alcohol related violence without negatively impacting on Sydney’s creative communities and night-time economy.

The CBD and Kings Cross lockouts are punitive and too broad reaching. They impact on everyone who goes out at night, not just the very few people who act irresponsibly.

What really needs to be addressed is the influence that the alcohol lobby has over public policy in NSW. Rather than shutting down our entire city, our laws should properly restrict the density and size of licenced venues; target problem venues; and encourage diversity in our late-night economy, including live performance and food outlets. We also need to make sure that Responsible Service of Alcohol guidelines are properly enforced and that education about problems associated with misuse of alcohol is widely available.

There are a range of alternative solutions that can address alcohol-related violence and anti-social behaviour that allow Sydney to remain an internationally recognised, 24-hour city that encourages creativity, entrepreneurship and community use of public spaces.

Read the NSW Greens’ submission to the Independent Review of the Impact of Liquor Law Reforms here.