Community Locked Out of Lockout Review
NSW Greens acting spokesperson on Liquor Laws Jenny Leong says the community is right to be outraged by the recent comments from Premier Mike Baird that have all but promised that Sydney’s CBD lockout laws will live on – even though the stipulated public review has not even begun.
“The CBD lockouts were imposed with a top-down, heavy-handed approach from the Baird government. Yes, there was a problem, but there was no attempt to work with the community and key stakeholders to find a long-term solution that would keep our city vibrant, open and safe,” she says.
Read moreCity of Sydney Report Shows Jump in Newtown Late Night Foot Traffic
Member for Newtown Jenny Leong has responded to today’s story in the SMH on a City of Sydney report on late-night pedestrian numbers throughout Sydney.
The report notes a large decrease in nighttime foot traffic through Kings Cross and the CBD, and a sharp rise in pedestrian numbers in Newtown.
Read moreNewtown Vibe Worth Protecting
This opinion piece by Jenny Leong appeared in the Sydney Morning Herald on August 5th 2015.
Some of my first experiences of Sydney, as a newly arrived teenager from Adelaide, came in the early hours of the morning. As a waiter in Circular Quay, our nights out began when others were starting to wind down.
Dancing in the Cross, playing pool at the Oxford, walking out of the Imperial to see the sunrise over Erskineville - these are all part of why I love this city.
These days my late-night struggle for a cab tends to start after long parliamentary sittings rather than nights out. But I love the late-night culture of Sydney, and Newtown in particular. I don't want to shut it down and lock it up.
That said, it must be acknowledged that the "vibe" in Newtown is changing. It's clear the law and order response that imposed lockouts on Kings Cross has had a significant impact on the area and on Sydney's nightlife.
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