In response to reports on the matter connected with the Newtown Local Area Command currently before NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal the Greens Member for Newtown, Jenny Leong MP said:

"It is crucial that there is independent scrutiny of this serious issue and I will be watching the progress of this matter closely."

Broadcast on ABC Sydney Drive, June 19, 2017 [starts at 2 hours, 28 minutes, 30 seconds into the program]

Jenny joined a panel on the Monday Political Forum on ABC Sydney Drive discussing key issues prior to the announcement of the 2017 State Budget.

Topics covered included train accessibility, housing affordability and homelessness, renter's rights, lock out laws and late night transport options, cycle paths and safety. 

Published in Inner West Courier, 9 April 2017

POLICE and security guards have started patrolling a new taxi rank in Newtown in a bid to curb assault rates and reduce traffic chaos from late-night revellers hailing cabs along King St.

Three security guards have been employed to oversee the safety of patrons and taxi drivers at the cab rank (outside the Commonwealth Bank) near Whateley Lane.

On Wednesday 15 March 2017 the Protecting the Vibe public meeting was co-hosted by the Newtown Neighbourhood Centre and Greens Member for Newtown Jenny Leong MP.

It followed on from a 2015 public meeting on the Newtown Vibe, called in response to community concerns around the Sydney lockouts and community safety, and gave the community the opportunity to hear about the work of the Newtown Vibe Roundtable, established after the initial public meeting, and to report in on the current vibe in Newtown.

NSW Greens spokesperson on Night-time Culture and Economy and Member for Newtown Jenny Leong spoke in the Parliament about the local, targeted response to the lockouts that has taken place in Newtown.

NSW Greens spokesperson on Night-time Culture and Economy and Member for Newtown Jenny Leong MP says that the locally-led response taken in Newtown shows that there are real alternatives to blanket lockout laws.

“While the latest BOCSAR statistics on assaults seem to confirm that the community's concern that imposition of the Sydney CBD and Kings Cross lockouts would push violence and anti-social behaviour to nearby suburbs, the specific stats for Newtown are showing that reported assaults have remained stable, even with a significant increase in visitor numbers. Targeted, community-led solutions can have an impact," said Ms Leong.

Newtown is a place known for being welcoming, eclectic, diverse, accepting, respectful, vibrant and fun.

In 2015, the Newtown community came together at a public meeting in response to concerns about safety in the local area, following the implementation of the Sydney CBD and Kings Cross lockouts. The meeting was a joint initiative of the Newtown Neighbourhood Centre, Newtown Precinct Business Association, ACON, and the Office of Jenny Leong MP, Member for Newtown.

As a result of the meeting, a working group known as the Newtown Vibe Roundtable was established, to monitor and respond to safety, planning, transport and amenity issues that impact the Newtown area.

Read the report on the Newtown Vibe Roundtable.

In March 2017 a second community meeting was held, to allow people who live, work or play in and around Newtown to report in on the mood in Newtown now.

While statistics from the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research show that the number of reported assaults in Newtown has remained stable, some locals have reported a change in the mood on the streets. 

What are your thoughts on the mood in Newtown? Do you have ideas that will keep our community safe and vibrant?

The Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research have released an updated report on the effect of lockout and last drinks laws on non-domestic assaults in Sydney.

NSW Greens spokesperson on Night-time Culture and Economy and Member for Newtown Jenny Leong MP says that a considered response is needed.

Anyone who lives, works or plays in and around Newtown is invited to report in on the “Newtown Vibe” at a public meeting on Wednesday 15 March.

Hosted by the Newtown Neighbourhood Centre and Member for Newtown, Jenny Leong MP, the meeting will give locals and Newtown-lovers an opportunity to give their views, and hear about the work done by the Newtown Vibe Roundtable to keep Newtown safe, diverse and respectful.

Join us at the Newtown Vibe Public meeting on Wednesday 15 March at 6pm, hosted by Newtown Neighbourhood Centre (NNC) and Jenny Leong MP, Member for Newtown.