Clover Moore proposes 3am lockout for ALL NSW licensed premises: no exceptions (1 Viewer)

[Kwayera]

Last month an email campaign circulated widely that warned the City of Sydney Council was planning to enforce a shutdown of inner-city pubs and clubs at 2am. At the time Lord Mayor Clover Moore dismissed the claims, but it turns out the fears were well justified as the council is indeed throwing its weight behind a blanket lockout, and even worse, attempting to speak on behalf of the whole of the state. ITM has obtained a planned submission from Sydney Council to the NSW Government which recommends a state-wide 3am lockout of all licensed premises.

The council memo, which had been signed and approved by City of Sydney CEO Monica Barone, details the council’s planned response to the NSW Government’s ‘Safety Star Rating System’ in a submission that’s due to be lodged this Friday 27th March. Establishing that City of Sydney does not support the Rating System, it recommends an “amendment of the Liquor Act 2007 to apply a two year trial of a state-wide retrospective 3am lockout on all licensed premises, with no exceptions available for any venue, the same as the Queensland Government lockout.”

The submission also recommends a further amendment of the Liquor Act 2007 “to cap the provision of any further 24 hour trading liquor licenses”, as well as suggesting the NSW Government adopts a model of liquor license trading hours where extended trading hours “are regarded as a privilege to be earned.”

Liberal councilor Shayne Mallard, a well known opponent of independent Clover Moore, has spoken out to ITM in sharp criticism of Sydney Council’s “collective punishment” approach to the issue of alcohol related violence. “There’s an agenda to shut bars down at 2 or 3 in the morning, there’s no doubt about that,” he told ITM. “It’s a reaction to the loud campaign run by a very influential and well resourced minority in our community. The anti-alcohol lobby has reared its head very strong in this city, and they’ve got the ear of Clover Moore and her councilors. They’re all ageing baby boomers getting towards the end of their careers, and they’ve decided there’s too much fun and good times going on in this city… they had their good times, but they want the current generation of people to be home by 2am and not drinking alcopops.”

Whether the NSW Government adopts the recommendations or not, Mallard warns that the Sydney Council will move forward with its plans to restrict the opening hours of inner-city Sydney venues. Clover Moore implied the exact opposite when she responded to the furor surrounding the email campaign last month. “Council has no power or desire to close down every late night premises at 2am,” the statement claimed. However, Mallard warns of the “backdoor” approach to restricting trading.

“Clover Moore said in her letter in response to the email campaign that the council has no power. That’s technically correct, but it has been able to do it in the past.” He claims the council has the instruments to impose new trading conditions by whittling down the venues on a case by case basis. “In my experience, the council can retrospectively pick off all the venues one by one… by making them comply to the new policy when they make applications to change the layout of their bar, put in a new staircase, whatever it is. The council can put other conditions on their hotels.”

inthemix | News | ITM Exclusive: Sydney Council moves to impose 3am lockout
City of Sydney Council proposal for state wide retrospective 3am alcohol lockout, 20 Mar 2009 - Wikileaks

 

[whatashotbyseve]

She also banned Tim Tams at council meetings I read today in the SMH. Because cocoa may or may not be processed by child labour in the Ivory Coast. Way to stick on the safe side, Clover!

Re: Clubs, it is another moral panic not understood by the greenies in Council.

 

[x.christina]

no more pub brawls!
no more pub brawls!
no more pub brawls!
no more pub brawls!
no more pub brawls!

edit: stfu caps lock ban

 

[Raven3333]

Thats not too bad, 3am is the optimal time to finish up a night out. From experience all that staying out after 3am does is fuck you over for the nexxt day and give you one hell of a hangover.

 

[Kwayera]

And because of this personal experience, you think EVERYONE should end their nights at 3am.

 

[staticsiscool]

i agree. who the hell stays out past 3am? 3am is a pretty reasonable time to call it quits. if you arent passed out etc by 3am you are doing it wrong.

although 24hr pubs are good if you have no where lined up to stay lol just keep drinking

 

[breaking]

sounds like a pretty shit idea

did you fuck the thread title up though? lockout = venue stays open but people are no longer allowed in... 2/3am lockout isn't that bad.... but fuck closing all venues at the same time off

 

[incentivation]

RSA is the issue. Not closing times.

 

[SashatheMan]

I thought most clubs close doors at 3 am anyway?

 

[Raven3333]

And because of this personal experience, you think EVERYONE should end their nights at 3am.

Pretty much. Honestly if this is going to reduce alcohol related violence I don't think such a small inconvinence to a minority of people is a huge sacrafice to make.

Also your a woman so nobody cares what you think anyway. Hanging out past 3am in your skimpy clothes, just like uncovered meat, then complaining that the big bad man touched you.

 

[Kwayera]

Pretty much. Honestly if this is going to reduce alcohol related violence I don't think such a small inconvinence to a minority of people is a huge sacrafice to make.

How is this going to reduce alcohol related violence?

 

[Graney]

I'd like to see the evidence on long-term trends in pub violence. There's no obvious cause for it to have increased beyond the level that would be predicted due to population and demographic trends.

 

[aussie-boy]

regulation will just breed frustration and a rush to drink as much as possible when its allowed
what is needed is a culture shift, and smaller bars - like in Europe - where you never see fights

 

[Serius]

Places where this has been implimented have just shown an earlier time to start drinking. In Ireland the clubs all start getting busy at 6pm because they close around midnight.

The stupidest thing my local coucil did was leave bar closing time as 3am, but [dont know if they were forced, probably co-erced] made lockout times like 2am, and then food places have to close at the same time so "people arent hanging out in the street". That means all your kebab places, burger shops etc are closed early, all business gone etc pisses me off so much. When ive been out on the piss i love just getting a good burger or kebab or something. People dont "hang around" they get their food and go home.

 

[jb_nc]

I'd like to see the evidence on long-term trends in pub violence. There's no obvious cause for it to have increased beyond the level that would be predicted due to population and demographic trends.

I'd like you see you.

Naked.

 

[quik.]

Wouldn't this just push the group of people causing the problems in the first place out into the street or onto public transport etc?

 

[Riet]

Oh sweet so every single drunk person in the city will be on the street at cab changeover time, this is going to decrease violence for sure!

 

[Riet]

regulation will just breed frustration and a rush to drink as much as possible when its allowed
what is needed is a culture shift, and smaller bars - like in Europe - where you never see fights

My dad was in a bar in Paris when an algerian guy got in an argument with the bar staff and then threw a tear gas grenade over the counter.

 

[townie]

Oh sweet so every single drunk person in the city will be on the street at cab changeover time, this is going to decrease violence for sure!

haha. oh god, that would be horrendous.

I'm not joking, I reckon a lot of "alcohol fueled violence" would be related to cabs, the only time i've ever really thought shit could go down in the city is when people have been trying to get cabs, and they get really really agro

 

[McLoving]

last night there was fight at town hall station

around 2am