NSW Unveils New Liquor Laws
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
This week saw the proposition of new licensing laws for pubs, clubs and bottle shops across NSW that will be stricter than those currently in practice. The new proposals are a response to public uproar that followed the recent deaths of 18 year old assault victim, Daniel Christie and 19 year old Thomas Kelly.
The changes proposed include:
• A freeze on new liquor licenses for the Sydney CBD.
• An earlier closing time of 10pm for bottle shops across NSW
• An earlier lock-out time of 1.30am for licensed venues within a certain radius of Sydney’s CBD
• No alcohol to be served after 3am
• Free buses from the Kings Cross area every 10 minutes on Friday and Saturday nights.
NSW Premier, Barry O’Farrell, defends the proposals, saying that they are not designed to penalise responsible drinkers but more to, “undo the culture of binge drinking that is giving the industry a very bad name.”
Restaurants, small bars and a couple of individual establishments, such as The Star casino, are going to be exempt from this attempt to curb alcohol fuelled violence.
The proposals have been met with resistance from some in the industry who say that the changes are likely to suppress any progression or growth of the Sydney nightlife culture, a culture that contributes significant revenue to the area.
Do you work in a bar? What do you think about the proposed changes? How do you think these change will impact the industry? Let us know on our Facebook page.
