Sydney’s lockout laws fully overturned after 12 years

Sydney’s controversial lockout laws have been fully overturned after 12 years in a bid to encourage more custom for nighttime businesses. 

Ultra-prohibitive rules were introduced in 2014 by then-Liberal party member and New South Wales Premier Barry O’Farrell. The idea was to curb substance-related violence, with a specific focus on areas such as Oxford Street, the Central Business District (CBD) and Kings Cross. 

Regulations included enforced last entry times and early cut-offs at the bar. Although these have gradually been watered down in the years since, many regulations deemed damaging to clubs, pubs and bars have remained in place for more than a decade. 

Prior to 2020, the rules had enforced a 1.30AM lockout for all neighbourhoods covered, when Oxford Street and CBD were allowed to operate for an additional two hours. Kings Cross was granted the same permissions a year later. 

The final rules which have now been lifted include a ban on glassware – which meant drinks had to be poured into plastic vessels – and a 3.30AM cut-off for alcohol. Revellers will no longer be subject to a limit on how much they can be served in one sitting, and teams of the marshals deployed to venues will be largely disbanded.  

A review of the areas these policies impacted, conducted by the Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research, has shown a significant fall in assaults. Kings Cross, for example, has seen a 62% drop in incidence, which advocates argue is attributable to various number of licensing reforms dating to 2008. 

Another analysis, by Liquor & Gaming NSW, also pointed to a reduction in violence, but recommended switching to a case-by-case approach moving forward. This means some restrictions can be applied to individual venues, and a number of safety measures remain in place, including a requirement for anyone serving drinks to be appropriately trained. 

Since inception, the laws have been the subject of much debate and push back, with protests attracting thousands in the hope of lobbying lawmakers. Those speaking out against the rules have included City of Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore, who described the measures as “the equivalent of using a sledgehammer to crack a walnut.” 

Although the roll-back has been broadly welcomed, those who have campaigned for restrictions to end are now concerned reforms have come too late given the impact of lockout laws, coupled with Covid-19 lockdowns. 

Some, including Tyson Koh, Founder of Keep Sydney Open, believe serious damage has been done to Sydney’s reputation as a nighttime destination. “How do you change the perception of an entire city?,” he asked the Sydney Morning Herald. 

“Once we had a closer look at all the regulations restricting the New South Wales night-time economy, we realised the lockouts were just the tip of the iceberg. Since coming to office we’ve been slashing the red tape that was pushing venues out of business and stopping grown adults having fun,” said John Graham, New South Wales Minister for Music and the Night-time Economy. The local government has now pledged to support and rebuild nightlife in the area.