Sydney’s Lock Out Laws Take A Beating

You may have already seen the attention that businessman Matt Barrie’s review on Sydney’s lock out laws is getting on social media today. It’s a very scathing, harsh and sometimes overtly biassed representation of the laws, but you know what? We’re gonna give it a little more attention. Because so far, discussions and complaints raised about lock out laws have remained largely isolated–an article here, a small-scale protest there–and are usually headed by the youth of Sydney, a population that, while substantial, is rarely taken seriously.

But, with new research coming to light about the adverse effects of the lock out laws on Sydney’s nightlife, and the hype surrounding Barrie’s article, we’re hoping the conversation will gain enough momentum to bring about some actual change.

In the article, Barrie declares that:

“The total and utter destruction of Sydney’s nightlife is almost complete.”

It’s a dramatic statement, but he’s not exactly wrong either. In fact, between 2012 and 2015, foot traffic in King’s Cross has dropped by a whopping 84%, while Oxford St has experienced a decrease of 82%. Those who are still hitting the town for a night out have described Sydney as looking “empty” or like “a ghost town” in the later hours, and we’ve all heard about the Sydney venues that are dropping like flies.

The upshot of the laws is that in the same period, incidents of alcohol-fuelled violence have decreased by about half. However, this drop in violence could easily be put down to the simple fact that there are less people on the streets to commit these kinds of crimes. Of course the streets are going to be safer if there’s hardly anyone around.

It is an important and often dismissed issue that everyday people’s freedom of choice is being dictated by where they’re allowed to go and what they’re allowed to do at certain times of night. As Barrie so eloquently puts it:

A special little person has decided that there is a certain time at night when we are all allowed to go out, and there is a certain time that we are allowed into an establishment and a certain time that we are all supposed to be tucked into bed.

But there are other problems that are starting to arise because of the lock out laws, which are costing some people more than just a good time–it’s costing them their livelihoods.

Venue closures are at an all time high.

It comes as no shock to anyone really that the Sydney lock out laws have forced a lot of city venues to shut their doors, but you might not have heard about the true extent of the damage. Since the laws were introduced, 42 bars, clubs and small businesses have shut their doors, particularly on Oxford St and the King’s Cross strip. Many venues have reported revenue losses around the 40% mark, however some are experiences losses as high as 75%.

This isn’t good news for not only the business owners, but the people who work at these venues too. Many businesses have had to start letting employees go, and when Hugo’s Lounge in the Kings Cross closed, 70 staff members lost their jobs. Hospitality workers in the city area are beginning to worry if they might be next ones to lose their jobs.

The live music scene–and local musicians–are suffering.

The live music scene of Sydney is standing on it’s last legs, which is bad news for new and upcoming local talent who are looking to get their names up in lights. Or anywhere for that matter. Booking lesser known acts has become “too risky”, according to Oxford Art Factory owner, Mark Gerber, who said venues have to be able to guarantee that an act is going to sell tickets and get people through the door.

“This doesn’t really allow for any kind of experimentation,” Gerber told the Sydney Morning Herald.

It presents a pretty bleak outlook for musicians and entertainers living in the Sydney area, and it could be a huge blow to the vibrant culture of the city.

The effects on the culture of Sydney could be devastating.

We’ve already seen the nightlife of Sydney disintegrating in terms of the amount of people hitting the streets, but could there be further ramifications for some of the cultural groups in Sydney?

With so many venues closing along Oxford St, I fear for the future of the LGBTQI community. Lesbian and gay bars come alive on Oxford St at night, increasing the visibility of LGBTQI culture in Sydney and thus encouraging tolerance across the city. But what would happen if this visibility were to disappear?

And what of tourism in Sydney? One of the best things about arriving in a new city is exploring the nightlife, but if things continue the way they’re headed, this city may not have any nightlife to speak of. Canadian journalist and authority on urban design, Tyler Brûlé, spoke about Sydney’s overregulation at last years Vivid Festival in Sydney, stating that:

“If you want to be globally attractive, you do need to have bars open until whatever hour of the day… I need to be able to open a pop-up shop in Surry Hills and walk on the pavement with my wine glass. To me that’s actually important. It is not going to bring about the collapse of society because you do that.”

There’s no doubt there have been some positive outcomes from the lock out laws, but it appears that the scales are starting to tip in favour of the negative. It’s time to rethink the way we’re tackling alcohol-related violence on Sydney streets, and come up with a solution that is going to keep people safe, without doing irreparable damage to the city’s nightlife.