The lockout laws are about to be over

So, what happens next for Sydney’s nightlife?

JUST SHY OF six years after former NSW premier Barry O’Farrell’s controversial lockout laws came into effect, Sydney’s nightlife is beginning a new chapter. The lockout laws are to be largely rolled back, with January 14, 2020 confirmed as the official end of lockout legislation. The new paradigm is not quite a wholesale reversal of restrictions; the lockout laws will remain in effect in the Kings Cross area, and will be reviewed in a year’s time. However, the news is overwhelmingly positive for Sydney’s hospitality industries. The 1.30am ‘last entry’ requirement in the CBD entertainment precinct will be lifted, and the prohibitions of service after midnight of cocktails and spirits-based beverages, as well as drinks containing more than 50 per cent spirits and shots, has also gone. Small bars can raise their patron capacity from the previous cap of 100 to 120, and ‘last drinks’ calls have been pushed from 3am to 3.30am. Bottle shops are also permitted to trade later, extending their hours from 11pm to midnight Monday to Saturday and from 10pm to 11pm on Sunday. Sydney will now no doubt enter a period of rehabilitation, as the city’s cultural habits adjust to the possibilities of a reinvigorated late night scene. So, if you’re asking yourself, ‘How can I help get Sydney’s nightlife back on its feet?’, it’s as simple as supporting your local bar or pub. Seek out that trendy new wine boutique or quirky gin joint; go see that cabaret show or hear that hot new band; and embrace everything this vibrant city of ours has to offer after sunset. ■