Sydney scraps controversial lockout laws for everywhere except Kings Cross
No more 1.30AM last entry, although bar service remains restricted in Australia's 'only truly global city'...
Sydney has scrapped the controversial lockout laws for everywhere except the city's Kings Cross.
This means restrictions on last entry into venues — currently 1.30AM — will no longer apply to areas such as the CBD and Oxford Street from 14th January 2020. Last bar service has been pushed back by 30-minutes, to 3.30AM, which will disappoint many local heads who had hoped for a full repeal.
Further changes to legislation include a lift on the ban of drinks served in glasses after midnight, with bottle shops now able to sell alcohol until midnight every night, except Sunday when an 11PM license will be in place.
"Sydney has transformed dramatically over recent years, and we need to ensure we have a strong and vibrant nighttime economy that reflects our position as Australia's only truly global city," said Gladys Berejiklian, Premier of New South Wales, in an interview with ABC.
The news has been welcomed by Keep Sydney Open, a movement that has campaigned for changes to the regulations, which have been blamed for a loss of $1.4billion from the nighttime economy, along with millions of would-be visitors to Australia's largest metropolis. In September it was announced that festival licensing rules in New South Wales, branded 'Draconian', had been overturned.
