Bonzer! Australians hit the bars as they start enjoying 24-hour drinking again after ministers scrapped Sydney’s strict ‘anti-fun’ licensing laws (Excerpt)
Sydney’s partygoers enjoyed their first weekend without controversial lockout laws limiting late-night fun
Under previous laws bars were required to deny entry to punters after 1.30am and stop serving alcohol at 3am
The new changes also involved the scrapping of the 10pm curfew on bottle shops (off licenses) that existed
In 2005 the Labour government in UK changed drinking laws to allow the serving of alcohol 24 hours a day
Source: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/
By AMELIA WYNNE
18 January 2020
Australians hit the bars this weekend as they started to enjoy 24-hour drinking again after ministers scrapped Sydney’s strict ‘anti-fun’ licensing laws.
Partygoers, who donned their best dresses and heels, are now allowed to enter venues after 1.30am and order drinks late into the night.
The city was once famous for its bustling and vibrant nightlife until the strict lockout laws were enforced in 2014.
The crackdown brought the lively night-time economy to an abrupt halt and forced almost 200 licensed venues to close their doors.
The laws were introduced by the New South Wales Government with the aim to reduce alcohol-fuelled violence following the death of two young men in 2012 and 2013 in one-punch attacks.
Under lockout laws, nightclubs and bars in the city were required to deny entry to punters after 1.30am and stop serving alcohol at 3am.
Revellers braced for rainy conditions as they flocked to bars and nightclubs along Oxford Street in Sydney – known for its nightlife – on Saturday evening.
But while the usual rabble did head out for a night on the town, it was nowhere near the raucous parties that the city used to see.
The changes have also seen the removal of restrictions on serving cocktails, shots and drinks in glasses after midnight, and the scrapping of the 10pm curfew on bottle shops.
In November 2005 the Labour government in the UK changed drinking laws in England and Wales to allow pubs – theoretically – to serve alcohol 24 hours a day.
The policy was introduced by Tony Blair to create a European cafe culture and end the problems caused by the rush at the 11pm pub closing time.
Night Time Industries Association chair Michael Rodrigues in Australia said removing the lockout laws was a ‘turning point’ for the city to get it back on track.
The Premier of New South Wales Gladys Berejiklian hopes the decision will inject money into the struggling city – where an annual loss of about $16billion has been reported since the laws were introduced in 2014, leading to mass venue closures.
Ms Berejiklian previously said that the lockout laws made Sydney safer but it was now time to encourage the city’s 24-hour economy.