Locking Out Violence, Locking You Out
The Sydney CBD. A place where you’ll find some of the wildest of party gowers. You’ll find the old ones, the young ones, and the ones too drunk to not even know their own age. We’ve explored the city and seen the atmosphere, and over years of outrageous nights out that most people can’t even remember, a change has been enforced.
New Year’s Eve, 2014, Daniel Christie, an eighteen-year-old fresh on the streets of Sydney’s red light district of King’s Cross was brutally attacked. The assault left Christie in a coma for 11 days with a fractured skull, making him the 15th fatality to occur from a king-hit punch in the last 6 years. This event sparked an outrage. Families, doctors, members of the police force, paramedics, government officials, they all began to speak up, begging for crime in the city to cease. The attack on Daniel Christie, a single punch sending him to the pavement, sending him into a coma and ultimately leading to his death 11 days later, meant that it was time for alcohol related crime to end.
The incident left the government seeking a plan to make a difference and save innocent people from being placed in dangerous situations like the one Daniel Christie found himself in. So, on February 24th, 2014, the NSW government passed a series of ‘lockout’ and alcohol laws that changed the way young people are now partying. Sydney’s CBD area including the infamous King’s Cross, Surry Hills, The Rocks, Darlinghurst and Cockle Bay are the first to see the change. 1:30am lockouts, 3am calls for last drinks, and take-away liquor sales ending at 10pm across all of New South Wales, are what the new laws have to offer.
The passing of these legislations did in fact change Sydney’s nightlife. With King’s Cross once being Sydney’s most popular entertainment destination, the precinct has now officially seen its entertaining end. With numerous pubs and clubs within The Cross closing their doors for good, some of which were once the place to be on the weekend, it’s clear that maybe these lockout laws are making a difference, whether the type of change is what we want to see or not, it is what it is.
Recent statistics show that throughout The Cross, night time foot traffic has decreased 84% since 2012 and businesses housed on the 300 metre strip have a decreased revenue of 40% since the laws have been introduced. Although the business side of the King’s Cross district was negatively effected, crime and violence rates have significantly shown a drop, proving that the enforcement of the ‘lockout’ laws, have indeed, made a difference.
Many fines and penalties have also been implemented in coherence with the set laws. For trouble makers caught in the venues with the laws in place, a 48 hour ban is in place, competency cards may be revoked and bar staff may be disqualified for up to 12 month for breaching any of the responsible service of alcohol requirements, and a staggering fine of up to $11,000 or imprisonment of up to 12 months, or strikes under the Government’s Three Strike’s Scheme can be applied to licensee’s who fail to comply with the new laws.
Along with these scheme’s, the NSW government continues to run it’s campaigns to spread awareness of alcohol fuel violence and behaviour within the state. Current advertisements target behaviour seen within the city’s CBD and is relatable to the young people on the streets today. Below is a link to one of the Alcohol and Drug Fuelled Violence Initiatives Scheme websites, sharing information, images, stories and help for individuals.
http://www.whatareyoudoingtoyourself.com
Although, the positive enforcement of these laws are intended to create a safer environment, many young people who frequently visit these areas seem to disagree. Many opinions often centre around the fact that having a specific closing time of pubs and clubs means that individuals who are already intoxicated are being forced onto the streets, creating even more violence as they are all in the same places and the same time. Another argument being that once sent out of venues at these times means that there is no readily available transportation service as 3am tends to be the taxi changeover time. However, the NSW government has provided a NightRider bus service for this exact reason. Below is a video, which highlights the reactions of young people within the city of their experience and opinions of the lockout and alcohol laws.
So the question remains, do these alcohol and lockout laws change the way people behave around the city? Or does it simply change where and when they’re behaving in negative ways? Will the NSW government keep these laws in place? Or will things go back to the way they used to be? All we can do is hope for this change to stay on the right path.
