The year is very quickly coming to an end, but the New South Wales Government still has something left to do — respond to The Callinan Review of Sydney’s controversial lockout laws.
The Callinan Review was handed down back in September, and suggested that the laws could be loosened slightly, pushing venue lockouts from 1:30am to 2am and ceasing the service of alcohol at 3:30am instead of 3am.
In October, it was reported that NSW Premier Mike Baird was set to recommend that the cabinet adopt the changes suggested, however, he’s yet to implement anything.
The Daily Telegraph, however, has now reported that Baird has told colleagues he won’t respond to the review until next year. These claims were quickly denied by a spokesperson, who said the Government will respond to it by the end of this year.
“There is further work being done by Liquor and Gaming NSW on issues around maintaining a vibrant night-time economy in Sydney,” the spokesperson said. “The government still intends to respond to the Callinan Review before the end of 2016.”
There is one cabinet meeting left in 2016 for Baird to address the lockout laws, scheduled for 15th December.
So, while the rest of us are winding down for the year, Baird has one big issue to address and he’s leaving it until the very last minute by the sounds of it.
If he does implement the recommendations of The Callinan Review, he’s still going to have some pretty strong opposition.
“Pushing back the lockouts by half an hour will do little to help small businesses, the music scene or reinvigorate our dying inner-city precincts,” Tyson Koh, the founder of anti-lockout activist group Keep Sydney Open told Music Feeds following the review.
Watch: ‘Closed Sydney’ – Lockouts Timelapse
https://youtu.be/Y_3S3UotADk
