What Is The Effect Of Sydney's Lockout Laws On The Local Music Scene?

As you’ve likely heard, Sydney’s lockout laws are being protested due to concerns over NSW’s declining night culture.

The lockout laws were put into place in 2014, enforced by extreme rules and consequences in order to reduce the amount of crime created in drunken violence.

The lockout begins at 1:30am, with final drinks at 3:00am. That’s not all. Across New South Wales, you can’t even buy and takeaway alcohol after 10pm.

To top it all off, those who do not follow the regulations can be fined up to $11,000 or even imprisoned for up to 12 months.

Even though it sounds extreme, the stats say they’re working as intended. According to the Bureau Of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR), the laws have reduced assault in Kings Cross by 32 per cent and Sydney CBD by 26 per cent. Still, when a problem is solved, another is created.

At least 16 licensed venues have been shut down in Kings Cross since 2014, according to Kings Cross Liquor Accord chief executive Douglas Grand. Just in case you didn’t get that: 16 licensed venues couldn’t survive because a large part of their profit comes from alcohol.

The effect this is having on the Australian music industry is absolutely heartbreaking. Local bands aren’t able to get an opportunity to play, because the venue can only fit a few artists in a shortened night.

The government is rightfully thrilled because they have finally figured out how to reduce fatalities caused by drunken rampages. However, there needs to be a solution for the artists seeking a place to play, and for the fans seeking somewhere to watch them do so.

Also worth noting: a large amount of people who work for and in venues also go to school or have another job, and they rely on the pay from late-night shifts; or, they use that time to get their foot in the door of the music industry.

If the government wants to save the culture of the community, they can’t hide the issue in abandoned bars. It’s not like protesters are angry about having slightly limited access to alcohol (especially as lives are being saved); what they’re angry about is the prospect of Australian entertainment dying a horrible death.

Australia’s music scene has been going through a hard time of late, with Soundwave Music Festival, a huge fest that usually boasts some of the world’s biggest bands, would be cancelled for 2016 and won’t be returning in 2017. This wasn’t the only festival cancelled. Maybe it’s because managers can’t fill the hole created by a changing culture; it might also be because Australia’s dollar is a mess. Still, entertainers have suffered enough.

Not all hope is lost though. The creative industry is full of passionate people who continue to try and find what’s going wrong. There are also those who are trying to replace cancelled events. So far, it hasn’t worked, but no one is giving up yet. Even recently, a booking agent for UK’s Download Festival is telling those who say there’s nothing left of Australian music to not “give up hope,” and “watch this space”, making an expansion of the festival a possibility.

Hopefully the government hears the sad scratches of DJ decks and melancholic guitar solos, and finds a solution that both saves lives and saves the industry that has brought punters so much joy and defined much of Australian culture.

Photo: iStock.

Bianca Welsh-Jayne is one of Student Edge’s student contributors. Learn more about the contributors program.