Rees and Moore team up to restrict liquor licences

Inner-city residents have welcomed new commitments by Premier Nathan Rees and Lord Mayor Clover Moore to freeze the awarding of new liquor licences in Kings Cross, Oxford Street and Haymarket, and the establishment of a taskforce to deal with the problem.

As detailed in last week’s City News, the proposal involves a licensing permit system being operated for a three-year trial period, with extended operating hours granted as a privilege based on a record of proven good management. Non-compliant, violent and regularly-infringed premises would face removal of their extended trading permit.

Ms Moore said that Council had been working on the issue for five years and described it as one of their “toughest challenges” in office, while praising the latest developments as a “tremendous breakthrough”.

She said Premier Rees had stated restaurants would be unaffected by the new stipulation.

President of the City East Precinct Committee, Sue Hanley, praised the decision to limit licences, citing Bureau of Crime Statistics which indicate around 43 per cent of crime in Kings Cross and 35 per cent in Darlinghurst is alcohol-related.

“It’s a pretty desperate scene in Kings Cross and Darlinghurst at the moment,” she said.  “There needs to be multi-level co-operative agreements between federal, state and local government on ensuring our liquor laws facilitate people having a good time, but not at the expense of other residents and the health system.”

Although the proposal was widely supported in Council, a dissenting voice was raised by Cr Shayne Mallard, who raised concerns that the proposal represented, “a knee-jerk reaction and not a fully-thought-out response to this problem.” He suggested the Lord Mayor push for a parliamentary inquiry, focusing on health and social responsibility issues.

Nevertheless, despite describing it as a “stunt”, he backed the resolution in a vote, citing concerns over how a vote against the measure would be spun by Ms Moore.