The City’s nightlife report card

Transport and policing are at the top of the list for improving Sydney’s nightlife, according to research commissioned by the City of Sydney. The city’s night-time economy (NTE) is inclusive of businesses operating from 11pm to 5am and generated an estimated $2.7 billion in 2009.
Sydney’s late night economy manager Suzie Matthews said this was the first time the City amassed data to evaluate the economic health of the industry. “The data collected now sets a benchmark,” she said. “We can now evaluate changes in the future.”
The City consulted with industry experts including business owners and academics and collected feedback from public forums – both in-person and online – to improve Sydney’s nightlife by 2030. Respondents unanimously called for significantly better transport by the targeted date.
Ms Matthews said the Sydney’s trouble spots for late-night transport are everywhere. “King’s Cross especially,” she said. “Between 1.30am and 4.30am taxis are pretty much the only form of transport.”
“The transport minister announced a few weeks ago a commitment of $7.6 million over the next four years to double the amount of night buses.”
She said the City would also benefit from earlier rail operations. As for incidents of taxi drivers rejecting clients, Ms Matthews said she supported pre-paid taxi service, purchased online or by iphone or credit card. “I believe [non-paying customers] are an issue for some drivers with drunken passengers.”
From 11pm to 2am there are between 750 and 1,100 businesses operating throughout the city. Almost three quarters of the city’s visitors after 11pm are between the ages of 15 and 30 years.
“Anecdotally and from the economic data provided, there has been a growth in food-led businesses, a reduction in drink led businesses and increased offerings of food in our businesses at night,” Ms Matthews said. The night-time economy goes beyond restaurants and pubs and includes art galleries, sports venues and theatres. Vashty Hughes, pictured, is the sole actor performing in Mum’s In: Stories from Razorhurst at the newly revamped King’s Cross Hotel.
The City has also underscored tighter security for a safer nightlife. “There’s a positive correlation between clusters or groupings of restaurants and a reduction in alcohol related assaults,” she said.
There are three degrees of “anti-social behaviour”. “More Serious are physical fights and verbal fights that looked like they could escalate into physical fights,” she said. “On one Friday night in March, King’s Cross had 80 incidents between 1 and 2 am, which was two and a half times higher than anywhere else in Sydney.”
“Less Serious includes yelling abuse, weeing in public and falling down drunk and Not Serious is for horsing around and singing,” she said.
A former manager at Melt in King’s Cross said anti-social behaviour happens rarely. He said he was personally attacked by an establishment’s bouncer not long ago. The security guard denied him entry to an establishment after he finished a shift one morning. “I hadn’t had a drink because I just got off shift,” he said. “The security guard pushed me backward and I broke my tail bone. The club wanted to press charges of assault. Then I told the police to check the CCTV footage. After they saw the tape they asked me if I wanted to press charges.”

By Deborah Erwin