City of Sydney cuts alcohol free zones
by Leon Gettler
With all the attention now being placed on Sydney’s lock out laws killing night life and turning the place into a morgue in the evening, Sydney City Council is looking to do something about it.
According to the Daily Telegraph. Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore has turned to crime statistics to justify removing 62 alcohol free zones in and around the city.
As a result, Sydney City Council has gone against the trend and increased the number of alcohol-free zones from 149 to almost 400.
Peter McLeay, who owns Mad Monkey Backpackers in King’s Cross said it was about time.
“I have no issues with (allowing) more drinking in public streets,” McLeay told News Corporation.
“Sydney is constantly mocked by guests as being a nanny state so it sounds like a move in the right direction.”
“There needs to be a level playing field. You just need to look at how many venues have recently closed down, over-regulation is a key factor.”
The council reviewed the existing restrictions in February.
It received plenty of public feedback as part of the review process, with 80 per cent of submissions objecting to particular streets and parks being designated AFZs or APAs.
Local councils were given the powers to establish alcohol-free zones (AFZ) and alcohol-prohibited areas (APA) after public drinking was decriminalised in New South Wales.
As part of the deal, police were allowed to hand out fines.
But that power has slipped away since 2008. These days, the cops only have the power to confiscate drinks.
“The city has made decisions on the future of each AFZ and APA on a case-by-case basis, taking into account all feedback received, with thorough analysis of crime data provided by the Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research,” a council spokesman told News Corporation.
“This data provides the density of recorded criminal incidents, such as alcohol-related assaults, across the city’s local area.”
7th April 2016
