Kings Cross plan of management a success so far
Minister for Hospitality , George Souris, said today the implementation of the Kings Cross Plan of management has so far been a success with a one third drop in the number of violent incidents in licensed premises.
“It has been one year since the tragic death of Thomas Kelly in a senseless act of violence. In that time there has been progress in making Kings Cross a safer and more enjoyable precinct for residents and visitors alike, but I acknowledge there is more work to do,” Mr Souris said.
“It has been one year since the tragic death of Thomas Kelly in a senseless act of violence. In that time there has been progress in making Kings Cross a safer and more enjoyable precinct for residents and visitors alike, but I acknowledge there is more work to do,” Mr Souris said.
“This can be attributed to the tough range of measures imposed under the Government’s Kings Cross Plan of Management, which represented a whole-of-Government response to a very complex problem.”
Under the plan, the NSW Government committed to strengthening the power of police in the area, strengthening the regulation of licensed venues, improving the late night transport and creating safer public spaces in Kings Cross.
“We introduced a range of tough new conditions for licensed premises, including a licence freeze and restrictions on what drinks could be served after midnight.
“The Office of Liquor, Gaming and Racing have also been more active, conducting covert and overt inspections and other regulatory interventions.
“There has been increased security training for venue staff, and increased the number and visibility of Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA) Marshalls to enable better management of patrons.”
Minister for Police and Emergency Services, Michael Gallacher, praised the role of police in reducing the level of violence in the area.
“We are on target to delivering an additional 859 police officers across NSW, and this weekend the Government also launched the trial of Sobering Up Cells as another measure to tackle alcohol related violence.
“In efforts to make our streets safer, we have given police new ‘Move on Powers’ and introduced the offence of Intoxicated and Disorderly.
“In addition to ongoing police operations we implemented Operation Rushmore, which was conducted on four occasions between September 2012 and February 2013. In that time we inspected 239 licensed premises, and made 62 arrests.
“The NSW Government also increased its use of Drug Dogs, and have between September 2012 and March 2013 we seized around 3.3kg of cannabis, over 105g of ecstasy, over 38g of amphetamines and over 57g of cocaine.”
Minister for Transport Gladys Berejiklian said a range of transport solutions had been implemented to help customers leave Kings Cross after a night out.
“We’ve worked hard to make it easier for late night revellers to leave the Kings Cross precinct quickly and safely,” she said.
“There are extra late night bus services to Town Hall and Central Stations for connections to NightRide services, and better security and management at taxi ranks.”
Source: The office of the Minister for Tourism, Major Events, Hospitality and Racing, 6 July 2013
