Another “nail in the coffin” for Sydney’s late-night scene?

The bill’s wording is a little murky, but NSW Deputy Premier Troy Grant told parliament that it’s aimed at venues who operate as bars after their kitchen closes. “This will address concerns that some licensed restaurants…[enable] liquor to be served without meals, trade as restaurants by day and then morph into bars later in the night,” Mr Grant said.

The proposed changes could mean that your favourite late-night venue will be forced to keep their kitchen staffed and open in order to legally sell drinks – even if there’s no demand for food at that time.

The Daily Telegraph quotes Kings Cross venue co-owner Danny McPherson on the issue. “If the market was there to keep a kitchen open late at night we would, but it’s not. It’s unbelievable, business should be able to operate based on demand.” Similar concerns are likely to be raised by other nightclubs and live music spots also providing food for limited hours.

The introduction of lockouts in Kings Cross and the Sydney CBD has already caused many of the area’s iconic bars and clubs like The Bourbon and The Backroom to close or move elsewhere, in addition to countless shops and takeaway joints on the famous strip going up for lease. However, the area will come alive in December with EMC Play, a showcase of emerging electronic artists that embraces the area’s unusually tight cluster of music venues.

Source: In the mix - 6 November 2014