24th Feb 2016, 4:20 PM – Senate Motions — Alcohol-Fuelled Violence

The majority voted against Greens senator Lee Rhiannon's motion which would have asked the Federal Government to ask the New South Wales Government to reconsider their lockout laws.

The main parts of the Sydney lockout laws, introduced by the Liberal Baird government, mean that certain venues can't sell takeaway alcohol after 10:00pm, accept new customers after 1:30am or serve alcohol after 3:00am.

Three days before Rhiannon introduced the motion, 15000 people protested against the lockout laws in Sydney.

Wording of the motion

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

(i) on 3 February 2016, the Senate referred the ‘need for a nationally-consistent approach to alcohol-fuelled violence’ to the Legal and Constitutional Affairs References Committee,

(ii) late night violence and alcohol abuse has terrible consequences and is putting health and law enforcement services under tremendous pressure,

(iii) other large cities have retained a vibrant night life by providing 24 hour public transport, a range of support services and policing, and diversity in the density of licensed premises,

(iv) since the Sydney CBD entertainment precinct’s lockout laws commenced there have been huge costs to creative communities, live performances have declined by 40 per cent, jobs have been lost and dozens of venues have closed,

(v) on Sunday, 21 February 2016, about 15 000 people protesting in Sydney against the lockout policy of the New South Wales Liberal/National Government singled out job losses, the lack of personal freedoms and lost opportunities for young people as key concerns, and

(vi) residents and visitors to Sydney’s entertainment precinct should not be punished due to the behaviour of a small minority, and local communities should have a right to choose whether or not to have state lockout laws imposed on their localities; and

(b) calls on the Federal Government to urge the New South Wales Government to work with the community and key stakeholders to find innovative and integrated long-term solutions that will keep Sydney vibrant, open and safe.