IF YOU look hard enough at this picture you can see a lonely figure huddled on a bench in the distance, but that is the only sign of human life.

This isn’t post-disaster Chernobyl but the heart of Sydney’s CBD in 2018 — a global, multicultural city which pulls in millions of tourists a year.

To make matters worse, it was taken at peak party hour on Saturday which happened to be an unseasonably warm and pleasant night.

“This is how vibrant Circular Quay is on a Saturday Night #dead,” wrote the photo’s uploader on social media and the internet went wild.

It’s no secret that many young Sydneysiders are not impressed with the controversial lockout laws which the State Government implemented four years ago, and Circular Quay has never been a booming spot for late-night revellers, but for some the bleak and lifeless image was a stark reminder of how the city has changed.

“I wouldn’t expect to see hundreds of drunk young people falling over in the streets at Circular Quay even on a Saturday night,” said Terence Hart, a Sydneysider who told news.com.au that the lifeless image circulating on social media shows Sydney’s CBD is becoming a “ghost town”.

“But, you would imagine that there would be some sort of night-life going on at one of Sydney’s biggest drawcards — it’s harbour — on a Saturday night.

“Imagine you were a tourist and landed in Sydney, you were staying near Circular Quay and you went to have a look outside and saw that. You would think you were in a country town. It is embarrassing.”

Some came to Sydney’s defence on social media — saying quiet financial districts in any other city across the world would look as empty late at night.

However, the renewed criticism comes as Sydney’s oldest licensed live music venue The Basement, which is just around the corner from where the picture was taken, has announced it is relocating because of noise complaints from nearby residents.

The announcement has sparked petitions and rallies from disillusioned residents and live music fans who feel their city’s night-life is dying.

This sentiment has been backed up by a recent NSW inquiry with almost 400 written submissions which has revealed just how ridiculous the amount of red tape for Sydney’s late-night establishments has become.

The inquiry, which was established in November to report on the state’s music and arts economy, highlighted incomprehensible rules imposed in establishments across the city ranging from “no dancing” to “no ukuleles” and “no mirror balls”

Just days before the inquiry’s findings came out two weeks ago, the shocking Committee For Sydney’s “Sydney As A 24-Hour City” report found that the city’s night-life has significant potential and little economic activity.

Despite a widespread appetite for more options, Sydney’s main night-time spending activity by a landslide is, wait for it — grocery shopping.

It even urged Sydney to look to Adelaide for inspiration, noting that over 700 shops operate late on a Thursday and Friday night in the South Australian capital, while encouraging new small bars and cafes in its CBD.

City of Sydney councillor Jess Scully said hundreds of thousands of dollars have been spent trying to revitalise the city’s night-life and the council has made it one of its top priorities.

She said it was disappointing to see the picture of an empty Circular Quay street on social media, but added that main street is a construction zone for the light rail right and other parts of Sydney, such as Newtown, have seen a 300 per cent increase in late-night visitors since the lockout laws came in.

“It's probably not the best place to hang out and party right now,” she said. “But when the light rail comes in, there will be more pedestrians and fewer buses — it will have a totally different character.”

She added that the City had just given out over $360,000 of grants to businesses wanting to diversify their late night activities and venues that needed staging and equipment upgrades to improve the experience of audience and artists. It is also trying to push the State Government to introduced 24-hour transport.

The council is also starting its first review in more than 10 years of the planning controls that determine the locations and trading hours of hotels, bars, clubs, cafes, restaurants and entertainment and music venues.

Other projects include offering grants to businesses to improve their night-time offerings, getting advice from night-life experts on a new advisory panel, and cutting red tape for small businesses, live music venues and cultural events.