NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics figures show an increase in alcohol-related assaults in Pyrmont, with the trend driven by a rise in incidents at The Star

This article is more than 5 years old

This article is more than 5 years old

Alcohol-fuelled assaults at Sydney’s Star casino have jumped in the year since the New South Wales government introduced controversial lockout laws, according to new crime statistics.

An analysis of police figures by the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (Bocsar) shows alcohol-related, non-domestic assaults in Pyrmont have jumped by more than 88.3% year-on-year, for the 12 months from April 2014 to March 2015.



According to Bocsar, this increase is largely the result of a jump in the number of assaults at the Star Casino. In the 12 months from April 2013 to March 2014 there were 20 assaults recorded. For April 2014 to March 2015, there were 74.



The Star has a 24-hour licence and falls outside the designated lockout area.

A spokesman for The Star said the statistics did not show the full picture.

“In the context of The Star receiving more than 11,000,000 visitors per year to a single site, far higher than any other venue in NSW, we believe our record on guest safety is strong,” he said.



“The Star continues to work closely with a number of key stakeholders, including the casino regulator who has representatives on site 24/7, and NSW police who have a presence during peak trading hours.”

An earlier analysis by Bocsar of figures up to September 2014 showed a decrease in assaults in Kings Cross and the Sydney CBD, and concluded that there had been no displacement of assaults to other areas in close proximity to the lockout area, including the area in Pyrmont around the casino.

Two areas targeted by the lockout laws have seen a continued decline in alcohol-related assaults, with Potts Point and Darlinghurst declining by 37.8% and 32.6% respectively.

The bureau analysed police assault figures for 13 suburbs, including Sydney, The Rocks, Haymarket, Woolloomooloo, Potts Point, Darlinghurst, Newtown, Pyrmont, Glebe, Paddington, Bondi, Waverley and Petersham.



Assault figures for the 12 months from April 2013 were compared with the corresponding 12 months from April 2014. The only statistically significant trends for an increase or decrease in assaults were for Potts Point, Darlinghurst and Pyrmont.



Contrary to coverage in the Sydney Morning Herald, the Bocsar figures show no statistically significant increase in assaults for Newtown, Glebe or Petersham.



A spate of high-profile assaults at nightspots in Kings Cross and the city centre led to the introduction of the lockout laws in February 2014.

Large venues within a precinct stretching from Surry Hills to the Rocks, and from Kings Cross to Cockle Bay, are now banned from allowing entry after 1.30am, or serving drinks past 3am.