Changes to the New South Wales Liquor Act have substantially reduced the number of assaults in the Kings Cross and Sydney CBD entertainment precincts, a report released by the state Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (Bocsar) on Thursday shows.

The director of the bureau, Dr Don Weatherburn, said although the new liquor laws appear to have reduced the incidence of assault, some important questions remained unanswered and it was not yet clear whether the fall was related to less alcohol consumption or a drop in foot traffic.

The report, which covered the period between the introduction of the changes in February 2014 and September of that year, found they could be linked to an immediate and substantial reduction in assault in Kings Cross (down 32%) and a less immediate but substantial reduction in assault in the Sydney CBD (down 40%).

The only neighbouring area to the lockout zone to experience an increase in assaults was around the Star casino, but the rise was statistically insignificant. Other areas adjacent to Kings Cross or Sydney CBD precincts showed no increase in assaults.

The results will be used by the Baird government when it decides whether and how to amend the current lockout laws. The deputy premier, Troy Grant, has confirmed a two-year review will be held in February 2016 as timetabled.

A NSW legislative inquiry in November recommended the laws be reviewed at the “earliest possible stage”, citing the impact on local businesses and other stakeholders as the key reason.

The laws, which came into effect in February 2014, require venues in the Sydney CBD and Kings Cross to deny re-entry or entry of new patrons from 1.30am and to stop serving alcohol at 3am.

The measures came into place after two Sydney men, Thomas Kelly and Daniel Christie, died from one-punch assaults, triggering public outcry. They also include increased licensee fines for non-compliance, further restrictions on takeaway alcohol and harsher sentences for assaults and alcohol-fuelled violence.

Police and health practitioners have come out in favour of the laws, which they say have led to a significant drop in alcohol-fuelled violence. City of Sydney CCTV operations room staff have reported quieter streets with fewer incidents.

The trauma director of St Vincent’s hospital, Dr Tony Grabs, said “we’ve seen a significant reduction in head injuries ... and far less people that are in an extreme state of intoxication.”

The hospital is considered the main frontline for health practitioners treating alcohol-related injury from the CBD and Kings Cross. In the 12 months since the laws came into effect, the hospital has reported a 50% drop in admissions related to severe alcohol-related trauma.

Grabs said the hospital also services other suburbs of Sydney such as Double Bay and Bondi, and has not seen an increase in alcohol-related injuries from these areas. He said people are no longer “coming out absolutely pissed at 3am” in areas with a high density of alcohol outlets, as Kings Cross once was.

The results of NSW’s lockout laws have also attracted the attention of lawmakers across the border. The Queensland government has approved plans to implement a similar 1am lockout law and 3am last drinks rule across the state.



But a year of lockout laws have significantly changed the personality of Kings Cross, an area traditionally known as Sydney’s red light district. A survey conducted by the city in March and April 2014 found up to an 84% reduction in footpath congestion on streets within the lockout zone. Adult entertainment venues, nightclubs and other businesses have reported a significant drop in patronage, reporting up to 200 job losses. Many establishments have shut up shop to make way for a new mix of small bars, restaurants and high-rise apartments.

In its submission to the inquiry, the city of Sydney said that in tandem with lockout laws, a strategy has been in place to improve Sydney night-time street life by encouraging more late-night activities that do not involve alcohol: “Having more options open at night creates a safer and more balanced late night economy.”

It also noted reports that the laws have severely impacted 93 live music venues and employment opportunities for local musicians. A freeze on new licences has prevented any new licensed live music venues being established, “irrespective of their contribution to the cultural life of Sydney or the level of risk they actually pose”.

The laws disproportionately affect young people. City of Sydney research shows 55% of those out after 11pm are under age 30. Qualitative assessments also point to the possibility live music and artistic performance leads to a reduction in alcohol consumption within venues and a safer environment.

A cited 2014 study by the Australian Institute of Criminology found that while such measures as setting the hours and days of allowed alcohol sales and restrictions on outlet density were effective, lock-outs were considered to have mixed or uncertain results.

City of Sydney recommended that should any evidence of a negative impact on “cultural businesses” and diversification of evening activities be identified, policy responses should be developed for “more nuanced regulatory conditions”.



Alex Greenwich, the member for Sydney, said he welcomed the data and called for Boscar to identify which elements of the measures led to the reduction in assaults, so that the laws could be improved and then rolled across the state.

Douglas Grant, the chief executive of the Kings Cross Liquor Accord, was not surprised by the findings.

“When you have an 84% drop in foot traffic of course you will see a drop in assaults,” he said. But the statistics failed to tell the story of the hundreds of jobs lost in King Cross.

He also said that of the suite of measures in place, it was the lockout that had been most devastating on local business. The 3am cessation of alcohol, and ID scanners that helped clubs identify inebriated and problem patrons and prevent future re-entry, have been most effective in reducing violence.

Kirsty Brown, of Keep Sydney Open, names several music venues that have shut during the 12 months, including FBi Social, the Flinders, and the Backroom. Other venues, such as the Spice Cellar, have moved to outside the lockout zone, such as into the city’s inner west.

Brown says the lockouts and their effects have been “felt across all of Sydney’s live music scenes”.