NSW Lock Out Laws Finally Repealed After Losing An Entire Generation To Ice Baths And Podcasts

EFFIE BATEMAN | Lifestyle | CONTACT

The NSW government has finally repealed the last of its notorious lockout laws, meaning Kings Cross and Oxford Street venues can once again serve drinks past 3:30am, now that the once thriving nightclub districts resemble ghost towns more than party hubs.

Lockout laws were introduced twelve years ago in response to a series of coward punch attacks in Sydney, which saw venues across the CBD - Darlinghurst, The Rocks, and Haymarket - forced to stop serving alcohol after 1am.

Of course, the laws never touched The Star Casino, arguably one of Sydney’s most violent licensed venues.

While the laws did succeed in reducing violent incidents, they also had a devastating effect on the city’s nightlife. Countless bars and pubs shut down, live music venues struggled to survive, and Kings Cross, the once iconic entertainment district, saw foot traffic severely decline almost overnight.

However, it appears that now the younger generation have turned against going out in favour of ice baths, listening to podcasts and doing ketamine at their mate’s house, the NSW government is finally ready to “say goodbye to this chapter of Sydney’s nightlife story”.

As of January 21st, venues will once again be allowed to operate until the wee hours of the morning, but it's unknown who will be frequenting them now that the millennials have their streaming services and face masks, and Gen Z can barely scrape together $18 for a pint.

More to come.