And not everywhere can be an Enmore. Yes,it would be nice if every part of Sydney had a buzzy nightlife precinct within stumbling distance,but that’s not how low-density suburbia works.
Graham is on to something with the precinct approach,though. Introducing the nightlife bill in parliament on Thursday,he noted NSW had lost three things:live music venues,creative workers,andwalkability – the ability to go to an area with lots of choice within a small footprint.
Kings Cross in 2012.Credit:Steve Lunam
“Relaxed walkability and venue hopping has become harder,” Graham said. “It is harder for people to move between restaurants,bars and shows on foot with that magic sense of not quite knowing what will happen later in the night,which is one of the keys to a great night out.”
In Melbourne,you can reliably go the CBD,or Prahran,or Brunswick,or Collingwood,or Northcote,or Footscray and know you’ll find a bunch of venues close together that are open late,buzzing and likely to have live entertainment. The staff will probably be friendly too – security included.
Those suburbs are all in a ring around the CBD,and emulating that in Sydney is geographically difficult. I’m not quite sure the precinct concept works when spread out over the many miles of metropolitan Sydney. But you can already see it bearing fruit in the YCK (York,Clarence,Kent) district of the CBD.
The government asserts people want to go out closer to where they live,and work. Maybe so,but I think young people especially will travel to a nightlife precinct if it’s vibrant,if they have enough discretionary income to justify it,and if there’s decent public transport. People happily travelled to the Cross before we killed it.
Bar Planet in Enmore.Credit:Flavio Brancaleone
But certainly having more thriving precincts,rather than fewer,is the direction we need to head. Loosening noise restrictions is only a small part of cultivating a great nighttime precinct.
Graham acknowledged at a press conference this week that overbearing security on the doors of venues was a problem the industry has raised with him,including complaints about how personnel are trained. “I really believe we can do that better,” he said.
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Graham was more cautious when asked about police,who often patrol train stations with sniffer dogs or parade through pubs on a weekend. He said he wants Sydney to have a “relaxed night-time atmosphere”,but police need to do their job. Sure,but the question is:should that be their job? It’s a discussion we need to have,and fast.
The broader problem of economics will be the toughest nut to crack. How can a government make it easier for a 25-year-old to open a games bar in inner Sydney that’s financially viable and caters to cash-strapped young people? If we want people going out more often,how do we make that possible when sky-high rents are bulldozing discretionary income? And if artists can’t afford to live in the city,how can we expect a vibrant ecosystem of nightlife and performance?
Addressing the “annoying” aspects of Sydney nightlife will be the easy part. Solving the structural problems will be the hard one.
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