The Royal Australasian College of Physicians has written to Newcastle lord mayor Nuatali Nelmes urging her to "intervene" and stop the council's push to extend alcohol trading hours.
The RACP says there is "robust evidence" that increasing venues' trading hours, referred to in the council's draft Newcastle Destination Management Plan 2021-25 as repealing "lockout laws", will lead to more violence.
The NSW government has recently scrapped lockouts in Sydney and Kings Cross.
The chair of the RACP's Australasian Chapter of Addiction Medicine (AChAM), Professor Nick Lintzeris, also criticised the "lack of involvement" of health experts and community representatives in decision making in a letter to Cr Nelmes last month.
He also questioned the draft destination plan's "tactic" of "ignoring the negative impacts on local citizens, communities and health and social services".
City of Newcastle is running a trial of extended trading hours and weaker drink restrictions in small bars with Liquor & Gaming NSW and has pushed publicly for a review of the lockout and drink conditions that govern larger inner-city venues.
A statement posted last month on the RACP website said the "civic arrangements established to supervise and evaluate the process do not include community voices, medical experts and emergency workers, raising serious concerns over the objective and independent nature of the consultation".
Inner-city resident Dr Anthony Cook was added belatedly to the committee overseeing the bar trial.
The committee includes two senior police officers, one of whom said last month that it would be "absolute lunacy" to remove lockouts.
The destination plan says the "lockout laws continue to influence the potential growth of Newcastle's night-time experience and a new evidence-based approach is required to better guide desired development types that will effectively support Newcastle's visitor economy".
Professor Lintzeris wrote in his letter that "Newcastle City Council must demonstrate leadership in responding to alcohol-related problems across its jurisdiction".
AChAM president-elect Adrian Dunlop warned against "scrapping our successful Newcastle lockout laws at the behest of powerful alcohol lobby groups".
"The RACP calls on the Newcastle mayor to intervene and keep the Newcastle community safe from alcohol-related violence," Dr Dunlop said.
