A trial of relaxed lockout laws in Newcastle has been delayed by at least a week.
The 12-month trial was due to begin on Thursday night, but the Newcastle Herald understands it will not start until July 9.
It is not clear whether the latest outbreak of COVID-19 in Sydney and renewed social distancing regulations have delayed the trial.
At least two of the larger nightclubs due to be involved, Finnegan's Hotel and King Street Hotel, have shut temporarily due to the new restrictions.
The NSW government invited at least 24 pubs, nightclubs and bars to participate in the trial, but the committee overseeing the changes has not said publicly how many will take part.
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Meanwhile, the Royal Australasian College of Physicians says it is "seriously concerned" that the 22-member committee contains only one medical representative.
RACP spokesperson and Australasian Chapter of Addiction Medicine president Professor Nicholas Lintzeris said he had written to committee chair Mark Latham about the issue.
"We have serious concerns over the insufficient participation of medical experts in the work of the committee," Professor Lintzeris said.
"Alcohol has serious impacts on community health.
"It's been a huge oversight to exclude an addiction specialist.
"They would be instrumental to guiding the committee in understanding the real risks of winding back the existing regulations."
The trial includes scrapping both late-night lockouts and limits on serving shots and cocktails after 10pm.
The RACP said research showed that 39.7 per cent of people over the age of 16 in the Hunter New England Health District were consuming alcohol at levels posing a long-term health risk.
Venues invited to take part in the trial
- Argyle House
- Cambridge Hotel
- Clarendon Hotel
- Crown & Anchor Hotel
- Customs House Hotel
- Family Hotel
- Grand Hotel
- Great Northern Hotel
- Hamilton Station Hotel
- Honeysuckle Hotel
- Kent Hotel
- King Street Hotel
- Finnegan's Hotel
- Northern Star Hotel
- Oriental Hotel
- QT Hotel East End
- Queens Wharf Brewery
- Sydney Junction Hotel
- The Exchange Hotel
- The Greenroof
- The Lucky Hotel
- Bar Petite
- The Rogue Scholar
- The Station
