UNIVERSITY of Newcastle academic Dr Kypros Kypri has been a prominent voice in the lockout laws debate, as an expert whose work had influenced the architects of the "Newcastle solution", as it came to be known.
A decade on, Dr Kypri says "epidemiology and prevention of alcohol-related injury and disease" is still his main expertise, but he was presently working on COVID-19 projects with Hunter New England Health.
A five-year review of the Sydney lockout laws he co-wrote found the restrictions were followed by "a substantial reduction" in assaults in Kings Cross, and "to a lesser extent" in the Sydney CBD.
In another recent paper he wrote of international concerns "about violence stemming from late-night alcohol sales and appropriate regulatory responses".
"Credible estimates [of economic losses] are lacking because economic evaluations have not taken a 'societal perspective', costing health, policing, and criminal justice outcomes," he wrote.
A parliamentary committee, of which One Nation MLC Mark Latham was a member, published its report on the Sydney Night Time Economy in September last year, recommending a lifting of the Sydney restrictions.
The NSW government responded in late November to the report and its 40 recommendations, mostly either supporting them or supporting them "in principle".
The 40th and final recommendation was on Newcastle, saying:
"If the Sydney Lock-out reforms are successful, the NSW Government should give consideration to a review of Newcastle liquor licensing conditions and working with Newcastle City Council to rejuvenate the night-time economy and its economic importance for the Hunter Valley."
At yesterday's media conference at Broadmeadow, Mr Latham and Mr Dominello acknowledged the original timetable was for a Newcastle review at the end of this year, a process they say has now been brought forward.
Having supported the committee's Newcastle recommendation, the government said: "The Newcastle liquor licensing conditions were imposed in March 2008 by the then Liquor Administration Board on individual venues.
"No precinct wide conditions under the Liquor Act 2007 apply in Newcastle.
"In 2018, the Independent Liquor & Gaming Authority commissioned a review by Mr Jonathan Horton QC, of the conditions imposed on the individual venues.
"Based on the review's findings, the Authority resolved to make only minimal changes to the conditions and retained patron lockouts and the requirement to stop serving alcohol 30 minutes before closing.
"The Independent Liquor & Gaming Authority will continue to monitor the ongoing effectiveness of these conditions to ensure they support the balanced development of industry and the night time economy with public safety."
Anti-violence campaigner and advocate of the original "Newcastle solution", Tony Brown, said last night that he was concerned that COVID-19 was being used as a cover to dismantle the evidence-based licensing of Newcastle venues.
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