A reconstituted Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority's (ILGA) removal of Newcastle's key alcohol harm controls on July 1, 2023, puts Newcastle on the precipice of sliding back into a lawless nightmare dominated by alcohol-fuelled violence, unlimited closing times, excessive noise and undue disturbances.
Apart from the NSW Rum Corps in the early 1800s, the powerful alcohol lobby has never exercised so much undue influence over NSW's alcohol law-making and enforcement process.
ILGA's decision reflects the institutionalisation of pub profits over public and emergency workers' safety.
Newcastle provides a good example where the unelected alcohol lobby are firmly entrenched within the ruling political class so thirsty for political donations.
Since the introduction of Newcastle's package of life-saving controls in 2008, the alcohol lobby led by the Australian Hotels Association (AHA) have relentlessly fought to remove the same modest conditions regardless of their significant contributions to reductions in violence and doubling the number of smaller bars and restaurants.
In 2021, a local police commander cautioned it would be "absolute lunacy" to extend Newcastle late closing times.
"I should not just sit mute and watch conditions that have improved the lifestyle of the city and kept people safe just diminished on the basis of an economic argument only", detective superintendent Wayne Humphrey said. (NH 22/9/21)
Hunter New England Heath also expressed public concern that weakening Newcastle's modest package of alcohol harm controls could also have serious negative consequences.
ILGA declined our invitation to hold an open and transparent public hearing of the pub applications in Newcastle. The Newcastle public would have been dismayed with the inadequacy of the many duplicate and minimalistic venue applications and the consequential ILGA opaque approval process occurring within an environment of soaring levels of alcohol-fuelled violence.
This narrow "quick and easy" approach excluded other key harm control processes of the Liquor Act that includes a transparent net social impact assessment (cumulative impact), cost impacts on police and public health resources, legal provisions on prevention of intoxication and, fair consideration of the mountain of independent scientific evidence.
The medical and criminal evidence is clear. Later trading hours increase domestic and non-domestic violence. So does the provision of stronger drinks and the rapid consumption of the same via shots and bombs.
The AHA and the Minister responsible suggest removal of our proven alcohol harm controls were long overdue and an impediment to a "fun, vibrant, safe and creative nightlife" (NH 4/7). What they failed to mention was the astonishing reported 60-80 per cent increase in some assaults during the trial of weakened conditions.
Many pubs took advantage of the process to successfully remove other conditions not subject to the trial.
Police reported that about six venues were connected to about 80 per cent of reported assaults. King Street and Finnegans hotels were in the top 10 of the number of reported violent incidents. Yet, ILGA approved their applications.
ILGA appears not to have followed its own requirements to consider the negative social impact of increased late closing times on poker machine harms, further giving weight to the power and undue influence of the alcohol lobby.
Ever since the former NSW government announced a trial overseen by Mark Latham MLC of weakened harm controls for Newcastle's smaller and later bigger bars in early July 2020, the process was shrouded in controversy and scepticism that the outcome was a "done deal".
On top of the ILGA decision is the NSW government announcement that Newcastle will shortly be declared a special entertainment precinct in Newcastle. This provides for an additional one-hour increase in closing times of venues creating more intoxication and undue disturbances surrounding high-density residential apartments.
Residents and emergency workers should be concerned that the council may soon control the regulation of excessive noise, closing times and outlet approvals, as we unwillingly transition into a 24/7 vibrant and "mature" night time economy.
How many young deaths and permanent injuries will it again take to convince our tone-deaf elected representatives and their agency leaders, to belatedly attempt to push the deadly alcohol genie back into the bottle?
Dr Tony Brown is a lecturer at the University of Newcastle and a community advocate for evidence-based alcohol harm prevention.
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