LABOR says it will turn Newcastle into a vibrant throng of activity after sundown if it wins the state election in March.
It has committed to giving the city a shot-in-the-arm after dark, extending the Sydney-centric 24-hour Economy Strategy to bring Newcastle, the Central Coast and Wollongong into the fold.
Under the plan, a 24-hour Economy Commissioner would work with councils, communities, industry and creatives to build an energetic night-time economy.
It could become a critical economic driver for the city, Swansea MP and Shadow Minister for the Hunter Yasmin Catley said.
"We need to make sure that Newcastle has the capacity to host live music and entertainment like we've seen recently with Elton John, we've been left in the dark far too long and it's time we turn the lights on," she said.
"I think there's a real opportunity lost here if we don't take our night-time economy seriously, people don't want to travel to Sydney or the valley to have a night-time experience ... we should be utilising our natural advantages."
Business Hunter chief executive Bob Hawes said it's not just about pubs opening late for younger people, there needs to be a whole spectrum of activities for people to enjoy.
"If you look at the ground floor of the city, a lot of the streets' hustle and bustle is gone, we need ambition because it's going to be a challenge to get that up and going," he said.
"All the CBDs have issues to deal with post-COVID, whether that's Maitland, Charlestown or even Hamilton and Newcastle.
"There isn't a one-size-fits-all approach across those centres, we need a bespoke approach."
Newcastle's lockout laws ended earlier this month, with liquor authorities announcing they will consider relaxing licence conditions on a venue-by-venue basis.
The city's night-time economy accounts for 13 per cent of the workforce, which is significantly higher than the national average, according to a City of Newcastle (CN) spokeswoman.
She said recent data shows the night-time spend in Newcastle was $686 million from February 2022 to January 2023.
"CN will continue to work with the NSW Government on future funding opportunities or initiatives to support the ongoing implementation of our After Dark strategy," she said.
"These strategies outline key priorities and actions to be delivered by CN in the development of a creative, safe and vibrant nightlife that contributes significantly to the cultural and economic revitalisation of Newcastle."
A Council of Capital City Lord Mayors night-time economy report showed that despite the economic downturn caused by COVID-19, Newcastle experienced the highest increase in night-time establishment growth across Australian cities during 2020-2021, up about 12 per cent.
Labor's plan would extend to Lake Macquarie, where mayor Kay Fraser said locals are crying out for night-time activities.
"We need this to happen," she said.
"We can see that our demographic is changing, we have more young people in the city than before but we want to host events that aren't just for young people but people of all ages."
Cr Fraser said she wanted to see more activities on offer after dark in the arts and cultural sector.
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