Of 88 venues that have taken up the extended trading hours since November, 18 are in the City of Sydney, 30 are in other parts of Sydney and 40 are in the regions.
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Tucano’s, a tiki-style bar in Surry Hills, opened in September and only recently availed itself of the two-hour trading extension – from midnight until 2am. It programs live DJs, with some vocals, on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, and wants to add drag shows and comedy.
Co-owner Ben Hickey said the two-hour extension was much better than the previous one-hour as people leaving pubs at midnight probably would not bother visiting if the venue closed at 1am, but 2am gave them enough time.
“From a financial point of view, it isn’t just doubly as good as the one-hour, it’s potentially three or four times better,” he said.
Hickey said relations between venues, police and liquor authorities has also improved. “Back in the day it was very much an ‘us versus them’ situation,” he said. “These days they’re going out of their way to help support venues.”
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However, economic conditions are still tough. “There are a lot of venues opening in Sydney, which is great, and I think people are getting behind then, but people don’t go out as often as they used to, and they don’t go out and spend money in the way they used to spend,” Hickey said.
Graham agreed: “Interest rate pressures, the rising cost of living – there’s a lot of work to do here. But it is the first time in a long time that you’ve seen good news in Sydney. The direction is really clear, and that’s up.”
Some of the initiatives designed to bolster live music and the night-time economy, such as special entertainment precincts, were conceived by the previous Coalition government but expanded by Labor. The precincts allow councils to encourage live music and outdoor dining by relaxing rules.
The only such zone now operating is on Enmore Road, though Inner West Council plans to apply for another six precincts, including Balmain, and Northern Beaches Council is expected to discuss an expression of interest at a meeting on Tuesday.
Source Agencies
