NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell enters liquor licensing debate

NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell says local solutions are reducing alcohol-fuelled violence

The political debate has largely centred on regulating licensed premises, but the government and hotel industry argue that high-profile "king-hit" crimes have largely been on the streets on Sydney's Kings Cross, the CBD and in tourist precincts such as Bondi and Coogee.

"I don't understand the violence lust or the violence rage that exists out there below the surface," the Premier told ABC radio. He said the number of assaults at Kings Cross had been reduced by a third but admitted that was no comfort to the family of the latest victim, Daniel Christie.

Acting Opposition Leader Linda Burney said public tolerance for such crimes was now zero and called for blanket restrictions on pubs and clubs, including bans on "shots" after 10pm, lockouts after 1am and 3am closing.

But Mr O'Farrell said such restrictions would have been of no comfort to people such as Daniel Christie, who was assaulted at 9pm.

The government is considering 91 recommendations of an independent review of the Liquor Act released before Christmas.

Kypros Kypri, from the School of Medicine and Public Health at the University of Newcastle, in which city shortening trading hours by 90 minutes had reduced violence by 37 per cent, said the efficacy of lockouts was less certain.

"Earlier closing works, and Newcastle is just one example, but there are others," Professor Kypri said, citing Perth and recent changes to licensing in Norway.

"A 20 per cent increase in assaults when you went up by an hour and a 20 per cent decrease when you went down by an hour."

The Australian Hotels Association sought to put the blame on "thugs who roamed the streets fuelled on drugs, alcohol or testosterone with no consequences".

AHA NSW director of policing John Green said calls to "shut down Australian's only global city" would have more people out on the streets in the early hours.

Professor Kypri said that a more nuanced debate was required. "Premises don't have to close but they have to stop serving alcohol," he said.

Source:  News Limited - 3 January 2014