Last week brought great news with the plan to finally remove the 1.30am lockout as of 14 January. I opposed the lockouts since they were introduced in 2014 – at the time only me and the Greens voted against the legislation. Since then I have worked across the political divide to get other members to support a vibrant city at night. As Deputy Chair on the Parliamentary inquiry into Sydney’s nightlife our committee delivered recommendations for sweeping changes to bring the party back to Sydney, and I am glad the government is supporting a number of these. While the lockout will remain in Kings Cross, the 12-month review provides an opportunity to review safety and diversity and include the precinct in the future.

I look forward to working with the NSW Government and City of Sydney to further strengthen our night time economy and have asked the Minister for Customer Service to prepare a consolidated list of liquor licences in Kings Cross to better understand the density of venues and plan for the appropriate diversity to ensure we have consistent licensing across Sydney. My letter is HERE.

The committee report and government response is HERE