Reigniting the night time economy requires multi-partisan commitment
Sydney, 23 February 2022: The Night Time Industries Association is calling for multi-partisan support for the night time economy to unlock the enormous economic potential of a 24 hour economy in New South Wales.
The ‘Reignite the Night Election Statement’ urges all parties to build on the progress made so far to revitalise night time industries and avoid lapsing into complacency through a ‘mission accomplished’ mindset.
The Election Statement includes a suite of requests from Greater Sydney’s bars, pubs, nightclubs, performance venues, theatres and industry suppliers. The requests include:
- Commit to funding and endorsing the 24-Hour Economy Commissioner’s Office to revitalise the night time economy across New South Wales – an expansion on its existing remit of Greater Sydney.
- Audit legislative and regulatory instruments that manage sound and noise to provide greater protections for night time industries against vexatious complaints.
- Improve the lighting, amenity and safety of public spaces at night through co-investment with local councils to create illuminated and patrolled spaces between nightlife precincts and transportation hubs.
- Embed night time industries in large scale government and private developments; residential zoning should accommodate multifunctional spaces for culture, hospitality and entertainment.
- Attract more blockbuster performances by increasing the availability of large scale performance venues capable of hosting large performances.
- Address the burgeoning issue facing facilitators of live music and performance who are either unable to obtain public liability insurance or are facing exorbitant premium increases.
- Deliver 24-hour public transportation across greater Sydney so consumers and workers know they can travel safely and affordably at night.
- Broaden the Minimum Viable Product grant funding to include operators in night time industries that are seeking to invest in early stage innovation or technology.
The full list of recommendations and implementation plan can be downloaded here.
Night Time Industries Association CEO Mick Gibb says Greater Sydney’s night time economy has made a lot of progress but warns there is still huge untapped potential across NSW.
“We can’t let the night time economy fall off the radar. The NTIA is calling on all sides to commit to the night, commit to jobs, commit to operators and commit to making NSW a world leader after dark.
“There’s a huge opportunity to double-down on the progress made so far and forge a night time ecosystem across all of NSW that sets the state up as a world leader after dark.
“Fine tuning regulatory settings and legislation can have tangible impacts on how and where the night time economy operates. It can give operators the confidence to put on an extra band night each week or a small bar operator to open a new venue.
“There are more than 42,000 core night time economy venues across NSW employing more than 279,000 people. It’s not hard to imagine how great an economic contribution this sector could make with ongoing and expanded commitment.
“Now is not the time to deprioritise the night. If we slow down now we will miss the golden opportunities before us.”
–ENDS–
Media Contact
comms@ntia.org.au | 0423 149 494
