By Andrew Starke
At least one in four hotel industry jobs are in jeopardy after the City of Sydney this week passed late night trading amendments, which the Australian Hotels Association (AHA NSW) slammed as ‘draconian’.
CEO Sally Fielke said the changes would create a culture of uncertainty for business operators in entertainment precincts like The Rocks, Kings Cross, Surry Hills and the CBD.
“What a Christmas present for the thousands of people working in the hospitality industry in Sydney,” Fielke told TheShout.
“The City of Sydney has ridden roughshod over a system of checks and balances that were already in place and for what?
“To gratify the Lord Mayor’s personal vision of a city where no one drives a car and where everyone is tucked up in bed by 10pm.
“Destroying business certainty is the best way to fulfil Council’s NIMBY agenda.”
Central to the AHA’s concerns is that the liquor industry is already tightly regulated through the State Government and amendments to the City of Sydney Late Night Development Control Plan (2007) create an extra level of compliance.
“The only reason for the City of Sydney to vote itself powers to control venues in its Late Night Trading Premises Development Control Plan is to set itself above the powers of State Government and the Courts,” said Fielke.
“If Council now decides a licensed venue is poorly run – on the basis of its own research – its trading hours can be cut back.
“Council is playing judge, jury and executioner.”
Fielke said the AHA (NSW) was all for disciplining hotels that were poorly run.
“But this isn’t the way to do it,” she said. “This will cost thousands of jobs and punish all hotels for the sins of a few all to serve the NIMBY agenda of an extremist Lord Mayor.”
Clover Moore has in the past strenuously denied allegations that she intends shutting down Sydney’s late night economy.