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Media Articles about this Campaign
a collection of articles announcing the win
Liquor laws will 'bring back the funky'
Big win on Sydney's small bars
Now for the next cab off the rank
Cautious welcome for changes to licensing
Southern landlords keen to uncork a few in Sydney
Melburnians ready to help Sydney raise the bar
Pubs filthy over Labor rebuff on small bars
Discreet and friendly key to future of Sydney's bar scene
"Sydney's grassroots community campaign Raise the Bar yesterday reached
its target of 5000 "e-drinks" sent to MPs".
Tim Macknay, who campaigned for the change to Perth's licensing laws says "We're on our way to leaving dullsville behind but Sydney could be there for a little longer,"
Read article (Daily Tele)
The not-so happy hour
Read article (SMH)"Any move to make Sydney more vibrant will strengthen the economy. Businesses choose to operate in areas that employees want to work in and socialise in. It's about the flow-on effects of having a vibrant city culture,"
Mini bars idea ludicrous, says restaurant chief
Mr Doyle admits his plan is protectionist and will be met with opposition
larvatus prodeo
a good indication on the mood for change in the communitySydney's funky bar campaign gathers pace
Read article (9ninemsn)Sydneysiders are flocking to a new website to send their local MPs an 'email beer' to protest the state's expensive liquor laws and bring about more small, Melbourne-style bars.
Blow up pokies for smaller bars
Read article (Daily Telegraph)Contradicting (NSW AHA President) Mr Thorpe yesterday were the owners of two major establishments in The Rocks, Hero of Waterloo and the Harbour View Hotel, who said they would welcome a cultured and cosmopolitan social scene with the romantic atmosphere of Paris.
Free for all: virtual drinks on the House
Read article (SMH)Media Articles about the Issue
Stephen Loosley: Trying to raise the bar
But reform is only a matter of time. The pressure for liberalisation and to provide greater diversity of drinking and dining experiences in Sydney is very strong and will become overwhelming.
Read Article NZ Herald
Moore and minister to confer over hole-in-the-wall proposal
October 3, 2007The Australian Hotels Association is arguing against any change to liquor licensing controls
Democracy feeds off donations drip
October 1, 2007
It would be interesting to be a fly on the wall when the Labor caucus meets to thrash out a position on Clover Moore's bill to reform liquor licensing laws for small bars. It seems unlikely the decision will be made purely on the bill's merits.
Talk of the town
September 30, 2007
Melbourne is a city going gangbusters
Melbourne the ABC of Australian cities - Sydney the Channel Nine.
Door opened to easing NSW liquor laws
September 27, 2007State Parliament has entertained debate on legislation by Sydney
Lord Mayor and member of Parliament Clover Moore to make it easier for
restaurants and coffee shops to sell alcoholic drinks.
Opposition members agreed to bring on debate, postponing other items of
business so that the bill could be introduced to the lower house.
Small bars are not small beer
September 27, 2007Opponents of these changes have tried to argue that Sydneysiders
don't want small bars. This is patently ridiculous.
In any case, this should be for the market to decide. Sydney has made
great strides in revitalising the CBD over the past two decades. As
lord mayor, Frank Sartor had a lot of success in this area. The changes
which Moore is tabling in Parliament today are a natural extension of
this evolution.
Hotel warlords rile Keating
September 27, 2007Liquor licences for small venues should be made cheaper to encourage
Melbourne-style bars, he said.
"Melbourne has got a level of sophistication Sydney doesn't have.
You don't get all this guffawing and noise."
NSW Tourism Minister, Matt Brown points to a survey by
Conde Nast Traveller magazine (huh?) in which Sydney was
voted the most popular tourism destination.
"Melbourne can carry on as much as they like about their small
bars but it's not winning them any favours in the international
market," he said
Westfield joins call for cheap bar licences
Sydney Morning Herald, September 26
"The AHA down in Victoria gave me a very rough time [during the
1980s review of the Victorian licensing laws]. They were so arrogant,"
Professor Nieuwenhuysen said yesterday. "They always thought they had
the industry and the government in their pocket. They were very rude
and their solicitor would write me strong letters of
condemnation.
"What I said in my review was not influenced by their rudeness but by
what I saw as completely indefensible privilege: they were the only
ones who can serve you a drink without food. That is still in the NSW
legislation."
Moore on front foot in fight on small bars
POKER machines and takeaway liquor would be banned from small bars under a licensing regime Clover Moore will present to Parliament this week as part of her campaign to encourage intimate, Melbourne-style drinking venues in Sydney.
Powerful ally joins fight for small bars
Sydney Morning Herald, September 25
DEVELOPERS have thrown their weight behind Clover Moore's campaign to allow cheap liquor licences to encourage smaller and more intimate bars in Sydney.
Overhaul opens way for pokies and hours
Sydney Morning Herald, September 25
NSW Gaming Minister West said changes in liquor laws, including
opening hours, were imminent and would respond to wishes of the
public.
"We know a lot of generation Y people are going out later than their
previous generation so we need to make sure we are responding to the
community."
Melbourne better than Sydney
Daily Telegraph, September 18
THE Sydney-Melbourne rivalry has been going on since colonial days.
These days in terms of nightlife at least there's little doubt the
Victorian capital wins.
Much of this has to do with the state's licensing laws - Victoria's are
21st century while NSW still thinks the Rum Corps runs the place.
Effete? Melbourne? Bring it on!
Posted by Dom Knight. August 7, 2007 9:00 AM
read the full article here
It's time we liberalised our embarrassing drinking laws. Other than the
naked self-interest of a lobby group that already has it far too good,
I can't see any good reason not to allow smaller bars in our
inner-city. People don't binge drink, vomit and get into fights at
Melbourne's intimate laneway bars. Nor do they become addicted to
gambling and lose their week's wages. Get your own establishments in
order, Mr Thorpe, and let the rest of us choose where we'd like to have
a drink.
Don't inflict effete Melbourne ways: hotels
Sunanda Creagh Sydney Morning Herald, August 4, 2007
Raising the bars
Some Sydneysiders are contemplating a Melburnian drinking
style
Jane Willson, The AGE, August 7, 2007
read the full article here
Leave Sydney pubs alone
By Peter Gosnell
August 01, 2007 12:00am
read the full article here
We need a place to breed our cultural DNA
Neil Armfield
July 28, 2007
read the full article here
Sydney to encourage 'Melbourne-like' bars
Making it easier to slip into small bars
Sunanda Creagh Urban Affairs Reporter
read the full article here
Music key to rural future, says Iemma
Angela Cuming January 28, 2007
read the full article here
An overhaul of liquor licensing laws is needed if drought-ravaged
country towns are to survive, Premier Morris Iemma said
yesterday.
Speaking from the Tamworth Country Music Festival, the Premier said he
supported proposed changes to the laws so small venues would not have
to gain a liquor licence to stage live music.
"We need to make it easy for small venues to stage live gigs without
having to have a full liquor licence," Mr Iemma said. "A liquor licence
can cost up to $60,000 and that's something that small, struggling
business in rural towns can simply not afford.
Rhythm and booze: we'll drink to that
Sunanda Creagh Urban Affairs Reporter, January 11, 2007
IF MELBOURNE is red wine and soft music, Sydney is beer and a band.
But if proposed changes in the NSW Liquor Act are passed, Sydney could
experience a proliferation of quaint, hole-in-the-wall jazz joints
operating under their own special licence.
"The great thing about the [proposed] live music liquor licence is it
would be available for cafes and restaurants. It's for people who want
to have a piano in the corner while people have a drink," said John
Wardle, a jazz guitarist who has been leading the campaign.
Licence to thrill
By Peter Bartlett Sydney Morning Herald,April 21, 2006
Live music venues in Sydney have been disappearing amid the huge cost of compliance, tougher fire regulations, noise complaints and the wave of gentrification of traditional performance precincts.
The trouble with Sydney
Chris Johnson, The AGE, December 16, 2005
Since Bob Carr stepped down as NSW premier, there have been glimmers
of hope on the horizon. A report to the State Government saying that
laws restricting venues are "onerous" and discourage music has been
listened to, with a new Liquor Act poised to be passed.
Among other things, it would award "first-rights", which means that if
a pub putting on music was in the street before new residents, the pub
gets a better deal. Also, all licensed venues in Sydney may now be put
on the same playing field, meaning there will be no distinction made
under the law between rock pubs and jazz cabaret.
Anything but an excess of venues
John Shand, Sydney Morning Herald - May 25, 2005
"The best advice the older musicians can give to young musicians is
to buy an air ticket," says internationally acclaimed saxophonist Dale
Barlow. "That's a sad and sorry state of affairs, when really we have a
great home-grown talent pool here that is not being utilised ... It's a
bit like the Australian Olympic swimming team not having their own pool
to practise in. I see Australia as being that bad in terms of providing
opportunity for young musicians to develop their skills and talents ...
You couldn't do a better a job if you deliberately wanted to kill
culture and kill arts."
Wardle wants to see the term "live musician" written into the liquor
act, so there is legislative recognition of the relationship between
the regulatory environment and working opportunities for
musicians.