This week the NSW Government reached the same conclusion that their colleagues in Melbourne came to last year; 2am pub and club lockouts don’t work in reducing alcohol-related violence. It was only four months ago that NSW’s newly inducted Premier Nathan Rees introduced the “48 most dangerous pubs and clubs” list, which saw ‘questionable’ venues subject to new rules and regulations as a way of curbing violence. This included the notorious 2am lockout and a 10-minute timeout on serving alcohol each hour. The government has now chosen to scrap the controversial approach.

It’s been said the government will instead consult the hotel industry about introducing a “safety star rating system”. Gaming and Racing Minister Kevin Greene will present a discussion paper to cabinet next week. It’ll then be distributed for public comment as well as input from the hotel industry, after which a system of ratings will be devised for pubs and clubs. The idea behind the new approach is that each venue would be rated by a system of “stars” to indicate how safe it is, after which point the public would be able to make their own safety assessment.

The Australian Hotels Association has given its stamp of approval to the new approach as a move in the right direction. “The [list of] 48 was a short-term solution [introduced] for immediate impact and while we’re critical of many of the conditions, we’re anxious to move forward and work with the Government to put forward a long-term sustainable solution,” chief executive Sally Fielke told the Sydney Morning Herald.

The NSW opposition, on the other hand, has criticised the Labor party for making impulsive and ill-informed decisions. “We have a Government which really has no idea from day to day what to do with liquor licensing, what to do with youth binge drinking and what to do with alcohol-related violence,” claimed the Opposition’s gaming and racing spokesman George Souris.