However, rising costs of living, staff shortages and bad weather continue to slow the recovery of Sydney’s nightlife and live music. Venues also compete with less-experienced youth and an overcrowded market for events and options.
John Graham, the spokesperson for the Labor Party’s nighttime economy, said he supports the purple flag initiative as a means of organizing nighttime businesses and welcoming people to the area.
“But what must go hand in hand with it is regulatory reform to make it easier for these businesses to operate. That rollout is too late.”
He said the entertainment district trials deployed in Enmore should be expanded throughout Sydney, including zones receiving purple flag certification.
“We should go further with regulatory reform and think about what we can do to get back to these purple flag areas. [extended] Closing the streets for hours makes it easier for businesses to turn a profit and allows them to be more relaxed, allowing these areas to really thrive,” Graham said.
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The first four districts to be evaluated from January were chosen to represent a diverse nighttime experience. The ‘YCK’ Corridor, which runs between Town Hall and Darlinghe Harbour, has a growing scene of small bars and 18 pubs scattered across York, Clarence and Kent streets and back alleys.
Church Street in central Parramatta, where future light rail lines will pass, is a bustling street lined with multicultural restaurants, while Marrickville Road and Illawarra Road are famous for their live music venues and Vietnamese cuisine. Marrickville was recently named Australia’s second coolest suburb. time out magazine.
Haldon Street in Lakemba hosts the Ramadan Night Food Market, which attracts about one million visitors each year. The streets are lined with restaurants and cafes, most of which are not licensed to sell alcohol.
The program will be rolled out more widely next year. Sydney CBD Police District Commander Martin Feilman said the plan would build confidence that “vibration and safety can go hand in hand”.
“It’s good to see companies working with governments and police to create safer places for people to enjoy a night out,” he said.
Since the scheme was introduced in 2012, around 46 towns or districts in the UK have been awarded the purple flag.
Karl Schlossauer, president of the Independent Bar Association, said the group was proud to be part of CBD Pilot. We want our visitors to have the best possible experience.