A new report from the City of Sydney has found that late night foot traffic in Sydney’s CBD and a number of its surrounding precincts has continued to decline resulting in lower levels of anti-social behaviour.
The report, Late Night Management areas Research: Phase 4, is comprised of pedestrian counts, observation surveys and precinct surveys that were recorded over two nights in March 2015 across five Sydney CBD entertainment precincts (Central CBD, North CBD, South CBD, Kings Cross and Oxford Street) and five city suburban precincts (Pyrmont, Newtown, Surry Hills, Redfern and Glebe).
The report suggests that the introduction of the city’s lockout laws in February 2014 may have helped to reduce levels of anti-social behaviour and alcohol-related violence.
Friday night foot traffic in Kings Cross recorded at 11pm counted 2,000 fewer pedestrians when compared to pre-lockout laws figures in 2012, representing a drop of 58 percent, and 4am foot traffic in Kings Cross and Oxford Street dropped by 80 percent when compared to 2012 figures.
As reported by SMH, pedestrian activity in both Kings Cross and Oxford Street peaked at around 1am, than fell sharply, a pattern that the report suggests “may be linked” with the city’s lockout laws.
The report found that foot traffic was lower in almost all precincts with the exception of Newtown (which is not included in the lock out zone) and the Southern CBD. Pedestrian activity on both Friday and Saturday night in Newtown was up by more than 200 percent.
In terms of observed antisocial behaviour, the report recorded a total of 1,465 incidents, 52 percent of which were classified as non-serious. Incidents of antisocial behaviour peaked between midnight and 3am on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights.
The report also found that while antisocial behaviour halved in Kings Cross from 2012 to 2015, the area retained the highest proportion of serious incidents. Of the 185 incidents observed over two nights, 30 percent were marked as serious. To read the full report, click here.
The lockout laws were announced in late January 2014 and rushed through parliament following the death of Sydney teenager Daniel Christie, with the aim to reducing the level of alcohol-fuelled violence across the city’s nightclub hotspots.
The legislation requires bottle shops to close their doors at 10pm and prevents patrons from entering a venue for the first time after 1.30am. The lockout laws also prevent pubs and clubs from serving alcohol to patrons after 3am.
