Kings Cross liquor research

The temperance union is gonna love this! (From Council's business papers:)

On 5 June 2006, Council resolved to undertake research into the nature and impacts of licensed premises in Kings Cross. The research has considered demographics, the business mix and economic, social and historical context. The Kings Cross Licensed Premises Research report has been prepared by consultants, Urbis JHD.

Key findings from the report include;
• There are 65 licensed premises in the Kings Cross precinct. More than half of these are licensed restaurants. Nearly half of the remaining liquor licenses are for hotels, nightclubs or theatres.

• Of the 65 licensed premises, three venues trade on a 24 hour basis.

• Licensed venues add to the “colour, vibrancy and activity” of Kings Cross, and the majority are well managed and operate without incident.

• There is a strong correlation between alcohol-related crime and late trading licensed premises in Kings Cross. Despite this, residents in the City East area feel safer than the average City of Sydney resident.

• High densities of late night licensed premises generate cumulative impacts (ie: crime, litter, noise). These impacts are amplified by a lack of late night transport options. The work of the Kings Cross Licensing Accord in attempting to mitigate these impacts via voluntary staggering of closing hours was noted.

• Key stakeholders interviewed in the research identified that Kings Cross is approaching maximum carrying capacity for late trading hotels.

• ‘Saturation’ or the exceeding of an area’s ‘carrying capacity’ for licensed venues should be determined in terms of saturation of impacts rather than the number or ratio of licensed premises in a specific area.

• The report recommends that further research, joint operations, advocacy and improved information sharing between Council, NSW Police and the Office of Liquor, Gaming and Racing occur.

RECOMMENDATION
It is resolved that Council:

(A) note the information contained in the Kings Cross Licensed Premises Research report, as shown at Attachment A to the subject report; and

(B) note that the research will be used to inform the preparation of the Late Trading Premises Development Control Plan.