Sydney's controversial lockout laws could be scrapped for most of the CBD with the NSW premier hoping the move will enhance the city's nightlife.
Gladys Berejiklian on Sunday conceded it was time to boost Sydney's night-time economy after a cross-party parliamentary committee review of the laws earlier in the year.
"While we will await the committee's report, I agree it's time to enhance Sydney's nightlife," Ms Berejiklian said in a statement to AAP on Sunday.
The NSW premier plans to relax Sydney's lockout laws but they will remain in place at Kings Cross. Source: AAP
"Sydney is Australia's only global city and we need our nightlife to reflect that."
The premier will move to lift the 1.30am lockouts in the CBD entertainment district but the law will remain in place for Kings Cross.
The legislation was introduced in 2014 in a bid to reduce alcohol-fuelled violence after the one-punch deaths of Thomas Kelly and Daniel Christie.
Ms Berejiklian hopes to introduce changes to the contentious legislation by the end of the year.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian looks set to ditch the controversial lockout laws. Source: AAP
The move has been criticised as "premature" by the Keep Sydney Safe campaign which represents emergency service workers in NSW.
Spokesman Tony Sara argues the announcement is concerning, given the committee report has not yet been published and called on Ms Berejiklian to release the findings.
"The committee's process isn't being respected ... Given the committee's report is being effectively ignored, we have no idea of how they have balanced known risk factors or projected what it will take to preserve safety," Dr Sara said in a statement on Sunday.
He said emergency service workers know too well the consequences of dismantling the "modest laws" and warned assault figures will rise if they're repealed.
The Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research released research in August that suggested the laws reduced the number of assaults but the benefit is diminishing over time.
The laws were introduced in 2014 by Barry O’Farrell and while he was not the instigator, predecessor Mike Baird was widely accused of killing Sydney’s nightlife Source: AAP
BOCSAR found non-domestic assaults dropped 53 per cent in Kings Cross and four per cent in the CBD since lockouts were introduced.
But in the same period, assaults rose by 30 per cent at alternative nightspots accessible from the city.
