How can we get a true 24 hour city?

[Düsseldorfer]

New Years Eve on O'Connell Street... all the pubs closed at 2am. WTF?

well the Rundle Lantern was also switched off at 2AM (the big LED screen on city cross was still on tho ), fortunately the fast food restaurants in that part of town were open all night

[monotonehell]

New Years Eve on O'Connell Street... all the pubs closed at 2am. WTF?

It's been a weird NYE. A lot of the venue operators just don't seem to want to deal with the hassle that NYE entails. A lot of places closed earlier on NYE than they normally do. Also it was very quiet (compared to "normal") with a lot of places deciding to close early (1 or 2am) because of the lack of business.

[Omicron]

New Years Eve on O'Connell Street... all the pubs closed at 2am. WTF?

It's been a weird NYE. A lot of the venue operators just don't seem to want to deal with the hassle that NYE entails. A lot of places closed earlier on NYE than they normally do. Also it was very quiet (compared to "normal") with a lot of places deciding to close early (1 or 2am) because of the lack of business.

Many thanks to our roving reporter Mono for trawling through the pubs and clubs on NYE to bring you this special report.

[monotonehell]

New Years Eve on O'Connell Street... all the pubs closed at 2am. WTF?

It's been a weird NYE. A lot of the venue operators just don't seem to want to deal with the hassle that NYE entails. A lot of places closed earlier on NYE than they normally do. Also it was very quiet (compared to "normal") with a lot of places deciding to close early (1 or 2am) because of the lack of business.

Many thanks to our roving reporter Mono for trawling through the pubs and clubs on NYE to bring you this special report.

http://www.cartoonlabs.com/comics/index ... ow=sinfest

[Will]

I didn't want to start a new thread just for this article, so I decided to post it here as it is definately a step back if we want to make Adelaide a genuine 24 hour city.

The idea of banning new clubs and bars on Gouger Street is recalcitrant. Why should the young people of this city be punished for the actions of a miniscule minority. Indeed, this is really backwater thinking, if we let a shooting which happned last year cloud our judgement.

Curbing the number of clubs and bars in NOT going to reduce crime. Indeed, it will have the opposite effect, as you will have groups of people wandering aimlesly around the city at night looking for something to do.

Call for ban on new clubs and bars on Gouger

news Business 19 Aug 09 @ 08:47am by Emily Charrison




CALLING for action: Gouger Street Traders Association president Noel Taplin.


A BAN on all new nightclubs and karaoke bars on Gouger St is the only way to restore a more family-friendly image for the troubled dining precinct, traders say.

Their call comes despite a City Council report last week that showed a 20percent drop in victim-reported crime such as assault, rape and theft on Gouger St in the first three months of this year compared to the same time in 2008.

Traders told the City Messenger there was still more work to do before Gouger St could rid itself of the notorious reputation earned following a string of violent attacks last year, including three shootings.

Gouger Street Traders Association president Noel Taplin said he had been pushing the council for years to install floodlights on five historic buildings, and to ban new clubs and bars from the area.

``Even existing nightclub owners have joined us in saying (no) more because we know that’s a major contributor to the problems,’’ Mr Taplin said.

At last week’s council meeting, members evaluated the Safety Action Plan, which it began last December in response to the May, June and October shootings, two of which happened outside the popular Gaucho’s Argentinian Restaurant.

A man, 38, has since been charged with endangering life over the first incident, while police also charged a 17-year-old youth with the same offence after he allegedly fired several shots through a window at the Buddha Bar in June.

There are now at least five bars/clubs on the strip, including Aces Bar & Bistro, Escobar and the Director’s Hotel.

Mr Taplin agreed measures in the plan including more lighting, CCTV cameras and a higher police presence had reduced crime but said the council must consider floodlighting and the club ban.

Wilsons Organics owner Angela Trevor was still concerned about hoon driving on Gouger St and loitering in nearby alleys, although she said such problems ``could happen anywhere’’.

``Floodlighting the area would be a really good idea not just for safety but for general ambience, it might make people respect the strip a bit more,’’ she said.

Gouger Fish Café manager Valli Moehr had not noticed any changes in the precinct since the plan was developed, she said a nightclub ban ``couldn’t do any harm’’.

Lord Mayor Michael Harbison said the council was reviewing its development plan for new late-night trading businesses, but any changes would take at least 12 months to enforce because they needed to go through state planning.

He said the council would also spend another $400,000 this year on more surveillance cameras and lighting in the precinct.

[AtD]

The Gouger St Traders Association calls for a ban on new nightclubs that may compete with the ones currently members of the Gouger St Traders Association. No obvious commercial conflict in interest there...

Honestly, why does anyone pay attention to this rubbish?

[Omicron]

The Gouger St Traders Association calls for a ban on new nightclubs that may compete with the ones currently members of the Gouger St Traders Association. No obvious commercial conflict in interest there...

Honestly, why does anyone pay attention to this rubbish?

I find it best just to assume everyone else is a misinformed clot - then you're vindicated when you get it right, and pleasantly surprised when you don't.

[Will]

The Gouger St Traders Association calls for a ban on new nightclubs that may compete with the ones currently members of the Gouger St Traders Association. No obvious commercial conflict in interest there...

Honestly, why does anyone pay attention to this rubbish?

The ACC appears to be paying attention to it.

[Nathan]

The Gouger St Traders Association calls for a ban on new nightclubs that may compete with the ones currently members of the Gouger St Traders Association. No obvious commercial conflict in interest there...

Honestly, why does anyone pay attention to this rubbish?

I thought the exact same thing, in regards to the conflict of interest.

Obviously the problem is with a few establishments - and I think it's fairly easy to subjectively pick which are the classy bars, and wish are the dodgy ones that attract the riff-raff. Unfortunately, I don't think there's anyway you could adjust licensing rules to objectively distinguish between the two.

[monotonehell]

Obviously the problem is with a few establishments - and I think it's fairly easy to subjectively pick which are the classy bars, and wish are the dodgy ones that attract the riff-raff. Unfortunately, I don't think there's anyway you could adjust licensing rules to objectively distinguish between the two.

Wasn't it the case in one of these shootings that the riff raff were refused entry, so came back later with a gun?

I was on Gouger for dinner on Thursday, even the small bits of work that have been done in the past 12 months have improved the ambience 1000%. It's looking much less scummy by night now.

[stumpjumper]

A little reality, folks:

Adelaide will not get extended shopping hours as long as there is life in the 'Shoppies' union, the Shop Distributive and Allied Employees Association.

The SDA is the largest union in Australia, with 260,000 members. It is the largest voting bloc at the ALP conferences state and national.

The SDA represents the Labor Right, including the ALP's historically conservative Irish Catholic vote, and is extremely powerful in SA, controlling Ministers and MP's Michael Atkinson, Tom Koutsantonis, Jack Snelling, Trish White, Michael O'Brien, Carmel Zollo, Tom Kenyon, Lindsay Simmons, Bernard Finnigan and Lea Stevens, as well as dozens of aides, advisers and liaison officers in the offices of those MP's.

The SDA also controls SA federal MP's Nick Champion, Amanda Rishworth, Kate Ellis, Annette Hurley and Don Farrell.

Rann cannot continue as Premier without the say-so of the SDA.

So this all-powerful union, the SDA, is op posed to increased trading hours. So SA will not get increased trading hours without the SDA approving it, regardless of what the government or the public want.

To bolster their position, the SDA wants all city workers (10,000 of whom are SDA members) to have a vote in council elections. This would hand control of the Adelaide City Council to the SDA and extended hours would never happen.

Have a look on the net at the SDA. It is also against abortion and stem cell research. They're very serious about what they do as well. The SDA kicked Linda Kirk off its senate ticket for supporting trials of an abortion drug in a conscience vote!!

So if you want extended trading in SA, lobby the SDA. Talk to the union secretary Peter Manilauskas.

[AtD]

The ACC appears to be paying attention to it.

Sad, isn't it?

[Brando]

I might be the only one, but i'm okay with no more clubs opening down Gouger St. Finding the right balance between clubs, pubs, restaraunts, cafes and retail is critical. I would much rather clubs be scattered all over the city than concentrated in certain vicinities. I would rather crowds converse over many locations of the CBD than just a select few streets...

[stumpjumper]

I would rather crowds converge over many locations of the CBD than just a select few streets...

It's a characteristic of the night-time economy of cities that people prefer to go to locations where there are clusters of nightspots rather than single venues.

For example, in Rundle Street a few years ago there was a choice of the Exeter, Crown and Anchor, Austral, Rhino Room and Q.

At about the same time, Q was burnt out, and both the Exeter and the Austral for various reasons suspended their live music at night.

Suddenly, attendances at the remaining live music venues dropped dramatically.

The same phenomenon has been documented in the City of Westminster in London when changes to the licensing rules forced the closure of around 40% of live venues.

The reason is that patrons prefer a choice of three or four venues within walking distance, guaranteeing at least a couple of good bands and venues really going off, unless the venue is big and offers a spread of bands (like the Gov on Port Road). When the choice in the East End was limited to just the Rhino Room and the Crown and Anchor, the two alone were not enough to bring patrons to the area.

What's more, the night-time economy in places like the East End supports the daytime economy. For example, you can buy a falafel for lunch in the East End because of the money the place makes at night, because of the live venue patrons.

So the idea of venues sprinkled around the CBD is probably not viable unless there were a free shuttle circulating between them.

Now there's an idea!

[Wayno]

What do we mean by 24hr city?