Accommodation bookings down to just 10 per cent of normal room occupancy rates, bar trade sitting at 20 per cent of regular sales, and food orders reduced by more than 50 per cent across the CBD.
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This is the new reality of what our pubs, clubs, restaurants, cafes and venues are facing as COVID-19 restrictions begin to gradually lift across Newcastle.
Before the global pandemic, Newcastle's night-time activity generated an estimated $1.36 billion boost to the economy, employing more than 12,000 Novocastrians across hospitality, accommodation, tourism and live entertainment.
The effects of COVID-19 on this important sector are not yet fully known, but initial evidence is suggesting that the blow has been devastating for these key industries and the workers that they employ.
The City of Newcastle recently conducted an Affected Industries Roundtable as a part of our City Taskforce - our way to bring city leaders together to find practical solutions to the effects that COVID-19 has had across our community and on businesses.
We wanted to hear firsthand from the industries most affected by the challenges brought by the lockdown regulations that have been put in place to keep us safe.
Unsurprisingly, what we heard from our hospitality venues was devastating.
Despite recent easing of restrictions, many institutions have been brought to their knees.
In the face of uncertainty, we must do all that we can to assist these vibrant local businesses to not only survive the pandemic, but thrive on the way back to our new normal.
With this in mind, I propose that it's now a critical time to reconsider the restrictions in place in the Newcastle CBD, and finally change the 2008 lockout laws.
City of Newcastle has long supported amending restrictions imposed by the so-called 'Newcastle Intervention'.
A blanket 'one-size-fits-all' approach fails to acknowledge that so many of our night-time venues operate safe and successful businesses, often completely free of antisocial behaviour.
As a diversifying city, we don't think an arbitrary lock out time of 1.30am is effective in 2020.
Since implementation of the interventions, Newcastle has undergone significant change led by a strong growth in smaller, 'low impact' venues and a burgeoning creative and dining scene.
This evolution of the city's nightlife towards more diverse venues, attractive to broader demographics, is in a direction that we strongly encourage.
Many inflight magazines, and hipster blogs have lauded the revitalisation of our city, while directly linking this renewal to our thriving 'small bar scene'.
Hunter Street's Coal & Cedar was even named the best small bar in the country outside of a capital city.
To this day however, these thriving boutique small bar venues, so important to the city's diversifying night-time offering, must still stop trading at midnight.
That's why I was filled with optimism when Minister for Customer Service Victor Dominello recently announced measures to reinvigorate Sydney's night-time economy once restrictions were lifted.
These measures will lead to the further dismantling of Sydney's lockout laws that will enable venues to apply to extend their trading hours, expand their premises and apply for new liquor licenses.
In lifting the Newcastle lockout laws, and guided by our After Dark strategy, City of Newcastle proposes supporting a greater diversity of night-time venues, and encouraging a safe, vibrant and creative public culture of nightlife.
We've come so far since 2008.
Our city is evolving as revitalisation continues to gather momentum.
The challenges we face in 2020 are very different to those of 12 years ago, and our approaches to managing the city at night must evolve apace.
The challenges we face in 2020 are very different to those of 12 years ago, and our approaches to managing the city at night must evolve apace.
Novocastrians no longer want booze barns. Those days are long behind us.
The shifting culture of nightlife in Newcastle necessitates a broadening scope of the kinds of night-time activities we want.
The dominant culture of nightlife in Newcastle has changed in terms of the behaviour of participants, the styles of venues that are popular, and the broader community expectations of acceptable risks and harms.
It's time that our laws and regulations caught up, especially as Novocastrians begin to venture out to do their bit to support our night economy, and the workers livelihoods that it sustains.
Nuatali Nelmes is the Lord Mayor of the City of Newcastle
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