Keep Sydney Open has been going above and beyond of late, with their initiative to rebuild the city’s once thriving night life.

Tyson Koh, the Campaign Manager of KSO, recently travelled Amsterdam for the a summit focusing on global nightlife, hosted by the Night Mayor of Amsterdam himself, Mirik Milan.

With the summit now concluded, and with momentum for a rejuvenated Sydney nightlife looking closer than ever after a successful Parliament debate last week; Koh took to Facebook for to give us a run-down of the summit, elaborating on the false myth that Sydney is ravaged by ‘alcohol-fuelled violence’, as well as the hope for the creation of a Night Mayor of Sydney.

Read the post in full below:

“Only a fortnight ago I was in the Netherlands attending a summit hosted by the ‘Night Mayor’ of Amsterdam. As we clearly have an issue with making Sydney a vibrant place at night I thought I would hear firsthand how Amsterdam goes about it. I ended up meeting delegates from Belgium, Japan, Canada, the US, Germany, India, France and the UK, which gave me an invaluable insight into the workings of other global cities. Yes, I picked up on operational strategies that contribute to safe and happy entertainment precincts but for now, I’d like to share some general thoughts with you.

A couple of things struck me; for one, the myth of Sydney being particularly ravaged by ‘alcohol-fuelled violence’ was busted once and for all. There is this idea that Europeans are so well-behaved when it comes to socialising compared to us, the descendants of convicts. Really though, Amsterdam is a city that not only has to deal with people coming in from other parts of the Holland for a good time, but other parts of the continent. On any given weekend you will have stag parties from Britain, hens from Hanover, Russian sporting teams, Moldovan backpackers, Irish tourists, Spaniards, Aussies, you name it. In particular Rembrandt Square, their equivalent of Kings Cross, is a fun but chaotic patch of land with much of it covered in what people had for lunch. They have to deal with guys punching each other over a misconstrued glance, people falling into the canals while taking a piss and just about everything else you can imagine with being a hedonist’s Disneyland. In short: our problem’s are not unique.

What struck me the most, however, is the open and pro-active stance their government has to night-time economy and the jobs contained within. Firstly, it’s dealt with at a local level, which makes sense as Amsterdam, while quite dense, is small in area. Our councils here have jurisdiction over much of the planning of their night precincts, but in the case of licensing and lockouts, in Sydney it’s the State Government that has control. When you think about it, this is problematic because essentially we have MPs from far-flung places like Dubbo, Bega, Mount Druitt and Tamworth having a direct influence over what happens in inner-city neighbourhoods and precincts. But why? Unless you live there it’s not like you or I get a say in what happens in Wyong, so why should it be so in reverse? How can these MPs with their own local issues and constituents possibly know what really happens on our inner-city streets?

After learning about the experience in other cities, it seems that various organisations around nightclubs, live music, musicians, bars and other business owners are better-able to form. That’s one major failing I see in NSW, the failure of socially positive and cultural industries to organise and represent themselves, which is not the fault of government. However, what the Government does have control over is their willingness to listen to and consult with these industries. That’s what they do successfully in cities like Antwerp, Vancouver and Berlin; they respect and involve these groups.

In Amsterdam, part of that success is owed to the creation of a Night Mayor, whom I met while at the summit. His name is Mirik Milan and it’s his task to bridge the various stakeholders and identify concerns, before going about a process of solving these issues. Where people in government are largely inept at moving away from blanket policies, the Night Mayor is consulted to distinguish between venues that will have a positive impact on the city and ones that won’t.

Therefore I am advocating strongly for the creation of a Night Mayor of our own. As the current government has displayed an utter disregard for the cultures that exist after dark, I believe they should make an effort to reconcile this ignorance by appointing either a person or a department that is dedicated to making Sydney’s night-time economy work.

Do you know what’s become so clear over the last couple of years? It’s become apparent how out-of-touch our State Government really is. They think the keys to making a great city are motorways, casinos, harbours, stadiums, convention centres, beaches and apartments. What makes a great city, however, is the spirit of its people; their desire to build cultures and communities for their own sense of belonging and enjoyment. The most compelling precincts and cities are the ones that grow organically, yet it’s been the State Government’s policy to push down and stifle organic communities at every turn. It’s this misunderstanding that has led to Sydney becoming a shittier place to live over the last 15 years.

I see the issue of lockouts being far greater than just being allowed to enter a venue after 1:30am. To me, lockouts represent long-standing urban planning problems, a disrespect for how the many tribes of Sydney choose to enjoy themselves and, most importantly, the increasing denial of access we have to our own city.

It’s my sincerest wish that both politicians and the people who elect them can get to the bottom of these complex and vital issues. For at stake is our city’s liveability, not just for us here and now but for Sydneysiders in decades to come. By looking to other cities and the causes for their success, I’m confident we can achieve a vibrant late-night culture in Sydney.

Tyson Koh
Campaign Manager, Keep Sydney Open”