MPs warned Adelaide’s nightlife is ‘slowly dying’, urged to change the Late Night Code of Practice

An advocate of Adelaide’s West End has warned parliament its laws are making the CBD a ghost-town as nightclubs continue to shut shop.

Adelaide’s nightlife is “slowly dying” and the city is at risk of becoming a “ghost town after dark” if reforms of are not made to the Late Night Code of Practice, members of state parliament have been warned.

In a letter circulated last week, lawyer and West End advocate Antonio Tropeano said urgent action was needed to revitalise the once-bustling West End.

He said it was “cause for alarm” that 12 entertainment venues have closed in the past 12 months, which he then listed as Super California, Super Bueno, Fat Controller, Dog and Duck, Enigma Bar, 1000 Island, Mr Kim’s, Wnderland, Precinct, Lux, Strats and Onyx – with Red Square also set to close in March.

Mr Tropeano said possible explanations for the closures included the changing preferences of customers and economic factors such as rent and operating expenses.

But he said another contributing factor was parts of the code, including a lockout provision preventing people from entering licensed premises between 3.01am and 7am.

Other rules identified by Mr Tropeano as being problematic included the mandatory use of metal detectors after midnight, restrictions on what kind of alcohol can be served, restrictions on use of glassware and the requirement to have CCTV in all areas of a premises.

There are fears Adelaide’s West End will become a “ghost town after dark”. Picture: Tricia Watkinson

“The recent closure of 12 venues in the past 12 months should be a wake-up call to the importance of taking action to support these businesses and revitalise the entertainment precinct,” he said.

Opposition Leader David Speirs called on the government reveal what it would do to prevent further closures.

“Without doubt the cost of living crisis under Labor is impacting small businesses across the state and the shutdown of so many CBD venues in such a short amount of time just shows no area is exempt from those pressures,” he said.

Independent MLC Frank Pangallo has called for lockout laws to be reviewed by a parliamentary committee, which he will move to establish when parliament sits next week.

Consumer and Business Affairs Minister Andrea Michaels said the late night code was introduced in 2013, and it has since then successfully reduced harm and anti-social behaviour in the CBD.

“Late night alcohol-related presentations to the Royal Adelaide Hospital more than halved between 2015 and 2022,” she said.

“In addition, there was also a reduction in offending linked to licensed premises in the CBD between midnight and 7am.”

Ms Michaels said the Covid pandemic has made for a difficult few years for nightclubs and venues, which she said have been supported by the government through “a range of grants”.

“The majority of venues that have closed in the West End recently were not licensed past 3am and therefore were not subject to the glassware, metal detector and lock out provisions in the code,” she said.