Mike Baird to be remembered as the man who killed Sydney

DESPITE his achievements, outgoing NSW Premier Mike Baird is likely to be remembered for nanny state laws that killed Sydney’s night life.

Outgoing NSW Premier Mike Baird will be unable to escape his unpopular lockout law legacy. Picture: Ryan Osland

IN 2013 when former NSW premier Barry O’Farrell was wrapping up his last few months in the role before being forced to hand it over to Mike Baird, it was against a backdrop of a thriving, culturally rich, world city.

Sydney’s entertainment scene was booming. Musicians were taking bookings every night of the week, grabbing opportunities at new venues as well as those whose reputations had helped build the city’s reputation as a flourishing live music scene.

Nightclubs were bloated and bars and restaurants in the city’s nightspots were enjoying the patronage of the city’s youth and curious tourists, drawn by the glow of Sydney’s famous night-life.

When the outgoing Premier Mike Baird announced his shock resignation on Thursday, the situation in Sydney was much different.

Venues have closed down and Sydney’s culture has suffered. Kings Cross, formerly one of the city’s major night-life hot spots, is nearing ghost town status.

According to one of Mr Baird’s prominent critics, people have “had their lives destroyed”.

Now that he’s out, or at least he will be next week, much will be made of the Liberal Premier’s legacy.

He dubbed himself “the infrastructure Premier” and planned to pride his government on getting things done.

He leaves Sydney with some significant road projects completed or getting there, and a metro system on the way.

According to his Treasurer and likely successor Gladys Berejiklian, Mr Baird “left the state in a much better place than he found it”.

But for many — those who are celebrating Mr Baird’s abrupt departure from politics — he’ll only be remembered as the man who destroyed Sydney.

Protesters wanted Mike Baird out. Picture: Joel Carrett/AAP

It was the introduction of the state’s tough alcohol restrictions, dubbed the lockout laws, that forced venues to close their doors and call last drinks early.

The 1.30am lockouts and 3am cessation of liquor sales at venues in Sydney’s entertainment zones were enforced to curb alcohol-induced violence to mixed reports of success.

But they had another, more detrimental effect, proving enough to discourage patrons and destroy business.

Within a few months of being introduced in February 2014, the city’s late-night economy began to suffer.

Major venues closed down in Kings Cross after crowds deserted the area and businesses were not raking in enough to keep going.

Late night foot traffic, which is not accurately or officially measured, has been estimated by alcohol research and industry groups to have decreased anywhere between 15 and 80 per cent, depending on whose report you read. What can’t be denied is that it’s definitely slowed.

On the other side of the CBD, just outside the lockout area boundaries, the city’s casino has been thriving after being curiously excluded from the affected zone while smaller traders suffer.

The sad empty building where Hugo’s Lounge in Kings Cross once thrived. Picture: Matt Barrie

When new alcohol laws were enforced, businesses were forced out. Picture: Matt Barrie

Keep Sydney Open, a campaign group which has lobbied the government to can the laws for the sake of businesses, artists and the city’s global identity, blames it all on Mr Baird and so do many others.

The group’s campaign manager Tyson Koh told news.com.au that under Mr Baird’s leadership, Sydney had suffered.

“A lot of the big ticket infrastructure projects that Mike Baird started are incredibly divisive and time will tell whether they were truly the best project for the state,” he said.

“Some will benefit and other people, others have had their lives destroyed thanks to what Mike Baird has done as Premier.”

Mr Koh said that while he was sure some NSW residents would approve of Mr Baird’s achievements, others would “rue him until the day they die”.

“Through the lockouts, people have gone bankrupt,” he said.

“Young students have had their shifts cut making it hard to support themselves through uni, people have lost their houses, their cars. Musicians have had the number of gigs they perform every week reduced meaning artists and bands find it a lot tougher to make a living.”

Following Mr Baird’s bowing out yesterday, young people across Sydney took victoriously to social media, cheering at his departure.

There were hopeful cries that Sydney would now be “reopened”, and that Mr Baird’s “draconian” campaign to “shut Sydney down” was over.

Mr Koh says his night-life advocacy group had never intended to contribute to the removal of Mr Baird as premier, but following his departure he was “cautiously optimistic” there could be some further backdowns and changes to the lockout laws.

That’s unlikely to be how it goes. The woman who has been foreshadowed as Mr Baird’s replacement, Ms Berejiklian, has been right by Mr Baird’s side as he pushed the tough restrictions.

Critics of the lockout laws celebrated Mr Baird’s departure. Picture: Instagram

Removing Mr Baird doesn’t remove the laws. What many of his critics don’t even realise is that they weren’t even his idea in the first place.

Liquor sales restrictions and lockout laws had already been introduced in Sydney before Mr Baird took on the role as Premier.

Before being ironically ousted over a very expensive bottle of wine, Mr Baird’s predecessor Mr O’Farrell had pushed the restrictions through parliament with the objective of reducing alcohol-induced violence.

It was February of that year that they were introduced. It wasn’t until April that Mr Baird took the state’s reins and the unpopular laws become his problem for the remainder of his leadership.

As outcomes for businesses and night-life patrons worsened, so to did the Premier’s popularity.

Mr Baird did move to wind back the measures following a review late last year.

The backdown saw alcohol sales in bottle shops and from home delivery services extended from 10pm to 11pm across the state.

Some live entertainment venues were allowed to push their lockout time back to 2am rather than 1.30am.

When asked if she would wind back any of Mr Baird’s policies, Ms Berejiklian said she wouldn’t speculate on policies ahead of Monday’s party room meeting that’s expected to deliver her the leadership.

The lockout laws don’t look like they’re likely to disappear, and neither is Mr Baird’s reputation as the “nanny state” premier responsible for them, and for killing Sydney’s night-life.

Reclaim Sydney protest, Newtown. Picture: Craig Wilson