Amsterdam Night Mayor on Sydney lockouts: "It doesn't make a lot of sense to me"

Amsterdam Night Mayor Mirik Milan has offered his thoughts on Sydney's controversial lockout laws while in town as a keynote speaker at Electronic Music Conference (EMC).

"I think (they) will not work because, probably, what the State Government wants is behavioural change, and you don't get behavioural change from blaming it on the operators," he told the ABC.

The government said in 2014 its reason for introducing the 1.30am lockout and 3am last drinks laws in central Sydney was in response to alcohol-related violence in the city.

But Milan said there were better ways to approach concerns over safety issues: "I wouldn't come in and say you're doing it all wrong, it just doesn't make a lot of sense to me.

"I think behavioural change comes from bottom-up initiatives, investing in your community and trying to change their behaviour from within."

He reasoned government and nightlife stakeholders needed to work together to find a middle ground that promoted a safe and vibrant city after dark.

Sydney's mayor is among a slew of high profile people who have criticised the laws, however the State Government led by conservative Premier Mike Baird won't budge.

Meanwhile, Amsterdam has recently granted a string of venues 24-hour licenses.

“When you push thousands of people out onto the street at 4am this, course, will cause a lot of noise for neighbours because it’s also not controllable,” Milan said, highlighting the contrast to Sydney's lockouts.

Scott Carbines is Mixmag's Australian Digital Content Editor, follow him on Twitter

[Via: ABC]