Extended Operating Hours

For the first time in more than one-hundred years, a bar in Newtown, New South Wales (AU) has been granted regulatory approval to trade until 4 a.m., seven days of the week.

The City of Sydney Council accepted the proposal by hospitality group Odd Culture Group on Oct. 17, 2022, in what chief executive officer James Thorpe described as a “defining moment in the push for Sydney’s 24-hour economy”.

NSW’s 24-hour economy commissioner Michael Rodrigues says the bar’s opening would become “another sign of the revitalization of Sydney’s nightlife”.

“A major part of the 24-Hour Economy Strategy is to encourage the diversification of activities and amenities at night, so today’s announcement is very exciting,” he says.

The 24-Hour Economy Strategy was published in September 2020. It is aimed at reviving the city’s night-time offerings to create jobs and expand night-time productivity.

“COVID kind of changed the way the general public, but also the government, viewed the hospitality industry,” he says.

“Now they’re trying to find ways to support us … The government waives the fees and the processes so you can apply online, and it gets approved by email.

“It shows the planning and regulatory environment has changed. There is momentum and I think it bodes really well for the future of Sydney’s nightlife.”

Bravo, mates.