Saturday night Cross road closure

The City of Sydney Council will trial a partial closure of Bayswater Rd in Kings Cross and is considering a similar initiative in Darlinghurst Rd following other initiatives to crack down on violent incidents.

At a Council meeting on Monday night, the City decided to close Bayswater Rd to vehicles for a trial period of three Saturday nights, with the exception of taxis, public transport, emergency services and local residents. The three Saturdays are yet to be determined and need the sign-off of the State Government’s Roads and Maritime Services (RMS).

A period of trial closures for Darlinghurst Rd remains on the table but has not yet been approved.

Greens Councillor Irene Doutney said she had serious concerns that the trials would not achieve their aim.

“The stated aim is to ease congestion and avoid jostling, which can often lead to antisocial behaviour and violence,” she said. “I fear it could just become an attractor to more people in an area that is already at visitor capacity.

“I am also concerned about the costs to the ratepayers to implement [an] experiment which should be financed by the Liquor Accord and the alcohol industry.”

Ms Doutney said there were other ways to reduce violence and anti-social behaviour in Kings Cross.

“A cap should be put on the number of venues.”

Clover Moore Independent Team Councillor Jenny Green said the current situation in Kings Cross should not go on.

“The current situation in Kings Cross every weekend is untenable with thousands of people, many of whom are intoxicated roaming the streets, coming into contact with each other and traffic, often resulting in violence,” she said.

“There are a number of positives regarding the proposed road closures … police will be able to better manage crowds and a significant reduction in the huge volumes of ‘look at me’ hoon traffic.”

But Helen Crossing, who was the 2011 Convenor of the Potts Point Residents Association, said that the impacts of the potential road closures had not been disccussed with residents.

“There was no consultation,” she said. “Given the extent of the impact of road closures, the whole area needed to have been notified and input sought.”

Councillor Angela Vithoulkas agreed that there should be further consultation with residents and said “more detail” on the trials was needed, in terms of times, dates and costings.

A spokesperson for the City said the trial closures proposal was influenced by successful violence prevention initiatives overseas.

“International evidence suggests dealing with congestion in public spaces is essential for addressing safety at night, especially in areas where alcohol is a major factor, such as Kings Cross,” the spokesperson said.

With Peter Hackney