A widespread relaxation of public alcohol consumption laws in places like parks could be a step too far, according to a nine.com.au reader survey.
The City of Sydney council has proposed to massively reduce the number of alcohol-free zones (AFZ) and alcohol prohibited-areas (APA) in NSW’s capital.
But an exclusive survey conducted by Nine.com.au found only 20 per cent of readers want to see alcohol licensing laws relaxed to allow people to drink in more public places such as parks.
An overwhelming 66 per cent of respondents said they didn’t think the laws should be changed.
A City of Sydney spokesperson told 9News there is “no robust or reliable evidence to show alcohol restrictions are effective in preventing anti-social behaviour”.
“We have recently completed a review of outdoor alcohol restrictions with local residents, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled organisations, community legal centres, social housing residents, community organisations, local business and state government stakeholders,” the spokesperson said.
Given this research, the council has endorsed a proposal to take almost half of the sites off the list of AFZs and APAs, reducing the number from 428 to 218.
