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A South Australian nightlife industry group has called for Adelaide’s 3am lockout to be removed, proposing a closely monitored 12-month transition supported by monthly police and hospital data.
The SA Alliance for Night-time Industries (SAANTI) has lodged a blueprint with the State Government arguing the lockout no longer reflects Adelaide’s licensing, compliance and policing environment.
Under South Australia’s Late Night Trading Code of Practice, most licensed venues operating after 2am cannot allow patrons to enter or re-enter after 3am. Restaurants and Adelaide Casino are excluded from the restricted-entry provision.
The code was introduced in October 2013 amid concerns about alcohol-related violence around late-night venues. It also includes requirements covering drink marshals, first aid, CCTV, metal detectors, glassware and the service of drinks that encourage rapid consumption.
SAANTI President Antonio “Tony” Tropeano said the lockout was now duplicating more recent regulations imposed on late-night operators.
“The cumulative operation of these cost-prohibitive risk-based fees alongside a rigid blanket entry restriction constitutes regulatory duplication,” Mr Tropeano said.
“While independent venue operators incur heavy structural compliance costs and rigid trading boundaries, the casino operator trades 24 hours continuously overnight, entirely exempt from the physical lockout provisions.”
SAANTI claims some independent venues licensed to trade beyond 5am face annual risk-based licence costs exceeding $35,000, depending on factors including capacity, trading hours, location and activities. The State Government confirms these factors are used when calculating annual liquor licence fees, although the exact amount differs between venues.
Rather than removing broader safety requirements, the alliance wants the lockout replaced with a 12-month monitored transition. Existing Responsible Service of Alcohol laws, security requirements and police intervention powers would remain unchanged.
The proposed transition would introduce a Late-Night Data Dashboard recording monthly measures such as violent incidents per 10,000 patrons and alcohol-related presentations at the Royal Adelaide Hospital.
SAANTI has also pointed to the recently announced Adelaide CBD policing precinct, which will almost double the number of city response officers from 60 to 118.
The new police model is expected to become operational by December 2026. It will include 30 additional officers, with the remaining positions coming from existing personnel and a wider reshuffle.
The alliance argues the larger, dedicated police presence will allow safety risks to be addressed as they emerge rather than relying on a blanket restriction preventing patrons from moving between venues.
Its submission also highlights research prepared by BDO EconSearch, which estimated South Australia’s music industry contributed $490.2 million to Gross State Product during 2022–23 and supported 9,207 jobs, equivalent to almost 5,000 full-time positions. The report measures the contribution of the broader music industry and does not calculate how much economic activity is directly lost because of the lockout.
Consumer and Business Services previously reviewed the Late Night Code in 2023 and retained the lockout. At the time, the regulator said alcohol-related presentations at the Royal Adelaide Hospital had more than halved since 2015 and overnight weekend offences in the CBD remained below 2015 levels, although it acknowledged the COVID-19 pandemic had also affected the figures.
SAANTI said its proposed data dashboard would allow the government to amend or reverse any changes if local evidence showed public safety was being compromised.
For more information on SAANTI, go to https://www.saanti.org.au/
