Those fighting to restore what they see as a fast disappearing night life to Sydney will take heart from the news that Amsterdam's night mayor will be one of the keynote speakers at the Electronic Music Conference later this year.
Mirik Milan, who has held the non-elected and unofficial title of night mayor in the historically vibrant Dutch city since 2012, is the first speaker announced in the fifth year of the conference, which covers live and recorded performances, industry interactions and panels involving electronic-based music.
Amsterdam's night mayor, Mirik Milan, will address the Electronic Music Conference on preserving a city's vibrant nightlife.
As night mayor, a position established by a non-profit foundation, Milan's role is described formally as working to ensure "a dynamic nightlife in Amsterdam, and helping to build bridges between the business owners specific to nightlife in the city, and the city council, the mayor, residents and the public to create a pleasant, safe environment without damaging the night-life's attractive and vibrant economy".
He will be welcomed by the Keep Sydney Open group, which was established to present a counter argument to State Government efforts such as lock-out laws and restricted service areas within the city.
Campaign manager for Keep Sydney Open, Tyson Koh, met Milan earlier this year and lauded his work and the attitude of Amsterdam's local government as an example for Sydney, arguing that "by looking to other cities and the causes for their success, I'm confident we can achieve a vibrant late-night culture in Sydney".
Where the bloody hell are you? ... Lee Lin Chin looks back at a deserted Sydney street in an SBS spoof attacking the lockout laws. Photo: Screenshot/The Feed SBS
"Where people in government are largely inept at moving away from blanket policies, the night mayor is consulted to distinguish between venues that will have a positive impact on the city and ones that won't," Koh said in a Facebook post written on his return from Amsterdam. "Therefore I am advocating strongly for the creation of a night mayor of our own.
"As the current government has displayed an utter disregard for the cultures that exist after dark, I believe they should make an effort to reconcile this ignorance by appointing either a person or a department that is dedicated to making Sydney's night-time economy work."
Lord Mayor Clover Moore, who has repeatedly described the State Government laws as "using a jackhammer to crack a walnut" when measures such as improved transport and more flexible licensing laws could have been tried, welcomes the idea of activism on behalf of the industries affected by new laws.
"Strong advocacy that gets the balance right – both safety and late night culture – is crucial," Cllr Moore says, adding that she looks forward to meeting with Mirk Milan "to discuss strategies for revitalising night time economies, keeping communities safe, and any tactics he has employed to sway the decision making of his government".
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