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2003
Surviving In City At Night
Newcastle Herald
Monday August 4, 2008
IN the vigorous debate surrounding hotel operating hours in Newcastle's inner city the important "night-time economy" has sometimes been lost among the understandable emotion.
The Hunter Business Chamber has been working with its member companies, police, Newcastle City Council and hoteliers to bring some resolution to the issues.Our hotels are an essential generator of inner city business.They are an integral component of our entertainment sector. Not only are they large employers, with the bigger hotels between them employing more than 300 people, but they stimulate business in the surrounding area. There are upwards of 1000 businesses operating in and around the Newcastle central business district, ranging in size from large legal and accounting firms employing hundreds of staff, to small family owned businesses operated by husband and wife teams.Many are members of the Hunter Business Chamber and they talk about what is occurring.The chamber is aware that in many cases the livelihoods of businesses are linked to the patronage generated by the hotel industry.The Grand Hotel is prime example it is a well known haunt of the legal profession and their clients whilst they are either waiting to face the courts or mulling over the outcomes of their visit.Take away the Grand and the surrounding cafes, flower shops and newsagents all lose business.The decision by the Licensing Court to extend operating hours of the inner Newcastle hotels is a direct outcome of the increased co-operation between all of the parties who realise the importance of the night time economy to Newcastle. These include the hotels that have increased security, inner-city businesses that depend upon the patronage of people transiting between venues and police who have stepped up monitoring.The effectiveness of these measures is seen in the statistics for inner-city crime, which has dramatically decreased, and the hearsay evidence from chamber members who have reported less vandalism.The outcome is that business in the city centre is increasing. Shop owners are feeling safer, operating hours have extended and the incentive for new businesses is increasing.The night-time economy, which is an essential component of any large city, is returning to where it should be. The Hunter Business Chamber supports this move. Peter Shinnick is the CEO of the Hunter Business Chamber
© 2008 Newcastle Herald
