NSW clubs hit with new $24.5K fee

Further woes for the future of NSW nightlife, with bars and clubs now hit with new annual fees of up to $24,500, depending on various operating factors.

On top of the base fee ($10 - $2,000), a "trading risk" fee will be charged to venues that trade past midnight. This fee rises to $5,000 a year for those that stay open past 1.30am.

In addition, venues which have been deemed "violent" by the State Government, as well as those that have registered a strike in the Government’s "three strikes law" – strikes are given for serving intoxicated patrons, selling liquor outside approved trading hours, or selling alcohol to a minor – will be hit with a "compliance risk" fee, between $3,000-$9,000.

Hefty enough yet? Well, there’s still the "patron capacity risk" fee, which lands between $1,000 and $8,000 - with the $8K fee hitting clubs with capacity of over 301 people. If the venue is in Kings Cross, there’s an extra "location risk" fee of $2,000.

The fees will be implemented in two stages: the base fees and trading risk fees will be payable from March 15 next year, while all other fees won’t come into effect until March 15, 2016.

Not the best news for inner-Sydney venues, which have already been hit recently by the 1.30am lockouts and 3am last drinks laws, not to mention the NSW-wide ban on takeaway alcohol sales after 10pm.