New bars and restaurants are opening across Canberra, like Tiger Lane dining precinct. Photo: Lucy Ridge.
Murrumbidgee MLA Marisa Paterson has moved a motion calling on the ACT Government to explore Purple Flag accreditation for Canberra’s main nightlife districts of Civic and Braddon, as well as other areas, as part of the ongoing consultation and work on the expansion of the Territory’s nightlife offering.
The motion was passed on Thursday (8 June), with members from all parties speaking in support of making Canberra’s nightlife safer and more competitive on the world stage.
Purple Flag is an international accreditation program that rewards excellence in managing the nightlife economy. The initiative first started in the UK and Ireland and has since spread across the world, with Sydney’s YCK district the first in Australia to receive the accolade in February this year. Other pilot programs are underway across NSW, but Dr Paterson says Canberra should be looking at this opportunity too.
“If accredited we would join 90 locations across the world, including Sydney, Stockholm and Dublin. All of these locations have reported benefits including a raised profile and improved public image, a reduction in crime and anti-social behaviour, and a more successful mixed-use economy in the long term,” she said.
“Canberra has so much potential to be a national destination for our night-time economy – from everything a foodie could dream of, to those who want to hit the dance floor, go to the theatre or see live entertainment.”
To gain Purple Flag accreditation, a nightlife precinct must meet a set of best-practice standards covering access to public transport, adequate street lighting, food and beverage offerings, and public safety.
The latter is of particular importance to Dr Paterson, who sees the ACT Government’s ongoing work to improve its night-time economy as an opportunity “to progress discussions around public safety and ensure Canberra at night is a welcoming and safe destination”.
Dr Paterson pointed out that there has been “encouraging progress” and cited Productivity Commission data that suggests the ACT is the “safest jurisdiction in Australia, with the lowest numbers of physical assault than any other state or territory”. However, crime figures in Canberra city are still higher than neighbouring suburbs, most likely due to drunken behaviour.
Dr Paterson highlighted YWCA survey data that revealed 54 per cent of women feel unsafe after dark, and this figure is higher for disabled and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women.
“While we are heading in the right direction when it comes to safety, there is room for improvement and I hope we can take this opportunity during the consultation process for a night-time economy to improve safety after dark in Canberra,” she said.
The motion has been backed by several community organisations, including the YWCA and the Canberra Rape Crisis Centre. The latter’s CEO, Chrystina Stanford, said: “The Canberra Rape Crisis Centre is really pleased to see this important initiative being presented. We fully support the Purple Flag accreditation being adopted in the ACT and also support the leadership from government in progressing strategies that have an end goal of keeping our community safer.”
Dr Paterson’s motion was also backed by all three parties.
“A city’s night-time economy is a fundamental part of its character,” Greens MLA Jonathan Davis said, pointing out that it is no less crucial in a smaller city like Canberra.
“We want everyone to feel safe at night. We would not have a bustling, vibrant night-time economy if people do not feel safe in our city,” he said.
“Dr Paterson’s motion raises the potential for Canberra to become a Purple Flag city, an accreditation that is awarded to cities that have used innovation, curation, planning and partnerships to deliver night-time economies that have diverse users, low crime rates, high expenditure and deliver successful mixed economies for their cities. I believe Canberra can and should strive to achieve these goals.”
Liberals MLA Nicole Lawder spoke on the “ever-increasing stress” and “regulatory burden” faced by Canberra’s night-time economy, and said that the Labor-Greens government has not put its words into action, describing the process as like “Groundhog Day”.
“We support the need to keep our community safe, through Purple Flag accreditation and or through any other measure. But it’s time the government acknowledged it’s failed the night-time economy for the past 20 years … They’ve simply used consultation plans and strategies as an excuse for not addressing the real barriers faced by the night-time economy.
“We want an after-dark destination to deliver a thriving 24-hour economy with a rich mix of entertainment and activities for people of all ages with safe friendly and fun access to high-quality amenities and services.”
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