
A reconstituted Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority's (ILGA) removal of Newcastle's key alcohol harm controls on July 1, 2023, puts Newcastle on the precipice of sliding back into a lawless nightmare dominated by alcohol-fuelled violence, unlimited closing times, excessive noise and undue disturbances.
Apart from the NSW Rum Corps in the early 1800s, the powerful alcohol lobby has never exercised so much undue influence over NSW's alcohol law-making and enforcement process.