Yesterday the Premier of NSW Morris Iemma announced a radical shakeup of our state’s liquor licensing laws. The changes follow an intense couple of months campaigning which was spearheaded by our very own Raise the Bar campaign. Its a great result for the campaign as pretty much everything we had been calling for appears to have been included, most importantly cheaper, simpler small bar licenses will become law in NSW at last.
The impact this will have on NSW cultural life should not be underestimated; alternative music and art galleries will become economically viable overnight, small experimental venues will open stimulating more conversations, political debate and cultural exchange amongst the diverse audiences they will attract. This isn’t really about drinking, this is about the cultural fabric of society, though the art of drinking will be improved too with more variety such as organic beers and wines being given a chance to flourish in the smaller venues.
The campaign, (Digital Eskimo branded and designed the website with help from our talented tech partners at Mooball) was very effective, presenting a positive message that went all the way to the Ministers office and throughout NSW with over 7,000 virtual drinks being sent to state MPs. The campaign also included a sophisticated media strategy leading to a large amount of press, donated street press ads, community radio ads and editorial thanks to FBI Radio, our recent meetup/party and more.
It was a fantastic effort by the entire Raise the Bar team and a great result for NSW. Importantly it shows how effective a strategic, well designed campaign with strong online and integrated channels can be.
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I should add that it’s not over yet folks, the bill should pass the Lower House debate with no major concerns but the Upper House wil be tight with the ALP needing 4 votes from the Indendents, Libs or Nationals – none of which has come out publicly to confirm their intentions.
The campaign continues!
UPDATE: Last week the legislation was passed through the Lower House with the help of a wee phone call campaign that resulted in over 500 phone calls to NSW Liberal leader Barry O’Farrell’s office on Monday. By Tuesday the Liberal party had backed down from a rumoured position of delay and passed the bill through the Lower House.
On the next evening the bill passed the Upper House and is now ready for regulation negotiations in the coming months!
So we can now say officially that the Bar has Been Raised! Well Done all, and a special thank you to our campaign strategist and website content editor John Wardle who did a lot of behind the scenes work in the last days of the campaign (not to mention his years of work prior and pivotal role in the campaign!)