Other nightlife options other than a sleazy meat-market where there's nothing better to do than get drunk, maybe after paying an unreasonably high cover charge despite the place nearly being empty (or full of bogans)! Or paying too much to be officially entertained (eg at IPAC, WEC, even Town Hall)! What about a jazz lounge, or small theatre, or live music of different varieties, late night cafes, a well-lit, pretty park/mall, public restrooms easily accessible, multi-use venues open to and affordable for community use, community run/avante gard/foreign film cinema (maybe late-opening night screenings at the art gallery?), open dance areas such as the free salsa lessons Brisbane held in two locations (South Bank and I think it's called King's/George's Plaza, at the river end of the Queen St Mall), late night shopping (ESPECIALLY bazaars/artisan markets) on weekend nights, mobile food carts only available after dark (like in Sydney's Chinatown some nights), etc! Or bands/theatre groups using open space like a community stage, that everyone can enjoy? Alleyways employed and lit up, full of quirky niche pop-ups, all CBD space utilised (think Melbourne)... etc, etc!

As a former invitee of the City of Sydney late night economy committee and retail precinct committee, I have seen where some of the successes and failures arise in their Evening Economy proposals. Firstly, lets consider safety and alcohol. We all like a drink with our meals and a drink with friends after work, but there are direct links with violence, access to alcohol late at night, and transport options for people heading home. In Sydney, the violence happens around the late night venue corridors leading to Kings Cross and then, when there are no cabs or transport home, it aggregates where people wait for transport. To this end, there have been attempts to create late night food options for people to access while they wait for transport. Obviously, an abundance of transport options alleviates much of the violence as people move on rather than congregating in areas to wait for a ride home. Secondly, the availability of alcohol late at night in certain areas creates a destination of focus where people searching for a late night drink are drawn like a magnet. The objective should be to keep those options spread out across the city, and not focused just in the CBD. Additionally, the service of alcohol may be limited after a certain time to low alcohol options, or alcohol free options, like food and coffee etc so that people can still be provided with a venue and service option before heading home. Additionally, City of Sydney has trialled "no entry after" time limits which require the patrons to be inside a venue by a certain time and restrict the migration of alcohol fuelled patrons between venues. This permits the venue to take responsibility for intoxicated patrons and not just migrate then to the next venue. Thirdly, the growth of entertainment and dining precincts is enhanced by coordinated marketing and venue security control. The emergence of smartphone apps, social media and CCTV security, needs to be enhanced by Council and Police in the coordination of safe, vibrant and effective areas which attract consumers and businesses alike. Build it and they will come! Lastly, we have to ensure that businesses have access to easy setup and approval processes. The barriers to entry are often summarised by the availability of capital and timing for approval. In many cases new ideas are sprung out of entrepreneurial 'spare of the moment flair' which needs to be actioned as quickly and easily as possible. Then, if and when the initial trials are successful, a more permanent investment can be sought from financiers and investors. This process is evident in the development of "Pop Up" shops and bars, which create variety, creativity and opportunity for new business startups, which often progress to more permanent offerings. Something new is something worth a look and creates patron traffic. I realise that Wollongong Council is already aware of many of these options and exploring the best opportunities for the CBD. These views expressed are solely my own views and not the views of any other organisation I represent and are offered for further productive discussion.

I did already post but I wanted to add that child friendly early evening activities like outdoor dining and films, buskers and other music would go a long way to reclaiming the mall area from the late night drunken wanderers. I would like to see the Mall populated by families wandering around, getting something to eat and enjoying our lovely balmy summer evenings in a family friendly environment. There are very few places in Wollongong where families can take their children in the evening. Parents could eat at outdoor restaurants and enjoy a drink while keeping an eye on their children who might be playing a few metres away on Mall play equipment or with something especially provided for the evening for children, or watching a child friendly film. Also, the only way to reduce violence on the streets and in drinking venues is to have early closing laws.

I believe there needs to be greater variety and diversity of activities in our city centre. We have so many public spaces that are underutilised in the evenings, and in many ways they are hampering the night economy. I think they need to be open up to local community groups, artists and performers to showcase the talents of the region. I find many of the places in Wollongong on offer from the private sector (eg restaurants, bars, cinemas) have a tendency to be monocultural; while there has been great improvement in the bar scene in particular, there is still much more work to do. There needs to be a greater variety to represent the different subcultural groups of the region.

A calm environment of sidewalk cafes and restaurants, night markets. Absolute safety for people of all ages. Noise (music etc) limited inside venues. Please remember people live in this area in apartments, so this needs to be taken into account.

Night markets, more outdoor dining and funky lighting

BTW it is not at all clear how you start new discussion threads. I wanted to start one about safety/alcohol/policing and another about the city's Sunday economy.

A second cinema screening better films that the Greater Union. E.g. a Dendy for the Dwyers site or the Oxford site.

Night markets, child friendly films, encourage outdoor dining, buskers.

Would love to see more shopfronts open after 5pm, outdoor dining options, more small bars, live music and events in the city centre.