Canberra's late night industry has claimed victory over the government's scrapped liquor reforms, celebrating at a rally originally intended as a protest against the now-dumped plans.
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Keep Canberra Open organisers changed Saturday's event from protest to party after Cabinet agreed on Tuesday not to pursue the reforms, which would have seen nightclub and bar fees hiked for venues that provided service past 3am.
Taking to the stage at Westside Acton Park, Keep Canberra Open spokesman Ryan Sabet said the group had successfully told the government that DJs, performers, bar staff, club owners and patrons were overlooked during consultation of the reforms.
"We've had a huge success in achieving a very big thing for Canberra that hasn't been done in Sydney or Brisbane," he said.
"That's progressive legislation; legislation that creates opportunities for music, opportunities for hospitality and more importantly, looks at safe ways to do that."
Mr Sabet said the focus of Keep Canberra Open would shift to ensuring Chief Minister Andrew Barr's promise never to change last drinks or closing times continued beyond the election.
While described by the industry as "lockout laws in disguise", the liquor reforms would not have prohibited businesses from serving alcohol after 3am.
Instead, the plan proposed that clubs and bars intending on staying open past 3am pay a highly increased licence fee to do so.
The government at the time said the increase in post-3am fees would help pay for extra police, security cameras and lighting.
Opposition Leader Jeremy Hanson and Greens MLA Shane Rattenbury also spoke at the rally, while Canberra artists Peking Duk, Hands Like Houses and The Aston Shuffle provided high-profile support to the event.
Mr Rattenbury, whose opposition to the plan meant it could not pass the Legislative Assembly without Liberal support, said there were other alternatives to curbing alcohol-fuelled violence, such as licensing reforms encouraging greater venue diversity and more police.
"We want to see a lot more live music in this city and we want to see our night time economy flourish," he said.
The liquor reform backdown drew criticism from the Australian Medical Association and the Australian Federal Police Association.
