The Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) has welcomed The Hon. John Graham MLC, Minister for Music and the Night Time Economy in New South Wales, Australia, to London for a senior roundtable hosted with Howard Dawber, Deputy Mayor for London, alongside members of the London Night Time Economy Taskforce and representatives from the 24 Hour London Office.
The engagement formed a key part of a wider international programme examining how formal ministerial leadership can strengthen the governance, coordination and long-term resilience of the night-time economy at national and city level.
London has long been recognised as a global leader in night-time policy innovation, being one of the first major cities to appoint a Night Czar and establish a 24 Hour London strategy. Discussions centred on how city-level leadership can align with national government structures, and how a dedicated ministerial portfolio, as established in New South Wales, can embed the night-time economy within central government decision-making.
The New South Wales model has emerged as an international case study following significant reforms in response to Sydney’s well-documented nightlife challenges. The creation of a formal Minister for Music and the Night Time Economy has enabled coordinated collaboration across licensing, planning, transport, policing, health, treasury, tourism and the arts, delivering legislative reform, structured oversight and long-term stability.
The London roundtable explored how similar ministerial representation at UK Government level could enhance cross-departmental coordination, protect reform through parliamentary accountability and provide stronger economic and cultural positioning for the sector nationwide.
Michael Kill, CEO of the NTIA and Vice President of the International Nightlife Association, said:
“London has been at the forefront of recognising the night-time economy as essential economic and cultural infrastructure. Meeting with Howard Dawber, members of the London Taskforce and the 24 Hour London Office provided an important opportunity to examine how city leadership can be strengthened further through dedicated national ministerial representation.
The NSW model demonstrates that when the night-time economy has a clear mandate within central government, reform is more resilient, coordination improves and long-term confidence grows across the sector.”
John Graham, New South Wales Minister for Music and the Night-time Economy, said:
“In Sydney we learnt our lessons the hard way, but our crisis spurred a complete policy rethink that is now delivering a more vibrant, diverse and safer city after dark.
Ministerial representation has been crucial to driving the funding, legislative reform and agency coordination required to turn our city around.
I’m encouraged by London’s longstanding commitment to night-time governance and welcome the opportunity to share experiences as cities continue to evolve their approach.”
As international calls grow for dedicated Night Time Economy portfolios within central government, the London engagement reinforces the importance of aligning city-region innovation with structured national leadership.
The message from global counterparts remains clear: to maximise the social, cultural and economic value of cities after dark, the night-time economy requires formal mandate, strategic oversight and representation at the highest levels of government.
