The notorious new draft by-law intending to regulate trading hours and days on which liquor may be sold, has the Mother Citys avid restaurant-going public and eating and drinking establishments up in arms.

The by-law, reportedly intending to curb illegal shebeens in the Western Cape, proposes that restaurants in residential areas stop selling alcohol at 9pm and that those in neighbourhood business areas should stop sales at 11pm, while clubs and pubs will not be allowed to sell liquor past 2am.

On the social networking site, Facebook.com, a group called Say No Now to the New Western Cape Liquor Bill already has over 16 000 members raising their concern with the proposed by-law. Over 2000 signatures have also been collected by the People against the proposed new Western Cape Liquor Bill on the petition portal, mypetition.co.za.

But its not only alarmed citizens that are raising their concerns, however. The Cape branch of The Federated Hospitality Association of Southern Africa (FEDHASA), also seeks the withdrawal of the by-law.

A statement issued on fedhasa.co.za, says that the organisation believes the proposed by-law motivated by the City Of Cape Town Liquor Task Team will most certainly have other unintended consequences.

The statement continues, saying that the by-laws do not deal with the root-cause of the issues they may have been intended and will not deliver the desired results.

According to FEDHASA Cape chairman, Phillip Couvaras, there has been no consultation with the private sector or industry players leading up to this proposal and FEDHASA Cape urges the City of Cape Town to withdraw their proposed by-law.

The closing date for the public to submit formal comments is on Tuesday 27 February. For a copy of the draft by-law, visit www.capetown.gov.za. To submit your comment, call Gavin van Schalkwyk on 021 400 3166 or email liquor.bylaw@capetown.gov.za.

* In Australias most famous harbour city, Sydney, strict drinking laws and ridiculously expensive liquor licenses prohibited the opening of small bars and intimate pubs in the city for quite some time. With alcohol licenses costing up to A$65 000, only big businesses could afford to open bars.

In 2008 concerned Sydneysiders started a grass-roots campaign called Raise the Bar, in an attempt to lobby their MP. The government caved in, slashing fees and approval times for licenses and dropping the requirement for restaurants to serve food with alcohol. Simultaneaously, the live music industry in Sydney also received a boost with the requirement for Place of Public Entertainment licenses being abolished.

Sydneys Mayor, Clover Moore, celebrated the new laws and the possibility of a new night ecomony, saying that she encourages a vibrant and civilised bar scene.

Sources: Monocle magazine and www.raisethebar.org.au