2014 Sydney hostage crisis
After the siege began, a staged exclusion zone was established with thousands of people evacuated from nearby buildings, including from the floors above the café. The Sydney Opera House was evacuated after a suspicious package was found; however, reports were unconfirmed by police. The US Consulate General in Sydney, located in Martin Place, was also evacuated. Some Sydney schools were put in "white level lockout" due to the hostage situation, which meant that no school group was permitted to leave the school grounds.
Sydney lockout laws
Reports in October 2018 stated that the NSW government, led by the Deputy Premier John Barilaro and at least eight members of the governing cabinet were seriously looking at scrapping or considerably relaxing the lock out laws due to the negative impact on businesses and the reputation of Sydney on people seeking to holiday in the city. Keep Sydney Open, which has lobbied against the laws, celebrated the reports on Thursday.“Finally the government is acknowledging the negative impact on businesses and the reputation of our city,” the group said. City of Sydney Councillor Christine Forster said she was pleased Mr Barilaro was reportedly onboard to reverse the laws.