Rethinking drinking as gen Z wakes up to joy of early rising

Connor Whiteman is studying to become a vet at the Charles Sturt University's Wagga Wagga campus, but says a rowdy night out with his friends is a rarity.

"Post-COVID, the university did really build a crackdown, and the university doesn't really allow campus parties anymore," he said.

"The nightlife in town has also sort of gone down. They're not really advertising cheaper drinks."

Mr Whiteman said the attitude among students was changing as well.

"People still go out drinking; they'll definitely go out for a beer or two," he said.

"But there's been a change in culture in getting smashed.

"Social clubs have become a bigger thing, like running clubs."

That seems a far cry from the "uni town" scene of the 1990s, when it was common to see crowds spilling into the street, drinks flowing and music pumping until the crack of dawn.

The city's Romano's Hotel was party central back then, but owner Matthew Oates says times have changed.

"Pubs have transformed more into venues where you're more likely to have a function or go out for a nice meal," he said.

"The idea of a country pub serving up an espresso martini 20 years ago would have been so foreign and so strange, but now it's an everyday event."

Getting up at 5am, not home at 5am

Night Time Industries Association chief executive Mick Gibb says that, with health awareness on the rise and people partying differently, venues have had to adapt.

"You saw the rise of the 5am run club, with people getting up at 5am instead of getting home at 5am,"

he said.

"There's far more non-alcoholic options now in venues, because that's where consumer demand is going."

While Australia might be notorious for its drinking culture, studies show attitudes towards alcohol are changing.

Data from DrinkWise shows the number of adults drinking at risky levels has dropped from more than 40 per cent in 2004 to about 32 per cent in 2022-23.

Recent research by Flinders University also found gen Z (born between 1997 and 2012) was nearly 20 times more likely to abstain from alcohol, compared to baby boomers.

The research pointed to the rising cost of living, health awareness and digital entertainment as contributing factors.

Business NSW regional director Serena Hardwick says people are more cautious about spending money on alcohol.

"Families and individuals have less disposable income to spend on going out," she said.

"There's more discussion now and awareness of the impacts of alcohol on health.

Ms Hardwick said looking outside traditional hours may be part of the answer.

"With a more health-conscious consumer, maybe we need to start looking at more morning activities and what those opportunities look like in hospitality and retail," she said.

Reimagining nightlife

Wagga Wagga musician and music shop owner Dale Alison has watched the regional live music scene transform over the decades, saying it may have peaked in the 1960s and 70s.

"Alcohol was the driving force," he said.

"It was part of a cultural thing back in those days, where at the pub there was a lot of drinking, there was music, and that's where the bands came from."

Mr Gibb said the NSW government was now funding year-round entertainment precincts in some regional cities, including Goulburn and Tamworth.

"There's a real drive to get people to come back out again, to rebuild these venues as points of social infrastructure, places that people can meet, that they can find their crowd and experience something together," he said.

As for Mr Oates, he is happy to continue serving espresso martinis or non-alcoholic alternatives, as long as he can stay in business.

"The cost of business is growing every day," he said.

"To be able to evolve with the rest of the industry is really important."