One of the biggest differences I've noticed between here and NYC is the treatment of bars and alcohol here. When Adam and I first visited Sydney last April this wasn't in place, but shortly before we got here New South Wales (the "state" that Sydney is the capital of) passed restrictions on bars and clubs here similar to what floated around in Melbourne around the same time. Personally I find them pretty dumb, and there seems to be little evidence that it actually is doing anything to combat the problem it was enacted for.
But it continues unabated so far, demonstrating that if nothing else stupid politicians are not the sole domain of the United States. In effect the restrictions require that, after midnight, a bar has to take a break for ten minutes each hour and not sell alcohol during that time period. There's also asinine restrictions on the amount of alcohol each drink can have, ensuring that you're more likely to get drunk on the fumes around you than anything in your drink. Further the targeted venues have to lock down at 2 AM, preventing anyone new from entering and not allowing anyone who leaves to come back in either.
I have a difficult time thinking anything like that could pass in New York City, but at the same time NYC doesn't have the same issue with alcohol-related violence that I've noticed here. Nevertheless I think that the legislation is absolutely stupid and a bad way to go about solving the problem. In my own experience I just see a bunch of people rush the bar all at once fifteen minutes before the hour ends, or rush it all at once after the time out period is over. Either situation means the bar staff are overworked and annoyed. And as the restrictions don't target every establishment across the board, but only the ones that have a link to high levels of violence from patrons, the effect just pushes the trouble makers to other bars that aren't restricted. Or, with the effect of the 2 AM lock outs, actually out on the street without the benefit of bar security to take care of. Personally I don't want to run into drunken asshats down a dark street, myself.
NSW's government is touting numbers showing that assaults and alcohol-related violence are down at targeted establishments, but every indication is that they've stopped reporting crimes in an effort to get off the list.
Between stuff like this and Kevin Rudd's concerted efforts to introduce a Great Firewall of Australia to censor the internet, I really wonder sometimes if I left the Bush administration in the US only to discover its Australian counterpart. 
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