Nelson nightclubs and bars have rejected a police call for a pre-Christmas lockdown trial aimed at cracking down on alcohol-fuelled violence.
The proposal was to prevent anyone entering premises after 1am.
Nelson Bays area commander Inspector Brian McGurk says a lockdown or one-way door policy stops inebriated people lurching from bar to bar.
Hospitality Association president Ron Taylor says a lockdown trial next year is still possible, but there are more effective ways of dealing with inebriated people, including the policy already in place of banning those who cause trouble.