"Justice Callinan notes that relaxing the amendments in any of these ways involves risk," said Dr John Crozier, a RACS councillor.

Dr Crozier centred on a suggestion for an increase by one hour of the takeaway sale of alcohol across the state from the 10 pm deadline brought in in 2014.

"We know that each hour in trade results in significant increase in domestic violence statewide," he said. "That, in the view of the College of Surgeons, is not a justified risk."

However, in keeping with a divide that former High Court Judge Ian Callinan found was marked by "strong, sometimes strident and dogmatic" contributions, the final release of his review into the controversial lockout laws seemed to unite few opinions.

The Australian Hotels Association welcomed the proposed extension of alcohol sales' time – including an extension of the home delivery until midnight - but said it was "still at a loss to understand why it was wound back, statewide, in the first place".

The AHA's NSW director of liquor and policing, John Green, said the hotel lobby welcomed any softening but it was disappointed that there had been no recommendation to remove the blanket 1.30am lockout beyond live-entertainment venues.

"We don't support blanket measures that unfairly penalise many safe, well-run venues with a proven track record of compliance," he said.

Jo Holder of the Darlinghurst Residents Action Group said the report's suggestions appeared "reasonable" but she was concerned about the local impact of any trading extensions in the Cross.

"There are still about seven or eight live-music venues in Kings Cross," she said. "It's the Bermuda Triangle of social problems because it's a lot of density in a very small place.

"[A] half an hour [extension] doesn't sound like much. But we see a dramatic increase in anti-social behaviour [for every increase in trading time]."

Much of Ms Holder's concerns could turn on what definition of "live entertainment" the state government adopts, which could potentially determine how many venues in the former night-time trouble spot are granted extensions to trade.

Mr Callinan recommended the state government followed the lead of the West Australian government that would exclude all kinds of recorded music, such as mixed by DJs.

But that definition was at odds with a submission by the Office of Live Music, which would have expressly allowed performances at which at least some the performers are present including pre-recorded music.

Keep Sydney Open campaigner Tyson Koh offered muted praise for the easing of restrictions. But he queried why they would not be broadened for all venues.

The state government will respond by the end of the year.

The word on the street

The Callinan recommendations received mixed reviews among Sydneysiders enjoying an after-work drink  on Tuesday.

Corey Wakefield, 26, who said he made the journey from Cronulla to the CBD every second weekend to party with friends, said the possible relaxation of the laws was "a step in the right direction."

"It's not enough," Mr Wakefield lamented, "but it's a step, and I'll take it."

"It's an admission that the initial lockout laws went too far," his friend Daniel Langton, 25 added.  He thought the extension did nothing to resolve the "ideological problem" of government-imposed restraints on choice.

Mr Wakefield said he hoped that the extension for live music venues would "bring back a little bit of the culture that has been lost following the lockouts."

But Mike Harding, 27, was sceptical whether venues would bother to take advantage of an extra half an hour.

"It [the extension] sounds a lot better, but the damage has already been done. It's smoke and mirrors."

He added that the issue of transport access after the lockout remained a key problem, with many trains stopping around 1:30am and not starting again until 5am.

"What's the point locking people out on the street when they can't get home," he said.

More than 1800 submissions were lodged with the independent review, including from numerous  pubs and hotel groups across the CBD and Kings Cross.

Among the venues considering the reports on Tuesday night was The Kings Cross Hotel, which detailed the devastating effect the laws had had on its trading in its submission.

"Prior to the lockout laws coming into effect, at 5am on a Saturday night there were 800 people in the venue. Now at 3am on a Saturday night there is approximately 150 people in the venue," Solotel Hospitality Management, which own the hotel,  submitted in April.

The Hotel had since closed four of its seven bars and its 1300 capacity, which it regularly reached on weekends prior to the introduction of the laws, now reached a maximum of 400 patrons by 9pm on Saturday nights.

A spokeswoman for Solotel declined to comment on the review's findings on Tuesday, stating that management would take some time to consider the recommendations before commenting.