It looks as though Queensland will be the latest state to introduce lockout laws, with Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk reportedly pushing ahead with plans for a 1am nightclub lockout law to be imposed statewide.
As Nine News reports, while Queensland currently has a 3am statewide lockout, the proposed new laws would impose further restrictions on pubs and clubs, including a 1am lockout, 3am last drinks, and a ban on high-alcohol drinks after midnight.
“The second half of the year, we’ll be focusing on implementing that policy and that will involve consulting people,” Ms Palaszczuk said. The new laws are tipped to be introduced into parliament in September.
As inthemix notes, the state Labor party called for the introduction of Sydney-style lockouts while in opposition last year. “@QLDLabor Government would introduce a 1am lockout; stop service of alcohol in licensed premises at 3am; with 5am closing,” Palaszczuk tweeted.
However, news of the new legislation has been met with considerable outcry from the local nightlife sector, including industry lobby group Our Nightlife Queensland, who say they were not consulted before the potentially damaging laws were announced.
“We accept that the Government was elected with a mandate for action in relation to this, but we still disagree that a change in trading hours is going to have any real effect at the end of the night,” Our Nightlife Queensland secretary Nick Braban told the Courier Mail.
According to Braban, the group has written to Attorney-General Yvette D’Ath and her cabinet colleagues to request a meeting to discuss the Government’s plans. Without proper consultation, Mr Braban said, the Government is risking an industry worth $500 million to the state’s economy.
“We just want to work with them, and we’re pulling our hair out trying to talk to anyone,” he said. “It’s been 100 days of silence from them. What’s most disappointing is that we have not had the attorney-general get back to us.”
Meanwhile, a spokesman for the attorney-general said Labor had made a “very clear commitment” to tackling alcohol-fuelled violence. “We are continuing to consult with a broad range of industry and community stakeholders,” he said.
“For example, an April 28 industry forum the attorney-general attended with senior members from the Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation and representatives from hotels and clubs,” the spokesman continued. “Mr Braban was invited but did not attend.”
Queensland Hotels Association chief executive Justin O’Connor insisted public policy should be evidence-based and that “in Queensland, the evidence is that there is very little rationale for the kind of draconian policies that have been implemented in small parts of NSW”.
“The Government and the responsible minister have consistently indicated that they intend to engage in constructive dialogue with industry before moving on these policies, and we’re hopeful that that engagement will begin sooner rather than later,” Mr O’Connor said.
But Mr Braban, who said his group had met with “a few backbenchers”, says keeping business owners in the dark will have a detrimental impact on the state’s economy. “People aren’t sure. Do we hire more people? Do we start laying off people? Do we not sign new leases? Do we not do renovations?” he said.
[include_post id=”415376″]
“There are all these business decisions that people want to make but can’t at the moment.” Mr Braban also said that waiting until the legislation was forwarded to the parliamentary committee would be too late.
“I think it will be a better outcome for the state of Queensland if we talk now… so when the time comes for it to be enacted, people are ready and businesses have certainty about what’s going on.”
It was this time last year that Sydney introduced lockout laws in select areas of the CBD as part of a bid to curb alcohol-fuelled violence. Much like in Queensland, the laws were met with significant criticism from local publicans and punters.
Despite the criticism, a one-year study unveiled last month indicated that the controversial lockouts had “substantially reduced” the number of assaults in Kings Cross and the Sydney CBD. However, many claimed that the reduction in violence was due to an overall reduction in people in those areas.
Indeed, as The Daily Telegraph reported in August last year, the Kings Cross lockout laws have so affected the area’s economy that support organisations Renew Australia and the Potts Point Partnership began offering free rent in a bid to bring start-up businesses to the area.
