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Queensland Plans Strict Club Rules
Operators of Queensland’s nightclubs and music venues expressed alarm over the state government plans to introduce tough measures to combat alcohol-fueled violence.
Attorney General Yvette D’Ath said these include 3 a.m. closing time, a 1 am lockout and a ban on alcoholic shots after midnight.
The government will consult with venue owners, as well as police and health officials in coming months. But venue operators say that such measures would cut attendances, affect jobs and exacerbate law and order issues.
Nick Braban, head of the Valley Liquor Accord which works with police to curtail violence in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley entertainment strip, said, “Anti-social behavior is a cultural problem, not an operational one.
It is unrealistic to expect young folk to stop partying because clubs stop at 3 a.m. They’ll continue in streets with no supervision.” Similar curbs last year in Sydney’s inner city entertainment strips saw a 40 percent drop in alcohol-related assaults, according to Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research figures. But it was devastating for business: 42 bars, clubs and small firms closed their doors in Kings Cross alone, said Douglas Grand, chief executive of the Kings Cross Liquor Accord.