Canberra Venues Against Fee Hikes

Ryan Sabet, co-owner of Academy and Mr. Wolf clubs, said, “We’re frustrated because we don’t think the (live) industry is being listened to.”

The campaign includes musicians, DJs and venue staff. Unlike New South Wales and Queensland, who’ve seen the solution to alcohol-fueled violence in entertainment strips with lockout laws – and virtually decimating Sydney’s late-night club scene after its introduction in 2014 – the Australian Capital Territory’s Attorney General, Simon Corbell, does not want to introduce such laws. However, a report released in April suggested venues that close at 3 a.m. will continue to pay the current licence fee of A$27,238 ($19,624) per year.

Those remaining open until 4 a.m. will have a 300 percent increase in fees to A$100,000 ($72,047). Clubs trading until the current closing time of 5 a.m. will face a 500 percent rise to A$163,000 ($117,438). Venue operators insist these options are “just lockouts in stealth” and say fee hikes will destroy them financially. They are suggesting solutions such as more late-night public transport, a greater police presence, heavier penalties for violent behaviour and shifting the blame from venues to troublemakers.

An online petition urging the government to abandon the hikes had more than 7,300 signatures at press time. But Corbell is insistent the hikes will ensure taxpayers would not bear the burden of combating the cost of alcohol violence.

“The fee increases would be substantive … to help meet more of the costs associated with police and community safety measures like lighting and safety cameras,” Corbell said. “These businesses turn over millions of dollars in revenue every year and … there is clearly a commercial advantage for them to trade late. What we are trying to indicate is there is also a cost to trading late.”

Another strategy is to encourage smaller (less than 80 capacity) bars and venues that close by midnight to flourish. Their fees would be slashed by half and there are significant safety benefits from having a larger number of smaller venues, Corbell pointed out.