Proposed trading hour restrictions for Adelaide clubs

[crawf]

Alcohol ban will secure SA's 'nanny state' reputation, says Isobel Redmond
Political Reporter Sarah Martin From: AdelaideNow March 23, 2011 12:00am 89 comments

CITY traders say a proposed drinking curfew will throw Adelaide back to the days of the "six o'clock swill" in the 1960s.

The Government has announced that all pubs and clubs in SA will be forced to close between 4am and 7am in a bid to curb alcohol-related crime and "offensive behaviour".

But the eight late-night drinking hotspots at Adelaide Casino - including its nightclub, Loco - as well as the Members' Bar in Parliament House, will be exempt from the proposed laws.

There will be public consultation on the Bill, introduced to Parliament yesterday, before it is debated in May.

The move has outraged city traders, who say the move has "trashed" the right of South Australians to access alcohol 24 hours a day.

Australian Hotels Association SA chief executive Ian Horne said the casino's exemption was "offensive" to other city traders.

"The casino should be able to trade 24 hours a day if that suits their business model, but ... there is a moral obligation on the Government to be fair on other traders," he said.

"The casino has 985 poker machines, it is the biggest pub in town ... maybe the Government was too scared to take them on."

In its submission to the Office of the Liquor and Gambling Commissioner review of trading hours, which began in 2009, the Adelaide Casino said it was opposed to any move that would jeopardise its 24-hour licence, which was enshrined in specific legislation. "We would vigorously resist any attempt to degrade these rights or negatively impact on our ability to trade," the submission read.

The casino is negotiating with the Government over its investment in the proposed Riverbank redevelopment, and has been touted as the "white knight" that may help fund the carpark for the new Adelaide Oval redevelopment.

Consumer Affairs Minister Gail Gago defended the casino's exemption, saying its extended opening hours were on par with other capital cities. Ms Gago said the casino had always had a 24-hour licence, which had not posed problems for competitors in the past. She rejected the claim that the casino had threatened legal action, saying that it had always been considered as part of the review.

North, the casino's restaurant on North Tce, will be subjected to the mandatory closure period, but all venues inside the casino will be exempt. According to its website, the casino has eight other bars and restaurants, including the nightclub, Loco.

Assistant Police Commissioner Tony Harrison welcomed the Government's proposal, saying the Bill was needed not only for Adelaide's CBD but for Glenelg, Victor Harbor and Adelaide's suburbs. "We very much believe there is a strong correlation between the availability of alcohol and also the instances of crime, safety issues and disorder issues," he said.

Liquor and Gambling Commissioner Paul White said the Australian Hotels Association had been consulted about the proposed changes. He said the parliamentary bar was not captured by the Liquor Licensing Act. "This is about safety and reducing harm," he said.

Ms Gago said the new measures to be introduced, which will include more managed taxi ranks, four new inspectors and an education campaign, will cost $1.4 million upfront and then $750,000 a year.

Opposition Leader Isobel Redmond said the legislation was a "backwards step" for business in the city.

"The city should be a vibrant, fun, safe entertainment precinct with venues able to open as long as their licence permits," she said.

Uniting Care Wesley chief executive Simon Schrapel said the proposed laws were not a "silver bullet" and the "jury is still very much out" about the impact on binge drinking in the city.

But Lord Mayor Stephen Yarwood said the Adelaide City Council backed the proposal. "We need a balance between a city that's alive and a city that's safe," he said.

"The majority of anti-social behaviour happens after 3am."



Strathmore Hotel owner David Basheer, whose venue has the same licence conditions as the casino, said he was "enormously disappointed" that his business would be disadvantaged to the casino across the road on North Tce.

- with Ken McGregor and Lachlan Pryor

[crawf]

Labor are really starting to loss my support, the Libs actually make a good point!

After living in Darwin for 8 months which has a 4am closing. I witnessed the entertainment precinct - Mitchell Street turn into a complete bloodbath every single weekend at close due to so many drunken frustrated people pouring into the street at the same time making taxi-waits beyond ridiculous. Which ofcourse makes people even more frustrated and angry, making the city streets not safe. I would hate to imagine what Adelaide would be like!

Seriously when will we learn that banning everything and everywhere is not the answer and will just makes things triple times worse. Yes we have a binge drinking crisis and yes Hindley Street can see some very ugly violent scenes on weekends. Though when you consider up to over 50,000 are estimated to visit the strip on a Saturday night alone, majority of people do the right thing. But thanks to the minority of idiotic wankers and this national 'nanny-state' mentality, they are the people that will be punished.

This is not the answer to the binge drinking crisis and due to the Federal Government's fantastic taxes on anything alcoholic, it has forced more people to drink at home and then travel into town already wasted. This has also increased the appeal of drugs towards young and older individuals, and when you compare the price of say ecstasy to alcoholic drinks, it's not hard to work out.

These proposed changes could potentially ruin all their hard work they have done over the years to improve Adelaide's reputation as a 'vibrant happening city'. This Government and others interstate should actually do something sensible and productive to tackle this national problem. Such as more drug/alcohol counselling and information sessions at schools similar to the Road Safety Campaigns, better education, increased police patrols on city streets, attracting more entertainment venues outside of Hindley Street so there isn't so many people at the one spot. And ofcourse target the actual nightclubs and individuals that are doing the wrong thing, not punishing the majority of clubs and individuals that do the right thing!

Oh and last thing, happy hours and drinking comps could soon be on the hit list aswell. Hello Nanny State


http://www.fighttheearlynight.com

[Waewick]

welcome to the Nanny state - population 1.5m

this state is really starting to tire me.

[rev]

We've been over this subject before, so my reaction is "not again with this sh**".

Restricted trading hours will be implemented eventually. So I say let them implement it. It wont be long before they realize they've made a monumental error when violence escalates and will be searching for a solution.
Extra police is not an option because they wont be able to attract enough new recruits, and if they pull units off other areas they will be under resourcing those areas, and weekends are the busiest periods so that's a not an option.
Private security firms are not licensed to actually do anything meaningful. Crowd controllers can't carry guns or pepper spray or batons, and they cant arrest people, so they are effectively powerless. And they are more likely to be hit with excessive force charges.

So they'll come to the realization that the problem isn't trading hours. Maybe then they'll realize that they need to start better educating young people about alcohol and drugs and their effects and consequences.
Although I'm sure they'll deploy STAR'ies to the streets before that happens.

I still think my idea from the last discussion on this issue is the best. Create a team of liquor license enforcement officers, dressed to blend in, who go around to clubs and bars with the intent of monitoring bar staff and whether they are serving clearly intoxicated people, and issuing fines and having the power to issue temporary or permanent suspension of liquor licenses for repeat offenders which means a specific bar or club will not be able to trade. Because that is the real issue that needs to be addressed. There are hefty fines for serving intoxicated people, it's about time they were enforced. I think the fine is $25,000. Clubs and bars wont be happy about paying tens of thousands of dollars in fines so they'll start enforcing the liquor license laws them selves.

[peas_and_corn]

I still think my idea from the last discussion on this issue is the best. Create a team of liquor license enforcement officers, dressed to blend in, who go around to clubs and bars with the intent of monitoring bar staff and whether they are serving clearly intoxicated people, and issuing fines and having the power to issue temporary or permanent suspension of liquor licenses for repeat offenders which means a specific bar or club will not be able to trade. Because that is the real issue that needs to be addressed. There are hefty fines for serving intoxicated people, it's about time they were enforced. I think the fine is $25,000. Clubs and bars wont be happy about paying tens of thousands of dollars in fines so they'll start enforcing the liquor license laws them selves.

Oh yes, this. A million times this. Enforcement of existing laws will go a long way to help reduce the problems that this lockout is attempting to stop.

[Omicron]

What y'all said, chaps!