Official: QLD abandons proposed 1am lockout laws

Queensland Cabinet voted not to introduce the 1:00am lockout on February 1. As reported by TMN yesterday, Cabinet met yesterday afternoon for the first time in 2017. It was expected to scrap the second phase of its lockout laws after a lengthy campaign by the state’s venue operators.

If the changes were to go ahead, venue operators in Safe Night Precincts would in exchange have to install mandatory ID scanners by mid-2017, TMN announced yesterday.

Cabinet ministers received an interim report of the first six months of its liquor restrictions which began on July 1 and included 3:00am last drinks.

Conducted by Deakin University’s Institute For Social Science Research, there was no “obvious reduction” in alcohol-related assaults, which the Government had originally hoped for.

However, there was a drop in common assaults between 8:00pm and 6:00am, as well as a continued decline in ambulance call outs in entertainment precincts such as Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley.

“The current evidence suggests the introduction of lockouts is not likely to significantly change current trends (except for pre-drinking),” the report stated.

The number of ‘special events’ exemption permits clubs can use to serve alcohol until 5:00am will be halved from 12 each year to six in order to stop clubs “gaming” the system and “thumbing their nose at these laws,” according to Attorney General Yvette D’Ath.

The report argued that since July 1, there was not a single weekend night where all venues in Fortitude Valley stopped serving alcohol at 3:00am.

In Fortitude Valley, the number of approved applications for extended trade until 5:00am from July 2, 2016 until January 4, 2017 was 280, with a weekly average of 10.4.

Valley Liquor Accord spokesman Nick Braban rejected the claims as “unfair” accusations of gaming. “I think [the claims are] a long bow to draw,” told ABC Radio Brisbane.

QMusic CEO Joel Edmondson said, “This is a huge relief. A 1:00am lockout would have caused significant damage to the state’s music industry. We are pleased that the Government has listened to the music industry’s perspective on this legislation. More than 12 months ago, we called for a 3:00am closure but without the damaging 1:00am lockout. We also supported mandatory ID scanners.

“It’s a pity that it took a year of uncertainty before these laws were scrapped but we thank the Government for continuing discussion with QMusic and others over the last 12 months.

“Queensland has a vibrant music industry which the state can be proud of. Acts like Powderfinger, Ball Park Music and Violent Soho built their early careers on being able to play shows in Brisbane in the early hours of the morning. Their ability to build an audience would have been severely affected by lockout laws, because restricting movement between venues and drastically reducing trading hours makes many otherwise safe live music venues unfeasible.”

Edmondson said QMusic studied data around lockout laws closely and could not see any guarantees that they would improve public safety.

“The lockout laws were never founded upon hard data relevant to Queensland – they were founded on a hunch. And that hunch would have damaged our great music industry,” he said.

John Lynch, President of the Cairns Safe Night Precinct, was not sure if the Government would revert to the original 3:00am closures. “We’ll seek clarification,” he commented. “If not, we’ll be lobbying for that change.”