QLD lockout laws bite into revenue, job outlook dismal

Queensland’s venue operators are saying “told you so” as trade figures for the first weekend of the state’s lockout laws come to light. With last drinks moved to 3 am from 5 am, early reports are suggesting a staggering loss of revenue, a disturbing trend to lower working hours for venue staff, and with violence up despite more cops being put on the beat.

Whether Queensland live music revenues will be affected by 40% as happened in Sydney remains to be seen.

Some Gold Coast nightclubs which planned to open until 5 am during the two hour no-alcohol period ended up closing early. Sin City found to its horror that crowds started to leave at midnight when shots were banned.

The Bedroom club had to slash its $10 entry fee to half after the lockout hour kicked in. Its manager Maxwell Pickering admitted, “We’re definitely losing money.” Other clubs said that their venues were dead past 3.30 am.

It was worse for other businesses that depend on late night nightclub traffic. One pizza and kebab outlet in the heart of Surfers Paradise posted a 50% trade downturn on the Friday and over a 70% drop on the Saturday. Another closed two hours earlier as streets became deserted.

Brisbane venues reported a drop from Friday night, when the lock-outs began. Triple j’s current affairs program Hack reported trade was down “17% compared to the same weekend last year and 24% on the week before”. It was no better in the Fortitude Valley entertainment precinct. “Data from five of Fortitude Valley’s biggest venues showed Saturday was no better, and business was down by 19% on the same time last year”.

Our Nightlife Queensland’s Nick Braban told Hack, “These are very early initial figures, so we can’t read into the too much, but I think it’s showing there’s some definite effects already to patronage in our entertainment precincts.”

A current campaign by venue operators is to exempt live music venues from the new restrictions. After all, if the casino is exempt, why not them?

Clubs through the state slashed employee hours by 20 to 30 per week each – which would be ten times as high in regional cities as Townsville and Cairns and devastating in regions where unemployment is already high.

Opposition frontbencher Jarrod Bleijie, one of the speakers at a Keep Queensland Open rally outside the Brisbane Casino last month, estimated about 6000 “young Queenslanders” will lose their jobs. That works out a loss of $150,000 to the economy.

Bleijie added, “It is a policy, not based on research, it’s a policy based on politics. You need a strategy which educates young people about the dangers of excessive drugs and alcohol consumption and that’s not happening at the moment.

News.com.au was reporting that NightWatch Patrols, a volunteer group run by chaplains operating in entertainment precincts, revealed acts of violence were up the first weekend. A spokesperson expected the figure to rise in coming weeks as police patrols dropped back to regular schedules.

But police said there were very disturbances during the first weekend. There were only seven arrests in Surfers Paradise, and these were for alleged possession of recreational drugs.

There is also a question mark as to whether the Government, once it’s started the lockouts, has the resources to ensure they are adhered to. Gold Coast-based Queensland Law Society President Bill Potts pointed out this morning, that there are 200 licenced clubs in the Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach areas, “but the government’s Office of Liquor and Gaming has just nine Coast-based officials focusing on liquor licensing.

“What is in fact needed is better resource for the licensing authorities to ensure people don’t substitute one substance for another which might in turn cause more danger.”