Report: Queensland’s expensive ID scanners just caught 0.004% of banned people

Did the Queensland government rush the July 2017 introduction of compulsory ID scanners to 244 late night venues in entertainment precincts such as Fortitude Valley and Caxton Street?

A new report suggested that these machines might be seen as ineffective, given the expenses and claimed lost trade suffered by the nightclubs and music venues.

Last year, Queensland’s venue operators in entertainment precincts fought to delay their introduction until there was greater consultation.

They claimed the state government was trying to be seen to be doing something about alcohol-fuelled violence in such precincts.

Now a report on the ABC stated that data shows 12.8 million IDs were scanned since the start of the program.

Of that 488 people were found trying to go into a bar or club from which they had been banned.

The report pointed out, “That means just 0.004 per cent of the IDs scanned were of patrons on banning orders.”

The idea of the scanners was to stop troublemakers who were banned from nightclubs and music venues across the state.

Every time a patron’s ID is scanned at a venue, their name, date of birth and photo are cross-checked against a database of people who have a banning order against them.

Those red-flagged have their details sent to other venues.

Police are alerted by email if they are out on bail.

In the early days, clubs said it affected patron numbers and they had to let staff go.

Patrons irritated with the inevitable queues and delays after scanning began after 10 pm merely headed to clubs outside the precincts – which could be just a few minutes’ walk away.

The machines cost thousands of dollars to install and operate, and they could only be operated by a security person rather than a club staffer.

The early technology saw the machines refuse to accept ID from tourists from some countries.

In the ABC report, Queensland Hotels Association CEO Bernie Hogan revealed the scanners continued to cause a fall in patronage across the state.

“Right from the very beginning, we had members who would say it was a 25 – 30% downturn in the first month.

“This hasn’t recovered and this continues across the state to experience those sorts of downturns,” he said.

Attorney-General Yvette D’Ath argued that the low number of people picked up showed the system worked as a deterrent.

“That is because the message is getting out there — don’t even try to come into those areas because you will be turned away,” she said.

Venue operators are suggesting that patronage down and clubs closing, the government should help them out with subsidies for the scanners, and also drop their use in the less busy times like the early part of the week.

Initially, the government had also promised to conduct an independent review of their effectiveness after the first 12 months.

It was pushed back from July to October, and there is no definite date.