Resistance as Queensland’s mandatory ID scanners rule becomes law this weekend

More than 230 venues in Queensland’s 15 Safe Night Precincts that trade after midnight will have to operate mandatory ID scanners from tomorrow (July 1), in a bid to weed out drunken troublemakers.

As part of the scheme, details of those who are refused entry by one club are automatically relayed to other venues, with precincts including the Brisbane CBD, Surfers Paradise and Fortitude Valley.

A trial last weekend in 50 venues across the state of the network data-sharing technology saw people stopped 22 times after being identified them as having bans on entering licensed venues.

“That is 22 times someone with a violent history could have entered a licenced venue but was stopped,” Attorney General and Minister for Justice Yvette D’Ath remarked.

Troublemakers generally get slapped with a ban of between 10 days to three months for anti-social behaviour.

But not everyone is happy with the new rules.

A group of venue owners has written to the Government, saying a number of issues needed to be addressed before the measures were enforced, requesting a delay until July 2018.

The Queensland Hotels Association estimates that venues throughout the state will spend $6 million to install and run the scanners. Costing $5200 a year to rent the technology alone, some venues have already opted to change their licences from 3am to midnight or simply remain closed during midweek in order to save money.

Another issue highlighted by venue operators is the need to change the rules so that a staff member could operate the scanners. Currently, the legislation stipulates that only a trained security guard conduct the scans –costing venues an extra $2000 a month in increasing staff numbers and navigating staff breaks.

Our Nightlife Queensland has argued that blanket ID scanners are not necessary, and should be based on venue size and track record of violence.

The group claims that “a logical review would show that only 20-25 of venues in the Fortitude Valley precinct should be told to install them, rather than all its 53 venues”.

“These venues due not attract a style of patron which fits the recidivist offender profile who attracts police bans,” it states.

Opposition spokesman Jarrod Bleijie also showed his support for a delay in the introduction, calling the whole process “a shambles” and thought the Government had rushed the installation process.

“Things have been done half-baked and the communication with the industry has been non-existent,” he said.

Venue operators are also worried that a major campaign promised by the Government to advice the public on what was to happen did not materialise.

“There has been plenty of communication to licensees, but messaging to the public has definitely been sub-par,” John Lynch, President of the Cairns City Liquor Safety Accord John Lynch told the Cairns Post.

“They did make some promise about putting out a large marketing campaign to let patrons know about this – but I’m yet to see or hear anything about it. It could be left up to us on the door to have to explain these things to patrons, which I think is unfair to venues.”

The scanners were an option suggested by venue managers as a trade-off for the Government not introducing the second part of its lock-out plans earlier this year forcing venues to close at 1.30 am.

According to the Attorney General, only six venues trading after midnight have not signed on.

“It is encouraging to see most venues have signed the contracts and had the ID scanners installed,” she explained.

“Some licenced venues are already using the ID scanners and they are already stopping people on banning orders entering our venues.”