Queensland premier won’t introduce new lockouts

[Cupe]

Queensland premier won’t introduce new lockouts: “People should be able to party”

Queensland Premier Campbell Newman announced a new plan to tackle “alcohol-related violence” yesterday, with a focus on “education, enforcement and regulation”, the Brisbane Times has reported.

The plan, if implemented, will set up 15 trial “safe night precincts” across Queensland, with rest and recovery services and “sober safe centres” where police can detain people they judge to be too intoxicated, charging a $200 fine for the first offence. Late trading clubs will also be required to introduce ID scanners linked to a state-wide database to track people banned from clubs in other cities.

While the proposed legislative changes have some aspects in common with NSW Premier’s Barry O’Farrell’s recent sweeping changes, including increasing penalties for “coward punches” and steroid use, crucially the plan does not include reducing trading hours for pubs and clubs in Queensland by introducing lockouts or last drinks.

“We want to deal with drug and alcohol-fuelled violence, but we want one other very important thing to be underlying all of this, that we want to have a nightlife in Queensland… We want to be a place where people can have a great party time. Where they can let their hair down, where they can enjoy themselves,” Mr Newman said. “”There are many places overseas that have even more liberal drinking hours than Australia and they manage to do it far better than we do in this country. That’s what we should be aiming at, to change the behaviour.”

The Queensland Opposition had pushed for 1am lockouts and 3am last drinks in the state’s clubs, and accused the Premier of being “beholden to the vested interests involved.” However, Premier Newman insisted that the plan was to be driven by community consultation. “We want the community to have a good look at this document…and then the government will put some final touches to it,” Premier Newman said.