Article: Violent drinkers face bans, pubs to close earlier in Queensland

[ozbob]

From the Courier Mail click here!

Violent drinkers face bans, pubs to close earlier in Queensland

Violent drinkers face bans, pubs to close earlier in Queensland

    * Alison Sandy
    * From: The Courier-Mail
    * March 18, 2010 10:09AM

PROBLEM patrons face bans from Queensland entertainment precincts and pubs and clubs will close earlier under sweeping plans to curb alcohol-fuelled violence.

Venues will have to shut at 4am on weekends and 2am during the week in party districts, such as Fortitude Valley in Brisbane, Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast and Flinders Street in Townsville.

Recommendations from a parliamentary inquiry tabled in state parliament today also bring forward the compulsory lockout by an hour, from 3am to 2am.

Pubs and clubs outside entertainment districts would close at 3am at weekends and 1am during the week.

But the most radical change is allowing courts and police to ban violent offenders from certain venues and even entire districts.

Tougher maximum penalties for alcohol-related violence will also be considered along with a glass ban on all venues not deemed low-risk.

Law, Safety and Justice Committee chairwoman Barbara Stone said she hoped all 68 recommendations would be introduced by the State Government.

"There is more to public safety than just trading hours,'' she said.

"The committee agrees that the majority of law-abiding citizens should not suffer for the actions of the minority and believes the recommendations provide support to the community, industry and patrons to improve public safety and reduce alcohol violence.''

Premier Anna Bligh called the inquiry after the launch of The Courier-Mail's Punch Drunk series last July.

Ms Bligh said yesterday that trading hours were not a ``magic bullet'' solution to curbing alcohol-related violence.

"Policing numbers, public transport solutions, crowd control, how we manage transport and traffic in the streets is also a part of managing these precincts better,'' she said.

Other initiatives recommended by the bi-partisan committee include:

    * - Reduced trading hours for bottle shops - 10am to 9pm;
    * - Free proper drinking water;
    * - More cabs and hourly buses;
    * - alcohol advertising restrictions;
    * - more police and liquor licensing officers; and
    * - Incentives for venues to reduce risk of violence.

[#Metro]

Hourly buses? Aren't they hourly already?

Half hourly would be nice. But the drivers etc might like working that late.
On the other hand, heaps of small european cities have 24 hour bus, tram etc links running on weekday nights.
Budapest does, Bratislava does... Brisbane??? I guess everything is closed then.

[#Metro]

They all should serve FOOD! Proper meals not just chips and nuts.
Food and drink. Of course if drink is the only thing on offer.

Many places have the alternatives hidden under the counter or out of view. How are people supposed to know that these things are on offer when they are hidden?

[ozbob]

Hourly buses all night?  That might be better then some folks daily weekday services ....   hmmmm

[somebody]

Hourly buses? Aren't they hourly already?

Indeed.  Not to mention there's no real trouble getting in a cab at any time at basically any rank in the CBD or the Valley in my recent experience.

The change to trading hours would likely lead to the death or significant curtailing of Nightlink.  The busiest N464 is the one which leaves the valley 3:15am, the 5:15am one is almost empty.  Really, if the trading hours restrictions come in, they might as well stop Nightlink hard at 4am.  i.e. 3 buses/route/night rather than 5.  Also move the 3 train services forward by 1 hour; but then why not 2 hours, and make them leave 1 hour after the present last service?  A few people could use the service then.