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Govt rejects midnight ban on al fresco drinking

Jul 29, 2015

UPDATED: The State Government has rejected a recommendation of its review of late night drinking laws which would have seen a midnight ban on outdoor drinking.

However, it has accepted a recommendation which may see an earlier lockout time.

It has supported 13 of the review’s 18 recommendations, rejected one, with the others accepted with amendments or subject to more consultation.

The Government accepted a key recommendation that the lockout be retained for another 12 months in its current form from 3.01am, with this period used to consider other options, including prescribing times for last drinks.

The review suggests a possible outcome could be bringing the lockout time forward to 1am, 1.30am or 2am, combined with a 3am or 4am last drinks.

The Government rejected a recommendation that the 2am ban on the service of alcohol outdoors should apply from midnight. In its response, the Government said the Liquor and Gambling Commissioner was not aware of any issues or evidence to suggest making the ban earlier.

It agreed in principle with a recommendation to bring forward restrictions on free drinks or “drinks promoting rapid or excessive consumption” from the current 4am time. However, it settled on a compromise, making these restrictions apply from 2am rather than midnight, as the review recommended.

Likewise, the Government has come to a compromise agreement on the restriction of glassware in late night premises. The review recommended the 4am restriction be brought back to midnight: the government has decided that glassware will be banned from 2am.

The Government says it will consult with the industry on a recommendation to include “shots” in the list of banned drinks under the code.

Attorney-General John Rau said it was a “reasonable proposition” to wait 12 months before looking at the lockout time again.

He said he’d been “extremely pleased” with the results that the code had delivered.

The review says there has been a significant reduction in alcohol-related violence since the introduction of the Late Night Code.

It says the number of late night likely alcohol-related incidents in the CBD was 12 per cent lower between October 2013 and September 2014 than it was during the previous year. It says the number of “glassings” – assaults using glass objects in the CBD – was down 49 per cent on the previous year.

The review also reported unintended consequences of the lockout, including patron aggression and aggravation at being locked out and some patrons being “stranded” alone outside venues.

It noted pressure placed upon taxis and public transport services at peak points of the night, and recommended venues be made to prominently display transport information after 9pm.

Under current laws, venues are required to make that information available to patrons on request after 9am.

The review also says “very few patrons” are aware of the availability of after midnight bus services.

“Given patron concerns about the lack of transport options, and the fact that the after midnight services are precisely there to provide such an option, more effort needs to be made to promote the availability of this service.”

The Government agreed to a recommendation that venues be required to display prominently transport information.

The Government will formally respond to the review at 1.15 today. Reload this page for updates.

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