ClubsACT has rejected calls for earlier closing times and lockouts for Canberra pubs and clubs, calling them a “lazy and unsophisticated approach” to the complex issue of alcohol-related harm.
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An ACT government review of the liquor act will receive a submission from a new lobby alliance, which calls for earlier venue closing times – not later than 3am – and mandatory lockouts from 1am.
ClubsACT chief executive Jeff House said the call from the new NSW/ACT Alliance to Tackle Alcohol Harms was disappointing.
“The calls for blanket 1am lockouts and 3am closures is a simplistic, cookie-cutter approach that takes no account of the prevailing circumstances in the ACT,” Mr House said.
“Many of my members open till 4am to service their shift-worker members or taxi drivers who use the facilities of the club at that time.
“Winding back the trading hours of these venues would in no way represent a sensible policy decision.”
Mr House said it was disappointing the alliance – made up of 39 community organisations - had not considered the different types of venues and the different risk profiles each license category had for alcohol related incidents.
“What is more concerning however, is that the data used by NAAPA is out of date and overlooks the fact that alcohol related crime in the ACT has fallen and in the Attorney-General’s own words since the introduction of the new act, have been on a sustained downward trend,” he said.
“Alcohol is part of the fabric of Australia’s social life, our mutual aim shouldn’t be to simply reduce its use, but to encourage Australians to use it responsibly.”
Attorney-General Simon Corbell has said the 2011 changes to liquor laws had been effective, and there had been a 15 per cent drop in alcohol-related crime in the first six months.
“In relation to trading hours, I’m very happy to take that on board and look at the submissions ... but I’m not going to prejudge the outcome of the review at this time,” he said.
Mr Corbell said the review would include an analysis of the impact of risk-based licensing, where a fee is based on a venue’s perceived level of risk.
ACT Australian Hotels Association spokesman Brad Watts said the reduction in alcohol related incidents in recent years meant there was no need for further changes to trading hours.
Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education policy and research director Caterina Giorgi said research showed the change would help.
"We know that the introduction of a modest reduction in trading hours will lead to a very significant reduction in alcohol-related harms. Evaluations show that in Newcastle when trading hours were wound back to 3.30am, there was a 37 per cent reduction in alcohol-related assaults in 12 months,” she said.
