Long-standing Brisbane live music venue The Zoo has announced it will no longer use "inefficient, inaccurate, expensive (and) useless" ID scanners, meaning it will be stopped from opening after midnight.
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In a statement posted to Facebook on Monday evening, the venue said it was saying "bye-bye" to the scanners, which it described as having put "unnecessary strain on small businesses, Brisbane's nightlife and live music venues".
"Since the implementation of the new liquor licencing laws, hands of small businesses have been tied & with this decision comes our reduced trading hours to a 12am close, that in itself brings its own challenges for an independently owned business like The Zoo," the venue wrote.
"We take safety very seriously and over the past 25 years without scanners we've had no issues so we will continue this trend moving forward.
"We urge you to come out and support live music, come early to gigs - support the supports - the industry is relying on you to survive and keep the music alive."
Shadow Attorney-General David Janetzki said the venue was another casualty of the government's lack of consultation with the live music industry before the ID scanners were implemented.
“The Zoo and their employees are yet another sad casualty of Annastacia Palaszczuk’s botched ID scanner laws," he said in a statement.
“Labor refused to consult with industry before bringing ID scanners in, they refused to listen to industry’s problems once the laws came in and now venues are shutting up shop early to avoid the hassle.
“Just days ago we heard court-ordered bans on violent young thugs aren’t even being properly enforced making the whole ID scanner process a farce.
“Business has lost confidence in Labor’s system, Queenslanders are losing jobs and we are losing our vibrant nightlife.”
A spokesman from The Zoo told Fairfax Media that while the venue already wrapped up at midnight, the decision to dump the scanners meant it was restricted to freely operate until 2am as previously possible under the old license, "limiting our earning potential".
A spokeswoman for Attorney-General Yvette D'Ath said it was The Zoo's choice to no longer use the scanners, but vowed to continue working with businesses to improve safety in and around licensed venues.
“Ultimately it is up to an individual business to decide its trading hours, based on its patronage,"she said in a statement.
“The Office of Liquor and Gaming will continue to work with licensed venues to ensure a vibrant, safe nightlife."
