How minimum $6 drink price agreement played out for Glitter Strip venues

Six months ago bar wars waged on the Glitter Strip until the state nightclub watchdog intervened. Here’s how the clubs are faring now.

Six months on from bar wars on the Glitter Strip over discounted drinks - prompting state nightclub watchdog intervention - things are “a lot better”, an industry veteran says.

Newcomer Fabric nightclub copped major backlash from furious competitors who said the Orchid Avenue venue’s $3 basic spirit pours - normally $12 - would send everyone broke and breached responsible drinking rules.

The advertisement for discounted drinks that sparked the Glitter Strip bar wars earlier this year.

The war over drink prices triggered the intervention of the state nightclub watchdog - The Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation (OLGR) - which ordered a meeting of Surfers Paradise operators and a crackdown on heavy drinks discounts.

At the time, one operator said anything under $6 for a basic spirit pour “would be considered irresponsible”.

“Young kids who are starting out at university and just out of school aren’t fit for alcohol in copious quantities. And if you are discounting, after midnight all the trouble starts – fighting, urinating in the street. It’s cheap drinks that fuel all that.

“Even adults can’t really handle it – but kids are just the worst.”

A minium drink price of $6 was agreed upon my all operators to keep business viable and to ensure Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA) requirements were being met.

Owner of Glitter Strip nightclub Cocktails nightclub Lino Girardi, speaking six months on, said since a minimum price was agreed on by operators, business has “been a lot better”.

“I hear stories, rumours that it slipped back a little bit, but we haven’t seen evidence of that,” he said.

“There was a big show of licensees [at the meeting] and by the end of it they realised that pretty much we all want the same thing.

“As a business you want to be viable and profitable, while also keeping in mind the RSA and the safety of patrons and keeping in line with police and liquor licensing.

“Trading with all the discounting comes at a lot of headaches as well. It’s a lot of headaches for ourselves, for the authorities, so I think it was a it was a step in the right direction.”

Lino Girardi, owner of iconic Surfers Paradise nightclub Cocktails.

Mr Girardi said that while fixing prices isn’t possible, the minimum pricing agreement hasn’t been breached to his knowledge.

“We can’t really fix prices, so it’s an understanding. I think they’ve held to it, but that’s because everybody was willing to do that, it’s an agreement,” he said.

“Majority of late night licensees attended the meeting and some expressed to me that they would like to have a follow up meeting.

“We’ll probably will do that once the Christmas period is over just to discuss how it’s going and ongoing.”

An OLGR spokesperson said that while they don’t set minimum drink prices or prohibit discounted drinks, they do monitor promotions and deals in venues.

“We do monitor promotions in venues to ensure they comply with Queensland’s responsible service of alcohol laws,” they said.

“This includes making sure they don’t encourage patrons to drink more or quicker than they normally would.

“Community and patron safety are our primary concern, and we will continue to take action against licensees running promotions that encourage risky drinking behaviour and breach Queensland’s liquor laws.

“When we identify promotions that are of concern – like on this occasion – we work with licensees using education first and foremost to achieve sustainable outcomes that benefit their businesses and the community.”

Nightclubs on the Gold Coast have now agreed not to sell drinks below the price of $6.

The OLGR spokesperson said that the agreement of a higher minimum drink price would not fix any issues of excessive alcohol consumption.

“Generally, charging a higher price for alcohol does not alone resolve the risk of excessive or rapid alcohol consumption and licensees must take a range of steps to minimise alcohol-related harm such as ensuring adequate staffing levels to monitor alcohol consumption and providing food and water to patrons,” they said.

“We promote safe and responsible liquor and gambling environments in Queensland by supporting licensees to embed practices and processes that minimise alcohol and gambling harm, contribute to community confidence and promote industry development.”

Originally published as How minimum $6 drink price agreement played out for Glitter Strip venues