Coronavirus Qld: Licensed venues ready class action over lockdown

He performed at the State of Origin, but now this Queensland star is calling out the “hypocrisy” of our lockdown rules.

Licensed venue operators have called in lawyers for a potential class action against the State Government over ongoing COVID-19 restrictions, with legal advice that Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has used “a thermonuclear warhead to kill a flea”.

Hospitality and entertainment industry players who have lost tens of millions of dollars during the pandemic are furious that restrictions are still being imposed on their venues after the Government allowed a full house for this month’s State of Origin decider at Suncorp Stadium.

A legal opinion obtained by one venue operator claims that the government has overstepped its powers under the Public Health Act in imposing harsh restrictions that have smashed the economy.

“Firstly, the government has failed to properly weigh the effects of lockdowns, business restrictions and border closures on the entire community,” the special counsel’s opinion states.

“Effectively, they are using a thermonuclear warhead to kill a flea. The economic and health ramifications from their actions will impact Queenslanders for decades to come.

“The hypocrisy in allowing massive crowds at Suncorp Stadium and the Gabba show that this is not about the virus at all.

“In my view, the government’s conduct was and remains negligent and affected businesses would be entitled to claim damages for the losses sustained through that negligence.”

Casey Barnes performs before State of Origin Game Three. Picture: Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images

A southeast Queensland venue operator said: “We are seriously looking at a major class action against the State for its mishandling of border restrictions, business closures and hypocritical rules around venue capacity numbers.”

The threat came as Queensland country music star Casey Barnes called for COVID-19 restrictions on licensed venues to be lifted as Queensland prepares to open its border to all of NSW and Victoria on Tuesday.

The State Government recently relaxed venue capacity limits from one person every 4sq m to one every 2sq m, as well as allowing outdoor dancing.

But Barnes said the restrictions needed to be eased further to help struggling entertainment and hospitality industry operators salvage their businesses after a disastrous 2020.

The ARIA-award-winning Gold Coast-based artist said venue operators, artists and crew were struggling to pay the bills, yet the State Government allowed a full house for this month’s State of Origin decider at Suncorp Stadium.

“I was lucky enough to perform at Origin, but I know a lot of people in the industry who would have been looking at that crowd and going ‘what the f--k’s going on here’,” he said.

“It just doesn’t make any sense.

“The music industry has just copped it big-time this year.”

Barnes recently finished a tour of regional Queensland but said it was only viable with the help of a state government grant, with audiences of fewer than 100 people in some venues because of COVID-19 restrictions.