Bundaberg nightclub’s safety breaches revealed

A special investigation into regional Queensland licensed venues has revealed a convicted paedophile is one of its managers, while there have been complaints about patron safety breaches and underpaid staff.

The Central Hotel in Bundaberg.

An almost derelict, run-down building haunts the place where a thriving Central Hotel once stood and operated in the heart of Bundaberg.

Before 2016, the former Targo Street pub was characterised by plush furnishings, a gaming room and classic pub food. When it was sold, it took on a completely different atmosphere.

A special investigation by this publication can reveal some of the breaches Club Central has on night-life safety in the region.

Club Central is managed by a convicted paedophile, while a convicted drug dealer was hired to work in the establishment in 2022. It is understood he no longer works there.

A former security contractor has also revealed one patron, who was banned for life after allegedly making a death threat, has been allowed back into the club.

Club Central a hotspot for violent altercations

Lightbrim Pty Ltd bought The Central Hotel in September 2016, for $1.95m.

The hotel, now known as Club Central has been a hotspot for violent altercations on Friday or Saturday nights.

Documents acquired by the NewsMail illustrate the moment regulators met with Lightbrim Pty Ltd ATF The Kylmarc Discretionary Trust, the licensee of the pub, to discuss these and other issues surrounding The Central Hotel (also known as Club Central or the “Cenny”).

In 2020, Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation officers alleged that the business was operating under a commercial licence in breach of the legislation.

The allegation included that the “hotel” did not provide meals or accommodation and was in breach of the Liquor Act by selling alcohol under a commercial licence without providing food or accommodation.

The Central Hotel in Bundaberg.

According to a letter from OLGR addressed to the licensee, an intervention meeting was held at an OGLR office in Hervey Bay on June 30, 2020, “as a result of concerns about the operation of the Central Hotel Bundaberg”.

The issues included the number of violent altercations at the premises and not providing food while operating under a Commercial Hotel Licence.

During the meeting, the licensee made a series of undertakings to resolve these issues.

The OLGR informed the licensee that if they failed to take reasonable steps to ensure “the number of violent incidents were reduced significantly” it would consider initiating enforcement action.

CCTV and lockout signs were installed to coincide with the undertakings, but there was one undertaking that never saw the light of day.

A new steak restaurant promised

One of the undertakings made by the licensee during the OLGR meeting included the promise of a steak restaurant to be built at the Central.

“A new Steak House restaurant will open at the premises after Covid restrictions ease so food will be available on site during opening hours,” an undertaking letter from OGLR stated.

“Crowd controllers will receive more consistent training and all crowd controller policies and procedures will be updated,” the letter stated.

“The licensee will consider hiring more than the minimum number of crowd controllers to ensure patron and amenity safety.”

The licensee was asked to write a submission on the actions they had “taken toward completion of the proposed changes to the CCTV, and the opening of a restaurant on the premises” by May 31, 2021.

As at September 2022, a steak restaurant had still not opened at The Central Hotel, but CCTV and extra security had been installed.

The OGLR has since confirmed the Central Hotel is still operating under a commercial licence.

The Queenslander probe

Colloquially known as ‘The Queenie” by locals, the Queenslander Hotel on Targo Street was also under the same ownership for several years.

The Central Hotel in Bundaberg.

Samuel Jacob Maddern was sentenced to 18 months behind bars after a violent altercation there on the night of June 12, 2020, which left a person with a broken nose after a beer bottle was smashed on his face.

Nothing has indicated the pub was responsible in any way.

On November 19, 2020, an OLGR representative hand-delivered a letter to a staff member at the Queenslander Hotel, demanding that it hand over nine different sets of documents, including CCTV recordings, a copy of all crowd controller and incident registers, a risk assessment plan, induction and training records of all crowd controllers and RSA training certificates of each employee.

While further details of the OGLR investigation were never made public, there was no suggested wrongdoing by the pub over this incident.

The Bullfighter gaming machines

The Queenslander Hotel was sold to SCHF PTY LTD for $2,242,500 on August 25, 2021.

A month later, OLGR sent a letter to Lightbrim Pty Ltd’s confirming its surrender of two Bullfighter gaming machines from the Queenslander. They had requested cancellation of the licence on April 29, 2020 and it was approved on April 30, 2020.

Two Bullfighter gaming machines appear to still be in Lightbrim’s possession, stored in what is dubbed “the old NewsMail building” in Bundaberg.

An OLGR spokesperson told the NewsMail a licensee may be permitted to store a gaming machine with the Commissioner‘s approval.

“Once a surrender is finalised, the (former) licensee must dispose of the gaming machines within one month,” the spokesperson said.

“If the licensee cannot dispose of the gaming machines within this time frame, they must apply to OLGR for approval for storage under the Gaming Machine Act.

“A licensee may store a gaming machine in a secure location on the premises with the Commissioner’s approval.

The NewsMail attempted to contact Lightbrim Pty Ltd to ask if they gained approval, but no response was given by the deadline.

Convicted paedophile manager at club

Convicted paedophile Paul Bourke, 42, is a current manager at Club Central.

According to the Justice Department, Bourke pleaded guilty to a child sex offence in the Maroochydore District Court in 2006, and received a head sentence of three years jail.

The jail sentence was suspended for three years after he served nine months.

The Central Hotel in Bundaberg.

In 2022, convicted drug dealer Danny Moran, was hiredto work within Club Central.

Moran is reportedly no longer employed within the club.

In 2013, Moran pleaded guilty to trafficking cocaine, MDMA, cannabis and methamphetamine in Bundaberg between May 2008 and February 2011.

He was sentenced to eight years in jail for the offences.

Moran was part of a large-scale drug syndicate headed by the likes of group kingpin Mathew Sam Bost, born Mathew Sam Bosotas, who set up the state’s most dominant regional drug syndicate at the time.

Bost was sentenced to nine years jail for drug trafficking and drug possession, and became eligible for parole and released in mid-2018.

Henry Stefankowski, a syndicate member, told police he couriered “bricks” of cash to Sydney for Bost, and couriered drugs locally, as well as to Rockhampton, Mackay and Townsville.

Bost took an interest in Bundaberg again in 2021, buying a house in Bundaberg South.

One man banned for death threats

Lloyd Finnis is a member of the Safe Night Out Precinct group which includes local police as members.

The group conducts regular private meetings at the Bundaberg Police Station to discuss Bundaberg’s night scene and works out strategies to protect people who are out at night.

Mr Finnis is also the owner of Rum City Locks and Security, and was once contracted to work with his security guards at the Central Hotel.

Mr Finnis said was in charge of banning people from the hotel for a number of reasons, but in some cases they were all allowed back in.

“They were all banned for reasons.“ He says they were banned for serious reasons. One man was banned for death threats.

Mr Finnis said he gave him a 50 year ban.

“I’d ban him from every licensed premises in Queensland if I could. “

Mr Finnis says the man was eventually allowed back in Club Central after he pulled his security contract from the venue.

The NewsMail approached Club Central for comment but they did not respond to any of our questions.