Lockout laws softened but mandatory scanning system to identify previous offenders

UPDATE: Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has defended her government’s decision to water down plans for a 1am lockout, insisting the statewide rollback of alcohol service hours was the most important part of the reforms.

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PREMIER Annastacia Palaszczuk has defended her government’s decision to water down plans for a 1am lockout, insisting the statewide rollback of alcohol service hours was the most important part of the reforms.

“The key measure is in place and is in force at the moment,” Ms Palaszczuk said of the reforms which wound back drinking hours to 2am statewide- or 3am in nightclub precincts.

Shots are also now banned after midnight.

“The signature component of my government’s policy is in place.

“Other measures are seen as supplementary or complimentary.”

Cabinet will make a final decision this afternoon.

OVERNIGHT: Pubs and clubs will dodge a 1am lockout but face a new scanning and banning identification system aimed at blocking drunken thugs.

State Cabinet, which today meets to discuss the Palaszczuk Government’s alcohol-fuelled violence crackdown, is expected to scrap or delay the controversial lockout.

Patrons have their ID scanned for entry into a hotel in New South Wales.

However, this will be in exchange for a trial of an ID scanning system for major venues that will make it ­easier to reject problem patrons subjected to bans from nightclub precincts.

It is understood clubs will be able to input data into the system but not retrieve it, with the information from the scanners kept in a secure government database.

Clubs put a proposal to the Government last month for a trial of the system in exchange for the delay of the lockout.

Mandatory scanning was due to come in last year but was delayed while the Government considered how the scheme would work.

It can also be revealed Cabinet will vote on other changes, including strengthening aspects of the “last drinks” laws. This follows an interim report on the measures, which identified problems with the way venues were using their 12 annual permits to extend the service of alcohol past 3am.

The exemption permits were designed to be used for special events such as New Year’s Eve. An interim six-month report into the first tranche of changes, however, has found clubs in the Fortitude Valley precinct have been using the permits on alternate weekends.

The report is understood to have found there had not been a weekend since July 1 – when drink restrictions first came in – that revellers had not been able to buy ­­­a drink after 3am in Fortitude Valley.

The queue builds while security checks are carried out at the GPO nightclub in Fortitude Valley. Picture: Jack Tran

Cabinet will consider changes to the criteria for the permits in a bid to tighten the scheme.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk last week appeared to soften her stance on the 1am lockout after The Courier-Mail revealed plans were afoot to dump or delay the measure.

Not everyone is happy with the planned changes.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has refused to say what action the government will take, insisting any decisions would be “based on the best evidence available”.

“That principle will continue to drive our attempts to reduce the tragic late night toll.”

The Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education yesterday released a poll it conducted of 300 Queenslanders that found about two-thirds of those polled wanted the 1am lockout to go ahead.

Queensland Coalition for Action on Alcohol chairman Professor Jake Najman, who initially supported Labor’s changes, said it was too early to be considering them.

“Having prioritised the health and safety of the Queensland public, it is now crucial that the measures are given the time to prove their worth. Anything less would be a complete betrayal,” he said.

Opposition Leader Tim Nicholls has pledged to wind back the laws should the LNP win government.