Island troublemakers to be barred from pubs, clubs, ferries in tough 4184 Ban to save licensed venues

Bay island businesses have joined forces with police and a ferry operator to introduce a ban on troublemakers in licensed island venues.

Business representatives and organisations from the SMBI Chamber of Commerce, Russell Island Bowls Club, Club Macleay bowls club; Pub Paradise on Macleay and the Russell Island police signing the 4184 Ban to crack down on drunk and drugged-fuelled customers.

Drunk, violent people will be banned from southern Moreton Bay island licensed venues and possibly also ferries and barges under a new plan to stamp out bad behaviour.

amid growing business concerns over escalating anti-social activities on the islands, businesses signed a historic memorandum of understanding under the SMBI Safe Venues Project.

A unified front of seven organisations, including the police and SeaLink ferries, signed the 4184 Ban, an unprecedented pact declaring war on disruptive behaviour in licensed premises on the bay islands.

The alliance, led by the Southern Moreton Bay Island Chamber of Commerce, said the 4184 Ban was designed to purge licensed premises of troublemakers and high-level offenders.

Chamber president Dan Golin said alliance members, including police officers, would vote on whether to add a person’s name to the banned list.

It was designed to alleviate some of the workload on the island’s two police officers.

The alliance was formed after Russell Island Bowls Club manager Deborah Gatenby was forced to take stress leave after months of abuse by drunk and drugged customers.

Russell Island Bowls Club manager Deborah Gatenby wants bad behaviour in pubs and clubs on the islands to be stamped out. Picture: Contributed

The group formed after the January death of island resident Pauline Oliver, 79, who died in a car crash on Russell Island and after complaints about more people moving to the island from government rehousing programs.

“There are a select few people on drugs and causing the majority of problems in licensed venues on the islands and stealing and assaulting and hassling staff, so we decided to put a stop to it,” Mr Golin said.

“There were also a number of people on the island wearing ankle bracelets making threats to people and patrons at clubs.

“People kept coming into the bowls club drunk and making a nuisance of themselves.

“Ms Gatenby would ban them but they would just leave and go to another licensed venue on the islands.

“The same people were on a circuit creating havoc from one venue to another.

“When they were kicked out of all venues on Russell Island, they would catch a ferry to Macleay and start the problem all over again on another island.

“So I got all the licensed premises together along with the police and the ferry company to get a list going, which we have called the 4184 Ban.

“We have already held three, monthly meetings where we discussed problematic patrons and had four names that we want to put on the 4184 Ban list to rid the islands of these people.”

Mr Golin said the list would remain secret and available only to members of the accord.

Members of the accord were: Russell Island RSL Sub-Branch; Macleay Island Hotel; Club Macleay; Russell Island Bowls Club; SeaLink Ferries; Southern Moreton Bay Islands Chamber of Commerce; Queensland Police Service.

Mr Golin said some details of the accord, such as whether it would apply on SeaLink vessels, were still being finalised.

SeaLink was contacted for comment.

The ferry and barge operator has banned customers in the past for “on-board behaviour” and barred a Russell Island man for 12 months in 2020 when he allegedly swore at staff.

TransLink, which regulated bay island ferry and barge services, said SeaLink had the power to bar passengers for bad behaviour.

Both SeaLink and TransLink refer all proposed bans to the police service for guidance.