Violence down as lockout law bites

THE IVY nightclub remains the only establishment in Sydney on the highest level of restrictions on the NSW government’s latest ‘violent venues’ list.

Ivy Nightclub Assault

THE IVY nightclub remains the only establishment in Sydney on the highest level of the NSW government’s latest ‘violent venues’ list.

The Justin Hemmes-owned club is just one of two venues in the state with Level 1 restrictions, with The Beachcomber Resort and Conference Centre in Toukley on the Central Coast also named.

There were 23 violent incidents at The Ivy in 2014, including six assaults involving actual bodily harm, 15 common assaults and a sexual assault, and 12 at the Beachcomber.

In April, Greg Gibbons was stabbed to death opposite the hotel afer becoming involved in an argument with four men.

HOTEL OF THE YEAR ADDED TO ‘VIOLENT VENUES’ LIST

The Ivy remains on Level 1 restrictions in the latest ‘violent venues’ list. Picture: Gordon McComiskie

The Beachcomber Hotel at Toukley is the only other venue on the list. Picture: Justin Wilson

Ordinarily, a venue would require 19 incidents a year to get on the Level 1 list — with the toughest restrictions — but Deputy Premier Troy Grant has elected to keep the Beachcomber on the list because of its previous poor record.

Restrictions imposed on Level 1 venues include 1.30am lock-outs, extra security, alcohol time-outs and other limits on serving alcohol.

There has been a whopping 39 per cent fall in the number of violent incidents at venues on the list in the wake of the introduction of lockout laws — the lowest number of incidents since the list system was introduced in 2008.

The figures show violent incidents at the troubled pubs and clubs are down from 300 recorded in 2013-14 to 182 in 2014-15.

Last year the government introduced 1.30am lockouts in the city, 3am last drinks and other alcohol restrictions.

There are nine hotels or clubs on the Level 2 list (12-18 violent incidents a year) — The Plantation Hotel in Coffs Harbour, the Terrigal Hotel and Central Coast Hotel, The Oaks Hotel in Neutral Bay, Home Nightclub and Hotel Chambers in central Sydney, Hotel Henry Rous in Ballina, Miranda Hotel in Miranda, PJs Irish Pub at Parramatta, the Macarthur Tavern in Campbelltown and Theatre Royal in Broken Hill.

A man is lead away by police after reports of an assault at The Ivy nightclub earlier this year.

The Beachcomber was kept on the list despite not recording the necessary number of assaults to be listed in Level 1.

Two pubs in Parramatta - the Crown and Roxy Hotels - that were on Level 1 last year have been removed from the list altogether after a dramatic improvement on the number of assaults at the venues.

Just six months after being named Sydney’s best hotel, popular pub The Oaks has been placed on the list after recording 12 violent incidents in 2014.

Mr Grant said the great number now put pressure on those violent premises to ‘clean up their acts’.

“With just 13 venues now on this list, it sends a clear message places like Ivy in Sydney’s CBD and the Beachcomber Resort on the Central Coast to clean up their acts and put community safety first,” Mr Grant said.

“Unfortunately two new additions to the list - the Plantation Hotel in Coffs Harbour and the Oaks Hotel in Neutral Bay have shown there is still some work to do.”