Remember when: Gold Coast City Council abandoned its controversial nightclub legal battle

GOLD Coast City Council appeared certain to abandon a costly legal battle which forced four leading nightclubs to close at 3am. READ THE FULL REPORT

Gold Coast Bulletin, June 15, 2004

Gold Coast Bulletin, June 15, 2004

GOLD Coast City Council appeared certain to abandon a costly legal battle which forced four leading nightclubs to close at 3am.

The capitulation, expected to be announced within days, would clear the way for Cocktails and Dreams, Crazy Horse, Shooters and The Drink to reapply for 5am licences.

A 3am lockout — introduced in March 2004 and applied to all other Coast clubs — was to remain.

But nightclub operators, buoyed by the possibility of a council backdown, said they would fight until the lockout was also overturned.

That rule forced clubs to refuse entry to newcomers but allowed them to serve alcohol to existing patrons until 5am.

It was believed the council backdown was dollar-driven.

Fighting the clubs in court was believed to have cost ratepayers at least $240,000.

The surrender coincided with an increase in club-related violence.

On May 29 that year a clubber nearly died after he was bashed in Orchid Avenue.

Then, days later another was deliberately run down by a car after leaving a Broadbeach nightspot.

Two women were treated in hospital after a mace-like gas was released at Quest nightclub on Sunday.

In a report due to go the council the next day, city solicitor David Montgomery urged councillors to end action in the Commercial and Consumer Tribunal relating to extended trading hours permits for the clubs. The cases were set down for July that year

Mayor Ron Clarke said the legal action had been ordered by the previous council and inherited by the current one.