Surfers Paradise will be abandoned for new drinking capital of the Coast at Jupiters Casino
JUPITERS casino security will be reviewed as Broadbeach braces for a surge in drunken patrons looking to get around the state’s new lockout laws.
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JUPITERS casino security will be reviewed as Broadbeach braces for a surge in drunken patrons looking to get around the state’s new lockout laws.
The laws are set to create an exodus from Surfers Paradise when the city’s 24-hour party hotspot draws punters into Broadbeach restaurants and pubs.
To make matters worse, concerns have been raised at how Jupiters casino will deal with the increased demand, after revelations assaults around its sister casino in Sydney doubled months after similar lockout legislation was introduced by the Baird Government.
A NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research study found there were 6.3 assaults per month on average at The Star between February and September 2014, almost double the 3.5 average in the same period at the venue the previous year.
Surfers Paradise’s Hollywood Showgirls nightclub owner Craig Duffy said the State Government had given Broadbeach an “unfair advantage” over Surfers Paradise by exempting the casino from the 1am lockout laws.
“It is unfair because Surfers Paradise would bring in more tourists than the casino but the State Government protects the casino by calling it a major tourist attraction,” he said.
“It is an unfair playing field because everything is twisted in the casino’s favour.
“What I really find crazy is the government’s excuse for the laws is alcohol-fuelled violence but now the statistics show assaults doubled at the Sydney casino when they did this.
“It is the same company who manages the casino here on the Gold Coast and they have proven they have not managed their one properly in Sydney, so why should it be exempt from laws here?”
A Star Entertainment Group spokesman said security would be reviewed in response to any increased patronage.
“Providing a safe and enjoyable environment for our guests and staff is of paramount importance for our business,” he said.
“We are proud of our record and reputation for operating a major tourist attraction on the Gold Coast with world’s best practices in terms of security and surveillance operations, staff training (including responsible service of alcohol), on-site police and inspectors and a far greater level of oversight and regulation than any other licensed operators.
“We will continue to review our security in response to any changing conditions and work with police and our regulator to minimise all forms of anti-social behaviour to ensure our properties are safe, licensed venues for local and international guests.”
The casino also criticised independent crime research group BOCSAR, saying the statistics had been manipulated.
“We believe BOCSAR statistics are not a true or accurate reflection of incidents at The Star,” he said.
“A number of assaults recorded against The Star in recent times occurred away from the property and involved individuals or groups who had not attended the property.”
The Gold Coast’s top cop, Assistant Commissioner Brian Codd, said the casino and the wider community would be a focus for police as the lockout laws were rolled out.
“The casino is something we will have to put our minds to,” he said.
“We have a number of strategies around the casino, including the casino crime squad, which is based there.
“But there have been issues with assaults at casinos interstate – we will have to see how that relates to us.
“Gold Coast police have the agility to redirect resources to areas with issues, particularly with our CIB and RAP, we can adjust and go where the need is.”
Gold Coast Cabs chief executive Gordana Blazevic said the new laws would lead to an increased risk of violence across the Coast.
“This has the potential to contribute to increased incidents of violence and will put more pressure on taxi service demand,” he said.
“Many of our drivers don’t start until 4am and they usually pick up the early morning revellers but now they will need to start earlier and will be kept extremely busy, particularly across the weekend.”
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Moncrieff MP Steve Ciobo, sworn in as trade minister yesterday(Thursday), slammed the state’s new lockout laws as over-regulation.
Under the laws, last drinks will be at 3am instead of 5am from July 1 while the lockouts has been brought forward from 3am to 1am.
“I get that people genuinely believe this will reduce incidents of assaults – the problem is they are still going to happen,” Mr Ciobo said.
“But instead of happening in Surfers Paradise, it will happen in a private setting because people will instead drink to excess at home.
“This is a cultural issue, not an issue about trading hours.
“This is a knee-jerk reaction.”
The 41-year-old Surfers Paradise resident, who has been a vocal critic of the Labor-led approach to tackling alcohol-related violence, said the state and country needed to face up to what was a cultural drinking problem.
“There are cities all around the world that don’t have these lockouts and because of education and their culture, they don’t have the same problem to the extent we do in Australia,” he said.
“But this constant push to regulate every aspect of our lives is going too far.”
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