Adelaide lockout laws to stay as liquor laws turn focus to late night shots

Calls to end Adelaide’s controversial pub lockout laws appear to have fallen on deaf ears as licensing officials reveal plans to go even further. Vote in the poll.

Alcohol “shots” would be banned at CBD licensed venues after 2am and controversial lockout laws continue to be enforced, under official new plans to crackdown on drunken city troublemakers.

The state government will today publish results of an eight-month review of Adelaide’s liquor licensing laws including the con­tentious 3am “lockout” restrictions.

In plans that have outraged the hospitality industry, South Australia’s liquor watchdog has proposed a new clampdown on the sale of alcohol and movement of patrons in the early hours of the morning.

Intended changes, which police, clinicians, paramedics and drug experts support, will ban “shot” sales and any such advertising after 2am while revellers will be refused entry between venues from 3.01am until 7am.

The propose rules, developed amid a wider CBD crimewave, define “rapid consumption” alcohol drinks as similar to shots, shooters, doubles, laybacks, test tubes, blasters, stingers or jelly shots.

The Adelaide Casino is still exempt despite SA Health seeking to be included in new rules.

Liquor and Gambling Commissioner, Dini Soulio, who received 18 major submissions and more than 4000 survey responses, will consult on the draft Late Night Trading Code over the next three weeks before changes are expected be in force from November this year.

He said consultation found rules on drinks that encouraged “rapid consumption” were unclear.

“(I) felt the insertion of a specific reference to shots would remove this ambiguity,” he said.

Australian Hotels Association SA chief executive, Anna Moeller, said research showed easing bans boosted safety.

“There’s no other jurisdiction that has lockouts, so what does SA know that everybody else doesn’t,” she said.

“There’s enhanced safety within venues... given the high security presence.”

Lawyer Tony Tropeano, a lockout critic and West End advocate, criticised the new rules as “farcical” that unfairly targets owners in the area especially Hindley St.

Dini Soulio is the Liquor & Gambling Commissioner and Commissioner for Consumer Affairs leading Consumer & Business Services in South Australia. Picture: Supplied

“They want to blame somebody and so they turn to operators in the West End,” he said.

The former Labor administration launched the tough restrictions a decade ago to tackle drunken violence in the city, especially the West End.

Other planned reforms, which subject licensed venues to strict laws on serving alcohol and increasing security, will also allow “drink marshals” to intervene with a visibly intoxicated persion as well as anyone behaving in a disorderly, abusive or violent manner.

City pubs, hotels, nightclubs and “adult entertainment” venues - will also be required to have CCTV cameras at all entry or exit points that must be of “adequate quality” to recognise an alleged offender.

First time breaches face a maximum $10,000 fine.

Mr Soulio’s 13-page report cited SA Police warnings that removing or altering the code posed risks of a spike in offences after data showed a sharp drop in arrests during lockout times.

SA Health data further showed a fifth of the population has been a victim of an alcohol-related incident while a quarter of emergency presentations is linked to booze.

Mr Soulio said key agencies and community groups backed the lockout.

“I appreciate industry members have concerns about the lockout and I will keep working with them to see what can be done to alleviate some of their concerns,” he said.

Originally published as Adelaide lockout laws to stay as liquor laws turn focus to late night shots