‘Fun police’: Patrons restricted to two full-strength beers at Origin
A trial of full-strength beer at Accor Stadium has been watered down, with police imposing a two-drink limit per customer to “reduce anti-social behaviour.” Critics say it proves the Minns government is “all froth, no beer.” Take our poll.
A promise to offer full strength beers to sporting fans in Sydney’s west was watered down by local authorities on Wednesday night, which critics say is an overstep from the “fun police.”
Patrons at the State of Origin decider were greeted with signs advising they would be restricted to “a maximum of two full strength beers” per customer. The limit led to large queues before kick-off, while a bar staff member was reportedly punched by a fan wearing a blue wig after his order was refused.
Earlier this year the Minns government proudly announced a six-month “trial” of full strength beer service at both Sydney Olympic Park’s Accor Stadium and Commbank Stadium in Parramatta.
The move followed a campaign from this masthead which highlighted Sydney’s “beer discrimination” - where patrons were offered full-strength alcohol at Allianz in Moore Park but not in the city’s west.
When revealing the new plan on March 14, Premier Chris Minns said “western Sydney patrons are just as capable of consuming alcohol responsibly.”
The trial has continued over the past few months with a limit of four-per-person at a range of events at Accor and CommBank, but was suddenly reined in for one of the biggest sporting fixtures of the year.
It’s understood the strict rules will again apply to the upcoming rugby Test between the Wallabies and British and Irish Lions on August 2, which will attract a sellout crowd of 80,000 fans, including 30,000 international supporters.
In a statement Police Assistant Commissioner Brett McFadden, the commander of South West Metropolitan Region, confirmed he had been “working with Venues NSW and the licensee at Accor Stadium regarding the responsible service of alcohol”.
“I made the decision to limit two full-strength and two mid-strength beers per transaction as part of our commitment to reduce anti-social behaviour and ensure a safe event for the many fans and families attending Origin” Mr McFadden said.
Nationals MP Kevin Anderson accused the Labor government of being “all froth, no beer.”
“Despite brewing optimism of being able to enjoy a full strength schooner at the footy, Labor’s endless keg of broken promises strikes again” Mr Anderson said.
John Ruddick, an Upper House MP representing the Libertarian Party, said the Olympic venue was being “micromanaged by a battalion of state government fun police enforcers who applied different rules to different venues based on little more than a whim”.
“Why do we trust 16 year-olds to drive a car but not western suburbs adults to drink full strength beer at Accor Stadium? End the war on fun and let the people drink what they want,” Mr Ruddick said.
Sports Minister Steve Kamper is on leave. A government spokesperson simply said: “Full-strength beer was available to fans at the Origin decider” but the venue had “complied and implemented” a two drink limit as determined by local authorities.
Curiously, it’s understood the beer restriction did not apply on Wednesday night inside the venue’s plush corporate boxes.
Originally published as ‘Fun police’: Patrons restricted to two full-strength beers at Origin
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