Queensland party venues asked to keep ‘terror kits’ in case of attack

Venues in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley have been asked to prepare ‘terror kits’ to aid police in the event of an attack.

Duty manager Victoria Simpkins at the Elephant Hotel in Fortitude Valley

Bars and clubs in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley have been asked to prepare “terror kits” to aid police in the event of an attack, as Gold Coast late-night venues ask the state government to pay for private security patrols.

Police have told licensed ven­ues in the Valley — Queensland’s biggest party district — that they can assist with counter-terrorism efforts by stocking waterproof bags with a first aid kit, megaphone, camera, gloves and even a whistle and glow sticks.

Venues were last week sent a letter from police along with a checklist of items to include in the “grab bag”. A USB stick containing floor and CCTV plans, fire exit maps, and the names and contact details of staff are among the other suggested items.

“Not only can the contents be utilised by you and your staff in the event of an emergency but the bag and contents can be handed to police to aid in resolution and investigation of an incident,” Senior Sergeant Don Dunstan writes in the letter.

The letter was sent via the Fortitude Valley Safe Night Precinct after police briefed nightclubs, shopping centres, sports stadiums and other venues in a series of ­invitation-only forums about the threat of attacks to wherever there are large gatherings.

A total of 10 crowded places ­forums will be held across Queensland before the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games in April.

Separately, the Surfers Paradise Safe Night Precinct has asked the state government for almost $95,000 to hire six private security guards to patrol the Glitter Strip from 11pm to 4am on Friday and Saturday nights, The Australian can reveal. The guards would work in pairs and are needed to take the pressure off stretched police, venues say.

Jenny Wood, whose firm assists the Surfers Paradise, Broadbeach and Ipswich safe night precincts, said venues worked closely with police to improve safety.

“As you could imagine at the moment, it is all Commonwealth Games. It has been for the last six to nine months and with only a few months to go everyone is gearing up for this,” Ms Wood said. “For Surfers Paradise we’ve got a grant pending at the ­moment to have street security fin­anced by the government. Hopefully that will be approved by the Games to give that added layer of security.”

Tim Martin — manager of Gold Coast bars Sin City, Bedroom and Hennessy and the Surfers Paradise Safe Night Precinct president — said the guards would patrol the beachfront, taxi ranks and arcades.

“It’s so that we’ve just got extra sets of eyes and ears floating around the precinct,” Mr Martin said. “We know the pressure on police numbers at the moment throughout the precinct, because of such a growth in the corridor towards Brisbane.”

Police had not yet asked Gold Coast venues to prepare terror kits but it was “a great idea, it’s all the stuff we should be having anyway”, Mr Martin said.

Fortitude Valley Safe Night Precinct secretary Simon Turner said it would cost venues as little as $50 to prepare the kits and believed it would have wide support.

Victoria Simpkins, duty manager at the Valley’s Elephant Hotel, said terrorism was low on her list of concerns but the venue would “comply 100 per cent” with the police request.