Brisbane-based community group No Curfew has teamed up with Keep Queensland Open, and will be protesting Labor’s lockout laws this Sunday.
Protesters will meet at Reddacliff Place, the public space located directly in front of Brisbane’s Treasury Casino, drawing attention to community concerns regarding its exemption from the laws, due to take effect next week.
The rally, kicking off at 2pm, will include speeches from key industry workers, musicians and politicians who oppose the legislation, before protesters to march the streets. It follows a similar protest hosted by Keep Sydney Open in February this year.
“It is vital that the voices of those who responsibly enjoy the nightlife, as well as those who make a living from it, are heard,” said rally spokesperson Emma Stevenson. “It’s flabbergasting that the state government has ignored the express concerns of hundreds of thousands of law abiding patrons, who enjoy Queensland’s nightlife every week.
“Government’s own data from the DrinkSafe trial indicates 99.9 percent of Queenslanders enjoy a night out without either committing crime, or becoming a victim of crime. The state government's proposal is set to punish the majority of late night venue patrons,” Stevenson said.
Sydney has been subject to similar laws since 2014, which consumers banned from entering a venue for the first time after 1.30am, and unable to be served alcohol after 3am.
Earlier this year Lord Mayor Clover Moore called for some elements of the controversial lockout laws to be eased in order to improve the city’s nightlife while still ensuring the safety of its residents.
In its submission to the state government’s Callinan review, the City of Sydney submitted 31 recommendations, including providing exemptions from the 1.30am lockout for well managed premises and live music venues; extending train services on Friday and Saturday nights; and replacing the existing liquor license freeze with ‘saturation zones’ that consider the number of type of licensed premises in a given area.
In a similar submission, the AHA claimed there’s no evidence to support the 1.30am lockout in the Sydney CBD and Kings Cross and as such, the measure should be removed.
