RECEIVE UPDATESMEDIA RELEASE | Government must rule out lock outs
ACT Greens Attorney General spokesperson Shane Rattenbury has today called on the Government to rule out the use of lock outs for late night pubs and clubs in favour of policies that are more strongly backed by evidence.
The Greens will move a motion in the Assembly today calling the Government to move swiftly to put legislation in place prior to next summer that will ease alcohol related violence at Canberra night spots and ensure Canberra has a safe and vibrant nightlife.
“The Greens are clear that both legislative and policy measures to tackle alcohol related violence are required, but evidence suggests that lockouts don’t necessarily increase public safety,” said Mr Rattenbury.
“Unless lock outs are accompanied by markedly increased police numbers and significant public transport upgrades to cater for the spill out effect, they can result in pushing people out onto the streets and thereby increasing the risk of violence.
“Late last year we saw Operation Unite, a 48 hour police crack down on alcohol fuelled violence result in late night mayhem and increased arrests.
“Policies such as risk based licensing and better late night transport throughout the evening will better help drive the cultural change around drinking that needs to occur to improve night time safety around entertainment districts in Canberra.
“We need to spark a cultural change supported by evidence based policies around venue trading hours and venue capacity. The Greens released a consultation paper containing nine proposals in September 2009 and a summary paper on submissions received in December 2009. There was strong community support for the proposals and a desire in the community to take action.
“The Government has been working on alcohol reforms for 22 months – it’s now time to act,” said Mr Rattenbury
Tags: alcohol, policing, public safety
