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2AM Nightclub close has wide support
The Queensland Police Union General President Ian Leavers has today publicly released a submission to the Inquiry of the Law, Justice and Safety Committee of the Queensland Parliament on Alcohol-Related Violence in Queensland. The main recommendation is to restrict nightclub hours until 2am and suburban hotels to 12 midnight.
“Too many people have been severely bashed, injured, maimed and disfigured all in the mistaken belief that swilling alcohol until dawn somehow makes us internationally superior or sophisticated – it doesn’t,” Mr Leavers said.
“There is now plenty of evidence that selling liquor until sunrise is taking a high toll on our youth. They are ending up in our watchhouse’s, courts, ambulances and our hospitals at an alarming rate and otherwise sensible young men and women are committing acts of brutality and callousness whilst blind drunk that destroys their future and that of their victims and families.
I know nightclub owners and publicans will not be happy with our submission, however, its time to put the interests of the wider community before the licensees desire to fill their tills for the maximum number of hours.
There is great common ground on this and I thank, Lord Mayor Campbell Newman, Dr Wall of Australasian College of Surgeons and Jason Dutton of the Ambulance Union for their fulsome support of this proposal.
“2am closing times are something which is in place in much of the world. Most of the USA and Europe have 2am closing times and the very same problems are currently being experienced in New South Wales and Victoria,” Mr Leavers said.
“I’m not a wowser and enjoy a drink as much as the next person, however, I’ve never had a drink after 2am that I really needed or improved my judgement.
In the early hours of the morning busy entertainment districts such as Fortitude Valley and Surfers Paradise are very violent and hazardous places. The party atmosphere is regularly shattered by acts of savagery and brutality that shocks even seasoned police and ambulance officers.
Police and Ambulance officers are run off their feet responding to one unnecessary drunken brawl after another. The hospital emergency wards fill hour by hour with the human carnage that is the end result of what no doubt began as a good night out.
It’s time to restore order…It’s time to let our young people go out at night without the real risk that they will be bashed, and its time to stop the chaos on our streets,” Mr Leavers said.
