Liquor and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2017

Overview

This bill rolls back two key parts of Queensland's 2016 alcohol-fuelled violence laws after an interim review found venues were routinely working around them. It scraps the 1am lock-out and the two-tier '3am safe night precinct' system, keeping a uniform 3am last drinks across all 15 precincts, while tightening the rules on one-off late-night trading permits and letting courts ban drug traffickers and suppliers from licensed areas.

Who it affects

Patrons and licensees in Queensland's 15 safe night precincts are most directly affected - no lock-out at 1am, but tighter limits on how often venues can trade late through 'special occasion' permits. People convicted of drug trafficking or supplying near pubs and clubs now also face court-imposed banning orders.

Key changes

• The 1am lock-out in safe night precincts is repealed retrospectively from 1 February 2017 - no more 1am cut-off on new entry
• The two-tier '3am safe night precinct' model is scrapped; all 15 safe night precincts keep a uniform 3am last drinks
• Late-night extended hours permits are cut from a maximum of 12 to 6 per calendar year per venue, and must be for a genuine 'special occasion' (not regular weekend trade)
• Venues cannot get permits for consecutive days or more than one day a month unless they cover the same event; all future-dated 2017 permits are cancelled on commencement with a fee refund
• Courts can now impose banning orders on people convicted of trafficking or supplying dangerous drugs in or near licensed premises