Mr POOLE - 1994-08-30
Mr POOLE (Liquor Commission): Mr Speaker, last Tuesday, the member for Millner asked me a question about the d'Abbs report. Further information is to hand. The government has been concerned about the issue of violence outside Darwin nightclubs for a
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long time. Since I made the statement last week in this House that we would consider closing nightclubs at 2 am if necessary, the industry presented a strategy yesterday to the Registrar of NT Liquor. To come straight to the point, the industry has called on the government to implement the findings of the d'Abbs report. I will take the industry's request to Cabinet so that any implementation of the d'Abbs report's recommendations can be dealt with as soon as possible.
I foresee some difficulty with the recommendations relating to a shuttle bus service and the compulsory registration of bar staff. Whilst everybody agrees that there should be some form of increased transport service outside nightclubs immediately after closing time, I do not believe the government will decide to provide that service. In reality, that is up to the private hire car and taxi industry. After talking to the Minister for Transport and Works, who has responsibility for taxis and private hire cars, I feel confident that the transport facility problem can be solved. I will take to Cabinet the industry's stance that the time has come to register security personnel. However, I feel that, as a government, we are not ready to register general bar staff at this time although certainly Cabinet will discuss the matter. In his report, d'Abbs does not state specifically that bar staff should be registered, but he does say that all staff should receive some form of training. Obviously, the government agrees with that.
The crux of the recommendations is that nightclubs would close at 4 am on weekends, at 3 am on weeknights and, at the request of the industry, introduce an across-the-board cover charge. That was a specific request of the industry itself in its original submissions to the d'Abbs review. Through the office of the Registrar of NT Liquor, the industry is requesting now the ability to introduce an across-the-board cover charge for Darwin nightclubs. I understand that it would be introduced at midnight, but would not apply to people already on the premises. Cover charges would remain the revenue of nightclubs.
It is widely recognised that cover charges, together with the remainder of the recommendations, will go a long way towards curbing violence outside nightclubs. Certainly, the acceptance of the changes in opening hours is a major step in addressing the issues documented in the d'Abbs report. The adoption of cover charges is just as important and possibly more significant. As I stated earlier, the industry took that move independently. Obviously, the migration of patrons between the various licensed premises has been the catalyst in promoting the on-street violence that the police have had to deal with. The Northern Territory Hotel and Hospitality Association has voted for a new charge and a new direction. I will take its request to Cabinet, together with the comments of the Registrar of NT Liquor and the police on those proposals.
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long time. Since I made the statement last week in this House that we would consider closing nightclubs at 2 am if necessary, the industry presented a strategy yesterday to the Registrar of NT Liquor. To come straight to the point, the industry has called on the government to implement the findings of the d'Abbs report. I will take the industry's request to Cabinet so that any implementation of the d'Abbs report's recommendations can be dealt with as soon as possible.
I foresee some difficulty with the recommendations relating to a shuttle bus service and the compulsory registration of bar staff. Whilst everybody agrees that there should be some form of increased transport service outside nightclubs immediately after closing time, I do not believe the government will decide to provide that service. In reality, that is up to the private hire car and taxi industry. After talking to the Minister for Transport and Works, who has responsibility for taxis and private hire cars, I feel confident that the transport facility problem can be solved. I will take to Cabinet the industry's stance that the time has come to register security personnel. However, I feel that, as a government, we are not ready to register general bar staff at this time although certainly Cabinet will discuss the matter. In his report, d'Abbs does not state specifically that bar staff should be registered, but he does say that all staff should receive some form of training. Obviously, the government agrees with that.
The crux of the recommendations is that nightclubs would close at 4 am on weekends, at 3 am on weeknights and, at the request of the industry, introduce an across-the-board cover charge. That was a specific request of the industry itself in its original submissions to the d'Abbs review. Through the office of the Registrar of NT Liquor, the industry is requesting now the ability to introduce an across-the-board cover charge for Darwin nightclubs. I understand that it would be introduced at midnight, but would not apply to people already on the premises. Cover charges would remain the revenue of nightclubs.
It is widely recognised that cover charges, together with the remainder of the recommendations, will go a long way towards curbing violence outside nightclubs. Certainly, the acceptance of the changes in opening hours is a major step in addressing the issues documented in the d'Abbs report. The adoption of cover charges is just as important and possibly more significant. As I stated earlier, the industry took that move independently. Obviously, the migration of patrons between the various licensed premises has been the catalyst in promoting the on-street violence that the police have had to deal with. The Northern Territory Hotel and Hospitality Association has voted for a new charge and a new direction. I will take its request to Cabinet, together with the comments of the Registrar of NT Liquor and the police on those proposals.
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Last updated: 09 Aug 2016