Lockout ”on hold”

Hamish Heard
Geelong’s top cop has shelved plans to force a 1am curfew on revellers wanting to enter city nightclubs.
Chief Inspector Wayne Carson said he backed away from a plan to impose a lockout after becoming satisfied the nightclub industry was taking positive steps to reduce alcoholrelated violence in the city.
Insp Carson last month revealed to the Independent that he had met with Liquor Licensing Victoria director Sue McLelland about forcing the lockout in response to licensed venues’ “inaction” on violence.
But the introduction of new measures including identification scanners to block troublesome drunks from entering venues and a 73 per cent reduction in reported assaults in central Geelong since January had forced a rethink, he said.
“It does appear licensees have been stirred into action (by the threat of an imposed lockout) and it’s pleasing to see,” Insp Carson said.
“We’ll continue to look at the overall situation and if it doesn’t continue to improve the lockout will be put back on the table.”
Licensees this week put forward a proposal to further reduce drunken antisocial behaviour during a meeting with Insp Carson, Ms McLelland and an Australian Hotels Association representative.
The proposal for a new Liquor Accord included a reduction of drink promotions including freedrink offers, twoforone deals and drink cards in an attempt to slow the rate of alcohol consumption at city nightclubs.
Insp Carson welcomed a “collaborative approach” to dealing with violence, using the combined efforts of police, council, licensees and Liquor Licensing Victoria.
“It must be an allin approach for the proposal to work,” he said.
“Geelong needs to be proactive in coming up with some serious longterm solutions.”
During the meeting licensees pledged to continue the rollout of identification scanners and twoway radios for venues and patrolling police and to help establish a new safe taxi rank.