Hotel Steyne liquor licence suspended
Manly’s Hotel Steyne is in big trouble.
It’s just had its liquor licence suspended for selling alcohol to underage girls.
Liquor & Gaming NSW (L&GNSW) has suspended the pub’s liquor licence for seven days from 4 July after police patrolling the venue caught four girls drinking there at about 11.30pm on 12 September, 2015.
Licensee Stephen O’Sullivan had been found guilty of four counts of allowing underage girls to remain in the hotel for more than three hours back in February. Two bar staff were fined $1100 each under the Minors Sanctions Scheme.
However, the hotel was lucky – it was not given a “strike” under L&GNSW’s Three Strikes scheme.
Hotel Steyne co-owner Arthur Laundy says the seven day closure will cost him more than $100,000 in lost revenue.
It would also hurt his casual staff as they would be out of work, and not making any money, for a week.
“I’m flabbergasted by this,” Laundy told the Daily Telegraph.
“I think the whole system has gone haywire. There is a vendetta there somewhere.
“These girls who got into the venue beat the system, and I put my hand up ... but this is just ridiculous.”
Meanwhile Australian Hotels NSW president Scott Leach said it was a case of over-the-top bureaucracy and an over-reaction.
“We cannot see this regulatory stupidity continue,’’ Leach told The Shout.
“The hotel industry is being held to a higher account than any other industry. We have had seven people die through drug overdoses at dance festivals since 2013 but what action’s been taken there?
“No one condones selling of alcohol to minors, however, this decision is one of the biggest overreactions I have seen.
“AHA NSW stands firmly with the Laundy family on this issue.
“Since they took ownership they have cleaned up one of Sydney’s landmark hotels, creating a well-run, family friendly venue that has received praise from the police and the community.
“To close down one of Sydney’s most recognised and well run hotels because of a first offence is grossly unfair.”
“Regulators are doing all they can to make life for people working in the hotel industry more and more difficult. Think of the impact this latest decision has on the hotel’s staff and suppliers, who through no fault of their own, will all forego a week’s wages and sales.”
by Leon Gettler, June 24th 2016
