Queensland lockout laws produce 20 per cent drop in business: venues
Queensland’s controversial new drinking laws kicked in on Friday and the venues are not happy.’
Pubs and clubs in Brisbane have recorded a 20 per cent drop in business over the first weekend.
And it didn’t take long for them to feel the effects on the bottom line.
Business was down 17 per cent on the Friday night compared to the same night the year before. And there was a 24 per cent drop compared to the week before.
Five of Fortitude Valley’s biggest venues reported a 19 per cent drop in business.
“Look, these are very early initial figures, so we can't read into the too much, but I think it's showing there's some definite effects already to patronage in our entertainment precincts," Nick Braban, the secretary of Our Nightlife Queensland, told Hack.
“Most casual staff saw a two hour reduction in their hours across Friday and Saturday night, so that's probably equating to $80 or $90 out of the pocket of some of these people.
"We saw similar drops on Friday as well, people are not sure about coming out I think, they're less inclined to come out and we've got to hope and pray that changes and people start to come out earlier so we can buck these trends."
"Small businesses in the Valley will not be able to sustain revenue drops like this for too long."
"Without an immediate shift in patron attendance habits, more bars will close, more jobs will be lost, and there will be less opportunities for performers in our city."
Queensland’s new laws stop all pubs in Queensland from serving alcohol after 2am. However, pubs that that lie within the state's 15 dedicated entertainment precincts can shut at 3am. Clubs and pubs in those areas can also apply for extended trade permits up to 12 times a year.
The new laws replace the 3am lockout and 5am closing times introduced in 2005.
by Leon Gettler, July 5th 2016
