Police propose major changes to Liquor Act
Police are proposing major reforms to the state's Liquor Control Act in a bid to stamp out alcohol-related violence.
It is a move the hotel lobby is opposed to saying the laws are already too tough and more restrictions will stifle investment in WA.
Police Commissioner Karl O'Callaghan says he is targeting what he calls a culture of determined drunkenness in wa.
"I won't die for not trying, I will make representations to make sure that we prevent harm, particularly to young people in alcohol consumption in this state and across Australia," he said.
According to police more than 22,000 assaults in the state each year can be directly attributed to alcohol.
Mr O'Callaghan says 60 per cent of the force's total operating budget is spent on dealing with alcohol-related incidents.
He says alcohol consumption in Western Australia is higher than the national average and this contributes to a strong drinking culture in the state.
The Police Commissioner believes current liquor laws are geared to favour the interests of the liquor industry.
In a detailed submission to a committee reviewing the act, police are calling for major changes.
These include a reduction in the number of venues in certain areas and the cancellation of extended trading permits for hundreds of bars and clubs across the state.
The submission also calls for the restrictions on the sale of takeaway alcohol from outlets in entertainment precincts to tackle street drinking and revellers getting drunk before going to nightclubs.
The police also say they hold concerns about the implications of allowing restaurants to serve alcohol without a meal.
They believe it could result in some restaurants operating as pseudo nightclubs or hotels.
The Australian Hotels Association's Bradley Woods say police in WA already have some of the strongest powers in the country and further restrictions could hurt the industry.
"Look, it's very clear that we won't have more investment and we won't have investors and operators in the hospitality sector if the police got their way with this submission," he said.
"They would destroy the very fabric of hospitality in Western Australia."
The AHA has also made a submission to the committee which is expected to release its draft findings in June.
Source: ABC News, 27 March 2013
