NSW Greens MLC Barham has tabled in parliament the Last Drinks at 12 approach addressing alcohol-related violence.
She also told The Echo the upper house inquiry into strategies to reduce alcohol abuse among young people in NSW will be at the Byron Sports Complex on October 8 from 10am.
The move comes amid news that the Australian Hotels Association has supported moves by the Office of Liquor Gaming and Racing against two Byron Bay venues that flouted the voluntary code that came into place in March this year.
AHA CEO Paul Nicolaou said in a media release, ‘the police and OLGR are true to their word – hammering the recalcitrant operators and leaving the compliant licensees to operate their businesses.’
As a part of the parliamentary inquiry, the committee is examining the effectiveness of alcohol-harm minimisation strategies targeted at young people and measures to reduce alcohol-related violence, including in and around licensed venues.
It is also investigating measures to address the impact of alcohol abuse on the health system and the workplace and will consider the effect of alcohol advertisements and promotions on young people and their drinking habits.
The committee has received more than 50 written submissions and heard evidence from more than 20 witnesses in earlier public hearings.
Committee chair, Niall Blair MLC, said that ‘given the level of public interest in the north coast about this difficult and important issue, I am pleased the committee is able to hold a public hearing to hear local views about alcohol abuse among young people’.
The hearing is open to the public and interested persons are encouraged to attend as audience members.
For more visit www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/socialissues.
Could the AHA’s “support” for the action against 2 Byron licensed premises have anything to do with the fact that La la land and Aquarius are not AHA members? The backpacker’s breach had nothing to do with the farcical “tough” OLGR voluntary conditions. They after warnings, continued to trade outside their restricted license conditions.
If the AHA was fair dinkum they would be insisting that any conditions be mandatory like Newcastle’s and include modest reductions in late trading hours as advocated by Last drinks @ 12.
Once again OLGR/AHA scratch each others’ back. It’s time both parties put the interests of the local community and emergency workers first.