The alcohol-fuelled violence faced by police and ambulance paramedics every weekend and families left grief-stricken following the deaths of innocent young men must be addressed.Premier Barry O’Farrell has so far failed to address the issue with concrete proposals to limit bar and club trading hours notwithstanding clear evidence that such a measure has reduced violence in Newcastle.
The Premier’s recent comment that 3am closures and 1am lockouts would do little to curb the violence that occurs earlier in the evening is refuted by recent research and does no more than reflect the self-interested perspective of the liquor lobby.
The time to act is now, premier.
Trevor Robertson, Upper Crystal Creek
Too true Trevor. We must reject the current “wait and see” approach before the government flows on the modest 2 hour reductions to other disaffected communities. We know what works. Why put more young people’s safety and lives in jeopardy?
How many more dead and maimed predominantly younger people does it take for the NSW Government to adopt the proven cost saving measures state – wide?