Adelaide’s lockout laws to stay as shots banned after 2am
Adelaide’s contentious lockout laws are expected to remain, with calls to overturn the laws seeming to fall on deaf ears and licensing officials wanting to take them further.
Under proposed new laws alcohol shots would be banned after 2am in the CBD.
The state government has undertaken an eight-month review of Adelaide’s lockout and liquor licensing laws including its 3am lockout restrictions.
The review has led the government to believe the laws don’t go far enough.
Police, clinicians, paramedics and drug experts are in South Australia’s liquor watchdog’s corner too, believing a proposed new clampdown on the sale of alcohol and movement of patrons in the early hours of the morning, will further de-risk the city.
Proposed changes include banning shots and advertising shots after 2am and refusing entry to patrons moving between venues from 3.01am until 7am.
This means “rapid consumption” of alcohol drinks including shots, shooters, doubles, laybacks, test tubes, blasters, stingers or jelly shots would be banned.
Liquor and Gambling Commissioner, Dini Soulio received 18 major submissions and more than 4000 survey responses regarding the proposed changes. He will now spend the next three week consulting on the draft Late Night Trading Code.
Changes are expected to be implemented in November.
The hospitality industry is understandably up in arms.
“There’s no other jurisdiction that has lockouts, so what does SA know that everybody else doesn’t,” Australian Hotels Association SA chief executive, Anna Moeller said.
“There’s enhanced safety within venues... given the high security presence.”
Lawyer Tony Tropeano called the proposed laws farcical.
“They want to blame somebody and so they turn to operators in the West End,” he said.
The initial lockout laws were brought in ten years ago to combat drunken violence.
Further proposed reforms include strict laws on serving alcohol, increasing security, implementing “drink marshals” to monitor intoxication levels, disorderly behaviour and abusive or violent interactions.
CCTV cameras will also be required for city pubs, hotels, nightclubs and adult entertainment venues.
“I appreciate industry members have concerns about the lockout and I will keep working with them to see what can be done to alleviate some of their concerns,” Soulio said.
Note, the Adelaide Casino is exempt, but is facing pressure from SA Health to be included.
Jonathan Jackson, 10th August 2023
