Pub's plan to extend hours approved

Controversial plans to extend the opening hours of a pub in Orange have sparked a tense debate at the City Council.

A council committee has approved the Occidental Hotel's application to move its dance floor upstairs and keep that area open until three in the morning.

The pub has been subject to a 12 month trial of the changes and police say during this period there have been nine reported incidents, including assaults.

The Occidental's general manager Don Scholte says while there have been some incidents, the majority of people are well behaved.

"The reality at the end of the day was 20,000 people in that short period, there are some issues," he said.

"There will be, it's just what numbers do.

"We have adopted most of the conditions that are placed on violent venues as they're categorised.

"Even though we don't have to we've imposed them on ourselves even before we started."

Mr Scholte says he will work with the council, police and other agencies to ensure the extension does not exacerbate anti-social behaviour.

"Obviously that's what we're here for to gain approval, so from that point of view - satisfied.

"From the other point of view I really want to endeavour to move ahead, to work with the police, the crime prevention committee.

"To make awareness in the general community that it is a couple of the per cent of the population that always make it bad for the majority."

Prior to the council decision, the Commander of the Canobolas Local Area Command made a presentation to the committee.

In it, CCTV footage was shown of a series of assaults outside the Occidental last month.

Superintendant David Driver says he is disappointed at the vote.

"Police aren't the only stakeholders in this issue," he said.

"So many people have a role to play in this.

"It's a fallacy to think the police are the only ones, who can, or should do anything about it.

"If it gets down to an enforcement point purely, really it's an exercise in futility, The horse has bolted."

He says his main concern is the provision of alcohol to more people in the early hours of the morning.

"We've had discussions since the meeting with the applicant and they've agreed to work with us to try and address our concerns.

"We don't take the matter personally.

"We have exercised a right to address council on the application, they have a right to make the application and council heard both parties and made a decision."

Source: ABC News, 6 February 2013