Bar staff could be forced to take on bikies under proposed SA legislation, hotel industry says

Bar and restaurant staff could find themselves in harm's way because of the South Australian Government's planned anti-bikie laws, the Australian Hotels Association says.

(AAP: Travis Anderson)

Under the proposed legislation, a licensee or employee would face a $10,000 fine if they allowed a person wearing gang logos or clothing to enter or remain in a venue.

The association's general manager in SA, Ian Horne, said he "broadly" supported the laws, which he accepted were intended to protect the public.

But he said it was currently the role of police to remove patrons, and hotel and restaurant workers must be protected.

"Bar staff, food and beverage attendants, managers, licensees, are not skilled or equipped to confront criminal organisations," he said.

"They simply don't have the capacity to take on that sort of responsibility as it seems would be envisaged by this legislation."

The proposed law change was announced earlier this week and would see 27 outlaw gangs declared criminal organisations in South Australia.

The Government said the legislation was similar to Commonwealth measures targeting terrorist groups like Al Qaeda and Jemaah Islamiyah.

The move has been criticised by groups including the FREE Australia Party, which is aligned with motorcycle gangs.

Ten gangs in SA would be banned, such as the Finks, Hells Angels, Gypsy Jokers, Commancheros, Mongols and Rebels, while another 17 groups interstate would also be declared criminal organisations within the state's borders.

"We'll need to talk to the minister and say this puts great fear into ordinary business people, many of them family-based hotels and similar hospitality places," Mr Horne said.

"What do you do if you're a country hotel and the nearest police station is two hours away?

"There needs to be found some common ground so that licensees, employees [and] managers aren't confronted with a situation where they could also suffer penalties."

Source: ABC News  6th May 2015