Extended Mackay nightclub trading hours worry campaigners against alcohol-fuelled violence
Campaigners against alcohol-fuelled violence say they are puzzled by the approval of an application to extend trading hours for three Mackay nightclubs in north Queensland.
A State Government department has allowed The Rabbit Hole, Movidas and The AM Bar to extend their operating hours from 4:00am (AEST) to 5:00am.
Simon Turner from the One Punch Can Kill Campaign said Attorney-General Yvette D'Ath should act.
"This would give the Attorney-General an opportunity to move into this space now and bring this legislation forward to ensure we don't see more incidents of this especially happening in regional Queensland," he said.
Mr Turner said the chances of being harmed while out after midnight increased by 15 to 20 per cent every hour.
"At 4:00am the chance of harm is 80 per cent higher than what it was at midnight ... and now the liquor licensing authority have gone, 'you know what, let's move it to 5:00am and put the kids at 100 per cent risk'," he said.
A spokesman for the Attorney-General said the Government was determined to tackle alcohol-fuelled violence by changing trading hours.
He said changes to the Liquor Act, to enforce a 1:00am lockout and last drinks at 3:00am, were expected to be introduced to Parliament later this year.
Source: ABC News, Jonathan Hair, July 29th 2015
Originally published as: Extended Mackay nightclub trading hours worry campaigners against alcohol-fuelled violence
