[JackT]

Melbourne's bars are the envy of every other city in the country - an important part of what so many of us love about this great town; a focus of that ad with the huge ball of red thread; and now they're under attack from our knee-jerk politicians.

From June punters will be locked into bars or sent packing under draconian measures said to curb violence and binge drinking. With little, if any, thought and no public consultation this new law is been introduced in a misguided attempt to appease some of the more panicked moral guardians in our community.

To oppose this law MelbourneLockedOut.com has organised a protest to be staged on Friday 30th May at the Treasury Gardens on the corner of Flinders and Spring streets. This is a chance for all Melbournians to show their opposition to the government curfew.

There are many reasons to object to this curfew as it has the potential to severely damage the live music and club scene as well as the bar culture in our great city. Without enough cabs or any public transport at 2am many punters will have little option but to drunkenly wander the streets, threatening to further exacerbate the issue of violence on our streets.

There's also the problem of that mini-nation on the Yarra, Crown Casino, which is of course exempt from the new law - there you can drink all night, smoke and gamble all within slumping distance of an ATM.

This law punishes everyone for the actions of a small minority of punters who drink to excess and turn to violence. Augusto Braidotti, the General Manager of Cookie, Revolver Upstairs and The Toff, agrees, arguing that “the proposed 2 AM lock out is a reactionary, ill-considered and dangerous social experiment.” If you share that opinion and you’re in the area, make sure to get along to the protest on Friday and fight for your right to party.

Tom Mann
Melbourne Editor
FasterLouder.com.au

[mesmer]

is this a joke? what the...? i lived on Flinders street across from the casino for 3years (1998-2001) and partied like it was 1999 and not once did i see a fight!!! i can understand that life is ..cked up but a 2am curfew will just confuse patrons even more and that small amount of people that drink and want to punch on should be controlled by the security we have!!!!! i now live in Adelaide and notice more street violance and stupid dumbwits than i ever have seen in Melbourne (the days off jumping from venue to venue will be lost all because of a few selected few halfwits) i want to be there to support the VICS but i really want to see Sebastian Bach!!!! MUSIC is my life and can not believe the curfew!!! who's idea was it 'Mr john SO' or someone higher for i believe this is just a scare to stop people going out (just like the POKIES it will cripple the music scene) so just keep it real and rock like it was 1999!!!!! ROCK ON!!!!!!

[Chezatron]

Newcastle has had a cerfew for a couple of months and they have just restricted trading hours even more... It has ruined Newy night life and creates more of a problem trying to get home safely in a taxi of a night because everyone is kicked out at the same time... More community consultation is needed with issues like these, not rush decisions made by people not in touch with the younger generation who are using these facilities. There is only a minority of idiots who get too drunk and fight and these few have caused our night life to deterioate and more danger to be on the streets at 1 or 3am.

[patrock23]

yeah im from newcastle and it sucks massively. they might say that incidences of violence are down but thats only because incidences of people going out having a good time are well down. u dont kill someone to beat cancer but thats what theyre trying to to do with these laws that are made almost exclusively by the people that it doesnt affect

[ash1111]

wish you guys the best of luck with the protest, and i hope you actually get somewhere. this law is horrible in Brisbane, it just crowds the streets with more drunks and leaves you waiting 2 hours for a cab to get home.

maybe if you can get somewhere with it, then the other states might take note. or maybe what we really need is a national effort on this one!! national protest!!!!

[waynox]

im from lismore and the curfew has been around for ages, they re-adjusted it to like 12 awhile ago and our two clubs are in the top 100 most violent for nsw.... ranking towards the top

the clubs arn't particularly violent, i rarely see a fight actually happen inside the club but rather outside with people who either got kicked out or cant get in

the curfew only makes people get angry and the drunks wait around on the streets and get into fights, cabs are a nightmare... i would usually end up walking home which is about an hours walk

rather than going out and having a good time people are forced to have pre drinks at home and then drink really quickly at the club which is definatly not a good thing... cant say there is a music scene in lismore or much of any kind of scene but there is no chance of getting anything going with the ridiculous curfews that are around here

[Super Browny]

Im originally from Dubbo and they had the lockout system there for as long as I can remember. Are they proposing that all clubs must be shut by 2am, or simply that you are not allowed to enter a club at 2am? In Dubbo you were allowed to stay at a pub/club till they shut (around 5-6am), but werent allowed in after 1am. In my opinion it was a bitch (especially if you chose the wrong pub to stay in at around midnight), but, it did help...there are less people wandering the streets at all hours. There was no rush on cabs at 1am because the pubs dont actually shut then (which I believe is the same as the Melbourne situation). That being said, Dubbo has very specific problems and I don't believe that this approach would work across the board. I for one, would hate it if this came into effect in Sydney as I am a punter that constantly is finding somewhere else to go at any hour of the night. I think in the context of a country town with very specific and quite large problems this scheme has its merits (and I think this is where the case studies of the effectiveness of this type of law are coming from). To impose this on a big city in my opinion is a bit harsh, especially for those who work in hospitality and have been serving drinks till 3am or 4am (which is quite a large workforce in a city), surely they deserve to be able to go somewhere with mates for a few drinks after they knock off! That being said, there are plenty of International cities that dont allow all night boozing, so we are pretty lucky that we can do this, if that means that at a pre-arranged hour you have to decide the place that you will be spending your wee hours I reckon its really not that bad a deal.

[gammabec]

I lived in London and have both witnessed and experienced the horror that happens at 11pm when the pubs shut. Basically, people drink to excess until closing time, because that's all they have. Then everyone piles out into the streets and flow onto the trains or in cabs. The mass of people are impossibly loud, disorderly, and potently violent. I did see fights happen. It is impossible to get a cab. The trains (the last one to leave known as the Donkey Car), is chocked with drunk people, all eating takeaway food, the stench mixed with alcohol is enough to make half the carriage vomit in the aisles or on the platforms.

Having only heard about the curfew on radio two days ago, I'll be there at the protest. I love the night scene in Melbourne, it is sophisticated and the envy of many other cities, London included. I've never been in a fight, or been even near a fight, and I don't go to scenes in Melbourne which are known for that. I saw more violence in London with their extreme curfew, than in my 14 years in Melbourne.

Blanket solutions for specific social problems will never be appropriate courses of action. This type of thing always bothers me. The intrinsic problem that needs to be addressed is violence on the streets, and oftentimes this is fueled by excessive alcohol. These are often bored, socially unadjusted people with behaviour problems which are exacerbated by alcohol. And sometimes these are people who are just in an emotional state who need urgent help. Without a doubt - binge drinking is a current social problem.

If society were nurtured, and tended to more effectively, if we were equipped better to help, these incidents would be fewer. There is a major case for greater choice, not less choice: the State Government announced this week that they plan to hand over the reigns to councils and planning companies to develop high density housing in inner city Melbourne in order to curb the urban sprawl. But these moves will further impact on the population squeeze and create more social problems the closer we get to one another. Why is there not greater choice out there in the urban sprawl? What's wrong with spreading out? London is both dense and wide.

Perhaps some of the venues or precincts that are notorious for violence ought to be isolated in this case and a solution sought for that. Areas like King Street, Bourke Street, Swanston Street, Chapel Street, Fitzroy Street. Maybe a price the venue owners pay for these prime locations and hot street frontage, with easy walk in traffic, is a scale back of patron numbers, or curfew.

Violence doesn't magically happen at 3am. Violence is already in the people who instigate it. This is the number one problem that our governments are finding difficulty investing money and time in. Instead of focusing on community health, support, and the engagement of all members of society, they turn to the idea of quick wins and changes that (without community consultation) effect our freedom of choice, our safety (on the streets without safe transport) and our ability to grow businesses.

Prey tell will the State Government extend public transport times until at least 4am to assist in this? I think not.

[Super Browny]

Originally Posted by gammabec

I lived in London and have both witnessed and experienced the horror that happens at 11pm when the pubs shut. Basically, people drink to excess until closing time, because that's all they have. Then everyone piles out into the streets and flow onto the trains or in cabs. The mass of people are impossibly loud, disorderly, and potently violent. I did see fights happen. It is impossible to get a cab. The trains (the last one to leave known as the Donkey Car), is chocked with drunk people, all eating takeaway food, the stench mixed with alcohol is enough to make half the carriage vomit in the aisles or on the platforms.

The difference being that the pubs dont actually shut at this time, you just cant get in to anywhere...a lot of people are confusing the issue by not understanding this fact.

Originally Posted by gammabec

Without a doubt - binge drinking is a current social problem.

I put it to you that bing drinking is nothing new though, my Dad and his mates have some great tales of their debauchery from their teens and twenties (and up to their now 60s but thats beside the point). I honestly don't think that Binge Drinking is no worse or better than it has been in the recent history of Australia. I think the prevalence of drug use in young people goes a long way to exascerbating the binge drinking issue as this issue isnt even being addressed, everything is being put down to the twin evils of alchopops and binge drinking (two very nice scapegoats for issues that go way further into societies fabric than licensing issues).

Originally Posted by gammabec

If society were nurtured, and tended to more effectively, if we were equipped better to help, these incidents would be fewer.

I totally agree, to do this though there needs to be programs installed. These cost money, and while Mr and Mrs Joe Blow have their little outcry about these issues on one hand, they also complain if governments dont give them a tax cut of $5 (when that makes very little difference in the end) and as such have to relegate funding of these programs to societies recycling bin.

Originally Posted by gammabec

Perhaps some of the venues or precincts that are notorious for violence ought to be isolated in this case and a solution sought for that. Areas like King Street, Bourke Street, Swanston Street, Chapel Street, Fitzroy Street.

This sounds excellent in theory...but if this is the case wont the trouble makers in those hot spots just head down the road to somewhere that doesnt have the same restrictions and act in exactly the same way...it is the person, not the location that is the problem.

[CureMe]

Originally Posted by ash1111

wish you guys the best of luck with the protest, and i hope you actually get somewhere. this law is horrible in Brisbane, it just crowds the streets with more drunks and leaves you waiting 2 hours for a cab to get home.

maybe if you can get somewhere with it, then the other states might take note. or maybe what we really need is a national effort on this one!! national protest!!!!

Yeah so I'm wondering about the cab situation also, does this mean that every weekend will be like new years eve..... i'm confused as usual

[moshpittman]

This is a joke and NSW wants to follow suit on this as well...
What about the shift workers, this is discriminating against them, I work all sorts of odd hours and often don't make it out until very late because of this and these new laws would screw it all up for me!
What about musos that have played a late gig and have to drop their gear at home before going out... screws them too!

[Twentyhunter]

Melbourne has one of the greatest reputations in the world as a liveable and entertainig city from sport, food, fashion and most of all its nightlife and music. Melbournes music venues have been the launching point for numerous bands and musicians.

We should not allow the actions of a few to potentially destroy the Melbourne experience.

I support the protest.

[gammabec]

Yes. What time is the protest? I want to protest with everyone. When, when, when???

[grattan]

Originally Posted by gammabec

Yes. What time is the protest? I want to protest with everyone. When, when, when???

Treasury Gardens - Corner of Spring and Flinders - Friday the 30th of May at 5pm. Hit up MelbourneLockedOut for all the info about the protest.

[sarahanne]

Im in M town next Friday Im soooooo going!

[simone_xx]

thats better than the new restrictions we have to have in Newcastle

[rodismdotcom]

So what do people do then after 2am, go drink at the farken Crown Casino?

[JackT]

'Fraid so Rod. It is so wrong-headed.

[Cpt_Pugwash]

No sympathy melbourne, Had to deal with this in Brisbane for over 2 years now

[Pete the Piper]

Bullshit! They didnt announce that it would cost $40 Million Dollars to implement
the lockout for 3months. What a waste of taxpayers money! Fuck off Brumby and So.
You werent elected you were given the role!

[ash1111]

well really if there was any decent public transport in place, there wouldnt be a problem! i think this is an issue for most states as well.

Originally Posted by CureMe

Yeah so I'm wondering about the cab situation also, does this mean that every weekend will be like new years eve..... i'm confused as usual

[grattan]

The Department of Justice and the Director of Liquor Licensing have comissioned a survey to evaluate the 2am Lockout to seek feedback from patrons of licensed venues and other interested members of the community as part of the evaluation.

Only takes a few mins to fill out - voice your opinion/have a rant HERE