New Laws to Shut Down Licensed Venues Making the Community Safer
New laws tackling alcohol-related violence in and around Victoria’s licensed venues have come into effect, enabling Victoria Police and the Director of Liquor Licensing to respond more quickly and effectively to crime and public safety threats caused by poorly managed pubs, bars and nightclubs.
Consumer Affairs Minister Tony Robinson said the Liquor Control Reform Amendment (Enforcement) Act 2009 strengthened the powers of the Director of Liquor Licensing and Victoria Police to shut down venues to protect patrons and the local community from potential harm.
“The State Government is taking action to combat alcohol related violence and disorder and make Victoria’s entertainment precincts safer and more enjoyable for all law-abiding members of the community,” he said.
Mr Robinson said the Act empowers the Director of Liquor Licensing to suspend liquor licences for up to five days if the director reasonably believes the licensee has acted unlawfully and is placing a person in danger of harm or loss.
He said the new powers were part of the State Government’s ongoing commitment to making the streets of our entertainment precincts safer.
Since releasing the Victorian Alcohol Action Plan in May last year, the State Government has introduced a comprehensive range of initiatives to improve enforcement of liquor laws and reduce alcohol-related crime and violence, including:
- establishing a new Compliance Directorate to enforce and monitor liquor licensing, expected to be operational by the middle of this year
- providing $11 million to Victoria Police to fast track the recruitment of 50 extra police and granting new powers to ban troublemakers from designated areas
- amending the Victorian Planning Provision so local councils can make amenity based decisions when assessing planning permit applications to use land to sell and consume liquor.