Queensland Locked Out
Reclaim Your Nightlife – Shut Down the Lock Down
Posts tagged Solution
Vote now or accept lockouts and 2am shut downs
Apr 8th
Hi All,
Just wanting to get the word out that we only have a week to reject a reduction in trading hours and obtain the removal of the lockout.
The Government is canvassing opinions online on six of the recommendations handed down in the parliamentary inquiry.
We cannot afford to be apathetic about this and we need to vote – and vote in numbers. The survey ends on Friday April 16.
We’ve contacted the media, we’ve spoken with politicians, now it’s your turn to make your views known and vote on this survey. It does matter!
The results of the survey will have a major impact on the way the Government shapes its legislation and accepts or rejects the Liquor Reform recommendations.
We need you to vote and forward this on to your database to inform people this is actually taking place and not to miss the opportunity to have your say.
Vote here:
http://www.getinvolved.qld.gov.au/eSurveys/surveyfb4/index.cfm?SID=277
For further information:
Zach Salar
0412 086 614
zach.salar@queenslandlockedout.com
PRESS RELEASE: An Open Letter to the Members of Parliament
Mar 2nd
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
AN OPEN LETTER TO MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT
2nd of March 2010
Dear Members of Parliament,
I would like to bring to your attention a rally I am organising against reduced trading hours for licensed venues across Queensland. The rally is to voice our disappointment and protest about such a proposal and to also highlight the Bligh Government’s insistence to continually treat adults as children and punish the majority because of the actions of a very small minority.
This is the real scenario; reduced trading hours will kill off the music scene in Queensland and the Valley, which has given life to every major band from the Bee Gees to Powderfinger.
Our protest is not without acknowledgement that there is a problem with alcohol-related violence. It would be a head in the sand attitude to think that no action needs to be taken to address the alcohol-related violence trend in society and Brisbane alike; however, I do not believe the solution is reducing trading hours.
Taking the point that reducing trading hours will reduce incidents, why not have curfews on driving on the roads between 1am and 5am when single vehicle accidents regularly occur because people fall asleep. The government obviously doesn’t see this as a viable solution so it tackles that problem in a different manner through effective campaigns and, rightly so, punishes people who drink and drive with suspensions and harsh fines to get the message across.
It would be far more effective to embark on this type of campaign of advertising and heavier penalties to tackle this issue in society – not just the Valley– than reducing trading hours. Tackling the cause and not the symptom is the answer. On top of that, the 3am lockout has been acknowledged by licensees, Chaplain Watch and the Taxi Association as causing more incidents than it is worth.
If hours were reduced and venues are forced to close at 2am or 3am; the problems associated with the lockout could easily exacerbate with 30,000 people shunted on to the streets at closing time. It would clog public transport and the taxi system; violence may actually rise unless of course there are significantly more police on the grounds to handle such a mammoth groundswell of people in the streets.
There is also the economic impact of reduced trading hours and in particular jobs, which many students rely on to get through their Tertiary Education, being lost as well as numerous other people who will lose hours.
This is why on March 11th (from 4pm), I am organising a major rally of students, music lovers, residents and people who care about the above issues and don’t want to see the demise of the culture in Brisbane, to gather outside Parliament. We are encouraging them to bring their parents and families to the protest to show that it’s not just the youth that care about this issue, its all Queenslanders.
There is more at stake than just trading hours. There are civil liberties at stake and the absence of a Government wanting to punish offenders and deal with the problem head on through education, tougher penalties and ad campaigns. That’s an issue for parents as well as their children.
It’s why I also extend an invitation for you to stand beside us or at least address the rally on your views. I’m also asking for your support to sponsor an official parliamentary petition which we will distribute across to every contact we have.
Please, do not destroy the culture of our great State.
Warm Regards
Zach Salar
M: 0412 086 614
E: zachsalar@gmail.com
http://queenslandlockedout.com
What can you do?
Nov 26th
I have been getting many emails from hundreds of people in regards to what they can do to help. One question has come up constantly which I feel needs to be addressed is “what can I do?”
There’s a lot you can do which will help our cause. We need to be united in this matter! We admit that there is a problem in our entertainment precincts but the minority that do cause such problems are the ones that need to be punished, not an entire community. So here are a few things that you can do to try and prevent this.
- Sign the petition: The petition is available via the here. Go in there and sign it and stand up for your rights.
- Join the Facebook Page and Invite all your friends to it: The Facebook fan page for Queensland Locked Out is located here. It will enable you to keep up to date with everything that we’re doing in our attempt to fight this. Once you’ve joined the fan page, invite all your friends to the fan page. It is a tedious process to add everyone individually but that little time you have spent in doing so, will be promoting the cause, the movement, the website and the petition. Other forms of facebook promotion such as a change in profile pictures and status updates will also be highly effective in getting the word out. Many of us promote events, here’s your chance to promote your stance so you can attend those events.
- Email Your MPs: You can find your MPs email address by downloading the following PDF and sending them a profanity free email explaining your position against any sort of a lockout. Keep the emails short, to the point explaining why you’re against it and why there are better solutions in resolving the issues.
- Buy a T-shirt and wear it out: From each T-Shirt we make $5 profit which will go directly into organising the protests and preventing an earlier shutdown from going through. We are not pocketing any of this money since prevention of an earlier shutdown is our reward. Wear them out proud and promote your stance against the shut down. You have the choices of Three different T-Shirts which are available Here, Here and Here.
- Get involved with the Media: Call your radio stations, write an editorial, make comments on news articles online and get involved. Let your voices be heard. This is your nightlife and if you don’t speak up, they will ruin it because of those few criminals that are causing trouble.
- Donate some money: If you can’t afford a T-Shirt, then surely you can afford a dollar or 2 to donate to the cause. Whatever amount you decide to donate, it’ll accumulate and be a great help. The donate button is located on the right hand side of our website.
- Attend the Protests: Early next year a major protest will be organised across the cities in Queensland. They will be peaceful, alcohol and drug free with plenty of special guests that share our message.
This is your only chance to prevent an earlier shutdown/lockout from going through. Reclaim Your Nightlife and do what you can to prevent a shutdown.
Brisbane nightclubs to introduce fingerprint scanning
Nov 24th
An article in relation to the ID scanners being introduced at some of the venues. Through these systems, troublemakers can be identified and banned from the venues. Please, participate in the comments of the article on the courier mail website. Direct Link Here
PATRONS at some of Brisbane’s top nightspots will be forced to have their fingerprints scanned before entering clubs.
Five venues in the Fortitude Valley precinct will be introducing new fingerprinting scanning systems by the end of February in a bid to curb alcohol-fuelled violence.
Valley Liquor Accord chairman Danny Blair said it was a “step in the right direction” to providing safer venues.
“We’re hoping we will have fingerprint scanning up and running in The Family nightclub in the next month. And if it’s successful in reducing alcohol-related violence there then we’ll look at introducing it in other venues,” Mr Blair said.
“By the end of February next year we hope all our venues will have fingerprint ID scanners.”
Before entry, patrons will have their ID scanned, picture taken and right index finger scanned for a fingerprint.
Mr Blair said the technology would be rolled out at Katarzyna Group venues including Cloudland, The Family, Empire Hotel, Press Club and Birdie Num Nums.
“If they (patrons) don’t behave it obviously gives us the ability to bar them from the premises. It will enable us to bar them from all of our venues.”
Options Tavern at Helensvale on the Gold Coast is among the few Queensland venues already using the technology.
But civil libertarian Terry O’Gorman said fingerprinting raised privacy concerns.
“The information won’t be secure because there’s no privacy laws that makes them (hotels) store it securely,” he said.
Queensland Hotels Association chief executive Justin O’Connor said the fingerprint scanning was designed to “deter anti-social behaviour” and make it simple for patrons to revisit the same venue.
“The rationale for taking the fingerprint scan and turning it into digital memory is to allow for a future visit to be done on the basis of a fingerprint scan,” he said.
“You don’t have to keep surrendering your ID to access the premises.”
The information can be stored for about 28 days.