Assented: Liquor Amendment (Kings Cross Plan of Management) Bill 2013
Tuesday 29 October 2013 @ 10.42 a.m. | Crime
In the year since the tragic death of teenager Thomas Kelly, the victim of a random ‘king hit’ in an attack in Kings Cross, NSW has launched a multi-phase strategy to crack down on the area’s notoriously high levels of alcohol fuelled violence.
The recent assent of the Liquor Amendment (Kings Cross Plan of Management) Act 2013 will build upon the progress made by the first phase of measures which came into effect last year. So far these measures include strengthening the power of the police force, adding 370 additional officers and commencing the trial of sobering-up centres, where intoxicated people who refuse police directions to move, spend the night in a cell sleeping off their alcohol. Additionally, the introduction of the new intoxicated and disorderly offence has improved move-on powers, allowing police officers to defuse situations before they escalate.
Tighter regulations for licensed venues have been implemented including a licence freeze and restrictions on what drinks can be served after midnight. Late night transport to the area has been improved, effectively reducing the number of intoxicated people wandering the streets in the early hours of the morning waiting for transport to open.
Nevertheless, there is more work to be done in Kings Cross to secure its safety. The new Act aims to further reduce alcohol-related violence and anti-social behaviour in the Kings Cross late-night precinct through measures designed to stop banned troublemakers entering licensed premises in Kings Cross and to send a message to those individuals to stay away from the precinct.
Key changes include:
- Two new types of banning orders - one that operates for up to 48 hours and the other for up to 12 months. The orders will prohibit certain people from entering licensed premises in the Kings Cross precinct;
- ID scanning of all patrons who enter high risk venues, defined as venues that trade after midnight or hold more than 120 people, in the Kings Cross area to ensure that banned persons are refused entry;
- Provisions enabling the Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority to suspend or revoke the RSA competency card held by a person employed in licensed premises in the Kings Cross precinct if the employee contravenes a patron's privacy in connection with the issue of a patron ID scanner or breaches the employee's obligations in relation to the responsible service of alcohol.
"A banned person will not be allowed to enter any high risk venue in Kings Cross during the period of the ban."
According to Hospitality Minister Mr George Souris, staff operating ID scanners will have to undergo privacy training while the pubs and clubs will be required to implement an approved privacy management plan and policy.
A review of the identification scanning measures is set to take place within 12 months of the system’s implementation.
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