Hotel Fined for Liquor Act Breaches

By Andrew Starke

A Gatton hotel and its manager have been successfully prosecuted in the Gatton Magistrates Court by the Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation (OLGR).

Queensland minister responsible for liquor regulation, Peter Lawlor, said the Imperial Hotel was fined $5000 and its manager Daniel Luxford fined $2500 for contraventions of its liquor licence.

“The Imperial Hotel applied for a temporary change to its licence to hold a bike and tattoo show in September last year,” Lawlor said.

“The change to the licence was granted after extensive consultation between officers of the Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation, the Queensland Police Service and the manager of the hotel,” he said.

“During this consultation process a series of conditions which specifically related to the safety of patrons was devised and the change to the liquor licence was only granted if these conditions were met.”

The conditions included specific security provider/patron ratios, the banning of glass in an extended licensed area outside the hotel and the sale of light and mid strength alcohol only.

“After inspections by officers from OLGR on 19 September last year 10 breaches of the conditions were detected and the hotel and its manager were subsequently prosecuted,” Lawlor said.

“The heavy fines in this case indicate how seriously the courts look upon breaches of the Liquor Act.”