By Andy Young
The Liquor Marketing Group has used its submission to the Callinan Review of the New South Wales liquor laws to call for the 10pm curfew on bottleshop sales to be scrapped.
Under the measures introduced in 2014 no takeaway alcohol sales are allowed after 10pm and LMG has argued that there is no evidence that the curfew has resulted in a reduction in violence.
In the submission, LMG CEO Doug Misener said: “It has been reported that lockout laws and 10pm takeaway curfews resulted in a reversal of increasing violence and drunkenness, when in reality violence and drinking generally were already in decline. LMG supports appropriate measures for combatting alcohol-related violence but strongly believes that there is no evidence to support the restrictions that have been put in place for early closing of bottle shops.
"Australians are drinking less alcohol overall than any time in the previous 50 years. Adult consumption of alcohol peaked in the 1970s and declined significantly during the decades following before stabilising at current levels. Since 2008, there has been a 39 per cent decline in public or non-domestic assaults.”
Misener added: “The 10pm curfew doesn’t stop people from engaging in anti-social behaviour, it merely inconveniences people who behave in a responsible manner. This is particularly true for hospitality, shift workers and consumers in regional areas.
“Evidence suggests that targeted interventions such as consequential policing and increased bail compliance checks have a much greater impact on reducing violence than early closing of either on- or off-premise alcohol retailers. Early closing of these retailers indisputably has the undesirable and unintended consequence of reducing employment and inconveniencing the wider community so we believe it makes sense to introduce these sort of targeted measures before such blanket impositions.
“There are many reasons for people staying out late, particularly in CBD areas. Haymarket bottle shops, for example, cater to many hospitality and shift workers who have evening jobs and therefore non-typical recreational hours. Working late should not preclude responsible adults from purchasing alcohol at a time which is convenient for them.”