❓ Mr. Sutherland asks about the effectiveness of police barring notices in reducing antisocial behaviour in entertainment precincts. The Minister acknowledges the issue, details various contributing factors, and provides statistics on barring notices issued, appeals, and convictions, indicating the initiative is having some success.
AnsweredQoN 261Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
LIQUOR CONTROL ACT — BARRING NOTICES
The issue of antisocial behaviour in our entertainment precincts continues to be a major concern for the government and the wider community. A feature of recent amendments to the Liquor Control Act was the introduction of police barring notices as a means to reduce antisocial behaviour on licensed premises. Can the minister please update the house on whether this is working? Mr T.K. WALDRON
The issue of antisocial behaviour in our entertainment precincts continues to be a major concern for the government and the wider community. A feature of recent amendments to the Liquor Control Act was the introduction of police barring notices as a means to reduce antisocial behaviour on licensed premises. Can the minister please update the house on whether this is working? Mr T.K. WALDRON
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for the question. I know that he has a great interest in this matter, and he has chatted to me about these things before. I acknowledge the first part of the question. There is no doubt that antisocial behaviour in our entertainment precincts is a big issue in the community. Unfortunately, we have seen some terrible incidents recently. There are many different views across the community. This morning I addressed some of these issues at a breakfast function. It was really interesting to listen to people’s questions and comments and to talk to them afterwards about their different views. When we debated the Liquor Control Amendment Bill in this house last year, there was a range of views. There are lots of different views. Is it the licensees not meeting their responsibilities? Is it a lack of personal responsibility? Is it drugs? Is it about resourcing, as the member opposite mentioned? Is the culture of youth changing? The truth is that it is probably a combination of these and many other factors. But two things are certain: there is an unacceptable level of antisocial behaviour, and alcohol has a lot to do with that. It was mentioned this morning by a former colleague of the member opposite, the former minister, Hon Alannah MacTiernan, who spoke to me about the issue of drugs and alcohol. She made some really good points. Although drugs is a big issue and plays a part, alcohol has a lot to do with this antisocial behaviour. The comments made by Judge Denis Reynolds yesterday, which were reported in the paper this morning, certainly reflected that. The important point is how we as a community are going to deal with this as time goes on. I have stated on the record over the past three years that my preference is to try to target the troublemakers. Most people go out to have a good night and behave responsibly, but there are troublemakers who make up a small percentage. I welcome the introduction of prohibition orders; they have certainly helped. At the moment, there are some 90 prohibition orders, nearly half of which are for serious glassing assaults. The Director of Liquor Licensing issues a show-cause notice for the prohibition orders that target the upper level of criminal and bad behaviour, so there is quite a time to get the prohibition orders in place. I have been keen to implement an alternative process to work with those prohibition orders that target the less serious offences of antisocial behaviour. We need to make sure that these orders are targeted for the protection of people and other community members and to assist the police and licensees. We debated the barring notices in this house and we got support for them, which I am grateful for. The aim is to target troublemakers to give them time on the bench so that they can reflect on their behaviour. Hopefully, it will turn a lot of these people around. It will not work with everyone. Just before the weekend, 62 barring notices had been issued and there had been three appeals, one successful appeal, one conviction of breaching a barring notice and one conviction of a bar manager knowingly allowing a barred person to stay on the premises. There has been criticism. The member opposite has made some criticism about the webpage, and I acknowledge that criticism. But the member needs to understand what barring notices are all about. The webpage will certainly add to the process, but it is not the be all and end all. The whole idea of a barring notice is that there has been no criminal offence; there is no criminal record. A barring notice is the first stage to try to get the person out of the situation. Firstly, it is for their own good; secondly, it is for the protection of the public; and, thirdly, it is to support the police and licensees. There is no doubt that we are achieving that. If a barred person returns to the premises and is detected, that person will face a fine of $10 000 and a police record. If the person returns to the premises, they know that they are taking a huge risk. I certainly do not encourage people to return to the premises; once they have been barred, they should stay out, serve their time and hopefully come back as better people. But if they return and are not recognised, I guarantee that they will be quiet and well behaved, because if they do not behave, they will be in big strife. In that way, the barring notice will still achieve what we are trying to achieve. Either way, the outcome is being achieved. Barring notices are a great deterrent. I am sure that members will agree that the police are finding barring notices to be one tool with which to address this problem. Barring notices are providing great assistance to police and licensees. I am confident that a combination of the measures we have in place, working with the industry and some of the recent accords will produce positive results for the community.
Mr T.K. WALDRON replied: I thank the member for the question. I know that he has a great interest in this matter, and he has chatted to me about these things before. I acknowledge the first part of the question. There is no doubt that antisocial behaviour in our entertainment precincts is a big issue in the community. Unfortunately, we have seen some terrible incidents recently. There are many different views across the community. This morning I addressed some of these issues at a breakfast function. It was really interesting to listen to people’s questions and comments and to talk to them afterwards about their different views. When we debated the Liquor Control Amendment Bill in this house last year, there was a range of views. There are lots of different views. Is it the licensees not meeting their responsibilities? Is it a lack of personal responsibility? Is it drugs? Is it about resourcing, as the member opposite mentioned? Is the culture of youth changing? The truth is that it is probably a combination of these and many other factors. But two things are certain: there is an unacceptable level of antisocial behaviour, and alcohol has a lot to do with that. It was mentioned this morning by a former colleague of the member opposite, the former minister, Hon Alannah MacTiernan, who spoke to me about the issue of drugs and alcohol. She made some really good points. Although drugs is a big issue and plays a part, alcohol has a lot to do with this antisocial behaviour. The comments made by Judge Denis Reynolds yesterday, which were reported in the paper this morning, certainly reflected that. The important point is how we as a community are going to deal with this as time goes on. I have stated on the record over the past three years that my preference is to try to target the troublemakers. Most people go out to have a good night and behave responsibly, but there are troublemakers who make up a small percentage. I welcome the introduction of prohibition orders; they have certainly helped. At the moment, there are some 90 prohibition orders, nearly half of which are for serious glassing assaults. The Director of Liquor Licensing issues a show-cause notice for the prohibition orders that target the upper level of criminal and bad behaviour, so there is quite a time to get the prohibition orders in place. I have been keen to implement an alternative process to work with those prohibition orders that target the less serious offences of antisocial behaviour. We need to make sure that these orders are targeted for the protection of people and other community members and to assist the police and licensees. We debated the barring notices in this house and we got support for them, which I am grateful for. The aim is to target troublemakers to give them time on the bench so that they can reflect on their behaviour. Hopefully, it will turn a lot of these people around. It will not work with everyone. Just before the weekend, 62 barring notices had been issued and there had been three appeals, one successful appeal, one conviction of breaching a barring notice and one conviction of a bar manager knowingly allowing a barred person to stay on the premises. There has been criticism. The member opposite has made some criticism about the webpage, and I acknowledge that criticism. But the member needs to understand what barring notices are all about. The webpage will certainly add to the process, but it is not the be all and end all. The whole idea of a barring notice is that there has been no criminal offence; there is no criminal record. A barring notice is the first stage to try to get the person out of the situation. Firstly, it is for their own good; secondly, it is for the protection of the public; and, thirdly, it is to support the police and licensees. There is no doubt that we are achieving that. If a barred person returns to the premises and is detected, that person will face a fine of $10 000 and a police record. If the person returns to the premises, they know that they are taking a huge risk. I certainly do not encourage people to return to the premises; once they have been barred, they should stay out, serve their time and hopefully come back as better people. But if they return and are not recognised, I guarantee that they will be quiet and well behaved, because if they do not behave, they will be in big strife. In that way, the barring notice will still achieve what we are trying to achieve. Either way, the outcome is being achieved. Barring notices are a great deterrent. I am sure that members will agree that the police are finding barring notices to be one tool with which to address this problem. Barring notices are providing great assistance to police and licensees. I am confident that a combination of the measures we have in place, working with the industry and some of the recent accords will produce positive results for the community.
I thank the member for the question. I know that he has a great interest in this matter, and he has chatted to me about these things before. I acknowledge the first part of the question. There is no doubt that antisocial behaviour in our entertainment precincts is a big issue in the community. Unfortunately, we have seen some terrible incidents recently. There are many different views across the community. This morning I addressed some of these issues at a breakfast function. It was really interesting to listen to people’s questions and comments and to talk to them afterwards about their different views. When we debated the Liquor Control Amendment Bill in this house last year, there was a range of views. There are lots of different views. Is it the licensees not meeting their responsibilities? Is it a lack of personal responsibility? Is it drugs? Is it about resourcing, as the member opposite mentioned? Is the culture of youth changing? The truth is that it is probably a combination of these and many other factors. But two things are certain: there is an unacceptable level of antisocial behaviour, and alcohol has a lot to do with that. It was mentioned this morning by a former colleague of the member opposite, the former minister, Hon Alannah MacTiernan, who spoke to me about the issue of drugs and alcohol. She made some really good points. Although drugs is a big issue and plays a part, alcohol has a lot to do with this antisocial behaviour. The comments made by Judge Denis Reynolds yesterday, which were reported in the paper this morning, certainly reflected that. The important point is how we as a community are going to deal with this as time goes on. I have stated on the record over the past three years that my preference is to try to target the troublemakers. Most people go out to have a good night and behave responsibly, but there are troublemakers who make up a small percentage. I welcome the introduction of prohibition orders; they have certainly helped. At the moment, there are some 90 prohibition orders, nearly half of which are for serious glassing assaults. The Director of Liquor Licensing issues a show-cause notice for the prohibition orders that target the upper level of criminal and bad behaviour, so there is quite a time to get the prohibition orders in place. I have been keen to implement an alternative process to work with those prohibition orders that target the less serious offences of antisocial behaviour. We need to make sure that these orders are targeted for the protection of people and other community members and to assist the police and licensees. We debated the barring notices in this house and we got support for them, which I am grateful for. The aim is to target troublemakers to give them time on the bench so that they can reflect on their behaviour. Hopefully, it will turn a lot of these people around. It will not work with everyone. Just before the weekend, 62 barring notices had been issued and there had been three appeals, one successful appeal, one conviction of breaching a barring notice and one conviction of a bar manager knowingly allowing a barred person to stay on the premises. There has been criticism. The member opposite has made some criticism about the webpage, and I acknowledge that criticism. But the member needs to understand what barring notices are all about. The webpage will certainly add to the process, but it is not the be all and end all. The whole idea of a barring notice is that there has been no criminal offence; there is no criminal record. A barring notice is the first stage to try to get the person out of the situation. Firstly, it is for their own good; secondly, it is for the protection of the public; and, thirdly, it is to support the police and licensees. There is no doubt that we are achieving that. If a barred person returns to the premises and is detected, that person will face a fine of $10 000 and a police record. If the person returns to the premises, they know that they are taking a huge risk. I certainly do not encourage people to return to the premises; once they have been barred, they should stay out, serve their time and hopefully come back as better people. But if they return and are not recognised, I guarantee that they will be quiet and well behaved, because if they do not behave, they will be in big strife. In that way, the barring notice will still achieve what we are trying to achieve. Either way, the outcome is being achieved. Barring notices are a great deterrent. I am sure that members will agree that the police are finding barring notices to be one tool with which to address this problem. Barring notices are providing great assistance to police and licensees. I am confident that a combination of the measures we have in place, working with the industry and some of the recent accords will produce positive results for the community.
I acknowledge the first part of the question. There is no doubt that antisocial behaviour in our entertainment precincts is a big issue in the community. Unfortunately, we have seen some terrible incidents recently. There are many different views across the community. This morning I addressed some of these issues at a breakfast function. It was really interesting to listen to people’s questions and comments and to talk to them afterwards about their different views. When we debated the Liquor Control Amendment Bill in this house last year, there was a range of views. There are lots of different views. Is it the licensees not meeting their responsibilities? Is it a lack of personal responsibility? Is it drugs? Is it about resourcing, as the member opposite mentioned? Is the culture of youth changing? The truth is that it is probably a combination of these and many other factors. But two things are certain: there is an unacceptable level of antisocial behaviour, and alcohol has a lot to do with that. It was mentioned this morning by a former colleague of the member opposite, the former minister, Hon Alannah MacTiernan, who spoke to me about the issue of drugs and alcohol. She made some really good points. Although drugs is a big issue and plays a part, alcohol has a lot to do with this antisocial behaviour. The comments made by Judge Denis Reynolds yesterday, which were reported in the paper this morning, certainly reflected that. The important point is how we as a community are going to deal with this as time goes on. I have stated on the record over the past three years that my preference is to try to target the troublemakers. Most people go out to have a good night and behave responsibly, but there are troublemakers who make up a small percentage. I welcome the introduction of prohibition orders; they have certainly helped. At the moment, there are some 90 prohibition orders, nearly half of which are for serious glassing assaults. The Director of Liquor Licensing issues a show-cause notice for the prohibition orders that target the upper level of criminal and bad behaviour, so there is quite a time to get the prohibition orders in place. I have been keen to implement an alternative process to work with those prohibition orders that target the less serious offences of antisocial behaviour. We need to make sure that these orders are targeted for the protection of people and other community members and to assist the police and licensees. We debated the barring notices in this house and we got support for them, which I am grateful for. The aim is to target troublemakers to give them time on the bench so that they can reflect on their behaviour. Hopefully, it will turn a lot of these people around. It will not work with everyone. Just before the weekend, 62 barring notices had been issued and there had been three appeals, one successful appeal, one conviction of breaching a barring notice and one conviction of a bar manager knowingly allowing a barred person to stay on the premises. There has been criticism. The member opposite has made some criticism about the webpage, and I acknowledge that criticism. But the member needs to understand what barring notices are all about. The webpage will certainly add to the process, but it is not the be all and end all. The whole idea of a barring notice is that there has been no criminal offence; there is no criminal record. A barring notice is the first stage to try to get the person out of the situation. Firstly, it is for their own good; secondly, it is for the protection of the public; and, thirdly, it is to support the police and licensees. There is no doubt that we are achieving that. If a barred person returns to the premises and is detected, that person will face a fine of $10 000 and a police record. If the person returns to the premises, they know that they are taking a huge risk. I certainly do not encourage people to return to the premises; once they have been barred, they should stay out, serve their time and hopefully come back as better people. But if they return and are not recognised, I guarantee that they will be quiet and well behaved, because if they do not behave, they will be in big strife. In that way, the barring notice will still achieve what we are trying to achieve. Either way, the outcome is being achieved. Barring notices are a great deterrent. I am sure that members will agree that the police are finding barring notices to be one tool with which to address this problem. Barring notices are providing great assistance to police and licensees. I am confident that a combination of the measures we have in place, working with the industry and some of the recent accords will produce positive results for the community.
This morning I addressed some of these issues at a breakfast function. It was really interesting to listen to people’s questions and comments and to talk to them afterwards about their different views. When we debated the Liquor Control Amendment Bill in this house last year, there was a range of views. There are lots of different views. Is it the licensees not meeting their responsibilities? Is it a lack of personal responsibility? Is it drugs? Is it about resourcing, as the member opposite mentioned? Is the culture of youth changing? The truth is that it is probably a combination of these and many other factors. But two things are certain: there is an unacceptable level of antisocial behaviour, and alcohol has a lot to do with that. It was mentioned this morning by a former colleague of the member opposite, the former minister, Hon Alannah MacTiernan, who spoke to me about the issue of drugs and alcohol. She made some really good points. Although drugs is a big issue and plays a part, alcohol has a lot to do with this antisocial behaviour. The comments made by Judge Denis Reynolds yesterday, which were reported in the paper this morning, certainly reflected that. The important point is how we as a community are going to deal with this as time goes on. I have stated on the record over the past three years that my preference is to try to target the troublemakers. Most people go out to have a good night and behave responsibly, but there are troublemakers who make up a small percentage. I welcome the introduction of prohibition orders; they have certainly helped. At the moment, there are some 90 prohibition orders, nearly half of which are for serious glassing assaults. The Director of Liquor Licensing issues a show-cause notice for the prohibition orders that target the upper level of criminal and bad behaviour, so there is quite a time to get the prohibition orders in place. I have been keen to implement an alternative process to work with those prohibition orders that target the less serious offences of antisocial behaviour. We need to make sure that these orders are targeted for the protection of people and other community members and to assist the police and licensees. We debated the barring notices in this house and we got support for them, which I am grateful for. The aim is to target troublemakers to give them time on the bench so that they can reflect on their behaviour. Hopefully, it will turn a lot of these people around. It will not work with everyone. Just before the weekend, 62 barring notices had been issued and there had been three appeals, one successful appeal, one conviction of breaching a barring notice and one conviction of a bar manager knowingly allowing a barred person to stay on the premises. There has been criticism. The member opposite has made some criticism about the webpage, and I acknowledge that criticism. But the member needs to understand what barring notices are all about. The webpage will certainly add to the process, but it is not the be all and end all. The whole idea of a barring notice is that there has been no criminal offence; there is no criminal record. A barring notice is the first stage to try to get the person out of the situation. Firstly, it is for their own good; secondly, it is for the protection of the public; and, thirdly, it is to support the police and licensees. There is no doubt that we are achieving that. If a barred person returns to the premises and is detected, that person will face a fine of $10 000 and a police record. If the person returns to the premises, they know that they are taking a huge risk. I certainly do not encourage people to return to the premises; once they have been barred, they should stay out, serve their time and hopefully come back as better people. But if they return and are not recognised, I guarantee that they will be quiet and well behaved, because if they do not behave, they will be in big strife. In that way, the barring notice will still achieve what we are trying to achieve. Either way, the outcome is being achieved. Barring notices are a great deterrent. I am sure that members will agree that the police are finding barring notices to be one tool with which to address this problem. Barring notices are providing great assistance to police and licensees. I am confident that a combination of the measures we have in place, working with the industry and some of the recent accords will produce positive results for the community.
The important point is how we as a community are going to deal with this as time goes on. I have stated on the record over the past three years that my preference is to try to target the troublemakers. Most people go out to have a good night and behave responsibly, but there are troublemakers who make up a small percentage. I welcome the introduction of prohibition orders; they have certainly helped. At the moment, there are some 90 prohibition orders, nearly half of which are for serious glassing assaults. The Director of Liquor Licensing issues a show-cause notice for the prohibition orders that target the upper level of criminal and bad behaviour, so there is quite a time to get the prohibition orders in place. I have been keen to implement an alternative process to work with those prohibition orders that target the less serious offences of antisocial behaviour. We need to make sure that these orders are targeted for the protection of people and other community members and to assist the police and licensees. We debated the barring notices in this house and we got support for them, which I am grateful for. The aim is to target troublemakers to give them time on the bench so that they can reflect on their behaviour. Hopefully, it will turn a lot of these people around. It will not work with everyone. Just before the weekend, 62 barring notices had been issued and there had been three appeals, one successful appeal, one conviction of breaching a barring notice and one conviction of a bar manager knowingly allowing a barred person to stay on the premises. There has been criticism. The member opposite has made some criticism about the webpage, and I acknowledge that criticism. But the member needs to understand what barring notices are all about. The webpage will certainly add to the process, but it is not the be all and end all. The whole idea of a barring notice is that there has been no criminal offence; there is no criminal record. A barring notice is the first stage to try to get the person out of the situation. Firstly, it is for their own good; secondly, it is for the protection of the public; and, thirdly, it is to support the police and licensees. There is no doubt that we are achieving that. If a barred person returns to the premises and is detected, that person will face a fine of $10 000 and a police record. If the person returns to the premises, they know that they are taking a huge risk. I certainly do not encourage people to return to the premises; once they have been barred, they should stay out, serve their time and hopefully come back as better people. But if they return and are not recognised, I guarantee that they will be quiet and well behaved, because if they do not behave, they will be in big strife. In that way, the barring notice will still achieve what we are trying to achieve. Either way, the outcome is being achieved. Barring notices are a great deterrent. I am sure that members will agree that the police are finding barring notices to be one tool with which to address this problem. Barring notices are providing great assistance to police and licensees. I am confident that a combination of the measures we have in place, working with the industry and some of the recent accords will produce positive results for the community.
Just before the weekend, 62 barring notices had been issued and there had been three appeals, one successful appeal, one conviction of breaching a barring notice and one conviction of a bar manager knowingly allowing a barred person to stay on the premises. There has been criticism. The member opposite has made some criticism about the webpage, and I acknowledge that criticism. But the member needs to understand what barring notices are all about. The webpage will certainly add to the process, but it is not the be all and end all. The whole idea of a barring notice is that there has been no criminal offence; there is no criminal record. A barring notice is the first stage to try to get the person out of the situation. Firstly, it is for their own good; secondly, it is for the protection of the public; and, thirdly, it is to support the police and licensees. There is no doubt that we are achieving that. If a barred person returns to the premises and is detected, that person will face a fine of $10 000 and a police record. If the person returns to the premises, they know that they are taking a huge risk. I certainly do not encourage people to return to the premises; once they have been barred, they should stay out, serve their time and hopefully come back as better people. But if they return and are not recognised, I guarantee that they will be quiet and well behaved, because if they do not behave, they will be in big strife. In that way, the barring notice will still achieve what we are trying to achieve. Either way, the outcome is being achieved. Barring notices are a great deterrent. I am sure that members will agree that the police are finding barring notices to be one tool with which to address this problem. Barring notices are providing great assistance to police and licensees. I am confident that a combination of the measures we have in place, working with the industry and some of the recent accords will produce positive results for the community.
Mr T.K. WALDRON replied: I thank the member for the question. I know that he has a great interest in this matter, and he has chatted to me about these things before. I acknowledge the first part of the question. There is no doubt that antisocial behaviour in our entertainment precincts is a big issue in the community. Unfortunately, we have seen some terrible incidents recently. There are many different views across the community. This morning I addressed some of these issues at a breakfast function. It was really interesting to listen to people’s questions and comments and to talk to them afterwards about their different views. When we debated the Liquor Control Amendment Bill in this house last year, there was a range of views. There are lots of different views. Is it the licensees not meeting their responsibilities? Is it a lack of personal responsibility? Is it drugs? Is it about resourcing, as the member opposite mentioned? Is the culture of youth changing? The truth is that it is probably a combination of these and many other factors. But two things are certain: there is an unacceptable level of antisocial behaviour, and alcohol has a lot to do with that. It was mentioned this morning by a former colleague of the member opposite, the former minister, Hon Alannah MacTiernan, who spoke to me about the issue of drugs and alcohol. She made some really good points. Although drugs is a big issue and plays a part, alcohol has a lot to do with this antisocial behaviour. The comments made by Judge Denis Reynolds yesterday, which were reported in the paper this morning, certainly reflected that. The important point is how we as a community are going to deal with this as time goes on. I have stated on the record over the past three years that my preference is to try to target the troublemakers. Most people go out to have a good night and behave responsibly, but there are troublemakers who make up a small percentage. I welcome the introduction of prohibition orders; they have certainly helped. At the moment, there are some 90 prohibition orders, nearly half of which are for serious glassing assaults. The Director of Liquor Licensing issues a show-cause notice for the prohibition orders that target the upper level of criminal and bad behaviour, so there is quite a time to get the prohibition orders in place. I have been keen to implement an alternative process to work with those prohibition orders that target the less serious offences of antisocial behaviour. We need to make sure that these orders are targeted for the protection of people and other community members and to assist the police and licensees. We debated the barring notices in this house and we got support for them, which I am grateful for. The aim is to target troublemakers to give them time on the bench so that they can reflect on their behaviour. Hopefully, it will turn a lot of these people around. It will not work with everyone. Just before the weekend, 62 barring notices had been issued and there had been three appeals, one successful appeal, one conviction of breaching a barring notice and one conviction of a bar manager knowingly allowing a barred person to stay on the premises. There has been criticism. The member opposite has made some criticism about the webpage, and I acknowledge that criticism. But the member needs to understand what barring notices are all about. The webpage will certainly add to the process, but it is not the be all and end all. The whole idea of a barring notice is that there has been no criminal offence; there is no criminal record. A barring notice is the first stage to try to get the person out of the situation. Firstly, it is for their own good; secondly, it is for the protection of the public; and, thirdly, it is to support the police and licensees. There is no doubt that we are achieving that. If a barred person returns to the premises and is detected, that person will face a fine of $10 000 and a police record. If the person returns to the premises, they know that they are taking a huge risk. I certainly do not encourage people to return to the premises; once they have been barred, they should stay out, serve their time and hopefully come back as better people. But if they return and are not recognised, I guarantee that they will be quiet and well behaved, because if they do not behave, they will be in big strife. In that way, the barring notice will still achieve what we are trying to achieve. Either way, the outcome is being achieved. Barring notices are a great deterrent. I am sure that members will agree that the police are finding barring notices to be one tool with which to address this problem. Barring notices are providing great assistance to police and licensees. I am confident that a combination of the measures we have in place, working with the industry and some of the recent accords will produce positive results for the community.
I thank the member for the question. I know that he has a great interest in this matter, and he has chatted to me about these things before. I acknowledge the first part of the question. There is no doubt that antisocial behaviour in our entertainment precincts is a big issue in the community. Unfortunately, we have seen some terrible incidents recently. There are many different views across the community. This morning I addressed some of these issues at a breakfast function. It was really interesting to listen to people’s questions and comments and to talk to them afterwards about their different views. When we debated the Liquor Control Amendment Bill in this house last year, there was a range of views. There are lots of different views. Is it the licensees not meeting their responsibilities? Is it a lack of personal responsibility? Is it drugs? Is it about resourcing, as the member opposite mentioned? Is the culture of youth changing? The truth is that it is probably a combination of these and many other factors. But two things are certain: there is an unacceptable level of antisocial behaviour, and alcohol has a lot to do with that. It was mentioned this morning by a former colleague of the member opposite, the former minister, Hon Alannah MacTiernan, who spoke to me about the issue of drugs and alcohol. She made some really good points. Although drugs is a big issue and plays a part, alcohol has a lot to do with this antisocial behaviour. The comments made by Judge Denis Reynolds yesterday, which were reported in the paper this morning, certainly reflected that. The important point is how we as a community are going to deal with this as time goes on. I have stated on the record over the past three years that my preference is to try to target the troublemakers. Most people go out to have a good night and behave responsibly, but there are troublemakers who make up a small percentage. I welcome the introduction of prohibition orders; they have certainly helped. At the moment, there are some 90 prohibition orders, nearly half of which are for serious glassing assaults. The Director of Liquor Licensing issues a show-cause notice for the prohibition orders that target the upper level of criminal and bad behaviour, so there is quite a time to get the prohibition orders in place. I have been keen to implement an alternative process to work with those prohibition orders that target the less serious offences of antisocial behaviour. We need to make sure that these orders are targeted for the protection of people and other community members and to assist the police and licensees. We debated the barring notices in this house and we got support for them, which I am grateful for. The aim is to target troublemakers to give them time on the bench so that they can reflect on their behaviour. Hopefully, it will turn a lot of these people around. It will not work with everyone. Just before the weekend, 62 barring notices had been issued and there had been three appeals, one successful appeal, one conviction of breaching a barring notice and one conviction of a bar manager knowingly allowing a barred person to stay on the premises. There has been criticism. The member opposite has made some criticism about the webpage, and I acknowledge that criticism. But the member needs to understand what barring notices are all about. The webpage will certainly add to the process, but it is not the be all and end all. The whole idea of a barring notice is that there has been no criminal offence; there is no criminal record. A barring notice is the first stage to try to get the person out of the situation. Firstly, it is for their own good; secondly, it is for the protection of the public; and, thirdly, it is to support the police and licensees. There is no doubt that we are achieving that. If a barred person returns to the premises and is detected, that person will face a fine of $10 000 and a police record. If the person returns to the premises, they know that they are taking a huge risk. I certainly do not encourage people to return to the premises; once they have been barred, they should stay out, serve their time and hopefully come back as better people. But if they return and are not recognised, I guarantee that they will be quiet and well behaved, because if they do not behave, they will be in big strife. In that way, the barring notice will still achieve what we are trying to achieve. Either way, the outcome is being achieved. Barring notices are a great deterrent. I am sure that members will agree that the police are finding barring notices to be one tool with which to address this problem. Barring notices are providing great assistance to police and licensees. I am confident that a combination of the measures we have in place, working with the industry and some of the recent accords will produce positive results for the community.
I acknowledge the first part of the question. There is no doubt that antisocial behaviour in our entertainment precincts is a big issue in the community. Unfortunately, we have seen some terrible incidents recently. There are many different views across the community. This morning I addressed some of these issues at a breakfast function. It was really interesting to listen to people’s questions and comments and to talk to them afterwards about their different views. When we debated the Liquor Control Amendment Bill in this house last year, there was a range of views. There are lots of different views. Is it the licensees not meeting their responsibilities? Is it a lack of personal responsibility? Is it drugs? Is it about resourcing, as the member opposite mentioned? Is the culture of youth changing? The truth is that it is probably a combination of these and many other factors. But two things are certain: there is an unacceptable level of antisocial behaviour, and alcohol has a lot to do with that. It was mentioned this morning by a former colleague of the member opposite, the former minister, Hon Alannah MacTiernan, who spoke to me about the issue of drugs and alcohol. She made some really good points. Although drugs is a big issue and plays a part, alcohol has a lot to do with this antisocial behaviour. The comments made by Judge Denis Reynolds yesterday, which were reported in the paper this morning, certainly reflected that. The important point is how we as a community are going to deal with this as time goes on. I have stated on the record over the past three years that my preference is to try to target the troublemakers. Most people go out to have a good night and behave responsibly, but there are troublemakers who make up a small percentage. I welcome the introduction of prohibition orders; they have certainly helped. At the moment, there are some 90 prohibition orders, nearly half of which are for serious glassing assaults. The Director of Liquor Licensing issues a show-cause notice for the prohibition orders that target the upper level of criminal and bad behaviour, so there is quite a time to get the prohibition orders in place. I have been keen to implement an alternative process to work with those prohibition orders that target the less serious offences of antisocial behaviour. We need to make sure that these orders are targeted for the protection of people and other community members and to assist the police and licensees. We debated the barring notices in this house and we got support for them, which I am grateful for. The aim is to target troublemakers to give them time on the bench so that they can reflect on their behaviour. Hopefully, it will turn a lot of these people around. It will not work with everyone. Just before the weekend, 62 barring notices had been issued and there had been three appeals, one successful appeal, one conviction of breaching a barring notice and one conviction of a bar manager knowingly allowing a barred person to stay on the premises. There has been criticism. The member opposite has made some criticism about the webpage, and I acknowledge that criticism. But the member needs to understand what barring notices are all about. The webpage will certainly add to the process, but it is not the be all and end all. The whole idea of a barring notice is that there has been no criminal offence; there is no criminal record. A barring notice is the first stage to try to get the person out of the situation. Firstly, it is for their own good; secondly, it is for the protection of the public; and, thirdly, it is to support the police and licensees. There is no doubt that we are achieving that. If a barred person returns to the premises and is detected, that person will face a fine of $10 000 and a police record. If the person returns to the premises, they know that they are taking a huge risk. I certainly do not encourage people to return to the premises; once they have been barred, they should stay out, serve their time and hopefully come back as better people. But if they return and are not recognised, I guarantee that they will be quiet and well behaved, because if they do not behave, they will be in big strife. In that way, the barring notice will still achieve what we are trying to achieve. Either way, the outcome is being achieved. Barring notices are a great deterrent. I am sure that members will agree that the police are finding barring notices to be one tool with which to address this problem. Barring notices are providing great assistance to police and licensees. I am confident that a combination of the measures we have in place, working with the industry and some of the recent accords will produce positive results for the community.
This morning I addressed some of these issues at a breakfast function. It was really interesting to listen to people’s questions and comments and to talk to them afterwards about their different views. When we debated the Liquor Control Amendment Bill in this house last year, there was a range of views. There are lots of different views. Is it the licensees not meeting their responsibilities? Is it a lack of personal responsibility? Is it drugs? Is it about resourcing, as the member opposite mentioned? Is the culture of youth changing? The truth is that it is probably a combination of these and many other factors. But two things are certain: there is an unacceptable level of antisocial behaviour, and alcohol has a lot to do with that. It was mentioned this morning by a former colleague of the member opposite, the former minister, Hon Alannah MacTiernan, who spoke to me about the issue of drugs and alcohol. She made some really good points. Although drugs is a big issue and plays a part, alcohol has a lot to do with this antisocial behaviour. The comments made by Judge Denis Reynolds yesterday, which were reported in the paper this morning, certainly reflected that. The important point is how we as a community are going to deal with this as time goes on. I have stated on the record over the past three years that my preference is to try to target the troublemakers. Most people go out to have a good night and behave responsibly, but there are troublemakers who make up a small percentage. I welcome the introduction of prohibition orders; they have certainly helped. At the moment, there are some 90 prohibition orders, nearly half of which are for serious glassing assaults. The Director of Liquor Licensing issues a show-cause notice for the prohibition orders that target the upper level of criminal and bad behaviour, so there is quite a time to get the prohibition orders in place. I have been keen to implement an alternative process to work with those prohibition orders that target the less serious offences of antisocial behaviour. We need to make sure that these orders are targeted for the protection of people and other community members and to assist the police and licensees. We debated the barring notices in this house and we got support for them, which I am grateful for. The aim is to target troublemakers to give them time on the bench so that they can reflect on their behaviour. Hopefully, it will turn a lot of these people around. It will not work with everyone. Just before the weekend, 62 barring notices had been issued and there had been three appeals, one successful appeal, one conviction of breaching a barring notice and one conviction of a bar manager knowingly allowing a barred person to stay on the premises. There has been criticism. The member opposite has made some criticism about the webpage, and I acknowledge that criticism. But the member needs to understand what barring notices are all about. The webpage will certainly add to the process, but it is not the be all and end all. The whole idea of a barring notice is that there has been no criminal offence; there is no criminal record. A barring notice is the first stage to try to get the person out of the situation. Firstly, it is for their own good; secondly, it is for the protection of the public; and, thirdly, it is to support the police and licensees. There is no doubt that we are achieving that. If a barred person returns to the premises and is detected, that person will face a fine of $10 000 and a police record. If the person returns to the premises, they know that they are taking a huge risk. I certainly do not encourage people to return to the premises; once they have been barred, they should stay out, serve their time and hopefully come back as better people. But if they return and are not recognised, I guarantee that they will be quiet and well behaved, because if they do not behave, they will be in big strife. In that way, the barring notice will still achieve what we are trying to achieve. Either way, the outcome is being achieved. Barring notices are a great deterrent. I am sure that members will agree that the police are finding barring notices to be one tool with which to address this problem. Barring notices are providing great assistance to police and licensees. I am confident that a combination of the measures we have in place, working with the industry and some of the recent accords will produce positive results for the community.
The important point is how we as a community are going to deal with this as time goes on. I have stated on the record over the past three years that my preference is to try to target the troublemakers. Most people go out to have a good night and behave responsibly, but there are troublemakers who make up a small percentage. I welcome the introduction of prohibition orders; they have certainly helped. At the moment, there are some 90 prohibition orders, nearly half of which are for serious glassing assaults. The Director of Liquor Licensing issues a show-cause notice for the prohibition orders that target the upper level of criminal and bad behaviour, so there is quite a time to get the prohibition orders in place. I have been keen to implement an alternative process to work with those prohibition orders that target the less serious offences of antisocial behaviour. We need to make sure that these orders are targeted for the protection of people and other community members and to assist the police and licensees. We debated the barring notices in this house and we got support for them, which I am grateful for. The aim is to target troublemakers to give them time on the bench so that they can reflect on their behaviour. Hopefully, it will turn a lot of these people around. It will not work with everyone. Just before the weekend, 62 barring notices had been issued and there had been three appeals, one successful appeal, one conviction of breaching a barring notice and one conviction of a bar manager knowingly allowing a barred person to stay on the premises. There has been criticism. The member opposite has made some criticism about the webpage, and I acknowledge that criticism. But the member needs to understand what barring notices are all about. The webpage will certainly add to the process, but it is not the be all and end all. The whole idea of a barring notice is that there has been no criminal offence; there is no criminal record. A barring notice is the first stage to try to get the person out of the situation. Firstly, it is for their own good; secondly, it is for the protection of the public; and, thirdly, it is to support the police and licensees. There is no doubt that we are achieving that. If a barred person returns to the premises and is detected, that person will face a fine of $10 000 and a police record. If the person returns to the premises, they know that they are taking a huge risk. I certainly do not encourage people to return to the premises; once they have been barred, they should stay out, serve their time and hopefully come back as better people. But if they return and are not recognised, I guarantee that they will be quiet and well behaved, because if they do not behave, they will be in big strife. In that way, the barring notice will still achieve what we are trying to achieve. Either way, the outcome is being achieved. Barring notices are a great deterrent. I am sure that members will agree that the police are finding barring notices to be one tool with which to address this problem. Barring notices are providing great assistance to police and licensees. I am confident that a combination of the measures we have in place, working with the industry and some of the recent accords will produce positive results for the community.
Just before the weekend, 62 barring notices had been issued and there had been three appeals, one successful appeal, one conviction of breaching a barring notice and one conviction of a bar manager knowingly allowing a barred person to stay on the premises. There has been criticism. The member opposite has made some criticism about the webpage, and I acknowledge that criticism. But the member needs to understand what barring notices are all about. The webpage will certainly add to the process, but it is not the be all and end all. The whole idea of a barring notice is that there has been no criminal offence; there is no criminal record. A barring notice is the first stage to try to get the person out of the situation. Firstly, it is for their own good; secondly, it is for the protection of the public; and, thirdly, it is to support the police and licensees. There is no doubt that we are achieving that. If a barred person returns to the premises and is detected, that person will face a fine of $10 000 and a police record. If the person returns to the premises, they know that they are taking a huge risk. I certainly do not encourage people to return to the premises; once they have been barred, they should stay out, serve their time and hopefully come back as better people. But if they return and are not recognised, I guarantee that they will be quiet and well behaved, because if they do not behave, they will be in big strife. In that way, the barring notice will still achieve what we are trying to achieve. Either way, the outcome is being achieved. Barring notices are a great deterrent. I am sure that members will agree that the police are finding barring notices to be one tool with which to address this problem. Barring notices are providing great assistance to police and licensees. I am confident that a combination of the measures we have in place, working with the industry and some of the recent accords will produce positive results for the community.
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