AT least one northern beaches club will restrict alcohol sales on Australia Day following a request from police, but other hotels have rejected the idea as excessive, unenforceable and pointless.
NSW Police on Monday asked the state’s licensed premises to restrict their sale of alcohol on Australia Day to only light beer before 2pm and to also enforce additional drink limits from 9pm. But while Harbord Diggers has said it will honour part of the request, other hotels have howled down the idea, branding it nonsense and an infringement on people’s right to celebrate the public holiday.
The email request, sent from Chief Inspector Guy Haberley to every liquor accord in NSW, said Australia Day was “traditionally a day to celebrate and enjoy the spirit of being an Australian” but had recently descended into an excuse for “binge-drinking, anti-social behaviour and alcohol-related crime and violence”.
He then requested bottle shops only sell drinks with an alcohol concentration of 4 per cent or less before 2pm, and for hotels to not serve shots or doubles all day and to enforce a two-drink limit per person after 9pm.
The request follows last year’s ugly Australia Day celebrations in Manly that saw a group of mainly young men running through The Corso, damaging property and chanting nationalistic slogans. Caroline Lumley, marketing manager for Mounties Group, which owns the Diggers, said it anticipated more families than heavy drinkers at their event and would enforce the two-drink limit from 9pm, but not the other restrictions.
``We will be supporting a campaign of a responsible Australia Day and will be doing the two-drink limit from 9pm with water stations and the provision of food throughout the premises,’’ she said.
``But we don’t think it’s necessary to apply all the restrictions based on the type of crowd we’re expecting.’’
Mona Vale Hotel’s licensee Grant Iverson said he believed the attempted crackdown was a step too far.
He said the hotel already complied with all responsible service of alcohol conditions.
``It really is an infringement on people’s rights and it’s a shame because if it was adopted everyone would be paying the price for the poor behaviour of a few individuals,’’ Mr Iverson said.
After last year’s fracas, Manly police crime manager Carole Dowsen yesterday issued a warning to would-be troublemakers that their antics would not be tolerated.
``Manly and Northern Beaches police will have a large presence in the area to enforce alcohol-free zones and curtail antisocial behaviour,’’ Det-Insp Dowsen said.
``We will be targeting juveniles who are intoxicated in Manly and the Collins Flat area and will be confiscating alcohol from people arriving on public transport.’’
Issued by whereilive.com.au 14th January 2010
http://manly-daily.whereilive.com.au/news/story/over-the-limit/
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