Lockout Not Based On Reality, Councils Claim
The Age
Wednesday July 16, 2008
SEVERAL inner-city councils say they did not conduct research on alcohol-fuelled violence before the introduction of the State Government's contentious lockout plan last month.
Stonnington Mayor Claude Ullin branded the trial lockout a "farce" and called on the State Government to boost police numbers in the Chapel Street entertainment precinct.Freedom of information inquiries with three councils affected by the lockout revealed there was no data to support the Government's strategy to curb late-night assaults, despite claims by Premier John Brumby that the policy was based on broad consultation and research. The City of Melbourne's FoI officer said: "(The) council does not hold any reports, research, documents or statistics relevant to the . . . (lockout) decision."The Stonnington and Port Phillip councils also said they had not examined the matter. And Victoria Police said "bar hopping" - cited as a big factor in late-night assaults - had not been investigated. Liquor licensing director Sue Maclellan defended the Government's strategy again yesterday, saying it was based on research including police reports and dispatch data from emergency services. She said she had consulted with Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Christine Nixon.
© 2008 The Age