MEDIA RELEASE
Tuesday, November 20, 2001
Greens Say No Extension of Drinking Hours In Coogee
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A controversial plan by the police to extend drinking hours in Coogee is being vehemently opposed by Murray Matson the Greens Councillor for East Ward.
The Beach Place Hotel has put in a Development Application seeking a three month trial in which opening hours would be extended from 3.00am to 5.00am on Saturday and Sunday to match that of the nearby Coogee Bay Hotel.
The rationale being that this will stop drunks emptying out of the Place and trooping across to the Coogee Bay and attempting to gain entry.
Clr Matson said,
"Local residents are stunned by the proposal to allow further drinking time in Coogee. If you want to make the hours of the Palace consistent with that of the Coogee Bay, why not simply cut the Coogee Bay back to 3.00am?
They could have even suggested restricting both establishments to 2.00am to avoid the scarcity of taxis after 3.00am."
Clr Matson is also upset that the police consulted with neither the community nor himself as one of their elected representatives.
The police did present the idea to the Liquor Accord – a body consisting of themselves and the local liquor industry and only some representatives of Randwick Council.
The community has no direct role in the Accord and is represented only indirectly via the Mayor. Individual ward Councillors, such as Clr Matson, play no part.
Clr Matson said,
"This is a PR mistake. The Police have bypassed canvassing community views on whether drinking hours should be extended in favour of consulting the pubs.
I have long held the view that the Liquor Accord is flawed by not having community representation to balance that of the liquor industry.
The Accord’s secretariat does not even send meeting minutes to us ward Councillors."
It is expected that the Development Application will go before the Liquor Administration Board on December 3rd and will then be debated at Randwick City Council on Tuesday December 4th.