QMusic CEO Says Qld's 1am Lockout Defeat Is 'A Huge Relief' For Industry

The Queensland music industry has welcomed the news that the state government will not be going ahead with its planned introduction of 1am lockouts, with QMusic chief executive Joel Edmondson describing the turn of events as "a huge relief".

As confirmed in Qld Cabinet yesterday, the much-written-about 1am lockout policy will be forgone, with mandatory ID scanners and a severe reduction in service-curfew exemptions taking its place in the government's Tackling Alcohol-fuelled Violence plans.

A 2am curfew on service will remain in place across the board, except in designated Safe Night Precincts (including Fortitude Valley), where venues are able to serve until 3am. A post-midnight ban on rapid-consumption or high-alcohol drinks will also stay in effect.

Despite being a primary driver of the lockout plans along with Attorney-General Yvette D'Ath and Labor minister Dr Anthony Lynham, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk admitted yesterday, "All the evidence in Australia and around the world suggests the most effective measure to reduce alcohol-fuelled violence is to reduce the number of hours that alcohol is served after midnight."

Due to have come into effect on 1 February, the 1am lockout "would have caused significant damage to the state's music industry", Edmondson said in a statement, explaining that Brisbane's annual BIGSOUND conference "would have been challenged" by the introduction of the laws.

"We are pleased that the government has listened to the music industry's perspective on this legislation," he said. "More than 12 months ago, we called for a 3am closure but without the damaging 1am lockout. We also supported mandatory ID scanners.

"It's a pity that it took a year of uncertainty before these laws were scrapped, but we thank the government for continuing discussion with QMusic and others over the last 12 months."

Edmondson went on to explain that, without a vibrant and open nightlife, iconic Queensland acts such as Powderfinger, Ball Park Music and Violent Soho would not have been able to ascend to the heights they have, implying that the approval of a 1am lockout — the justification for which he says was "founded on a hunch" as opposed to hard, relevant data — would have deprived future generations of artists and fans from the same opportunity.

"[Those bands'] ability to build an audience would have been severely affected by lockout laws, because restricting movement between venues and drastically reducing trading hours makes many otherwise safe live music venues unfeasible," he said.

"The lockout laws were never founded upon hard data relevant to Queensland — they were founded on a hunch," he continued. "And that hunch would have damaged our great music industry."