Premier: Nightclubs "on notice"

Victorian Premier, John Brumby, has told liquor license holders they are being put on notice - and they should take more responsibility for alcohol-fuelled violence or face tougher regulations.

"Licence owners need to understand what it is that the Government is saying, and saying very clearly, and that is, we want you to take more responsibility," the Premier said to ABC News.

"You are the licence owner, you own the business and you are required to comply with the terms of your licence."

John Brumby said the Government will not hesitate to introduce more restrictions if club owners do not take more responsibility.

"It is against the law to serve people alcohol when they are clearly intoxicated. We have got tougher already and we will get tougher still with licence holders if they continue to breach the law."

Peter Iwaniuk, spokersperson of the Nightclub Owners Forum, said the spike in alcohol-related crime was the result of a lack of necessary infrastructure to cater for vast increases in demand for night time entertainment in the city.

The Shout reports Nightclub Owner's Association spokesperson, David Butten, had similar comments on Radio 3AW; "The amount of visitors has increased by 6 per cent each year [and] Melbourne’s population is increasing dramatically,” he said. "There’s some factors that people just don’t appreciate in terms of what’s happening with Melbourne’s dynamics."

Source: The Shout & ABC News