Revellers kept safe thanks to new Rockhampton SNP Support Service

Rockhampton residents will be safer on a night out thanks to a more than $500,000 funding injection to the city’s Safe Night Precinct to help support services tackle alcohol-fuelled violence.

Communities Minister Shannon Fentiman said Rockhampton is one of 15 designated Safe Night Precincts in Queensland to receive funding as the Palaszczuk Government’s new laws to tackle alcohol-fuelled violence come into effect on July 1.

“The Rockhampton Safe Night Precinct has been established in consultation with the local community, will be managed by a local Safe Night Precinct board and will help drive local solutions to potential harms in our party precincts,” Ms Fentiman said.

“By providing rest and recovery facilities and mobile outreach, these support services will increase the safety and wellbeing of vulnerable people and those at risk of harm to themselves and others due to the influence of alcohol.

“The precincts provide people who might be affected by drugs or alcohol a place to rest and recover before they are reunited with friends or transport is organised to take them home.”

Ms Fentiman said the services will commence on Friday July 1, in tandem with the service of alcohol ceasing at 2am state-wide, except in safe night precincts where alcohol can be served until 3am. Also from July 1, the service rapid intoxication drinks such as shots will cease at midnight.

Rockhampton MP Bill Byrne said Safe Night Precinct support services operating in conjunction with Queensland Police and Queensland Ambulance Service will provide a holistic safety net for patrons within the late night entertainment precincts.

“Today’s announcement of funding for the Rockhampton Safe Night Precinct is a timely one as the new tackling alcohol-fuelled violence laws come into effect this weekend,” Mr Byrne said.

“I could not be prouder of the outcomes we have brought forward to the Queensland Parliament in relation to our new laws.

“As I have said, even from opposition, there is literally mountains of evidence that points clearly to the fact that the regime that was in place previously was partially responsible for the level of alcohol fuelled violence we have here in Queensland.

“It is a major step in the right direction and I am confident, that as it did in NSW, these new laws will go some way towards reducing the amount of alcohol fuelled violence we see in Queensland including here in Rockhampton.

“Importantly I am also confident that the new laws will put a stop to our police and frontline emergency services being used as punching bags on a Friday and Saturday night in night precincts across the state and that members of the public can enjoy a night out with friends safely without being exposed or victims of alcohol fuelled attacks.

“If you want to stop alcohol-fuelled violence, you need to have sensible trading hours, and that is exactly what the Palaszczuk Government has implemented.“

Mr Byrne said Community Solutions will operate the Rockhampton safe night precinct with a total funding allocation of $501,709.

Ms Fentiman said Safe Night Precincts have been operating in Fortitude Valley, Surfers Paradise and Townsville since December 2010.

She said additional precincts were located in Brisbane CBD, Brisbane Inner West, Sunshine Coast, Airlie Beach, Bundaberg, Cairns, Broadbeach, Ipswich, Mackay, Gladstone and Toowoomba.

The Palaszczuk Government is spending more than $7 million over three years on the Safe Night Precinct support services in a bid to tackle alcohol-fuelled violence.

Media Contact:

Minister Fentiman: 0400 774 303

Minister Byrne: 0478 325 738