By Bronwyn Hastings

Public safety, liquor licensing compliance and road safety will be the focus of Victoria Police’s Operation AURA.

Police will work alongside entertainment venue operators and licensees in a bid to keep the community safe across summer.

The operation, which launches on Friday and runs until the end of March next year, includes the Horsham, Hindmarsh and West Wimmera local government areas. 

Horsham-based Senior Sergeant Eddie Malpas said police would support venues to keep people safe during entertainment venues’ busiest time of the year.

“People want to have a good time, and we want to make sure they have a safe time when they do so,” he said.

Sen Sgt Malpas said the operation would include licensing inspections.

“We will make sure licensees are doing their bit to run their businesses in line with what’s required of them under the Act – staff holding responsible service of alcohol qualifications, the correct signage being displayed, making sure underage people are not being served alcohol, and even ensuring crowd controllers are certified and have their correct identification visible,” he said.

“There are certain conditions on each of their licenses that give us a clear indication as to what they must comply with.

“But certainly where there’s an appetite to spend time at pubs, an appetite to drink, there are risks associated with that in relation to road policing. 

“That’s why we’re tying the licensing and the public order in with road policing.”

Sen Sgt Malpas said people could expect ‘zero tolerance’.

“Depending on the nature of the offences, whether people are using offensive language, or are disorderly, there can be fines, but in a situation where there is an assault, things can get serious very quickly – it can be imprisonment as well,” he said.

“In relation to drink-driving, there can be on-the-spot licence suspensions and impoundment of vehicles, depending on how high the reading is.

“If people are going to have a big night, it’s about making the right decisions – how much are you drinking, where are you drinking, are you looking after yourself, are you with a group of people, do you have a skipper who’s not drinking who can drive you around safely, or will you call a taxi – and so on.”

Sen Sgt Malpas said there had been a change in the drunk and disorderly landscape in his 17-year career due to police building relationships with licensees, higher police visibility, and a shift in community attitude.

“We’ve come a long way, which is good, but I think it’s always going to be a work in progress,” he said.

Sen Sgt Malpas said there would be a bigger police presence in venues, on foot and on the roads across the three municipalities during the operation.

“Where there’s a risk to safety, there’s a risk to business. If licensees comply with the Act, not only are they keeping people safe, but they’re protecting their businessed, which to a lot of them is their livelihood,” he said.

“We’ve got a really good working relationship with our licensees right across the area, and we have seen them take proactive action where they needed to, or called us, and I think that working relationship we have with them goes a long way to making sure people can be safe and enjoy their time at the same time.”

Horsham’s Royal Hotel publican Grant Fiedler said community partnerships were important in keeping people safe.

“It’s about all the organisations working together to make Horsham a safe place for its young people,” he said.

Mr Fiedler said the hotel scanned its patrons’ identification and face before entry into the venue’s nightclub on Friday and Saturday nights.

“We’ve got a policy that if they’ve been banned in other venues, they can’t come in. It shows up on the banning list when we scan them,” he said.

Mr Fiedler said he had signs on display in the hotel explaining what was expected from people.

“We’ve got rules and expectations for our patrons to abide by, they’re not over the top,” he said. 

“And from a parent’s perspective – my kids come out to the nightclub – we know people put trust in the venue to provide a safe environment, so we do our best to do that.”

EDITORIAL: Stay safe this festive season

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