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From: PerthNow
December 07, 2011
KALGOORLIE'S only nightclub - co-owned by a vice president of the Australian Hotels Association WA - could be shut down amid claims of liquor licence breaches.
As
revealed on the PerthNow iPad
last night, police have filed a submission with the WA
Liquor Commission calling for disciplinary sanctions against The Palace
Hotel's Gold Bar and its owners Ashok and Marie Parekh, which moots changes
to the club's liquor licence.
It is understood the submission includes allegations that security staff
allowed bikies into the venue, failed to intervene during fights and did not
alert police to disturbances when they should have.
Under the Liquor Control Act, venues can be shut down, suspended, have their
licences cancelled or be fined for breaching conditions of the licence.
Action may also be taken against individuals, including approved managers
and company directors.
Mr Parekh, a vice president with the AHA WA, is a well-known businessman in
Kalgoorlie and also runs an accounting firm in the Goldfields town. Both he
and his lawyer Peter Fraser, of Dwyer Durack Lawyers, declined to comment.
The submission comes after police last week released a shame file of WA's
most violent pubs and clubs, which nominated The Palace as the second most
dangerous licensed venue in the state for bashings and assaults.
WA Police statistics show Burswood Entertainment Complex recorded more
assaults than any other licensed venue in WA, with 56 attacks in the 10
months from January 1 to November 1 this year.
Kalgoorlie's Palace Hotel and Gold Bar recorded 27 assaults, while there
were another 20 reported attacks specifically at Burswood's Eve nightclub.
Northbridge venues The Deen, Paramount Nightclub and Black Betty's also
featured in the top 10 along with Metropolis Fremantle, The Pier Hotel in
Port Hedland, Subiaco's Red Sea and Dusk Lounge in Joondalup.
The hit-list came as opposition police spokeswoman Margaret Quirk said there
needed to be greater scrutiny of how the premises were managed and
identifying possible causes for disagreements amongst patrons.
"When their licences come up for renewal the number and reasons for assaults
should feature in consideration as to whether a renewal or additional
conditions are appropriate,'' she said.
Police said most venues were willing to work with them on initiatives to
minimise harm, including introducing tempered glassware to reduce the risk
of violent glassing attacks, changing the style of music to encourage
different, less problematic crowds, improving dress standards and better
surveillance such as ID data tracking machines and CCTV.
For troublesome venues unwilling to introduce strategies to improve patron
safety, police had applied to the WA Liquor Commission for licence
restrictions.
A Department of Racing, Gaming and Liquor spokesman said the WA Liquor
Commission had received a complaint from police about the Gold Bar. The case
is due to be heard by the commission in January.
An AHA WA spokesman confirmed that Mr Parekh was one of several vice
presidents at the association, but declined to comment further because the
matter was still under consideration by the commission.