Upper Yarra RSL manager Lyn Witnish and Yarra Junction’s Senior Constable Kevin Bishop have joined forces to ban anti-social behaviour at pubs and clubs along the Warburton Highway. Among others showing their support for the accord are, rear from left, Dave Walker, Peter Carter, Sgt Kevin Largue and Gary Collison.By Kath Gannaway
POLICE and publicans along the Warburton Highway have joined forces to send a message to violent and serial troublemakers.
The days of someone who has been banned from one pub or club simply moving on, usually with the problem behaviour to another venue have come to an end.
In a pilot program, which police hope will be rolled out across the whole of Yarra Ranges shire, licensed venue operators from Reefton to Woori Yallock and out as far as Powelltown have been working with Yarra Junction police to set up an accord setting out the criteria for a blanket ban.
The ban would operate in six hotels, the Upper Yarra RSL and the Powelltown Store which operates a bar.
Six hotels, the Woori Yallock, Home Hotel at Launching Place, Cunninghams at Yarra Junction, the Sam Knott at Wesburn, the Alpine at Warburton and the Reefton Hotel, Upper Yarra RSL and the Powelltown Store have signed on for the program.
Yarra Junction police officers Sergeant Kevin Largue and Senior Constable Kevin Bishop have been instrumental in getting the accord operational.
Venue operators and police have stressed that the blanket ban will be put into place only for incidents Sgt Largue, describes as “serious infractions” and is seen as a practical and enforceable way of dealing with an ongoing problem.
The majority of publicans now running the hotels in the Upper Yarra are new to the valley and see violent and abusive behaviour as not only a threat to their staff and genuine customers but to the investment they are putting into their businesses.
Peter Carter of the Home Hotel said there was no place for what he described as a culture of anti-social pub behaviour.
“The days of just going down to the pub and starting blues is finished up here … and it’s not so much the younger ones,” he said. “It’s very often the older ones who have been doing it for years. A lot of them just love a fight.”
Liz Downey of Cunninghams said the joint approach gave publicans a stronger stance. “It’s not just us saying we don’t want you here. I think this sends a strong message that if you mess up in a serious way there IS nowhere else to go,” she said.
Sgt Largue said venue operators retain the discretion to ban anyone from their own premises for unacceptable behaviour.
The offender will receive a letter from Yarra Junction police explaining the criteria for a full ban under the full liquor accord. A full ban is put in place when police are notified by a venue operator of a serious incident.
An assault on a staff member, crowd controller or police officer responding to an incident at the venue, or any other serious incident that threatens the safety of staff or patrons, will be met with a full ban.
The venue operator must notify Yarra Junction police who will issue a letter to the offender and to other venue operators.
Several of the operators the Mail spoke to last week said they have also brought in a lock-in policy where patrons can stay on and enjoy entertainment later at night but where no new “revellers” are admitted.
There is a firm consensus among the operators that the new approach will not only be good for their businesses and their staff, but will be welcomed by the majority of patrons who are well behaved.
“We feel it is time the people of the valley, and visitors, can enjoy the hotels here without having to worry about fools,” Mr Carter said.
“We have no shortage of families and other people who want to enjoy the facilities we offer and this will help to make sure they can do just that.”
