A battle is being waged over the right to party, seeing venue operators and council wanting to end the infamous ‘pub crawls’ of Surfers, while crawl operators refuse to go quietly into the night.
Licensees of the Surfers Paradise Licenced Venues Association (SPLVA) recently voted in favour of banning the popular bar-hopping events that have become almost synonymous with the precinct.
The Association claims the events have plagued the area, as tour operators spruik out of streetside booths by day, inciting swarms of intoxicated youths bringing a bad look to venues.
It’s said the crawls promote binge drinking and anti-social behaviour, with venues likely to feel any negative associations with the night, and unlicensed promoters effectively selling tickets to get free alcohol.
Gold Coast City Council has backed the initiative, councillor Darren Taylor vowing $670 on-the spot-fines for promoters touting the events.
“Council and the business community and everyone in Surfers are all on the same page about pub crawls – they are not part of the future going forward,” Cr Taylor said.
The Council cites its intention to ensure Surfers continues to improve and the job “to make this place clean and safe”.
The plans to axe pub crawls from Surfers have met with a vote of “Yes” from 77 per cent of respondents to a poll in the Gold Coast Bulletin.
Questioned on the matter, Mayor Tom Tate has thrown his support behind the ban, if only out of COVID safety concerns around the antics of tickled revellers.
The SPLVA suggests the move is part of a greater attempt to rehab Surfers’ image and make it more suited to a broader demographic, replacing some of the cheap eats options with more prestigious drinking and dining establishments.
But some pub crawl operators have already voiced objection. Wicked Club Crawl, Down Under Party Tours and The Hangover Crawl have all made use of street booths enlisting partygoers.
They suggest both they and the venues each check for intoxication of their guests upon entry, and they are not breaching any liquor licensing laws.
Wicked Club Crawl, which operates Wicked Nightlife Tours from 6.30-9.30pm, has been temporarily not trading due to COVID restrictions, but told the Bulletin they have every intention of resuming “when venue capacity numbers allow in the coming days”.
Members of the SPLVA are largely not concerned about the effects on trade.
Artesian Hospitality operates bar-restaurants and Surfers Paradise nightclubs Sin City and The Bedroom.
Partner Matt Keegan dismisses any notion the ban would have a negative impact on business for the group, reporting they have already shun the pub crawls for over a year and “It’s had a positive impact”.
