Thread: Pubs, could they die

Sadly,
You are probably correct.
However, remember it is the wish of the good folk of NSW through their efforts at the ballot box!
I often wonder why we choose to mimic the US when it has so many problems.
There are many other nicer countries to mimic.

Ralph

there are already some really small pubs in QLD,,,

I think its a (sydney) city thing,,

Yes there is, small English/Irish/Scottish style pubs would be better i reckon, there are a few around, more in country outer metro areas though, the American bistro type bars are more in the suburbs where the masses live.

Baz.

i'd just be happy with a pub, any pub in my suburb

naa, they aren't trying to mimic US style bars in Sydney, just have more equitable licensing laws that mimic what Victoria/Melbourne has and more like Europe, where you can go into a cafe and have a glass of wine without having to order food. IMO the current licensing laws are heavily biased in favour of pubs, and the AHA is hell bent on keeping them that way.
I'm all for it, never really liked pubs (and some of my best customers are clubs and pubs) but I'm probably some sort of arty farty trendy hippy type...... oh wait, I'm a tradesman and drive a Defender... damn.

oh wait, I'm a tradesman and drive a Defender... damn.

Possibly with a room full of Pro Harts.

It's pretty damn sad that pubs are soo full of bloody one armed bandits.

I wonder how they cope now that pubs are 'smoke free'?

Classic Aussie pubs have been disappearing for years, which is sad.

There's hardly a pub from north of the Harbour Bridge to Newcastle, these days.

Nearby to me there is a modern 'tavern', a concrete box, which is characterless.

The old Federal in Alstonville is a true old pub and may well be one of the last standing.

Another big oldie in Ballina met with the bulldozers about a month ago.

GQ

Qld. made big changes to the licencing laws in 1994. The Hotels Association is a big political lobbier and donor and had a big win. Pubs are no longer obliged to have a public bar or required to use standard glasses with the capacity marked. This has seen a rash of tarted up pubs with dim lights, carpets, oversized prices and undersized pots, and overloud music. We now see pubs with dress restrictions in what used to be their public bar, such as "no work boots at any time, "no industrial clothing after 6.00pm", "minimum dress standard is clean neat casual clothing", "no thongs or bare feet". Now many pubs are owned by Colesworths because of Queenslands restrictions on bottle shops and refusal to allow supermarket liquor sales, and have been turned into huge bottle shops with a modest pub attached because a hotel licence can have three remote bottle shops. Any move to small neighbourhood bars in Queensland would require major legislative changes as the Local Government Act require hotels to have lots of car parking, and such small establishments are not permitted under the Licenced Premises Acts. Poker machines in pubs have been a gold-mine also and the Hotels Association are not likely to quietly forgo this monopoly. It has become hard to find a place where one can just drop in for a drink or three with mates without having to dress up or be ripped off. I personally would love to have a neighbourhood bar as currently any pub is a twenty-five minute walk from my home, but not if it is going to be another overpriced pretentious outlet like our local pubs have become. No wonder the local leagues clubs and RSL's are booming.