It's been just under two weeks since mandatory ID scanning was introduced in Queensland's Safe Night Precincts, generating significant backlash from punters and proprietors alike — but BIGSOUND delegates and punters will be able to enjoy September's live events completely free of the frustrations that have plagued its rollout so far.
QMusic executive officer Joel Edmondson exclusively told The Music that "BIGSOUND is, under the relevant legislation, considered a private function, because it's a ticketed event that's run by a third-party promoter at the venues".
"Don't panic, there's no scanners, and movement between the venues for BIGSOUND will be as free as it's always been for the last 15 years."
That distinction allows the festival total exemption from forcing attendees to have their ID scanned on entry and re-entry after 10pm, he explained.
"We just want to get the message out to people: don't panic, there's no scanners, and movement between the venues for BIGSOUND will be as free as it's always been for the last 15 years," Edmondson said.
The rollout of mandatory ID scanners for venues across the state that wish to trade past midnight has generated fairly vocal outcry — as Broadsheet notes, one post, from Lefty's Old Time Music Hall proprietor Jamie Webb, has gone viral after slamming the government for "killing [his] business" due to potential patrons being put off by the long wait times to get in.
And, as ABC reports, the manager of Brisbane bar The Gresham, Ryan Lane, was left fuming after being forced to turn away a group of French winemakers who did not have the correct identification on them to enter the premises.
On the eve of the scanners' implementation, Crowbar proprietor Tyla Dombroski told The Music that, while preferable to lockouts, the new legislation poses significant concerns for small-to-mid-size venues such as hers.
"It's going to push a lot of places to look at closing earlier midweek or on Sundays because its not financially viable to take on the extra costs of having a security guard on to operate the scanner on those days," she said.
"Another major concern is rescanning every time someone goes in and out, and the length of time it will take scanning people in on sold-out shows."
Regardless, the Palaszczuk government has remained steadfast in its support for the new laws, which came into effect on 1 July, releasing a new statement today explaining that 481,758 IDs had been scanned since last Saturday, picking up 23 people — or about 0.005% of venue-goers — attempting entry despite being listed on banning orders.
"Dangerous people on banning orders seem to be quickly learning — and must learn — that there is no point even trying to enter clubs and pubs to ruin a night out for patrons," Attorney-General and Minister For Justice Yvette D'Ath said in a statement.
It's important to note that as a result of the laws' design, it's impossible to know how many patrons on banning orders entered Safe Night Precinct venues before 10pm, or simply avoided such premises and frequented those outside the legislation's purview, including casinos, instead.
However, it appears that the government is willing to at least compromise on the issue when the occasion arises: along with the approval for BIGSOUND's total exemption for the duration, the Caxton Street Safe Night Precinct will see a relaxation of the ID scanning laws for tonight's State Of Origin decider, with the scanners coming into effect an hour later than usual, at 11pm, "to assist pedestrian congestion".
The ID scanner-free BIGSOUND Festival will run from 5-8 September in Fortitude Valley. See the event's website for more information.
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