OUT-of-control party laws like those in Queensland and Western Australia will be proposed for NSW, if a plan before Lake Macquarie council wins support on Monday night.
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Crusading councillor John Gilbert will tonight move that the council tell the NSW government to “heed the lesson” of recent raging house parties in Charlestown and Coal Point.
“I’m well aware there are people [on the council] who will try to shoot me down. The Liberals are going to say to keep our nose out of state government business, I’ve heard it all,” Cr Gilbert said.
“But my argument is that it affects my constituents, so I’m still going to do something about it.”
Cr Gilbert’s plan involves the council writing to Police Minister Troy Grant and Attorney General Gabrielle Upton requesting “out-of-control” event powers for NSW police.
The council would also advocate stricter party laws at both the state and national council associations’ general meetings this year.
The laws Cr Gilbert ultimately wants would mirror those in Queensland.
In that state, organisers and hosts of events that become “out-of-control” can be fined up to $12,000 or imprisoned for a year.
Queensland defines “out-of-control” as 12 or more people, if three of them interfere with the public by swearing, making excessive noise or being drunk in a public place.
But Liberal councillor Kevin Baker told the Newcastle Herald he was “quite concerned” the council was wasting time and resources fighting causes that are not, he said, the responsibility of councils.
“While we agree that these parties are a menace, these issues are best handled by law enforcement and the state government,” Cr Baker said.
The issue reached a flashpoint in Charlestown in February as police shut part of the Pacific Highway after more than 300 people – many drunk and drug-affected teenagers – left a house party in Ida Street.
The crowd pelted police with bottles and three teenagers, including two girls aged 13 and 16, were taken to hospital suffering suspected drug overdoses. Eleven people were arrested.
The scene, described by some witnesses as a “riot”, prompted talks between senior police and Lake Macquarie mayor Kay Fraser, who described the damage and disturbance in Ida Street as “unacceptable”.
Cr Gilbert said a constituent had since complained about a wild party of 100 people in a house at Coal Point, and that most residents wouldn’t care at which level of government stricter regulation originated.
He was “very confident” most councillors would back his plan.
