Bill will help out country public bars

❝pubs Rural are more than a place to have a beer... — Lachlan Millar

MEMBER for Gregory Lachlan Millar is thrilled common-sense and fairness has won out, as reports of the Parliamentary Committee report on small pubs licences recommends the government pass the Bill.

Mr Millar, who has been championing the Bill since the last Parliament, is happy that the Bill will finally be put to Parliament for a vote.

“I was disgusted to learn that pubs throughout rural Queensland were paying the same level of fees as pubs in the centre of Brisbane,” Mr Millar said.

“Rural pubs are more than a place to have a beer – they are the community meeting place, the local restaurant, the first destination for tourists and a vital part of any local community.

“It’s ultimately about fairness – the Yaraka Hotel or the Union Hotel in Blackall doesn’t have anywhere near the same patronage as the Breakfast Creek Hotel in Brisbane or the Criterion Hotel in Rockhampton.

“But yet, these pubs are all paying the same licence fees.

“I’m proud to announce that the Legal Affairs and Community Safety Committee has been examining the Liquor (Rural Hotels Concession) Amendment Bill, and they have recommended to the Parliament to pass it. This is a win for all rural Queenslanders.”