PUB OWNER IN PLEA OVER LICENCE HIT

HEARTLESS bureaucrats are threatening to shut down a North Queensland pub because it has not been able to put up the cash for its liquor licence since being battered by Cyclone Debbie.

Thomas Dunne’s O’Duinn’s Irish Pub in Proserpine suffered significant roof and internal damage as a result of Cyclone Debbie and has been waiting on substantial insurance money in order to repair the battered building.

Mr Dunne said since the cyclone struck on March 27, he has missed out on $ 430,000 in income alone due to being shut.

He has written to the State Government calling on them to be able to support businesses such as his – flattened by natural diasters – by allowing them to pay up when they are back on their feet.

“Why is the Queensland Government cancelling our licence for non- payment when we are not trading due to a natural disaster?” he said.

After significant discussions with the Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation ( OLGR), Mr Dunne said he was offered a payment instalment of about $ 2500 instead of $ 10,500, but he would still need to borrow money to pay in time.

“That’s nice but I still have to borrow money to pay it.

“It’s ridiculous because I am having a total nightmare with the insurance company.

“We don’t need to be dealing with that right now because we haven’t received any money since April,” he said.

An OLGR spokeswoman said the Liquor Act required all fees be paid by August 31.

She said the Act allowed for the Commissioner to accept the licence fee by instalments, if a licensee has suffered personal or financial hardship, and “the licensee in question” had been approved to pay in instalments.