REMEMBER WHEN

GOLD COAST BULLETIN Monday, November 23, 2004

GOLD Coasters would be required to have their fingerprints scanned to get into their local pub or club under a new proposal.

Options Tavern in Helensvale had already taken the severe security measure, where a photo, driver’s licence and fingerprint scan must be provided by a patron before entry. It was the first Gold Coast venue to introduce the tough measures and Surfers Paradise Licensed Venues Association president

Lino Girardi said others were looking to follow suit.

The system already has the backing of Liquor Licensing Minister Peter Lawlor, who said he would fully support any security system that made a venue more secure.

Three Coast venues at the time scanned driver’s licences, but it was the first Mr Girardi had heard of fingerprint scanning on the Coast. “I think it’s something that could be considered for the future,” he said. “It’s being discussed. We’re just not sure about privacy issues . . .”

Mr Girardi said venues volunteered to add the security

system, which were designed to help reduce drug and alcoholrelated violence.

But Mr Girardi said it was possible venues would share information if they had the system, with a patron banned from all clubs after being banned from one.

Patrons who had to use the system described feeling like criminals and “going through Customs at the airport – but worse’. The process included the scanning of an ID, the capture of a high-quality photo and placing the right index finger on a biometric reader to provide a fingerprint.