BLOOM’S BOOZE BLOW

CBD club’s late night liquor licence on hold as police step in

AUTHORITIES are reconsidering a late-night liquor licence for a popular new Geelong club following a police appeal in the Supreme Court.

Moorabool St nightclub Bloom opened earlier this year, following a decision by the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation to grant an application to transfer a latenight liquor licence.

But Chief Commissioner of Victoria Police Graham Ashton last week successfully appealed against the commission’s decision, obliging the authority to now re-examine the club’s application to transfer the liquor licence.

The Chief Commissioner had opposed the application with claims the club owner AMJK Pty Ltd had “within the preceding three years engaged in activities involving the trading in and marketing of liquor in a manner contrary to the provisions of the Liquor Control Reform Act”.

The submission referred to three infringement notices issued to Geelong’s Quban Bar — since renamed Frankie — which is owned by the same company.

Two of the infringement dates occurred during Quban Bar’s “Ain’t no Siesta’’ car park parties on Christmas Eve 2016, and Australia Day weekend last year.

Victoria Police did not share details of the Chief Commissioner’s supporting evidence from the Supreme Court appeal, when requested by the Advertiser this week.

Bloom owner John Kennedy revealed the infringements related to knock-off drinks at Quban Bar, and two car park party events held at the venue, one of which went “about 10 minutes” over time.

“They were all very vanilla,” Mr Kennedy said.

“One night my staff were having a couple of knock-off drinks after hours, police came through and gave me a fine on the spot and gave all the boys a fine on the spot,” he said.