‘Turn off ID scans or else’

A GLITTER Strip bar boss wants compulsory ID scanning ditched for the Commonwealth Games, predicting big queues of frustrated patrons.

Broadbeach’s Envy manager Peter Thompson said top of the agenda for a new stakeholder committee exploring extending Games trading hours should be the scanners.

“If the ID scanners are going to be still in play it is going to be the biggest embarrassment for all concerned, including politicians.

“With all these nationalities the scanners will not keep up and people will be queuing for hundreds of metres.”

Mr Thompson also said any Games trading hours extension should not just be in Surfers Paradise but central Broadbeach’s night hub too.

“With the International Media Centre in Broadbeach surely they would be looking at extending there as well.”

His scanner warning comes after Games Minister Kate Jones, Gold Coast Tourism chairman Paul Donovan and Mayor Tom Tate instigated talks to explore temporarily relaxing restrictions including 3am last drinks for the Games.

State Government made ID scans compulsory four months ago, with machines linked to a Queensland-wide database to red flag patrons with bar bans.

Compatibility problems plagued the launch with some foreign IDs requiring timeconsuming manual entry.

Scantek Solutions’ Ches Rafferty, whose firm provides scanners, said venues may need extra scanners to ensure patrons are scanned quicker: “New IDs are issued on a constant basis. Scantek continually improves software to recognise and read new IDs.”