25 years ago

- The Gazette, April 28, 1998

Late hours for Railway Hotel

Operation hours at the Railway Hotel in Warragul have been extended to 3am daily.

Baw Baw Shire Council’s development approvals committee last week approved an application from Dinarius Hotels to extend its daily opening hours in line with a number of other licensed premises in Warragul.

A report to council said the hotel included a public bar, lounge, wine bar and several separate function lounges.

The report said it was unlikely the application to extend the on premises hours of operation would cause any increase in detriment.

The committee was told the synchronisation of closing times for licensed premises tended to result in less movement between premises with the police able to concentrate on one main period when there was a significant exodus of patrons onto the streets.

Development approvals services leader Scott Beveridge said the police didn’t have any problems with the proposed closing time and suggested a common closing time would see crowds dispersing onto the streets at 3am rather than some at 1am and then more later at 3am.

Speaking on behalf of the applicants, Peter Aldred said the move would allow the Railway Hotel to compete on an equal footing with other clubs in the area.

Cr Geoff Davey said previous applications

had set a benchmark for closing times for licensed establishments in Warragul.

He said he agreed with the police and saw a common closing time as a benefit for enforcing law.

Cr Davey said it would prevent what was occurring at the moment with people moving to another venue with a later licence.

Petition presented

A group of Country Fire Authority and State Emergency Service volunteers from Eastern Victoria travelled to parliament house to present the Helimed One retention policy to the local members of parliament on Wednesday.

The petition circulated over a short time span in Gippsland and the Latrobe Valley contained 35,582 signatures.

The petition was presented by Helimed retention spokesperson Neville Pulham to Member for Narracan Florian Andrighetto, Member for Morwell Keith Hamilton, Member for Gippsland Province Phillip Davis, Member for Gippsland West Susan Davies, Member for Gippsland Province Peter Hall, Member for South Gippsland Peter Ryan and Member for East Gippsland David Treasure.

When presenting the petition Mr Pulham asked the members to convey to the government the overwhelming community feeling for the vital service which must remain in the Latrobe Valley with guaranteed long term funding to operate in the areas of Melbourne which takes in all of the Gippsland region and southern coastlines along with the more remote areas in the high country to the north.