When fewer Queenslanders turn up to emergency departments broken and beaten after a night of drinking and partying, the state government will herald its tough new crackdown on revellers a success.
In fact, Brisbane Central MP Robert Cavallucci says a drop in the number of emergency admissions will be the official measure of how effective the government’s Safe Night Out strategy, to begin on Friday night, will be.
The $44.5 million initiative will see an increased police presence on weekend nights in 15 designated party precincts, including the Brisbane CBD, Fortitude Valley, Surfers Paradise, Townsville and Cairns.
