Fortitude Valley’s Chamber of Commerce has distanced itself from calls for a moratorium on new liquor licences in the entertainment precinct. Deputy Mayor and Local Councillor David Hinchliffe had told mX the Chambers entertainment management committee would ask the State Government to consider whether the Valley has reached saturation point”. But Valley Chamber of Commerce president Carol Gordon said while the issue was raised, the Chamber would not support the move. Gordon described a moratorium as a “restraint of trade” and said it should be firmly off the table.”We definitely don’t support it,” she said. “it was raised at one meeting, but how could we possibly support it? It never got off the ground.” Gordon said a moratorium on licences would stunt the growth of the Valley Entertainment Precinct. The demographic of people that the Valley attracts come here looking for new and exciting things, and if there are no new venues, that wont happen,” she said. “We’ve got a lot of property development in the area and there is room for growth.” Gordon said the Entertainment Precinct went further than just the Valley heart. But Gordon conceded more work needed to be done to ensure pedestrian safety as more people were attracted to the area. Valley Alcohol Management Partnership chairman Les Pullos said the Precinct’s key nightlife stakeholders wanted to sustain the Valley as a 24-hour entertainment and cultural hub.
(An article in the MX 3 July 2007, written by Cameron Atfield(