Opportunity to extend bush pub fee relief stifled

It will mean that the annual liquor licence for 112 very remote pubs in places such as Camooweal, Yaraka and Hungerford will be slashed by 90 per cent.

For some, this will be the difference that means they don't close their doors.

While the bill was passed with the support of the government, and 42 small community clubs given fee relief thanks to government amendments at the last moment, amendments the LNP claimed would have brought relief to hotels in drought-stricken areas were blocked.

Related reading: No shouting for Rural Hotels Bill yet

It was described by state KAP leader, Rob Katter, as very much needed by communities facing drought and flood.

"It might seem like a small measure - a saving of $3381 annually - but they'll be very grateful," Mr Katter said. "It shows we can drive the agenda for western areas."

He began the campaign after an Einasleigh hotelier wrote to him in 2013, pointing out that he was paying the same licencing fee as an urban Brisbane hotel that had vastly more foot traffic.

"His accountant told him to shut his doors. He said, I want to keep them open but I'm paying the same price as Brisbane pubs," Mr Katter said.

He thanked the government for its support, at the same time saying it was looking for ways to have some impact in regions that were pulverised by drought and flood.

"We forced them to these concessions," he said, adding that the changes didn't help enough bush pubs.

"We'll keep working on this now - pubs still have enormous electricity and insurance costs."

While Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said it was especially important in the Year of Outback Tourism to support the viability of hotels and clubs that were a critical part of the social fabric of remote towns, opposition justice spokesman, David Janetzki, described the government's support as a token gesture.

“The LNP gave Labor a solution that would have seen more community venues benefit, not just a few,” Mr Janetzki said.

“Labor’s amendments to the Katter Party Bill were nothing more than a token gesture.

“(They) did the bare minimum to make it appear they support the bush, but in reality it just doesn’t cut it.”

Opposition leader, Deb Frecklington, said they had tried to ensure the laws would cover pubs in drought-declared venues, not just very remote locations, and remove Labor's cap on the size of the club to be eligible for fee relief.

“The amendment was blocked by the government, which will sadly restrict many venues from accessing this fee relief," she said.

Rob Katter acknowledged his bill probably didn't reach enough hotels struggling in rural Queensland and said he would keep working to incorporate remote hotels.

"They still have electricity and insurance costs," he said.

The bill will mean new base licence fees for 112 remote pubs and 42 clubs will be cut to $376 from July, a saving of $3381 annually for the hotels and a halving of licence fees for clubs with no more than 2000 members.

The licence fee reduction will exempt remote pubs and clubs from the current one-size-fits-all approach applied across the state.

For a current commercial hotel licence the base fee is $3757, with an additional $4173 for each approved detached bottle shop.

Slashing the remote pubs and clubs’ concessions will cost the government about $395,855 in lost liquor licence fees annually.

Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Yvette D’Ath, said the clubs involved include RSLs, bowls clubs, golf clubs, social and recreational clubs that ranged in size from around 20 to over 1000 members.

The majority, if not all, the clubs in very remote areas of Queensland have less than 2000 members.

The passing of the bill was the third time KAP has been successful in having a Private Member's Bill passed, and it was the 16^th time it's happened in Queensland's history.