Police reject calls to loosen liquor licensing laws

Police are rejecting calls to loosen liquor licensing laws to help Melbourne’s hospitality sector recover from the pandemic.

Last year, the Victorian government extended the freeze on granting new liquor licence applications for businesses to trade after 1am.

Victoria Police chief Shane Patton said he wouldn’t support that time being pushed out to 3am or 4am.

“Definitely not,” he said.

“That would not be on the cards.

“I think 1am is quite a reasonable time and anything else is taken on an individual basis.”

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