Time for action in Coogee
August 26th 2008 05:56
I read at the ABC online today that a young man by the name of David Keohane may not recover from the senseless bashing he received about 2 weeks ago.
Click to the article here
It was just a matter of time before it got to this in Coogee.
Weeks ago I wrote this to a spokesperson of the Australian Hotels Association, who in the 27 March 2008 edition of the SMH online made some attempt to defend Coogee publicans against residents’ calls for earlier closing times of the pubs.
This is what I wrote:
“Sally
I read your comments in today's online version of the SMH.
Cause and effect is always tricky to pin down. But, as Coogee residents close by to the Palace and the CBH, my family and I wonder who else - but drunken louts from establishments owned by your members would be on our pavement at 3am in the morning vomiting in our street and damaging our cars.
I have about $1000 worth of damage to my car and feel highly aggrieved by the moral high ground that your association is taking.
The bottle shops ain't open at 3am. Your members still selling liquor, responsibly or otherwise, at 3am remains an issue.
Your members' responsibility as part of a community-wide contribution or solution (as you put it) is not to be selling liquor to anyone at 3am or until 6am. Who the hell needs to be drinking at that time?
I wonder what the results would be if everyone who left the Palace or CBH at 3am were alcohol tested? My bet is the overwhelming majority would be so pissed that it would be a joke for the owners of the establishments to try and defend their claims to responsible serving.
I don't think it’s prudish or conservative for these places to shut shop at midnight.
Your comments, sadly, are nothing but PR spin. Hopefully the police and the council will see it that way.
Regards
Zed”
I received no reply.
Today I felt galvanized to write again, because cold indifference and apathy are the enemies of change and hopefully this will be start of the groundswell to which I refer:
“Sally
I never had the courtesy of a reply to my last e-mail. Bearing testimony, I guess, to the fact that the AHA doesn't really give much thought to this kind of feedback.
I was just wondering what the AHA's position is on the beating of Mr Keohane a few weeks ago?
I was also just wondering at what point across the spectrum: from vomiting on the sidewalk, to ripping up street signs, to bashing, to murder; your constituents, will pause to consider their complicity in their customers' behaviour.
There is a groundswell amongst desperate Coogee residents to mobilise so that your members are given formal notice of their duty of care. We intend to do it over and over and over again, by letter, in the media, in the council, in the police stations and in any and every public forum, so that the next time property, or God forbid, a human being, is damaged, it will be your members who will have to answer in the place where it hurts most - their bank accounts.
Take this e-mail as the start of the AHA and it's Coogee members being put on notice. For every Friday and Saturday night that I have to yell at drunken customers at 2am and 3am tearing up street signs and damaging cars (acting - if you like - as the security guard that your customers should have on patrol) you and your members will get an e-mail. Equally other Coogee residents are going to do the same.
We want action from your members, of course it's too late for Mr Keohane and his parents and family.
Regards
Zed”
I guess, to some extent I am just venting my frustration and anger at the unfathomable contradiction that a week ago we were marvelling at the wonder of a whale 25 metres from Coogee Beach and only the week before a man lay dying in our streets. I am not one to speak out, to march, to sign petitions. But the anguish of the Keohane family has moved me to take this one small step. I will slowly chip away at fellow Coogee residents to start the barrage of correspondence. There is some small naive part of me that imagines that the AHA and the pub owners will respond with vehement indignation and tell me that I have jumped the gun and that they have all of these issues well under control, have established committees and working groups and have a plan of action that is about to be implemented (security guards have been hired, closing times have been moved earlier, CCTV cameras are installed everywhere, a fund has been established to help the Keohane family....) and they resent my insinuation that they don't care or have done nothing. I will gladly make that apology if I have to.
healey@aha.org.au is the e-mail address of the AHA Director, National Affairs.
Click to the article here
It was just a matter of time before it got to this in Coogee.
Weeks ago I wrote this to a spokesperson of the Australian Hotels Association, who in the 27 March 2008 edition of the SMH online made some attempt to defend Coogee publicans against residents’ calls for earlier closing times of the pubs.
This is what I wrote:
“Sally
I read your comments in today's online version of the SMH.
Cause and effect is always tricky to pin down. But, as Coogee residents close by to the Palace and the CBH, my family and I wonder who else - but drunken louts from establishments owned by your members would be on our pavement at 3am in the morning vomiting in our street and damaging our cars.
I have about $1000 worth of damage to my car and feel highly aggrieved by the moral high ground that your association is taking.
The bottle shops ain't open at 3am. Your members still selling liquor, responsibly or otherwise, at 3am remains an issue.
Your members' responsibility as part of a community-wide contribution or solution (as you put it) is not to be selling liquor to anyone at 3am or until 6am. Who the hell needs to be drinking at that time?
I wonder what the results would be if everyone who left the Palace or CBH at 3am were alcohol tested? My bet is the overwhelming majority would be so pissed that it would be a joke for the owners of the establishments to try and defend their claims to responsible serving.
I don't think it’s prudish or conservative for these places to shut shop at midnight.
Your comments, sadly, are nothing but PR spin. Hopefully the police and the council will see it that way.
Regards
Zed”
I received no reply.
Today I felt galvanized to write again, because cold indifference and apathy are the enemies of change and hopefully this will be start of the groundswell to which I refer:
“Sally
I never had the courtesy of a reply to my last e-mail. Bearing testimony, I guess, to the fact that the AHA doesn't really give much thought to this kind of feedback.
I was just wondering what the AHA's position is on the beating of Mr Keohane a few weeks ago?
I was also just wondering at what point across the spectrum: from vomiting on the sidewalk, to ripping up street signs, to bashing, to murder; your constituents, will pause to consider their complicity in their customers' behaviour.
There is a groundswell amongst desperate Coogee residents to mobilise so that your members are given formal notice of their duty of care. We intend to do it over and over and over again, by letter, in the media, in the council, in the police stations and in any and every public forum, so that the next time property, or God forbid, a human being, is damaged, it will be your members who will have to answer in the place where it hurts most - their bank accounts.
Take this e-mail as the start of the AHA and it's Coogee members being put on notice. For every Friday and Saturday night that I have to yell at drunken customers at 2am and 3am tearing up street signs and damaging cars (acting - if you like - as the security guard that your customers should have on patrol) you and your members will get an e-mail. Equally other Coogee residents are going to do the same.
We want action from your members, of course it's too late for Mr Keohane and his parents and family.
Regards
Zed”
I guess, to some extent I am just venting my frustration and anger at the unfathomable contradiction that a week ago we were marvelling at the wonder of a whale 25 metres from Coogee Beach and only the week before a man lay dying in our streets. I am not one to speak out, to march, to sign petitions. But the anguish of the Keohane family has moved me to take this one small step. I will slowly chip away at fellow Coogee residents to start the barrage of correspondence. There is some small naive part of me that imagines that the AHA and the pub owners will respond with vehement indignation and tell me that I have jumped the gun and that they have all of these issues well under control, have established committees and working groups and have a plan of action that is about to be implemented (security guards have been hired, closing times have been moved earlier, CCTV cameras are installed everywhere, a fund has been established to help the Keohane family....) and they resent my insinuation that they don't care or have done nothing. I will gladly make that apology if I have to.
healey@aha.org.au is the e-mail address of the AHA Director, National Affairs.
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