Roi bar’s Rob Malone welcomed the development, announced by the NSW Government yesterday, as another Albury hotel was added to the list of the most violent clubs across the state.

The Bended Elbow publican Gavin Grant said the addition of his venue — which includes the One Nightclub upstairs — had been disappointing and he hoped it would be removed when the Government reviewed the list in six months’ time.

It was revealed in March the figures used last year to determine NSW’s top 48 violent venues were outdated and Roi bar should never have been included.

Mr Malone lobbied the NSW Office of Liquor, Gaming and Racing to have the restrictions associated with the list — including a 10-minute “time-out” every hour after midnight when no alcohol could be served — overturned for his venue.

A new tiered system will take effect from December 1, with Roi bar among 25 venues to be removed from the list.

The Bended Elbow has been listed as one of 47 “level two” venues, which have had 12 to 18 assaults in a year.

The 19 “level one” venues have had 19 or more assaults in a year.

“We knew we were going to be getting off the list and it’s just taken a long time for it to happen,” Mr Malone said.

“Finally, common sense has prevailed.

“In the end, a lot of the restrictions that are in that tiered system we’re adopting just to have best practice and stay on top of things anyway.

“But it’s just nice to be recognised and be completely out of it.”

Mr Grant said his venue had only just been included on the list, having 12 assaults in the relevant time frame.

As part of the new restrictions, the venue must stop serving alcohol 30 minutes before closing and provide alcohol time-outs or free water for 10 minutes every hour after midnight.

The downstairs bar is exempt from a ban on glass after midnight while Mr Grant said One Nightclub already abided by that restriction, save for a couple of brands of bottled beer.

Mr Grant also said the benchmark for inclusion on the list didn’t take into account patron numbers, with his venue attracting about 3500 people every weekend.

Editorial — page 36