One of Maitland’s oldest hotels has been removed from a list naming the state’s most violent pubs and clubs.
The Belmore Hotel will be taken off the list as of Friday, after being added to the notorious list at level two last year.
Restrictions that apply to level two venues include stopping alcohol service 30 minutes before closing time and no glass or breakable containers to be dispensed after midnight.
There are no Maitland venues on the 2012 list (of 31 premises), which has seen the lowest number of pubs and clubs subjected to special restrictions in the history of the scheme.
“We’ve been working really hard to make sure we get off this list and everything we have been doing is working,” hotel licensee Josh Murphy said.
Since taking over the hotel at the beginning of March, Mr Murphy and his brothers Luke and Nick have changed trading hours, entertainment and are heavily focused on food and service.
“We have a responsibility within the town not to put Maitland on any form of black list,” Luke Murphy said. “And we’ve made a very concerted effort to basically rebrand what the hotel is about and we’ve got a very proactive action plan to eradicate any antisocial behaviour.
“This business is not just about the consumption of alcohol.”
Hospitality Minister George Souris said the review of the violent venues list, based on statistics from the 2011 calendar year, had produced some encouraging results.
“In addition, 10 licensed venues have been removed from the list all together (including the Belmore Hotel) as their assault rates now fall below the threshold of 12 incidents in a year, while five NSW premises have been included on the list for the first time,” he said.
Mr Souris said the NSW Government’s Three Strikes disciplinary scheme has provided unprecedented motivation for all licensed venues to lift their games or risk the ultimate sanction – loss of licence.
MJ Finnegans, Newcastle, and Fanny’s Of Newcastle have made the top of the State list.