Lockwood Ward councillor Jennifer Alden said the All Seasons’ bid to extend its licence from 3am to 4am at the weekend and from 1am to 3am during the week was questionable. 

“In my opinion we should be placing public health and safety ahead of the needs of venues to generate additional sales,” Cr Alden said. 

Research showed the increased availability of alcohol through later trading hours can lead to alcohol-related violence, according to Cr Alden. 

“What is it about their business model that isn’t sufficient currently,” she said. 

“We have a situation where we’re just escalating things (liquor licences). Where does that stop? What comes next?”

The City was currently formulating its four-year municipal public health and wellbeing plan, part of which would consider the general availability of alcohol, Cr Alden said. 

The application, which also proposes extending the licence in the morning, from 8.30am to 8am throughout the week, is for the Sports Bar in particular, which has a capacity of 534 patrons. 

The hotel is not seeking to extend the trading hours at its other function bars.

In the application, All Seasons states the Bendigo District RSL had recently been granted the equivalent liquor licence the club was seeking, and, in order to remain competitive, the venue has applied for the same permissions.

The venue had an application to extend its morning trading hours from 9am – 8.30am approved by the City of Greater Bendigo in early 2016. 

However in granting the extension, a city planner, via a report, stated that the 30 minute amendment: “Will not have any impact on the amenity of the neighbourhood as the facility and the proponents are not changing the night time hours which are considered to have far more potential for detriment than 30 minutes in the morning.”

All Seasons Director Jeanine Cooke said Ms Alden’s assertions were a “bit of a stretch”.

“If you are in the city then maybe there is a link between extended licences and alcohol, but here that is a bit of a stretch, we are predominantly a family hotel,” she said.

The move was aimed at servicing guests and remaining competitive with other venues with later hours, Ms Cooke said. 

“It’s all about providing your guests with what they want. We’ve had a lot of feedback, particularly after a function, that people want to continue on, they don’t  want to go into town,” said Ms Cooke, who confirmed there were no poker machines in the Sports Bar at the All Seasons.