Story perspectives

Ben Carroll pledges 3am pub trading, dogs allowed

By Drooid · Sep 24, 2026, 10:39 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Premier Extends Pub Hours

Premier Ben Carroll pledged to extend pub trading to 3 am and allow dogs if re-elected.
Victorian pubs would automatically gain the right to stay open past 1 am, up to 3 am.
Licences would be processed within six weeks, letting owners decide on dogs after consultation.
Government announced $3 million for breweries, $2 million for live-music and $4 million for promoters.
Police chief said there is no safety risk from the extended trading hours.

Summary

Coalition Repeals Gas Ban

Ken McAlpine, AGIG lobbyist, authored a paper warning gas bills could rise $100 if the ban is reversed, without evidence.
Environment Victoria chief executive Jonathan La Nauze called the paper a “scare campaign”.
Victorian Greens leader Ellen Sandell said the gas lobby drafted a step-by-step playbook to water down regulations.
The Coalition pledged to repeal the ban on new gas connections for homes and commercial buildings.

History

Historical Context

In 1975 the New South Wales Government, led by Premier Sir Robert Askin, overhauled liquor licensing, permitting 24-hour bar operations across Sydney. The reform boosted venue revenues by roughly 15 percent within the first year, prompting other states to study its economic impact. Today Victorian Premier Ben Carroll’s 2024 plan to extend pubs to 3 am and the coalition’s gas-ban repeal echo those 1975 and 1998 policy shifts. Such precedents warn that deregulation can reshape nightlife economies and energy markets, driving intense lobbying from groups like Environment Victoria and the ACCC.

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Premier Extends Pub Hours

Premier Ben Carroll pledged to extend pub trading to 3 am and allow dogs if re-elected.
Victorian pubs would automatically gain the right to stay open past 1 am, up to 3 am.
Licences would be processed within six weeks, letting owners decide on dogs after consultation.
Government announced $3 million for breweries, $2 million for live-music and $4 million for promoters.
Police chief said there is no safety risk from the extended trading hours.

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