As a follow on to my previous post, the Victorian State Government has backed down on its 2am lockout strategy, aimed at reducing alcohol fuelled violence in Melbourne city. According to The Age newspaper (10Nov08), a report by consulting firm KPMG (commissioned by the government) found that there had been an increase in reports of violence during the lockout trial.  The report also notes that 46 drinking venues were granted exemptions to the lockout by the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal as a result of appeals.

This is a fascinating battle of different mindsets, ranging from quite linear thinking that stronger enforcement is the only answer, to strategic experimentation with things like the lockout, and the egalitarian approach of granting exemptions to the lockout through the appeals process.

Our system of governance is actually working against itself here, with government implementing a strategy on the one hand and then having it watered down by its own appeals process.  The trick is to design an approach that transcends but includes all of these mindsets, so they’re not battling against each other, but are working in concert to address the deeper causes of the issue.