Pub licensee fined over wet t-shirt competition

A Queensland pub's licensee has been fined $2500 after staging a wet T-shirt competition that got out of hand.  Bowenville Hotel co-owner Alisha Travers conceded yesterday it was a bad idea to hold the competition outside and in front of a large crowd of people, which apparently included children.

The Office of Liquor and Gaming also disapproved, with the pub's licensee pleading guilty in Oakey Magistrates Court on Friday to breaching the Liquor Act by providing adult entertainment without a permit and failing to maintain a safe environment in and around hotel premises.  Miss Travers said the wet T-shirt competition was held at the back of the pub about 11pm on January 29 during the Bowenville Ute Muster and Bull Ride.

"We weren't going to try to fit 500 to 700 people inside. When the girls started taking their tops off we stopped the event,'' she said. Miss Travers said the wet T-shirt competition was held at the back of the pub about 11pm on January 29 during the Bowenville Ute Muster and Bull Ride.  "We weren't going to try to fit 500 to 700 people inside," Miss Travers said.  "When the girls started taking their tops off we stopped the event."

Miss Travers said security guards told her they had completed a sweep of the crowd before the competition began to make sure there were no children present. The court was told several complainants later said they were appalled that the competition became explicit and highly inappropriate as there were families with children within the vicinity.  The court also heard when a police officer closed the event, the crowd became aggressive towards the lone officer.

Magistrate Damian Carroll convicted the hotel licensee company on both charges and imposed a fine of $2500 plus $250 in costs.  Miss Travers said the Bowenville Ute Muster and Bull Ride would again be held in 2012, without the wet T-shirt competition.

Published in the Toowoomba Chronicle on 17 November 2011, to read story online visit here.