Queensland laws mandating last drinks at 3am helped halve early morning assaults, report finds

Policies passed after Cole Miller's death from one-punch attack have also not adversely affected hospitality venues, review says

• Follow our Australia news live blog for the latest updates
• Get our free news app; get our morning email briefing

Controversial Queensland laws forcing pubs and nightclubs to call last drinks at 3am contributed to a significant drop in early morning assaults and had no adverse effect on hospitality businesses, a review of the measures has found.

The suite of policies, first passed in 2016 after the death of 18-year-old Cole Miller in a one-punch attack, includes rules forcing licensed venues to not serve alcohol after 3am and mandatory use of ID scanners in nightclub precincts. Plans to also introduce a 1am lockout at late-trading venues were dropped in early 2017 after opposition from licensees.

Sign up to receive an email with the top stories from Guardian Australia every morning