Despite the shameful week of Schoolies in Queensland, State Premier Anna Bligh has ruled out scrapping the controversial Schoolies festival.
The event, which has been described by police as the worst behaved ever, has received a record number of arrests during the first week of the event, with Gold Coast Mayor Ron Clarke describing the event as a blight on the tourist city, with residents and business leaders calling for the event to be cancelled.
However, Ms Bligh said yesterday that the Schoolies festival would really get out of hand if the Government stopped providing funds for organised entertainment and emergency services.
She pointed out that it was not the government which decides to send Schoolies to the Gold Coast, as they just turn up there in droves and accommodation owners make the bookings.
Ms Blights comments were echoed by officials from the Schoolies event, who invited traders and residents to reclaim Surfers Paradise.
But Schoolies Advisory Committee chairman Mark Reaburn brushed off criticism that this year’s teen party-goers were the most drunken and rowdy in the event’s history.
He said that the police presence has been stronger than in previous years and the bad apples had been dealt with harshly.
Reaburn went on to dismiss the blight claims made by Cr Clarke as unfair, pointing out that the 99.9 per cent of kids were doing the right thing.
Police issued over 150 liquor offence notices in Surfers Paradise on Saturday night and early yesterday, and issued over 120 official warnings for drinking in public.
In the first week of Schoolies, police made over 630 arrests on over 500 charges.