Last drinks for the Drink Safe Precinct program? Fortitude Valley's Brunswick Street Mall forms part of a Drink Safe Precinct. The future of the state's Drink Safe Precinct program could rest with industry stakeholders. The Queensland Auditor-General has released a scathing report on the effectiveness of the scheme, which was introduced by the Bligh government in 2010 after a parliamentary inquiry into alcohol-related violence. Drink safe precincts were established in Townsville, Surfers Paradise and Fortitude Valley. The program takes a multi-agency approach to increasing safety in major entertainment precincts, with trials involving an increased police presence, drug and alcohol support services, better transport options and support from community and chaplaincy groups. In December last year, Attorney-General Jarrod Bleijie extended the trial until September. But its future beyond that date is now in doubt. Mr Bleijie said he supports the concept but believes its implementation needs review. The Auditor-General examined the planning, implementation and evaluation of the Drink Safe Precinct trial but came to the conclusion that after "a total investment of more than $10 million and two evaluations, its proponents are no closer to establishing its efficacy." "The DSP trial was not well planned, implemented or evaluated," the report says. It was adversely impacted in its set-up and design by the imposition of arbitrarily short and unrealistic time frames. This caused problems throughout, particularly in terms of certainty of funding and data gathering and evaluation. However an 18-month evaluation update, released by the Department of Premier and Cabinet, is more complimentary of the program. It notes that definitive results and conclusions will not be available until the end of the two-year trial period. But the 18-month evaluation found that the trial had seemingly been successful in the Valley and Surfers Paradise. Results from the Townsville trial were mixed and the report authors questioned the impact fly-in, fly-out workers were having on the precinct. Over the past 18 months, police statistics revealed a 9.9 per cent reduction in the overall rate of offences per weekend drinking night in Fortitude Valley. Good order offences dropped by 19.8 per cent and offences against police were reduced by 31.6 per cent, but the rate of assaults increased by 6.7 per cent. In Surfers Paradise, the police statistics showed a similar drop in offending behaviour - total offences were down 24.2 per cent, good order offences dropped by 27.9 per cent, offences against police were reduced by 39.6 per cent and assaults decreased by 23.3 per cent. But in Townsville, the total rate of offences increased by 4.4 per cent on weekend drinking nights. Good order offences grew by 22.3 per cent and offences against police increased by 8.8 per cent. Assault rates dropped by 28.9 per cent. The evaluation update found there "is evidence that suggests that DSP-related initiatives may be having a positive impact on violence and the severity of injuries sustained by patrons across the three drink safe precincts." The Auditor-General report was cautious about the figures concluding "the reliability of conclusions from the evaluation is questionable, as the data analysis supports alternate interpretations of the results." Mr Bleijie said a committee, chaired by Member for Brisbane Central Robert Cavallucci and comprised of industry operators and stakeholders, would evaluate the scheme's future. Mr Bleijie said the problems the Auditor-General identified were indicative of what he labelled the previous government's "reactionary," "rushed in" approach. "Through the committee process ... we are really going to let industry lead the drive for this if they want the drink safe precinct to continue, taking on board the Auditor-General comments, then we are going to have to work out how we are going to continue that in the future," Mr Bleijie said.