On Monday night the Casino, Liquor and Gaming Control Authority issued a draft decision calling for Hamilton hotels to wind back lockout times from 1.30am to 1am.

But earlier lockouts would put extra strain on pubs, punters and flow-on businesses such as takeaways, Hamilton Liquor Accord president and Sydney Junction Hotel publican Paul Norberry said.

‘‘[It] means less money and less jobs, we’re already seeing younger people flat out refusing to go out in Newcastle and going down to Sydney,’’ he said.

‘‘I think we are in danger of the situation where some pubs will be in real financial trouble, already we know we have no growth.’’

Mr Norberry said Hamilton pubs had tried to engage with residents to find a compromise but had never received a response.

‘‘It’s very easy to say ‘we have a social problem’, well let’s actually sit down and work out what it is and what to do, just closing pubs earlier is not going to fix anything,’’ he said.

‘‘Pubs voluntarily came to the table five years ago. We gave them 2am lock ins, then 1.30 and then 1am and it’s disappointing that this is what it’s come to.’’

The various parties have two weeks to lodge submissions before the final decision.

Hamilton residents are expected to appeal.

‘‘To reduce the well-documented levels of failed [responsible service of alcohol] and intoxication, we will urge the authority to reduce Hamilton hotels’ closing time by at least the same half hour to a maximum 2.30am closing,’’ resident advocate Tony Brown said.

He said residents were seeking legal advice on the matter.

Police Association president Scott Weber also slammed the decision for not taking into account damning evidence about pub violence leaked to the public by security consultant George Askew.

‘‘The Askew Report undermines the core arguments put forward by the hotels,’’ he said.

‘‘It shows that hotels are happy to let intoxicated patrons simply become ‘someone else’s problem’.’’

But having two separate lock-in times, 1.30am for Newcastle and 1am for Hamilton, only confuses punters, bar staff say.

‘‘People are just getting confused because you don’t know when somewhere closes,’’ Mark Harding at Hamilton Station Hotel said.

Superintendent Max Mitchell, who made the initial complaint, was on a course and unavailable for comment.