An industry leader says violence against hospitality staff is increasing in Canberra as the number of workplace protection orders approved by ACT courts rises.
One Canberra hospitality venue manager says he has had knives held to his throat "a number of times" while supermarket giant Woolworths recorded more than 150 violent incidents in the ACT last year.
Australian Hotels Association general manager Chris Gatfield said some venues in the ACT had applied for workplace protection orders after guests had caused property damage, threatened or abused staff, committed assault or sexual assault, and in one case, attempted an arson attack.
"Our members are telling me there's been a recent increase in harassment, intimidation, and abuse from patrons directed towards staff. That's just appalling," he said.
"This sort of behaviour isn't just happening in the CBD, it's all over Canberra."
The ACT Magistrates Court issued 45 workplace protection orders in the current financial year, as of June 2026, an increase on 39 orders in 2024-25.
WPOs have increased steadily since 2020-21, with a small dip during the COVID-19 pandemic.
WPOs are one-year limitations placed on individuals causing safety issues for a particular business or place of employment. They usually involve restrictions around attending the workplace and interacting with staff or other customers.
General manager of a city venue, Luke, who asked for his last name not to be used to protect his business, said there was "not a day" that he didn't have an issue with violence.
The manager said he had had four WPOs granted in recent years.
"There was a number of times where I had knives put to my throat," Luke said.
"I have just spent a quarter-million dollars on new door locks, I have security guards patrolling the perimeter, I have security fencing set up ... we do everything we can.
"I have actually a significantly higher turnover [of staff] than other businesses... it's not safer than to walk up and down at night-time."
Supermarket giant Woolworths alone has had 16 WPOs granted in the ACT, understood to have resulted in a 92 per cent reduction in reoffending among repeat offenders.
The Canberra Times understands Woolworths recorded more than 158 violent incidents across its stores in the ACT out of more than 7000 reported across Australia in 2025.
Woolworths' head of acts of violence and aggression Sarah Faorlin said theft was a major driver of violence and aggression in retail stores.
She said the supermarket chain had invested $46 million in safety initiatives in the past three years.
"Tackling retail crime requires a united approach. We are grateful for the ongoing collaboration with the ACT government and ACT Policing, particularly as we work together to utilise preventative measures like Workplace Protection Orders to keep high-harm repeat offenders out of our stores," she said.
Individuals who breach a WPO can be fined up to $75,000 in fines and face five years imprisonment.
An ACT Policing spokesperson said WPOs had proven to be "very effective" in stopping recurrent violence.
"We have seen recidivist offenders completely stop the relevant offending while others have changed their behaviours," the spokesperson said.
"Feedback from retailers has also been positive... when the WPO does not see behaviour change - ACT Policing works with retailers and shopping centre operators to collect evidence regarding those breaches to place the person before court."
This masthead recently revealed that a report from the City Renewal Authority observed hundreds of violent incidents in Canberra's city every day, with business owners complaining the CBD was perceived by families to be unsafe.
