Premier Campbell Newman has announced the proposed changes, and as expected, no change to trading hours has been mooted. Instead, there is an increased focus on education, enforcement and regulation, something which drew the immediate ire of the opposition.

Given its renewed focus on consultation, the government has released a draft 'safe night out strategy', which will only become law after a month's worth of "talking with the community".

Like the plan, the costings are yet to be finalised, but have been estimated to be about $20 million a year.

Brisbane CBD police will have the power to take those they judge to be too intoxicated off the streets and hold them in 'sober safe centres' - effectively drunk tanks - for up to eight hours.

Those held will have to pay for their incarceration. A first offence will cost $200, with the fine increasing each time an intoxicated person is held in the tank.

If implemented, the move will be trialed in Brisbane for a year before being spread out across the state.

'Coward punch' deaths could be punished under a new charge; 'unlawful striking causing death'. The punishment of up to life imprisonment mirrors manslaughter, except it takes away the 'accident' defence and those found guilty will be made to serve at least 80 per cent of their sentence before being able to apply for parole. No minimum penalty has yet been set.

Penalties for steroid use will be raised to better match those applied to other drugs, such as methamphetamine.

Police will also be given the power to conduct mandatory drug and alcohol testing on people charged with a serious offence.

Under the planned reforms, being intoxicated would no longer be able to be used as an excuse to lower a defendant's sentence.

On the spot fines for public nuisance would be raised to $660, with a maximum fine of $2750 or six months in jail, while refusing to leave a licensed premises could cost up to $5500.

A ban from an area's entertainment precinct, a penalty the courts have been able to hand down for years, would apply across the state. Clubs and pubs which want to open past midnight would have to install an integrated ID scanner system. While many clubs have already installed scanners, the systems will be linked to those across the state so someone who has been banned in Cairns could find themselves unable to enter a club in Brisbane.

Teachers could find themselves teaching their senior students 'drink safety' as part of the high school curriculum under the plan and 'drink safe precincts' would be renamed 'safe night precincts' and extended from the Gold Coast, Brisbane and Townsville to nine other regions.

The Queensland Coalition for Action on Alcohol has questioned how effective the plan would be and accused the government of kowtowing to populist views on social media instead of listening to experts.

But Premier Campbell Newman said he felt the plan struck the right balance.

"We want to deal with drug and alcohol-fuelled violence, but we want one other very important thing to be underlying all of this, that we want to have a nightlife in Queensland," Mr Newman said.

"We want to be a place where people can have a great party time. Where they can let their hair down, where they can enjoy themselves.

"What we are saying though is that the community have said enough is enough when it comes to anti-social behaviour and aggressive, violent behaviour.

"What this plan is all about is changing the culture."

"It's a draft and it goes out for one month's consultation," Mr Newman said.

"We want the community to have a good look at this document...and then the government will put some final touches to it."

If the plan passes parliament, as expected, it would be reviewed 12 months after it was enacted.

However, shadow police minister Bill Byrne said the Premier was being cowardly in not changing trading hours for licensed venues, a move which he said was proven to reduce incidents of alcohol-fuelled violence.

Mr Byrne said in Newcastle when hours were reduced, offences dropped 33% in three years.

“Why doesn’t the Premier acknowledge that simple fact? Or is he beholden to the vested interests involved?”