Fortitude Valley venues have slammed calls for Brisbane's entertainment precincts to be shut down at 2am, saying the proposal signals a return to the Joh Bjelke-Petersen era.

Queensland Police Union (QPU) today called for the Valley entertainment district and parts of the CBD to be closed at 2am in a bid to curb the number of violent late-night street bashings.

Under the union's submission to the State Government inquiry committee on alcohol-related violence suburban venues would be subject to a midnight shut down.

The union claims the shutdown would reduce the strain on emergency services forced to tolerate regular violent assaults from intoxicated club-goers, while quashing alcohol-related violence on the streets.

Lord Mayor Campbell Newman threw his weight behind the QPU proposal, saying he was "desperate" to see a dramatic reduction in alcohol-related violence.