Released 25/07/2017
Small licensed restaurants and cafes in the ACT are paying less in liquor fees as part of a suite of red tape reduction measures introduced by the ACT Government.
Minister for Regulatory Services, Gordon Ramsay, said that since 1 July, the 25 per cent decrease in liquor licence fees will apply to those restaurants and cafes with an occupancy of 150 or less patrons that operate standard licensing times of no later than midnight, and small venues with an occupancy of 150 or less patrons with a trading time of up to 2am.
“The ACT Government made a commitment during the 2016 election to protect a safe and vibrant nightlife in Canberra. One of the ways we can achieve this is by encouraging lower risk venues in the CBD”, Minister Ramsay said.
“Canberra has a great nightlife and we want to ensure Canberrans can continue to enjoy everything our city has to offer in a safe environment. This is the first of many reforms we will be introducing as part of our election commitment to support the industry.”
Further red tape reduction measures that came into effect on 1 July 2017 that benefit licensees and the community include:
- Perpetual licences
- Simpler incident reporting requirements for licensees
- Extended trading hours for special events
- Public consultation where there are significant changes to existing liquor licences.
The requirement for licensees to keep a register of incidents that occur at their licensed premises is being replaced with a requirement to report an incident. This lessens the burden on licensees by not requiring them to keep a physical register.
From 1 July 2017, where an incident occurs in the licensed premises or permitted premises, the licensee must report the incident to the Commissioner for Fair Trading within 24 hours of the incident. To support industry with this requirement, Access Canberra has developed a simple online form that is easy to complete.
“Another initiative to benefit licensees is the provision that allows licensees to trade outside their standard licensing hours for up to six times a year for special events such as the World Cup, televised sporting matches, local cultural events and festivals, visiting bands and New Year’s Eve.
“I am confident that this will encourage venues to host interesting special events, which will create new and exciting entertainment options and increase the diversity of Canberra’s nightlife scene.
Members of the community already have an opportunity to comment on new liquor licence applications. From 1 July 2017, public consultation will also be required where there is a significant change to existing liquor licences such as changing subclasses, changing licensing times, or increasing a venue’s occupancy loading.
“These changes support industry by removing unnecessary regulatory burden on businesses. They also allow Access Canberra to direct its attention to those issues that need a regulatory response in order to minimise the risk of harm in our community.”
For further information visit www.act.gov.au/accessCBR or call Access Canberra on 13 22 81.
- Statement ends -
Gordon Ramsay, MLA | Media Releases