On the 4th of April 2012, The Office of Liquor Gaming and Racing released Guideline 12, a guideline outlining acceptable practices for advertising packages including a meal or accommodation and alcoholic beverages. RSA Liquor Professionals reminds its clients that ANY external promotion of the price of liquor for on-premesis consumption is technically a breech of the Liquor Act. However, in this doccument OLGR acknowledges that “drink and meal packages have become an accepted practice for many licensees.” There are many “Taco and 4 Coronas for $14.00″ type promotions on the market. This Guideline issued by OLGR discourages such promotions, and limits “acceptable” advertising to:
(a) a meal and one alcoholic beverage, provided the beverage equates to no more than 1.5 standard drinks and the meal is of sufficient substance to ordinarily be accepted as a meal; or
(b) a package consisting of a meal for two and a bottle of wine, sparkling wine or champagne up to 750ml, and the meals are:
(i) of sufficient substance to ordinarily be accepted as a meal; and
(ii) eaten in an area of the premises ordinarily set aside for dining
(c) a package consisting of accommodation and a bottle of wine, sparkling wine or champagne up to 750ml.
Click on the title of this article to read Guideline 12 and make sure your premises remains compliant.
Please note that non standard trading hours apply through the christmas new years period – click on the title of this article for detals on trading hours restrictions.
(Article from QHA Update Volume 17 Number 23 Published 25 November 2011)
Amendments to the Liquor Act 1992 on 1 December 2010, resulting from the Parliamentary Law, Justice and Safety
Committee’s report into alcohol related violence, included a reduction in the ordinary trading hours for the sale of takeaway liquor from Commercial Hotel Licences, Community Club Licences and relevant Commercial Special Facility Licences from 10:00am – 12midnight to 10:00am – 10:00pm.
A number of premises which have been subject to liquor licence transfer applications since this time have had this restrictive trading condition imposed.
QHA representations to the OLGR have sought clarification on this issue, including the consideration that the original intention of the legislative changes related only to new liquor licence applications, and not to existing premises licence transfers.
The response from OLGR has been positive –
‘In our opinion it is clear the intention of Parliament was to restrict trading of takeaway outlets at the time of initial application and also on transfer of licence (and arguably applications for increase/alteration/transfer of DBS, relocation of DBS, etc)…
Therefore, it has been determined the new trading hours in relation to takeaway liquor sales only relate to applications for new liquor licences (since 1 December 2010) for Commercial Hotel Licences, Community Club Licences and relevant Commercial Special Facility Licences and applications for new Detached Bottleshops.’
Any affected licensee will be contacted by OLGR to have the takeaway trading restriction reversed.
It has been drawn to our attention that a number of our clients recently recieved a letter from the Department of Justice and Attorney-General with regard to the Integrity Act 2010 and potential lobbying activity by us and other private liquor and gaming consultants. This follows a 2009/10 letter to all consultants by OLGR requiring them to register as lobbyists or all contact between their firm and OLGR would cease. RSA Liquor Professionals and others strongly opposed this requirement yet were ultimately left with no choice by OLGR and the Integrity Commission and we were forced to register.
Section 42(2)(j)&(4) of the Integrity Act provides as follows:
(2) However, the following contact is not a lobbying activity—
(j) contact only for the purpose of making a statutory application.
(4) In this section—
statutory application means an application under an Act that is considered and decided by a government representative under that Act.
Example—
an application for a licence, permit or other authority
The majority of work carried out by RSA Liquor Professionals falls into this catagory.
However, in the course of conducting our Liquor Licensing Consultancy business we are from time to time faced with a requirement to “lobby” OLGR or the relevant Minister’s Office to amend some of their Policies or Procedures and it is our view that such interaction is “incidental lobbying” which is also exempt under section 41(6) of the Integrity Act 2009. Despite this view of “incidental lobbying” the relevant Licensees on behalf of whom we carry out such Government contact are required to be recorded on our entry in the Lobbyist’s Register. It is only these licencees, not those for whom we carry out standard application procedures who are entered on this register.
Regardless of the above matters, this letter appears to be aimed at drawing attention to the prohibition under the Integrity Act of success fees being charged by consultants for thier lobbying activity. We confirm that at no time has (nor will) RSA Liquor Professionals charged a “success fee” for our services.
If you have any questions about RSA Liquor Consultants Lobbying Activity, please feel free to contact Russell on 0422 595 060.
From the Ministerial Media Statement November 8th 2011:
A new state-wide advertising blitz will spread the message that supplying alcohol to underage teenagers is dangerous and could end in an $8000 fine for parents…. Click on the title of this post for more information.
The new Qld Tobacco Laws that came into effect on 18th November 2011 include Mandatory Signage at point of sale, as well as new laws for location and display of Smoking Products within your venue. Click on the title of this post for more information.