Between 8 September–13 October, the Office of Liquor, Gaming & Racing (OLGR) will be hosting a series of free events for industry stakeholders to attend and discuss ways in which the industry can help to reduce alcohol-related harm. The ‘Information Exchange’ half-day events will provide the opportunity for licensees, liquor accord groups, local council representatives, police, government compliance o…

Latest figures from the Office of Liquor, Gaming and Racing (OLGR) show the introduction of ID scanners to Kings Cross in Sydney last year have significantly helped to reduce alcohol-related violence in the area. Able to identify patrons who have been banned from the area’s bar and club scene, these new ID scanners have helped to reduce alcohol-related assaults in Kings Cross by 32 per cent according to t…

Proposed policy changes to Victorian public holidays have once again sparked outrage from Master Grocers Australia and Liquor Retailers Australia. Controversy surrounds a push from the Victorian Government to consider an additional public holiday on the eve of the AFL Grand Final, which according to MGA would be “catastrophic” for small businesses. The body attests that an increase in the number of public…

The New South Wales Office of Liquor, Gaming and Racing (OLGR) has announced an open “have your say” forum for feedback on the current 10pm take-away liquor sales restriction across rural and regional NSW. The call for opinion opens as the body commences a Government review of the policy. In February 2014, the NSW Government introduced the state-wide 10pm restriction on take-away liquor sales in a measure…

The Australian Government has negotiated a new labour agreement to provide increased flexibility for hospitality industry workers, adding skilled migration positions for cooks and chefs. Trade waiter positions are also expected to be included in the skilled migration additions following national endorsement of the occupation. The industry labour agreement provides a tailored skilled migration arrangement …

The Australian Taxation Office has announced that excise equivalent customs duty rates for alcohol will increase for any product delivered on or after 1 August 2015. The rise is the result of an increase in the consumer price index. The new excise duty rates and the new customs duty rates for excise equivalent goods are available to download through border.gov.au Any periodic settlement permission holder …

  The Liquor Stores Association NSW (LSA NSW) supports the NSW Government’s view to ban the sale of powdered alcohol in NSW, and calls on other State and Territory jurisdictions to follow suit. LSA NSW Executive Director Michael Waters said, “There is no place in Australia’s responsible drinking culture for a powdered alcohol product to exist. “We notified Deputy Premier Troy Grant in March 2015 when…

New changes to the application process for liquor licences came into effect yesterday, May 18. Applicants submitting both online and with hard-copy are now required to also submit a copy of their development consent or approval. Applications without a copy will now be put on hold from processing until completed. The new changes have been implemented by the Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority (ILGA), a…

Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Trade and Investment, MP Steven Ciobo, will open the GS1 General Assembly 2015 at the Shangri-La Hotel, Sydney this Tuesday. The GS1 General Assembly 2015 is a high profile international event where GS1 leaders from over 60 countries come together to engage in open discussion about the organisation’s strategic direction, trade efficiency, the APEC member economi…

On Monday in an interview with Radio National, Mike Daube, Professor of Health Policy at Curtin University made a number of what have been received as controversial claims surrounding the sale and promotion of alcohol to minors. Claims made by Mr. Daube included those such as: “some retailers are responsible when it comes to selling alcohol to kids, but many of them are not and governments need to act on …