For those liquor licensees in South Australia, the Attorney-General Department’s Consumer and Business Services now have the “Liquor Online Portal” open for use.

The introduction of the Liquor Online Portal now allows liquor licensees to access details about their liquor licenses, as well as the conditions attached to those licenses. This is critical information at the moment, as South Australia is currently undergoing sweeping changes to its liquor licensing laws. These changes may see existing conditions on current licenses being removed or amended, and so it is critical that liquor licensees keep a watch on the status of those licenses.

Towards the latter end of the year, liquor licenses will change from their current format to that of newly named categories. South Australia will lose its “Special Circumstances Licenses”, and those licenses will be re-categorised in a different manner.

Not only will there be an overhaul on the fee structure of licenses, liquor licensees need to familiarise themselves with the changes to licenses relating to (among other things):

  • hours of operation;
  • capacity of venue;
  • security, noise and CCTV usage.

Given the wide ranging changes to the regime, liquor licensees are strongly encouraged to familiarise themselves with the Liquor Online Portal, and transition to their new licenses. While those licenses do not become active until November 2019, the deadline to review those licenses and conditions (and in doing so, object to conditions placed on licenses) is 14 October 2019.

If you have any questions relating to liquor licensing arrangements in South Australia, please contact me at Hallett Law.