Lauren Novak: Liquor licensing laws review should encourage job creation and protect against alcohol abuse

EARLIER this month the State Government quietly released a rather large document that has the potential to significantly change the way we all enjoy a tipple.

Our liquor licensing laws regulate an industry that brings many of us much-needed joy and distraction from the tougher aspects of life.

EARLIER this month the State Government quietly released a rather large document that has the potential to significantly change the way we all enjoy a tipple.

You’d be forgiven for not noticing, given it came amid the federal election and the State Budget.

But the long-awaited, and extremely comprehensive, review of the state’s liquor licensing laws makes a dizzying 129 suggestions for change – and many of them would affect where and when you can buy a drink, how much it will cost you and the consequences you’ll face if you drink too much.

The laws have hardly been changed since they were put in place two decades ago.

They are full of anomalies and strange conditions which former judge Tim Anderson, who conducted the review, says “are more akin to the days of the horse and stagecoach rather than that of a competitive, modern-day hospitality industry”.

Some liquor licences include bizarre requirements that lids on rubbish bins used by venues must “remain fully closed at all times” or that windows on the first floor must be covered by curtains and closed overnight.

Deputy Premier John Rau commissioned the review of the Liquor Licensing Act last year to bring it into line with modern expectations.

The recommendations are supposed to create a more vibrant hospitality sector, reduce red tape, generate jobs and improve safety.

Mr Rau is at pains to stress that the Government is yet to make any decisions about which of the wide-ranging proposals it might adopt.

Any changes will have to be approved by Cabinet and new laws drafted and passed through Parliament.

All of that is going to take time, and the process will be further held up by fierce lobbying by interested parties.

There are plenty of controversial issues to be nutted out.

The review considers selling alcohol in supermarkets, changing the test for operators to gain approval for new venues, removing the opportunity to object to venues, diminishing the influence of local councils and cracking down on supplying of liquor to minors.

In many cases, the review makes specific suggestions about how the law should be changed – but other areas are more grey. Concerns are already swirling in regard to whether some of the changes are proposed simply for the sake of change . . . or to make the Government look tougher on alcohol-fuelled violence.

The review was meant to streamline the licensing system to “encourage new bold and dynamic business models” and it does create opportunities for innovation. But hoteliers fear proposed changes to licensing fees would make it harder to trade or take on more staff.

There are plenty of industry bodies prepared to fight hard to protect their vested interests in a system that has suited them over the past 20 years.

The Government will be expecting a fight on certain fronts but it could face more problems if it doesn’t learn from past mistakes.

We’ve seen a similar situation before with the overhaul of the state’s planning laws – those changes also spearheaded by Mr Rau.

That too was a huge undertaking based on a thorough and long-awaited review by an independent expert, which suggested major changes and required rewriting of the law.

That’s where it hit the skids.

The Government argued it had so thoroughly consulted through the review that it could draft new laws and introduce them to Parliament without further consultation.

This caused controversy and made it far more difficult to pass said laws.

The Government cannot afford to have that happen again.

It appears that this time, interested parties will get a look at the draft legislation before it is bedded down in Parliament. However, it’s unlikely that Mr Rau would allow major changes at that point – once the Government had made up its mind.

Our liquor licensing laws regulate an industry that brings many of us much-needed joy and distraction from the tougher aspects of life. The new arrangements will also play a key role in addressing some of the economic and social woes facing SA.

With the nation’s highest unemployment rate, we need business conditions that will encourage job creation in one of the state’s largest industries.

The social factors associated with low unemployment also mean we need a system that will protect against the growing problem of alcohol abuse.

Mr Rau has a lot on his plate at the moment – including another raft of major reforms due next month from a Royal Commission into the child protection system.

There are just 18 months to go until the next state election and the recommendations for action are piling up.

The Government has some important choices to make before we make ours at the ballot box in 2018.