Drug, alcohol tests for SA bar staff dropped from proposed new liquor licensing laws
BAR staff won’t be subjected to mandatory alcohol and drug tests on the job as part of a major rewrite of the state’s liquor laws, The Advertiser can reveal.
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BARTENDERS will not be subjected to mandatory alcohol and drug tests on the job as part of a major rewrite of the state’s liquor laws, The Advertiser can reveal.
However, venues that stay open late will be forced to stop selling liquor for at least three hours each day.
The State Government will introduce an updated Liquor Licensing Act to Parliament on Wednesday, following an independent review that made 129 recommendations.
A draft Bill seen by The Advertiser shows a proposal to enable breath-testing of bar and restaurant staff during their shifts has been removed.
SA Police had lobbied for the power to conduct the tests but industry figures warned against it.
Consumer and Business Services Minister John Rau said the Government had consulted “extensively” before making changes based on the feedback, including removing the testing provision.
Mr Rau said the final version “strikes the right balance between fostering a vibrant industry for our state, supporting local businesses to thrive and ensuring there are adequate safeguards in place to protect our community”.
A submission by SA Police to the review of the state’s liquor laws, conducted last year by former judge Tim Anderson, argued for the power to require hospitality staff to submit to a drug or alcohol test, a zero-tolerance policy on the test results and creating an offence of resisting testing.
However, Australian Hotels Association (SA) general manager Ian Horne said the breath-testing proposal “should never have been considered”.
“The measure proposed by SAPOL offered a solution to a problem that does not exist,” Mr Horne said, adding that police had failed to provide “any actual evidence of staff failing to fulfil their duties”.
The new laws would also impose a mandatory three-hour break in trading for late-night licensed venues, at some time between 3am and 8am.
Late Night Venues Association of SA president Tim Swaine said the change would effectively mean venues would close at 5am at the latest.
“There’s going to be no economic benefit of staying open any later ... to serve Coke,” he said.
Mr Swaine said the change would affect about 20 of Adelaide’s largest popular venues, particularly an and near Hindley St.
The updated Liquor Licensing Act would maintain the statewide 3am venue lockout.
However, the Adelaide Casino is exempt from the rules.
Venue manager at The Gallery in Waymouth St, Anne-Marie Tyson, said she welcomed “any changes that bring liquor legislation more into line with people’s expectations” by encouraging both vibrancy and safety.