Pub patrons are facing price increases at SA hotels and clubs under proposed new liquor licensing laws, hoteliers warn

PUB patrons are facing price increases for food, alcohol and entry fees at South Australian hotels and clubs under proposed new liquor licensing laws, hoteliers warn.

Pub customers are being warned they face “significant prices increases”.

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PUB patrons are facing price increases for food, alcohol and entry fees at South Australian hotels and clubs under proposed new liquor licensing laws, hoteliers warn.

Australian Hotels Association SA figures reveal 6500 venues, including restaurants and cellar doors, could be hit with massive fee increases of up to 1250 per cent under licensing reforms.

The State Government has promised to work with the industry but failed to rule out the fee hikes – prompting concern that venues will have to start charging patrons more or close their doors earlier to cover costs.

The association, which looks after the interests of venues working in the $4.23 billion industry, said potential licence hikes would be seen by some as “a tax grab” while others would describe it as “prohibition by taxation”.

“There will be significant prices increases to door charges, drink prices and food,” Australian Hotels Association SA general manager Ian Horne told the Sunday Mail.

“Many of them will have no choice but to shut early. People will lose shifts – it will undermine the goodwill of the businesses.”

The association has based its modelling of proposed licensee fees from recommendations made to the State Government by former chief justice Tim Anderson in his broad review of the state’s licensing laws.

The review, which took into account issues including capacity, location and trading hours, has guided new laws that will be debated in Parliament this week.

Australian Hotels Association SA general manager Ian Horne has called the recommendations “draconian”.

Mr Horne said the association was making a leap of faith that the State Government would consult widely.

“It would be a very brave Government wanting to increases fees so dramatically across 6500 licensees before the March 2018 election,” he said.

“Their starting point has to come a long way back from what Mr Anderson suggested.”

Mr Horne said Mr Anderson had “recommended draconian and huge fee increases based on incorrect assumptions of what constituted a high-risk venue, such as licenced capacity (regardless of patron numbers) and hours of licenced premises, regardless of actual risk of an individual premises’ record of wrongdoing”.

The association has calculated the state’s top 35 music venues alone lose $150,000 straight into State Government coffers.

“And, of course, that is just the tip of the iceberg with hundreds of other venues to also be impacted,” Mr Horne said.

Deputy Opposition leader Vickie Chapman said she would be recommending changes so that the regulations, which would determine the increases, could be challenged by Parliament.

“The Government should come clean about the level of fees they are going to impose before the Bill is debated,” she said.

“We are being expected to debate the legislation blind.”

Attorney-General John Rau has not ruled out the increasing licensing fees.

“A revised fee structure for liquor licensing was a recommendation of Tim Anderson QC,” Mr Rau said.

“The State Government has committed to continued consultation with industry before settling any revised fee structure.”

Pub licence price hikes.