Liquor regulator fines koala fest $774 after dispute over loss

Brisbane festival organiser Sandra Beynon challenges the Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation, claiming harassment after a year-long investigation into a loss from a koala festival.

Organiser of the Jazz and Koalas Festival Sandra Beynon and, inset, the fine for $774. Pictures: Supplied

A well-known Brisbane festival organiser is challenging the state’s Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation, claiming unfairness during a year-long investigation into a loss made from a koala festival.

Brisbane woman Sandra Beynon is challenging the liquor regulator after it issued her a $774 on-the-spot fine, six months after allegedly breaching a community liquor permit when she ran the free Jazz Blues and Koala festival at Griffith University in October last year.

The festival was organised by Ms Beynon’s company under a community liquor permit, designating the Queensland Koala Crusaders as the beneficiary of all profits from the bar.

The nine-month OLGR investigation included obtaining four warrants and conducting extensive searches through bank accounts using financial services company Square, which operates Ms Beynon’s online funds transfer device.

The office alleged Ms Beynon mishandled raffle money donations, owed to the koala charity and submitted a “false” financial report over takings from the bar.

Ms Beynon said the issues were easily explained by clerical and technology errors.

The regulator said it had found “discrepancies” in reported amounts for liquor sales, costs, net sales, and additional income with indications that total net sales were higher than Ms Beynon initially reported.

Jazz and Koalas Festival organiser Sandra Beynon is challenging the Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation over a $774 fine. Picture: Facebook

It claimed statutory documents from financial services company Square, showed $1066 was received into Ms Beynon’s account, less a $17.29 administrative fee, resulting in net sales takings of $1048.71.

Ms Beynon, who has denied all the allegations, said the OLGR claims were based on clerical and technology errors involving amounts of less than $200 and she endured a loss of $179.

Ms Beynon said she reviewed her figures in July and discovered minor errors, which she said she rectified on paper to ultimately show a minor profit, excluding an $80 liquor permit cost.

She said despite the investigation, she was never privy to the findings and was fined.

“They issued an on-the-spot fine a year after a lengthy and expensive investigation which included getting four warrants to look through my bank accounts when this is really a case of poor accounting and confusion over a very small profit and what expenses a council grant covered,” Ms Beynon said.

“None of my actions were knowingly fraudulent and I believe the fine is disproportionate to the claims considering that I have never breached any liquor regulations since I started running these festivals in 2018.

“When I was transferring the profits into the koala charity’s online account, a technical glitch halted the money transfer and I was never notified the transaction had failed.

“I was happy to rectify any of these issues especially as any outstanding amount is probably less than $200 – but I was never given that opportunity.

“I have been kept waiting for a year and still the authorities have failed to provide evidence to support their claims that I acted fraudulently.

“The definition of profit presented by the investigators is misleading and confusing and any allegations stem from misunderstandings about invoices for bar management services, but I have not breached any liquor permit conditions.”

The liquor regulator also claimed Ms Beynon issued the Queensland Koala Crusaders an invoice for costs, which the office believed were to be covered by a $5000 Brisbane City Council grant.

Brisbane City councillor Steve Griffiths with Sandra Beynon at the Jazz and Koalas Festival in October last year. Picture: Facebook

But Brisbane City councillor Steve Griffiths, who awarded the $5000 grant to the festival, said the grant did not cover bar expenses and all event-based costs were correctly acquitted through his office, as stipulated under the grant conditions.

“There was no evidence of wages or consultancy fees being paid to Ms Beynon from that funding,” Cr Griffith said.

“Unfortunately the proceeds from the bar were minimal with poor patronage throughout the day, as evidenced in the sales report.

“In an effort to recover proceeds missing from the bar, Ms Beynon conducted a raffle on the day with proceeds going to the koala charity.”

The Office of Liquor and Gaming issued a fine after the festival. Picture: Facebook

Queensland Koala Crusaders president Linda Barnes said the only money her charity received was from their own raffle and a $237.27 donation from Ms Beynon months after the event.

Ms Barnes said she was approached to be part of the event purely as a beneficiary and was told the koala charity would receive all proceeds from the bar, less costs.

“None of that was part of our original agreement – which has been a learning experience.”

In a letter to Ms Beynon last month, OLGR acting manager of investigations Peter Hills said the office felt the fine was justified and would not be withdrawn.

Mr Beynon said she would challenge the claims in the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal after her formal request to waive the fine was denied on September 20.