Dr LIM - 1998-10-13
Among medical circles there is concern for the level of alcohol usage in the Northern Territory and the associated costs to our health program. It therefore perturbed me to note in the Sunday Territorian that it is not unheard of for a butcher to be able to get a liquor licence in the Northern Territory. I am concerned about the message contained in the SundayTerritorian article. Can the minister give me some comfort that there is not open slather on liquor licences?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, whilst one does not wish to denigrate the Territory’s only Sunday paper, I think it is necessary to clarify the situation with regards to liquor licences, and certainly the article, “Now you can get a hair cut and half cut”, somewhat simplified the situation.
It is true that anyone over 18 can apply for a liquor licence. To prevent that occurring would most likely contravene some human rights acts, and we allow people to apply. However, it is not as easy as that Sunday Territorian article would make out. There are demands which must be met to satisfy the Liquor Commission that an applicant should get a licence. The Liquor Act requires the commission to have regard to the needs and wishes of the community, the financial and managerial capacity of the applicant, and the advice offered by legal counsel. It is not simply a matter of a hairdresser or bookstore owner walking in, applying for liquor licences, and somehow giving a case of champagne to the staff.
After applying, they must first give public notice of their application within 28 days of lodging it. This involves media advertising and more often than not a formal hearing before the Liquor Commission of the case for or against the grant of a licence. The applications that reach the hearing stage are generally supported by legal counsel, and objectors are given the opportunity of directly, or through their own counsel, to question the applicant on any matter relating to his or her being a fit and proper person to hold a licence. What then follows is the applicant has to satisfy the commission that he or she has the bonafides to hold a licence, and the next question is, if there is a need, the wish of the community to the issue of such a licence as it is proposed. There are different conditions on licences for different venues, for events, and there are some conditions of licences which all licence holders in the Northern Territory must comply with, regardless of the venue or the event.
Also all licensees must comply with industry code of practice to assist in responsible alcohol promotion. There are also responsible serving of alcohol practices which should be met once the licence is obtained, for example encouraging low alcohol drinking, providing a safe environment and making sure under 18s are not sold alcohol.
I wish to emphasise it is not open slather for liquor licences in the Northern Territory and certainly the Liquor Commission doesn’t view it that way either. Unfortunately the Sunday Territorian article concentrated just on the point that an application could be made.
The other point missed by the Sunday Territorian article is that licences outside the general accepted categories of hotel, club, tavern and restaurant are not likely to be viable and that is essentially what happened in the case of the nightclub butcher.
We have had the experience of open slather on liquor licences in the past in the Northern Territory and we are certainly not about to revisit that situation.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, whilst one does not wish to denigrate the Territory’s only Sunday paper, I think it is necessary to clarify the situation with regards to liquor licences, and certainly the article, “Now you can get a hair cut and half cut”, somewhat simplified the situation.
It is true that anyone over 18 can apply for a liquor licence. To prevent that occurring would most likely contravene some human rights acts, and we allow people to apply. However, it is not as easy as that Sunday Territorian article would make out. There are demands which must be met to satisfy the Liquor Commission that an applicant should get a licence. The Liquor Act requires the commission to have regard to the needs and wishes of the community, the financial and managerial capacity of the applicant, and the advice offered by legal counsel. It is not simply a matter of a hairdresser or bookstore owner walking in, applying for liquor licences, and somehow giving a case of champagne to the staff.
After applying, they must first give public notice of their application within 28 days of lodging it. This involves media advertising and more often than not a formal hearing before the Liquor Commission of the case for or against the grant of a licence. The applications that reach the hearing stage are generally supported by legal counsel, and objectors are given the opportunity of directly, or through their own counsel, to question the applicant on any matter relating to his or her being a fit and proper person to hold a licence. What then follows is the applicant has to satisfy the commission that he or she has the bonafides to hold a licence, and the next question is, if there is a need, the wish of the community to the issue of such a licence as it is proposed. There are different conditions on licences for different venues, for events, and there are some conditions of licences which all licence holders in the Northern Territory must comply with, regardless of the venue or the event.
Also all licensees must comply with industry code of practice to assist in responsible alcohol promotion. There are also responsible serving of alcohol practices which should be met once the licence is obtained, for example encouraging low alcohol drinking, providing a safe environment and making sure under 18s are not sold alcohol.
I wish to emphasise it is not open slather for liquor licences in the Northern Territory and certainly the Liquor Commission doesn’t view it that way either. Unfortunately the Sunday Territorian article concentrated just on the point that an application could be made.
The other point missed by the Sunday Territorian article is that licences outside the general accepted categories of hotel, club, tavern and restaurant are not likely to be viable and that is essentially what happened in the case of the nightclub butcher.
We have had the experience of open slather on liquor licences in the past in the Northern Territory and we are certainly not about to revisit that situation.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016