Members of the hospitality industry and Responsible Service of Alcohol staff in particular need to be aware of the new alcohol measures being implemented by the NSW state government to help curb binge drinking and alcohol fuelled misconduct in the state.
Now RSA staff can have their Responsible Service of Alcohol card revoked if they fail to apply RSA rules. So in now in addition to being fined, you face losing your job because you cannot work without a RSA qualification.
The New South Wales Office of Liquor, Gaming and Racing (OLGR) have released a fact sheet for liquor licensees which explain the reforms that have been passed by Parliament.
The reforms were passed last week despite the criticism from legal experts. The NSW Parliament passed the Liquor Amendment Bill 2014 last week Thursday which will amend the existing liquor laws.
Authorities have stated that they are currently preparing for and consulting on how to implement the amendments effectively. The OLGR has assured the industry of necessary time to adjust its business planning before the initiatives come into effect and award them sufficient time to establish appropriate practices and procedures.
The following excerpt from a post TheShout.com.au details some of the changes that will apply once the legislation commences:
No take-away liquor after 10pm anywhere in NSW;
Suspension of the trial of online RSA training;
The creation of a new Sydney CBD Entertainment Precinct;
“Lock-outs” at 1.30am and “Last drinks” at 3am for some venues in the Sydney CBD Entertainment Precinct and the Kings Cross Precinct;
A freeze on new liquor licences in the Sydney CBD Entertainment Precinct;
Temporary and Long-term banning order provisions in the Sydney CBD Entertainment Precinct; and
RSA staff in the Sydney CBD Entertainment Precinct will be particularly interested to hear that they can now have their RSA competency card revoked or they may be disqualified to hold one entirely under certain circumstances. This is even more reason why Responsible Service of Alcohol regulations must be enforced because now in addition to fines, you face losing your RSA card and inevitably your job.
The article on TheShout.com.au went on to detail some of the other measures to be introduced:
Development of a plan of management for the Sydney CBD Entertainment Precinct, which will impose additional special licence conditions on venues in the Precinct
An annual risk-based licensing fee scheme for liquor licences.
If your business is affected by these amendments the OLGR says it will keep you in the loop regarding any information concerning when the changes will be implemented and any other developments,
OLGR said it will continue to notify affected liquor licensees and other key stakeholders of developments, including the commencement date of each of the reforms.
Peter Cutforth is a Director at Urban E-Learning, a global elearning, OH&S training, and web strategy firm based in Little Edward St. Spring Hill, Brisbane, Australia. Urban E-Learning provides compliance related online , Distance and Face-to-Face training products in the construction, hospitality and heavy vehicle transport sectors, to name a few. Examples include the White Card Construction induction course and the RSA - Responsible Service of Alcohol course. Peter's interests extend to training, safety and compliance, online marketing, and Mobile Apps.
