Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On Thursday, 28 October, Senator Fielding asked me a question without notice relating to restrictions on the hours to which alcohol is available for sale. I seek leave to incorporate the answer in Hansard.

Leave granted.

The answer read as follows—

Regulatory controls on the availability of alcohol are the responsibility of each jurisdiction and are delivered through state and territory liquor, liquor licensing or liquor control acts.

Following discussions at COAG in 2008 regarding binge drinking and alcohol-related violence several jurisdictions have trialled innovative approaches and/or implemented comprehensive strategies. These have included:

• freezes on the issuing of new 24-hour licences;
• increases in licence fees for high-risk venues;
• earlier closing times;
• late night lock-outs;
• local liquor accords;
• bans on happy hours and other discounting promotions; and
• better enforcement of responsible service of alcohol requirements.

In addition, the Australian Government has stated that it will pursue the recommendations made from the National Preventative Health Taskforce on liquor licensing reform with the states and territories through the Council of Australian Governments and the Ministerial Council on Drug Strategy.

The Taskforce recommendations include reforms concerning licensed venue opening hours, late night and high risk outlets, and outlet density.

The Australian Government is committed to working with the states and territories and supporting community based interventions to change Australia's drinking culture and to address the problems associated with binge drinking. The National Binge Drinking Strategy has had $103.5 million committed.