In Victoria, over half of the breaches found during compliance inspections in the last financial year were due to basic administrative errors such as incorrect signage displays.
Liquor Control Victoria (LCV) has released further information to assist venues to easily avoid such breaches, and to help licence holders understand their obligations, as well as to identify potential risks particular to each venue and to minimise alcohol-related harm.
As inspections could happen on any day and at any time, it is vital that licence holders and staff know what to expect, to avoid penalties of up to $900.
Fortunately, there are several ways to ensure an inspection runs more smoothly.
Firstly, correct signage must be displayed. These signs are to remind customers of the state’s laws around intoxication, public safety issues, and underage drinking.
Correct signs should be printed in high-quality colour and displayed where customers can clearly read them. The keycode should also be legible for inspectors.
LCV suggests checking these signs periodically to ensure they are up to date. It can be useful to display more than one copy in the venue.
The next vital step is to ensure all RSA certificates are current. These can be searched on the RSA database.
It is important that all staff can access a copy of the venue’s current certificates and red line plan. LCV suggests creating a dedicated compliance folder.
Finally, in order for a team to understand the licensing obligations, LCV suggest completing its two-page venue checklist with staff.
LCV’s self-service Liquor Portal can be used to access and manage licences, including downloading a copy of the venue’s red line plan.
