Licensing

PUBLIC LIABILITY THREATENS PUB VIBRANCY

Posted on March 18th, 2026 by Clyde Mooney
As state governments work to rebuild ‘vibrancy’ and the night-time economy, the skyrocketing cost of public liability insurance threatens to stop the music before it begins. The Pride of our Footscray is a pub in Melbourne that opened at the

POST OFFICE FINED DESPITE MANDATED WORK DONE

Posted on March 9th, 2026 by Clyde Mooney
The owner of a closed but heritage-listed hotel in south-east Queensland has faced court and been penalised for failing to inform council it had done the work demanded in an enforcement notice. The two-storey Post Office Hotel was built in

REGULATORS WARN INDUSTRY OF COMPLIANCE OBLIGATIONS

Posted on March 6th, 2026 by Jane Louise
Regulators across Australia are reminding venues that compliance obligations remain a key focus in 2026. Recent updates from the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC) and Liquor & Gaming NSW (L&GNSW) highlight the importance of understanding legal responsibilities when

BIG BOOST FOR CANTERBURY-BANKSTOWN NIGHT-TIME ECONOMY

Posted on March 2nd, 2026 by Jane Louise
The City of Canterbury Bankstown Council is the latest New South Wales LGA to begin a Special Entertainment Precinct (SEP) trial, to help stimulate its night-time economy. The council has been awarded a $112k SEP Kickstart Grant to help support

HOSPITALITY NT SLAMS ‘UNPRECEDENTED’ LICENCE CHANGES

Posted on February 23rd, 2026 by Jane Louise
Last week, strict new rules for Alice Springs pubs became effective following a decision by the Northern Territory Liquor Commission (NTLC). The rules will affect over twenty licensed venues, restricting them from serving full strength liquor on Wednesdays, Thursdays and

FLYING HORSE SADDLED WITH RECORD FINE

Posted on February 16th, 2026 by Clyde Mooney
The Flying Horse in regional Victoria has felt the wrath of the VGCCC, copping the watchdog’s “largest fine” for its failure to comply with its gambling licence obligations. In February 2024 inspectors twice attended the Warrnambool Horse Hotel P/L, which trades as the Flying Horse Bar and Brewery. Inspectors

NMI SAYS A THIRD OF PUBS SHORT SERVING

Posted on February 9th, 2026 by Clyde Mooney
A new report from the National Measurement Institute (NMI) says undercover inspectors found around a third of pubs tested failed to pour a full serve of beer or another beverage. The NMI utilises a small army of ‘secret shoppers’ to

IVY LICENSEES BANNED OVER INCIDENT REGISTER

Posted on February 2nd, 2026 by Clyde Mooney
ILGA has banned two former licensees of Merivale’s ivy in Sydney from the industry for failing to record multiple instances of severe intoxication in accordance with NSW liquor laws. An investigation by Liquor & Gaming NSW (L&G) commencing 26 August

LICENSEE BANNED OVER INTOX INCIDENT

Posted on January 30th, 2026 by Jane Louise
A former licensee of Tamworth’s Southgate Inn has been banned from holding a license by the NSW Independent Liquor & Gaming Authority (ILGA) for one year following an incident where a heavily intoxicated person fell, sustaining multiple injuries. Across a