Review of NSW 10pm Take-Away Liquor Sales Restriction To Commence

The New South Wales Office of Liquor, Gamine and Racing (OLGR) has announced an open “have your say” forum for feedback on the current 10pm take-away liquor sales restriction across rural and regional NSW. The call for opinion opens as the body commences a Government review of the policy.

In February 2014, the NSW Government introduced the state-wide 10pm restriction on take-away liquor sales in a measure designed to reduce alcohol-related violence and anti-social behaviour in the community. The restriction currently applies to all liquor stores, hotels, registered clubs, and venues that are licensed to sell take-away liquor, either from a designated area or from across the bar, including online liquor sales.

The Office of Liquor, Gaming & Racing in the Department of Justice will look at the impact of the restriction, in line with the Government’s response to the ‘Statutory review of the Liquor Act 2007and the Gaming and Liquor Administration Act 2007’.

The review will be conducted in two stages with the first stage focusing on impacts in regional NSW and the particular needs of rural and remote communities.

Further consultation will be undertaken in stage two of the review, which is set to commence in 2016.

Stage two will expand to consider impacts in metropolitan areas – including greater Sydney area and the local government areas of Blue Mountains, Wollondilly, Gosford, Wyong, Newcastle, Lake Macquarie and Wollongong.

As part of the consultation process for the first stage of the review, OLGR urges those affected to “have their say” on the impact of the restriction by completing a short survey.

The survey will be used to collect information about the extent of any positive or negative impacts of the restrictions for specific regions in each area. Interested parties are advised to complete the survey before 5.00pm AEST, Friday 14 August 2015.

If you would like to provide more detailed comment on the 10pm take-away liquor sales restriction, please send your submission to [email protected] by the same deadline.

Participation in the consultation process is completely voluntary, however you are encouraged to share your views on the impact of the restriction on your business in rural and regional NSW.

Visit the OLGR website for more information.

Print PDF