Management plans to reduce alcohol-related harm

Include these general details about your venue:

• Licence details – type of liquor licence.
• Licence conditions – how you are managing all the conditions outlined on your licence.
• Trading hours – the hours your venue will operate.
• Signage – which signs you are required to display and where you are displaying them.
• Capacity – the maximum number of customers allowed at your venue.
• Security arrangements – number of security staff or crowd controllers and their hours of operation.
• Lighting – inside and outside the venue, for safety and security.
• Bottle and general waste disposal – storage and removal arrangements, including pick-up times.
• Local contacts – details for services such as Cohealth, police, emergency services and taxis.

If you don't already have them, consider creating these important policies and procedures:

• Responsible service of alcohol – principles such as providing free drinking water, managing drunk or disorderly customers or restricting drink types after midnight.
• Minors – how you will prevent and manage under 18s.
• Drugs and weapons – preventing and responding to incidents.
• Gender-based violence – preventing and managing incidents (see guidance below).
• Theft and damage – dealing with property loss or damage.
• Drink spiking – preventing and managing incidents.
• First aid – staff training and the location and maintenance of first aid kits.
• Entry and exit procedures – how you manage customers entering and leaving, including pass-out arrangements (if any) and helping customers leave safely, including nearby public transport or taxi options.
• Special events – details of regular events and how you will manage them.
• Emergency evacuation – procedures for safely evacuating the venue.
• Noise control – measures to reduce noise (for example, soundproofing, keeping doors and windows closed when bands play, enclosing generators in outdoor areas).
• Complaints process – how you will handle complaints from neighbours or nearby businesses (for example, keeping a complaints register).

Include these general details about your location:

• Liquor details – the type of alcohol you supply.
• Licence conditions – how you are managing all the conditions outlined on your licence.
• Trading hours – when your shop or online business operates.
• Signage – which signs you are required to display and where you are displaying them.
• Safety measures – such as lighting or CCTV (if relevant).
• Staff training – ongoing training in your policies and procedures.
• Local contacts – details for police, emergency services and Directline.

If you don't already have them, consider creating these important policies and procedures:

• Responsible service of alcohol – principles such as providing free drinking water, managing drunk or disorderly customers or restricting drink types after midnight.
• Refusal of service – when and how service will be refused.
• ID checks – proof of age requirements and acceptable forms of ID.
• Minors – how you will prevent and manage under 18s.
• Secondary supply – preventing adults from supplying alcohol to minors.
• Self-exclusion – any policies you have in place.
• High turnover periods – managing risks during busy times.
• Incident register – keeping records of incidents at your venue.
  

Your alcohol management plan should also outline:

• Advertising and promotions – how you will promote alcohol responsibly.
• Discounts and specials – the types of promotions you intend to run (for example, 2-for-1 deals, bulk buys, half-price sales).
• Risk management – how you will manage risks linked to promotions and discounts.

If you deliver alcohol, your plan should include:

• Delivery hours – no alcohol deliveries after 11 pm on any day.
• Attended deliveries – how these will be managed.
• Unattended deliveries – procedures for safe and compliant drop-offs.
• Driver instructions – checking ID, how to manage drunk customers and refuse delivery if needed.
• Failed deliveries – how you will handle, record and report on a failed delivery.
• Resources to support alcohol delivery – for example, log sheets and labels.

Include these general details:

• Event details – name, location, trading hours, maximum patron capacity.
• Contact details – event manager and relevant staff.
• Alcohol supply – what will be served and how it will be supplied.
• Permissions – any approvals required, such as Council permits.
• Noise control – how you will reduce excessive noise, for example with barriers or speaker locations.
• Security and crowd control – number of security guards, their hours and roles.
• Lighting – on and outside the venue for security and safety.
• Bottle and general waste disposal – storage and removal arrangements, including pick-up times.
• Public services contacts – Cohealth, police, emergency services, taxis.

If you don't already have them, consider creating these important policies and procedures:

• Set up and pack up – procedures for how you'll manage the start and end of the event.
• Responsible service of alcohol – principles such as providing free drinking water, managing drunk or disorderly customers or restricting drink types after midnight.
• Minors – how you will prevent and manage under 18s.
• Drugs and weapons – preventing and responding to incidents.
• Gender-based violence – preventing and managing incidents (see guidance below).
• Drink spiking – preventing and managing incidents.
• Theft and damage – dealing with property loss or damage.
• First aid – staff training and the location and maintenance of first aid kits.
• Entry and exit procedures – how you manage customers entering and leaving, including pass-out arrangements (if any), ticketing or wrist band arrangements.
• Emergency evacuation – procedures for safely evacuating the venue.
• Noise control – measures to reduce noise (for example, soundproofing, keeping doors and windows closed when bands play, enclosing generators in outdoor areas).
• Customers leaving the event – helping customers leave safely, including nearby public transport and taxi options,.
• Complaints process – how you will handle complaints received during or after the event.

Include in your plan the actions you will take to prevent and reduce gender-based violence.

For example, you could include:

• violence prevention and response procedures and how you train staff in them during induction and ongoing training
• drink spiking and drug management policies
• how you monitor hidden or dimly-lit areas to ensure customer and staff safety, for example, with surveillance or CCTV
• using code words so customers can discreetly ask for help (read about Ask for Angela).
• display posters encouraging customers to seek support (read about Promoting 1800RESPECT).

• City of Melbourne – Gender safety audit checklist for licensed venues
• OntoIt Media – Creating safe space and no tolerance policies for your live music venue
• WorkSafe Victoria – accredited providers, resources and training on work-related gender violence
• Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission – tools to help meet obligations
• 1800RESPECT – links to domestic, family and sexual violence counselling services