Ministerial orders and decision-making guidelines are:
- issued by the relevant Minister
- published in the Victorian Government Gazette
- considered in licensing decisions.
The Gazette is where the Victorian Government officially publishes legal notices.
Ministerial orders
Failed packaged liquor deliveries
The Ministerial Order on failed packaged liquor deliveries was published in September 2022.
It outlines how and when licensees must record failed deliveries of packaged liquor.
A record must be kept of the:
- number of off-premises deliveries made
- number of failed off-premises deliveries
- date and time of the failed delivery
- postcode where the failed delivery occurred
- reason for each failed delivery.
The reason for the failed delivery must be either that:
- the recipient was a minor
- for a same-day order, the delivery address was unattended
- for a first-time order (not gifts), the person who placed the order could not produce a suitable evidence of age document or was not at home to accept the order
- for gifts, no recipient at the delivery address could produce a suitable evidence of age document or the recipient was not at home to accept the order
- for gifts, the recipient was intoxicated or there was a substantial risk that they were intoxicated.
You must submit the record by 30 July each year using the template on the off-premises requests page.
Advanced RSA training
The Ministerial Order for Advanced RSA training was published in October 2014.
It requires applicants, and the responsible person in charge, to do Advanced RSA training if they are applying for either a:
- late night (general) licence
- late night (on-premises) licence.
This requirement does not apply to late night (on-premises) licences with restaurant and cafe conditions.
Licensees, and the responsible person in charge, must also do Advanced RSA training if the licensed venue has incurred a demerit point.
This applies if the licence type is a general, on-premises or late night licence (general or on-premises).
Decision-making guidelines
Late night licences in inner-Melbourne
The Ministerial decision-making guidelines for late night licences in inner Melbourne were published in June 2023.
They outline what must be considered when assessing an application for a new liquor licence or change to an existing licence that allows trading after 1 am in the council areas of:
- Melbourne
- Port Phillip
- Stonnington
- Yarra.
Matters that must be considered include:
- the applicant's ability to manage noise and amenity
- any conditions required to minimise the risks from late-night trading
- whether the venue has a plan to prevent and respond to gender-based violence, including sexual harassment
- compliance history, if existing hours are to be amended past 1 am.
Read more about requirements for late night licences in inner-Melbourne.
Cumulative impact
The Ministerial decision-making guidelines for cumulative impact were published in June 2012.
They outline matters that may be relevant to consider when assessing the cumulative impact of a liquor application.
Cumulative impact refers to the impacts that result from a concentration of licensed premises in a defined area.
Evidence suggests that cumulative impact is associated with a range of positive and negative outcomes that arise from the combination of many factors, such as the:
- physical and environmental setting
- mix of licensed venues
- operating conditions of licensed venues.
The positive outcomes can include the creation of a local identity or status as an entertainment destination, enhanced vitality of the area, economic benefits and an increase in consumer choice.
The negative outcomes can include crime, a loss of amenity and antisocial behaviours.
Potential cumulative impacts vary between locations and depend on the:
- number and type of licensed venues
- capacity of the local area to accommodate the concentration of licensed venues.
Packaged liquor licence
The Ministerial decision-making guidelines for packaged liquor were published in June 2012.
They give guidance on appropriate hours for the sale of packaged liquor, taking into account the harm-minimisation objectives in the Liquor Control Reform Act 1998.
The guidelines state that any licence that allows packaged liquor to be supplied:
- 24-hours-a-day would go against the aim of minimising harm
- beyond ordinary trading hours (as defined in section 3 of the Act) should only be granted in exceptional circumstances and hours should not go past midnight.
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