Perth venues can extend Sunday night trading

Image: Tired Lion at Amplifier Capitol

Perth venues and nightclubs can extend their Sunday trading hours from this weekend until 2 am Monday, while hotels’ popular Sunday Sessions get an extra two hours, from 10 pm to midnight.

The first stage of the new Liquor Legislation Amendment Act 2015 came into effect today (November 20). WA Racing and Gaming Minister Colin Holt said the changes were to “accommodate Perth’s evolving seven-day economy”.

The Department explained that under Sections 98 and 98A, “As well as giving more flexibility to those two licence categories, the change also largely removes the requirement for hotels and nightclubs to apply for extended trading permits on long weekends.”

But it stressed, “This does not apply to those hotels and nightclubs that have restricted hours as a condition on their licence.”

CEO of Australian Hotels Association WA Bradley Woods said the reforms were necessary if Perth and WA were “to be considered an international hospitality destination of choice.”

Some hotel owners agree that patrons would embrace the extra time to enjoy the end of their weekends. But one said, “Sunday award rates are through the roof, so we’ll see how it pays off.”

Under other new rules:

The Director of the Liquor Licensing Commission can accept liquor licence applications without local government authority planning approval being provided at the time the application is lodged. However, the application cannot be determined until the planning approval certificate has been provided by the applicant, unless the licensing authority determines otherwise.

Adults who supply alcohol to juveniles in unlicensed premises without parent consent can be fined $10,000.

Beer and wine producers to sell their products through retail outlets as well as the traditional cellar door as long as it’s in the same region of their production facilities.

Beer and wine producers can sell liquor other than their own product if served ancillary to a meal or for tasting purposes. They can now accept telephone and internet orders from a place other than the licensed premises, provided the product is despatched from the licensed premises. Thirdly, beer producers can sell beer produced on their premises for consumption on those premises between 10am and 10pm.

People can now carry alcohol across the unlicensed area of a venue, for instance, if they are moving from the bar, across a footpath, to an alfresco area.

Similarly, a premises may have licensed areas over a number of floors, but the staircase between the floors are unlicensed.