Melbourne bars, hotels, restaurants and cafes will now be able to serve booze until 1am under a single liquor licence due to regulation changes.
The Victorian state government will reform liquor licensing rules next month to allow hospitality venues to serve alcohol until 1am under a standard liquor licence, an additional two hours from the current 11pm regulations.
Licensed restaurants and cafes will also be able to supply a limited volume of alcohol with takeaway or delivery meals without having to apply and pay for a second licence. The changes are aimed at assisting hospitality venues to recover from the impacts of COVID-19, in an effort to reinvigorate Melbourne’s stuttering nightlife.
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In further changes, licensees will be able to apply for a fast-tracked temporary outdoor area licence that will be determined within three business days, expiring in mid-December, and their fees will be fully refunded. Businesses with Temporary Limited Licenses (TLLs) expiring in March will also benefit from a new streamlined process to apply for a new TLL, allowing them to continue serving liquor outdoors.
Bars, hotels, restaurants and cafes wanting to extend their trading hours from 11pm to 1am will now be able to do so automatically, without having to apply for a change to their licence, subject to any relevant council approvals.
There will also be some additional harm minimisation measures brought in over the next 12 months, including making it an offence to deliver alcohol to an intoxicated person and making it compulsory for large, packaged liquor stores to undertake a community impact assessment as part of their licencing application.
These important reforms balance supporting Victoria’s hospitality and entertainment industries post-pandemic while ensuring harm minimisation remains a key focus,” Minister for Consumer Affairs, Gaming and Liquor Regulation Melissa Horne said.
“All changes have been assessed to reduce both harm to the community and unnecessary hurdles for small businesses, which we know did it really tough during the pandemic.”
Head here for more info on liquor licensing in Victoria.
