Media Releases

Changes to liquor licensing fees will help ease the burden on Shepparton district pubs, businesses and community groups, State Member for Shepparton Jeanette Powell said today.

Mrs Powell said Shepparton venues that posed a low risk in relation to alcohol-related violence would have their fees more than halved, honouring an election commitment by the Coalition.

“This is good news for small pubs and community clubs in this area,” Mrs Powell said.

“These clubs faced huge fee increases under the previous Labor government, so we have eased the unnecessary financial burden on businesses that pose a low risk of alcohol-related violence, which is based on patronage and operating hours.

“As I have said before, these clubs and pubs are often the lifeblood of small communities so we want to ensure their viability.”

Under the Coalition Government’s changes, the base renewal fee has been reduced in the following categories:

• full club (without gaming machines)
• restricted club
• vignerons
• restaurant and cafe
• renewable limited
• BYO permits

The government will also review fees for packaged liquor licences, to address any anomalies that see all packaged liquor outlets charged the same fee regardless of their size.

Licensees can apply to reduce their liquor licensing renewal fee by reducing their patron numbers or trading hours.

Invoices were issued to licensees at the start of January and must be paid prior to March 31.
Licensees who continue to supply liquor after this date and who have not paid their renewal fee will be doing so illegally.

In certain circumstances, such as hardship applications, the Director of Liquor Licensing has the power to waive or reduce licence fees. For information on liquor licensing fees and application forms, go to www.justice.vic.gov.au/alcohol.

Coalition Government to slash liquor licence fees for clubs and small business

Labor’s exorbitant liquor licensing fees will be slashed under a Liberal Nationals Coalition Government which will ease pressure on sporting clubs, small businesses and community groups in the Shepparton district, State Member for Shepparton Jeanette Powell said today.

Mrs Powell said a Coalition government will cut a range of liquor licence renewal fees by more than half, commencing 1 January 2011.

“This will ease the financial pressure on more than 10,000 sporting clubs, small businesses and community groups, including many local groups which are the lifeblood of communities across the Shepparton District,” Mrs Powell said.

Since 2008 the Brumby government has increased fees for many sporting and community clubs by more than 1000%, increased renewable licence fees by almost 600% and more than doubled fees for vignerons. This has made holding a liquor licence unaffordable for many groups and increased costs for struggling small businesses.

“I presented petitions to Parliament over the past two years with more than 250 signatures requesting the Brumby Government recognise the damage increases to liquor licences would cause, particularly in many country communities, and asked the government to review the proposed legislation,” Mrs Powell said.

“Our local clubs are not responsible for John Brumby’s failure to deal with a rising tide of alcohol-related violence in Melbourne, but Labor has made them the scapegoat for the government’s incompetence.

“The Coalition will ease the financial pressure on these community groups and small businesses by delivering an immediate and major reduction in their liquor licence renewal fees.

Labor’s liquor licence fee hike has increased total charges from $10 million to $35 million since 2008.

The Coalition’s policy contrasts with Labor’s policy, which only offers a fee reduction for clubs with fewer than 100 members.

“The government’s policy is grossly unfair to country clubs as it penalises clubs that have worked hard to build their membership to 100 or more,” Mrs Powell said.

The Brumby Government has again caved in to political and industry pressure and changed the liquor licence fees for sporting clubs and community groups, The Nationals Member for Shepparton, Jeanette Powell said today.
Mrs Powell said following pressure from the Victorian Liberal Nationals Coalition and industry earlier this year the Brumby Government was forced to announce that bed and breakfasts, florists and giftmaker businesses who supply alcohol as a minor part of their businesses will no longer have to pay liquor licence renewal fees from 2011.
“They have now caved in to the Coalition’s pressure and extended this to sporting and community clubs,” Mrs Powell said.
“In its rush to curb alcohol-fuelled violence in Melbourne, the Labor Government punished sporting and community clubs with a 400% increases in liquor licence fees.
“I raised the drastic effect the Brumby Government’s ‘grab for cash’ would have on small community and sporting clubs in Parliament many times.
“Some clubs have been forced to relinquish their liquor licence because the small profits of alcohol sales did not cover the massive fee increases
“Thankfully, the Brumby Labor Government has again caved in and introduced fee discounts for eligible small clubs ahead of a full review of club licensing arrangements and fees next year.”
The interim measures mean:
• Clubs with restricted club or renewable limited licences with fewer than 100 members will be given a 50 per cent reduction on 2011 renewal fees;
• Clubs holding both a restricted club licence and a renewable limited licence will be eligible to apply for a discount of 50 per cent on each licence for the 2011 fee year;
• Where clubs require additional temporary limited licences they will be able to apply for one licence that authorises up to 12 separate activities or events in a year;
• Full club licensees wishing to move to a restricted club licence will have their variation fee waived. Clubs that make this transfer would reduce their 2011 renewal fee from $812.70 to $405.80 and save $174.70 on the variation fee.
“The Coalition understands the importance of local clubs to the life of our communities and, in government, will review the risk-based liquor licence fee structure and implement a more equitable system that does not unfairly penalise small liquor outlets,” Mrs Powell said.

The Nationals Member for Shepparton, Jeanette Powell said today that the admission by the Minister for Consumer Affairs that florists, gift shops and bed and breakfasts should no longer be required to pay his unfair liquor license fees proves Labor was wrong and the Liberal Nationals Coalition was right.

Mrs Powell said the Liberal Nationals Coalition had lobbied hard over the new excessive liquor license fees for small businesses such as florists, gift shops and bed and breakfasts.

“Now the Minister has conceded his unfair fee could not be justified,” Mrs Powell said.

“With the Brumby Government’s so-called ‘risk-based’ liquor laws small businesses in the Shepparton District paid $58.50 in 2008, $93 in 2009 and $397.50 in 2010 – a blatant fee grab and a grossly unfair impost on our small businesses.

“Labor’s liquor licensing fee hike had nothing to do with reducing anti-social behaviour.

“A florist in the Shepparton electorate selling a bottle of wine with flowers should never have been slugged for John Brumby’s failure to address the violence in our cities.”

Mrs Powell said this latest Brumby Government back down comes despite the Minister previously telling Parliament that he made ‘absolutely no apologies’ for introducing massive liquor license fee increases.

“John Brumby’s Labor Government has introduced an unfair system that hurts small business and community clubs while failing to tackle the causes of anti-social behaviour,” Mrs Powell said.

“Now less than six months before the election, the Brumby Labor government is in damage control and attempting to undo some of the damage.

“After 11 years of Labor’s incompetence, we deserve better than the Brumby Government imposing unfair liquor licensing fees on small businesses,” Mrs Powell said.