Industry staff and licensees
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Selling and supplying alcohol brings with it a number of important legal obligations under NSW liquor laws. These responsibilities are in place to ensure that venues reduce the potential social harms which can be caused by the abuse of alcohol.
Licensees and staff must have regard to the following objectives of the liquor laws in NSW.
- The need to minimise harm associated with the misuse and abuse of liquor.
- Encourage responsible attitudes and practices towards the promotion, sale, supply, service and consumption of liquor.
- Ensure that the sale, supply and consumption of liquor contribute to, and does not distract from, the amenity of community life.
Liquor Act 2007
New liquor laws provide increased penalties for staff who supply alcohol to an intoxicated person. A licensee or venue staff members can be fined up to $11,000 or be issued an on- the- spot fine by way of a penalty notice.
Venues and police have also been provided greater powers regarding the ejection of patrons under the news laws. For more information, please see our Ejected Patrons memo for staff.
See the Liquor Act 2007 and the Liquor Act Regulation 2008 for more information on rights and obligations of licensees and their staff.
Responsible Service of Alcohol
Staff who serve or supply alcohol in licensed premises in NSW as well as venue security staff must have completed an approved Responsible Service of Alcohol course and hold an RSA Certificate.
Information about where to find approved RSA providers, what to do if you have lost your RSA certificate, and information on bridging courses for people who hold an RSA certificate from interstate is available from the Courses section of our website.
Intoxication Guidelines
The Director of Liquor and Gaming has issued Intoxication Guidelines to assist licensees and staff determine whether a person is intoxicated.
Tools to make your venue safer
We have developed a number of practical tools to assist licensees and their staff reduce the risk of alcohol related harm and anti-social behaviour in and around licensed premises. These tools include the Alcohol Management Operations Register (AMOR) and Self Audit Checklists.
Other resources
Our Office also sells products to help your venue reduce the risk of supplying alcohol to minors, such as the Australian ID Checking Guide as well as harm minimisation resources such as incident registers. Please see the purchase our products page for more information.
