Provisions in the Liquor Control Regulations 1989 (WA), which take effect from 4 June 2013, will make it considerably easier for some licensed restaurants to obtain approval to serve liquor without a meal.
Those licensed restaurants with a capacity of no more than 120 persons will be able to obtain the approval through a very quick and cheap process. Licensees seeking this privilege will only have to complete a simple form, pay $50 and wait just ten days. An extended trading permit (ETP) will, in most cases, automatically issue.
Eligible restaurant licensees will no longer be required to lodge a public interest assessment, supporting evidence or a section 40 certificate for a ‘liquor without a meal’ ETP. There will also be a saving on the lodgement fee and a much quicker processing time.
The 120 person limit relates to total capacity for the whole restaurant. This includes staff as well as patrons and both indoor and outdoor areas.
The traditional conditions attached to ‘liquor without a meal’ ETPs will continue to apply under the new regulations. This means that, amongst other things, restaurants with one of the new types of ETPs must ensure their business is predominantly that of selling and supplying meals, has an appropriate kitchen operating at all times, provides a suitable menu of meal options and requires patrons to be seated at all times when they have liquor in hand.
The new ETP system should be a welcome change to small licensed restaurants and their patrons.
