- Published:
- Friday 7 October 2022
As Victorians come together to celebrate major sporting events like the FIFA World Cup this summer, businesses will be able to apply to serve liquor past their regular hours without having to pay fees.
Supporting businesses as they recover from the pandemic, the Andrews Labor Government will reimburse fees for temporary liquor licence applications this November and December.
Businesses are urged to get their applications in as soon as possible to allow up to six weeks for it to be processed in time for the first game in the early hours of 21 November.
Whether it’s attending a local game or gathering to watch international competitions in our iconic venues, Victoria is Australia’s sporting capital – with thousands of Victorians expected to come out to celebrate the World Cup finals, where Australia will face France, Tunisia and Denmark in the group stages.
These exciting clashes often run outside the trading hours of a venue’s usual liquor licence – which means they are required to apply for a temporary licence to serve alcohol past 1am.
Venues who apply for a licence to trade later will still be subject to a strict assessment by Liquor Control Victoria, who will assess carefully any risks to community amenity and safety when deciding whether to grant a liquor licence extension.
Licensees are required to operate their venue in line with the obligations and conditions on their liquor licence, which focus on minimising harm.
This includes ensuring the responsible service of alcohol, supplying patrons with free drinking water and not allowing drunken or disorderly persons to be on the premises.
The rules that apply to holders of liquor licences are varied - Victorian businesses are encouraged to head to vic.gov.au/liquor-licensing for further detail and to determine the correct licensing option for them.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Consumer Affairs, Gaming and Liquor Regulation Melissa Horne
“Victoria is the natural home of sporting events in Australia – and we’re making it easy for football lovers to come together and watch the Socceroos battle it out in the FIFA World Cup finals this year.”
“We’re supporting local hospitality businesses as they continue their recovery from the pandemic, while giving Victorians more opportunities to watch home-grown heroes like Aziz Behich and Jamie Maclaren take on the world.”