Liquor license changes: AHA WA says trade on Good Friday strong but expects cultural shift to take years

Having an easy drink at a pub or a club on Good Friday was about “common sense”, as the industry reported a steady trade in the first year of changed licensing laws. Around 100 venues across the State were granted special licenses this year to allow them to serve alcohol without a meal. But from next year, those same venues will not have to go through the same application process after the State Government announced it was scrapping the law. Tim McLernon, general manager of Three Pound Group which owns a number of venues in Perth — including The Camfield which is opposite Optus Stadium — said trade was very strong on Good Friday, thanks to the West Coast v Essendon AFL match and he welcomed the new changes. “This has been something the industry has been asking about for years,” Mr McLernon said. “Having to suspend your actual license and apply for a special license that’s been the craziest aspect of this. Finally, someone has had some common sense and made it easier to trade.” Under current laws, alcohol can only be served with a meal from noon to 10pm unless a venue is granted an exemption. If that venue wanted to trade until midnight, it would also need to apply for an extended trading permit. Mr McLernon said not only was it a waste of time and money for venue-owners, but also for the Government because of the time it took to process those applications. “The only people who get anything out of it are the lawyers,” he said. Australian Hotels Association WA chief executive Bradley Woods said reports from various members was that trading was steady on Good Friday. He said one pub reported that it found it much easier because they didn’t have to monitor whether people ordered food with their drink or not. But he said they believed it would still take some time before patrons adjusted to the new reforms. “It’s a significant cultural shift and it will take time for both locals and visitors to adjust their habits and understand that licensed venues are now an option on what was once a very restricted day,” he said. “We anticipate it will take a few years for the full impact of these changes to be realised. “Behaviour around public holidays is deeply ingrained, and people are still learning that they will be able to enjoy a drink without a meal on Good Friday and other traditionally restricted days.” The State Government is also getting rid of the extended trading permit, as well as allowing digital forms of identification and increasing the capacity of small bars from 120 to 150. Mr McLernon said he would also like to see the standardisation of tavern licenses across WA. He explained a tavern which obtained its license 30 years ago had different conditions imposed on them than a venue which obtained its license today. “I would like to see the same conditions imposed across the board,” he said.