❓ Mr Murray questions the Minister regarding a proposal to restrict packaged liquor sales in Kalgoorlie, Coolgardie, and Boulder. The Minister explains the process, emphasizing the Director of Liquor Licensing's independence and the role of police and health departments in raising concerns.
AnsweredQoN 315Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
PACKAGED LIQUOR SALES — KALGOORLIE,
COOLGARDIE AND BOULDER
315. Mr M.P. MURRAY to the Minister for Racing and Gaming:
(1) Does the
minister support the Director of Liquor Licensing's proposal to remove
packaged liquor sales on Sundays from Kalgoorlie, Coolgardie and Boulder?
(2) If so, what is the justification for this proposal?
(3) Are other
areas, such as Port Hedland, Broome and Geraldton, being considered for similar
restrictions; and, if not, why not?
COOLGARDIE AND BOULDER
315. Mr M.P. MURRAY to the Minister for Racing and Gaming:
(1) Does the
minister support the Director of Liquor Licensing's proposal to remove
packaged liquor sales on Sundays from Kalgoorlie, Coolgardie and Boulder?
(2) If so, what is the justification for this proposal?
(3) Are other
areas, such as Port Hedland, Broome and Geraldton, being considered for similar
restrictions; and, if not, why not?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the
member for the question.
(1)–(3)
In the case of Kalgoorlie, the police have gone to the Director of Liquor
Licensing and said that they have real concerns about liquor consumption in
Kalgoorlie and that region. They have brought forward facts to the director.
This is a decision for the director, as the member knows—the
independent director. The director then goes out and asks the liquor licensees
to show cause why he should not do anything. That process then takes place, as
is happening in the Pilbara as well. Then, the opportunity is there for the
local liquor accords and the local licensees et cetera to make comment. I know
that the director is away on leave at the moment. When he returns, he has
agreed to go to the Pilbara to meet with licensees and the accord to hear their
side of the story, and I am sure he will probably do the same in Kalgoorlie and
that area.
There are a couple of other things
that I need to say. I met with the Department of Health, and I think in the
case of the Pilbara, the health department also asked, but not in the case of
Kalgoorlie. The Director of Liquor Licensing must then weigh up the evidence
presented to him by the police. As members know, one of the objects of the
Liquor Control Act is to minimise the harm that liquor brings. The act allows
for intervention by police, and by the health department, to ask the director to
consider it. The director will always look at the situation and ask them to
show cause. A number of things have been put forward. I am very confident that
the Director of Liquor Licensing, over the time that I have been involved, has
made very level decisions. In the case of Kununurra, where the director put on —
Mr M.P. Murray : In
Kalgoorlie it was a mess.
Mr T.K. WALDRON :
Let me tell the member about Kununurra, just so that he understands how it
works. The director put restrictions on in Kununurra, after consulting with the
council et cetera.
Mr M.P. Murray interjected.
Mr T.K. WALDRON :
No. He went out there twice. I was actually at the meetings. He asked the
council to put forward in the first place what it thought should happen, which
did not happen. He then put some restrictions on up there. Complaints came in
about those restrictions. I went up there, and he went up there at a later
date, and the point that was made was that they supported the restrictions, but
not the timing. Since then, the timing has been changed. So, the director
listened to what the public said. He did it correctly. That is what he is
doing, and he will do the same thing in these areas. I have spoken to the
member for Kalgoorlie about this. A couple of things have been put forward that
I think have some merit. Some of them I personally think the director would
need to consider very closely before bringing them in, but that is his
decision. He will make that decision, and I am sure that, as he has done in the
past, he will do that with balance. I think a lot of scaremongering goes on
because the director goes out and asks licensees to show cause why not. That is
what he has to do under the act, which, I must say, was changed in 2007 under
the previous government. I support the way it happens. I am also reviewing the
act, because there are a couple of areas in the act, even with this process,
that I think can be improved, and that is one of the reasons we are having a
review of the act.
member for the question.
(1)–(3)
In the case of Kalgoorlie, the police have gone to the Director of Liquor
Licensing and said that they have real concerns about liquor consumption in
Kalgoorlie and that region. They have brought forward facts to the director.
This is a decision for the director, as the member knows—the
independent director. The director then goes out and asks the liquor licensees
to show cause why he should not do anything. That process then takes place, as
is happening in the Pilbara as well. Then, the opportunity is there for the
local liquor accords and the local licensees et cetera to make comment. I know
that the director is away on leave at the moment. When he returns, he has
agreed to go to the Pilbara to meet with licensees and the accord to hear their
side of the story, and I am sure he will probably do the same in Kalgoorlie and
that area.
There are a couple of other things
that I need to say. I met with the Department of Health, and I think in the
case of the Pilbara, the health department also asked, but not in the case of
Kalgoorlie. The Director of Liquor Licensing must then weigh up the evidence
presented to him by the police. As members know, one of the objects of the
Liquor Control Act is to minimise the harm that liquor brings. The act allows
for intervention by police, and by the health department, to ask the director to
consider it. The director will always look at the situation and ask them to
show cause. A number of things have been put forward. I am very confident that
the Director of Liquor Licensing, over the time that I have been involved, has
made very level decisions. In the case of Kununurra, where the director put on —
Mr M.P. Murray : In
Kalgoorlie it was a mess.
Mr T.K. WALDRON :
Let me tell the member about Kununurra, just so that he understands how it
works. The director put restrictions on in Kununurra, after consulting with the
council et cetera.
Mr M.P. Murray interjected.
Mr T.K. WALDRON :
No. He went out there twice. I was actually at the meetings. He asked the
council to put forward in the first place what it thought should happen, which
did not happen. He then put some restrictions on up there. Complaints came in
about those restrictions. I went up there, and he went up there at a later
date, and the point that was made was that they supported the restrictions, but
not the timing. Since then, the timing has been changed. So, the director
listened to what the public said. He did it correctly. That is what he is
doing, and he will do the same thing in these areas. I have spoken to the
member for Kalgoorlie about this. A couple of things have been put forward that
I think have some merit. Some of them I personally think the director would
need to consider very closely before bringing them in, but that is his
decision. He will make that decision, and I am sure that, as he has done in the
past, he will do that with balance. I think a lot of scaremongering goes on
because the director goes out and asks licensees to show cause why not. That is
what he has to do under the act, which, I must say, was changed in 2007 under
the previous government. I support the way it happens. I am also reviewing the
act, because there are a couple of areas in the act, even with this process,
that I think can be improved, and that is one of the reasons we are having a
review of the act.
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