❓ Question addresses the success of small bar reforms in WA, focusing on their impact on local businesses, jobs, and the economy. The Minister's answer highlights the growth in small bar licenses, the evolution of drinking culture, and ongoing consultations for further liquor law reform.
AnsweredQoN 722Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
SMALL BARS
722. Dr K. STRATTON to the Minister for Racing and Gaming:
I give a personal welcome to the
social justice club from Bob Hawke College, and in this Pride month I particularly
acknowledge your advocacy for the LGBTQIA+ community. Thank you.
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's record of creating more opportunities for small businesses
and driving the local economy through its reforms of liquor licensing laws. Can
the minister update the house on the success of
this government's reforms of small bars and licences in Western Australia
and outline what they have meant for local businesses, local jobs and
the local economy?
722. Dr K. STRATTON to the Minister for Racing and Gaming:
I give a personal welcome to the
social justice club from Bob Hawke College, and in this Pride month I particularly
acknowledge your advocacy for the LGBTQIA+ community. Thank you.
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's record of creating more opportunities for small businesses
and driving the local economy through its reforms of liquor licensing laws. Can
the minister update the house on the success of
this government's reforms of small bars and licences in Western Australia
and outline what they have meant for local businesses, local jobs and
the local economy?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Nedlands for
her question.
Back around the time of the election
last year, in 2021, the McGowan government committed to undertake a consultation
with the hospitality industry and other stakeholders about further reform of
the Liquor Control Act. This builds on the commitment that was made way back in
2006 and the reform that was brought in then for small bars by the then
Minister for Racing and Gaming. Of course, we know who the Minister for Racing and
Gaming was back in 2006; it was the current
Premier. Since those reforms were brought back in 2006 and the first small bar licence was issued in late 2007, we now have 241 small bar licences in Western Australia.
Nearly half of those have opened in the last five years. There is no doubt that
the small bar reform has been a major reform in the liquor area and that it has
changed the drinking culture of people in Western Australia. They have become
much more sophisticated and, may I say, a bit more continental. With my
background and those of the minister in front of me and the former Minister for Racing and Gaming, I am sure we can attest
to the more sophisticated continental aspects of our drinking culture.
It is more vibrant, more stylish, more diverse and more creative. There is no
doubt that the reform instigated by the then Minister for Racing and Gaming
back in 2006 has been incredibly important. But then the Minister for Racing
and Gaming in 2018—the current Minister for Police—instigated
further reform that sought to reduce red tape and also tried to link the
cultural and tourism value of licensed premises. That was also an important set
of reforms back in 2018.
We are now at a stage when the
Premier and I today launched a consultation process for further reform in the
area. A consultation paper has been produced
by the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries titled The next chapter of WA's liquor laws—Have your say in
which we are inviting the industry and other stakeholders to come to the party to engage with government to
tell us what they want. We are looking at how we can reduce red tape
even further, reduce the complexity of all the different licensing categories,
remove restrictions in some of the licensing categories and make sure that we
have a more efficient, faster and less expensive application process to obtain
a licence.
I welcome the media release issued
by the Australian Hotels Association today. It reads —
The
Australian Hotels Association (WA) has welcomed the WA Government's
review of the state's liquor laws, to help ensure the
legislation, policies and regulations governing hospitality venues are modern,
fit for purpose, and in line with customer expectations and needs.
AHA(WA)
CEO Bradley Woods said the industry had already begun engaging in meaningful
consultation with Government and departmental officials, which will
continue over the coming year.
�
''WA's
hotels, bars, taverns and restaurants are looking for ways to reduce
unnecessary regulatory burdens that are placed on them, and we will be
working to ensure this is prioritised over the next 12 months.''
''The
AHA welcomes several key changes to WA's liquor laws that have already
been announced, including the Protected Entertainment Precincts
legislation as well as major proposed amendments to enhance the Banned Drinkers
Register.''
''We have been particularly
encouraged by the genuine —
The SPEAKER : Minister, I am
just going to take a point of order.
Tabling of Paper
Mr R.S.
LOVE : I wonder whether the minister could be asked to table the
document he is reading from —
Dr A.D. Buti : More than
happy!
Mr R.S. LOVE : — and
save us the need to listen to his lengthy question and answer session.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : It is a while since we have had a point of
order, but can I just remind everyone that points of order are actually heard
in silence. We have had the point of order. I will ask the minister whether he
intends to table the document that the member has referred to. I am not
requiring you to, by the way; I am asking you.
Dr A.D.
BUTI : I am more than happy to table this. It includes a compliment
about me, so I am more than happy to table it!
[See paper 1686 .]
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please!
Attention to the minister, please.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Dr A.D. BUTI : As I said, we
are really very keen to ensure that our hospitality industry is not burdened by
an excessive amount of red tape. It is really interesting that this happens
only on the Labor side. When we look at this portfolio, going back to 2006,
when the Premier was the Minister for Racing and Gaming, then the current
Minister for Police, then the now Minister for Environment, we see that we are
the party and the executive government that reduces red tape. The so-called
party of free enterprise does not reduce red tape. Yesterday, there was an
interesting exercise in parliamentary debate in which the member for Roe got up
and said, ''We are supporting the protected entertainment precincts'',
and then went on for 20 minutes to say why the legislation was bad.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please!
Minister, that interjection was unruly, and I am rather keen to move on to the
next question.
Dr A.D. BUTI : I understand,
Madam Speaker.
It was great to be celebrating 15 years
of small bar reforms in Western Australia today and to launch the consultation
period. I invite people to encourage stakeholders and the industry to get
involved.
her question.
Back around the time of the election
last year, in 2021, the McGowan government committed to undertake a consultation
with the hospitality industry and other stakeholders about further reform of
the Liquor Control Act. This builds on the commitment that was made way back in
2006 and the reform that was brought in then for small bars by the then
Minister for Racing and Gaming. Of course, we know who the Minister for Racing and
Gaming was back in 2006; it was the current
Premier. Since those reforms were brought back in 2006 and the first small bar licence was issued in late 2007, we now have 241 small bar licences in Western Australia.
Nearly half of those have opened in the last five years. There is no doubt that
the small bar reform has been a major reform in the liquor area and that it has
changed the drinking culture of people in Western Australia. They have become
much more sophisticated and, may I say, a bit more continental. With my
background and those of the minister in front of me and the former Minister for Racing and Gaming, I am sure we can attest
to the more sophisticated continental aspects of our drinking culture.
It is more vibrant, more stylish, more diverse and more creative. There is no
doubt that the reform instigated by the then Minister for Racing and Gaming
back in 2006 has been incredibly important. But then the Minister for Racing
and Gaming in 2018—the current Minister for Police—instigated
further reform that sought to reduce red tape and also tried to link the
cultural and tourism value of licensed premises. That was also an important set
of reforms back in 2018.
We are now at a stage when the
Premier and I today launched a consultation process for further reform in the
area. A consultation paper has been produced
by the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries titled The next chapter of WA's liquor laws—Have your say in
which we are inviting the industry and other stakeholders to come to the party to engage with government to
tell us what they want. We are looking at how we can reduce red tape
even further, reduce the complexity of all the different licensing categories,
remove restrictions in some of the licensing categories and make sure that we
have a more efficient, faster and less expensive application process to obtain
a licence.
I welcome the media release issued
by the Australian Hotels Association today. It reads —
The
Australian Hotels Association (WA) has welcomed the WA Government's
review of the state's liquor laws, to help ensure the
legislation, policies and regulations governing hospitality venues are modern,
fit for purpose, and in line with customer expectations and needs.
AHA(WA)
CEO Bradley Woods said the industry had already begun engaging in meaningful
consultation with Government and departmental officials, which will
continue over the coming year.
�
''WA's
hotels, bars, taverns and restaurants are looking for ways to reduce
unnecessary regulatory burdens that are placed on them, and we will be
working to ensure this is prioritised over the next 12 months.''
''The
AHA welcomes several key changes to WA's liquor laws that have already
been announced, including the Protected Entertainment Precincts
legislation as well as major proposed amendments to enhance the Banned Drinkers
Register.''
''We have been particularly
encouraged by the genuine —
The SPEAKER : Minister, I am
just going to take a point of order.
Tabling of Paper
Mr R.S.
LOVE : I wonder whether the minister could be asked to table the
document he is reading from —
Dr A.D. Buti : More than
happy!
Mr R.S. LOVE : — and
save us the need to listen to his lengthy question and answer session.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : It is a while since we have had a point of
order, but can I just remind everyone that points of order are actually heard
in silence. We have had the point of order. I will ask the minister whether he
intends to table the document that the member has referred to. I am not
requiring you to, by the way; I am asking you.
Dr A.D.
BUTI : I am more than happy to table this. It includes a compliment
about me, so I am more than happy to table it!
[See paper 1686 .]
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please!
Attention to the minister, please.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Dr A.D. BUTI : As I said, we
are really very keen to ensure that our hospitality industry is not burdened by
an excessive amount of red tape. It is really interesting that this happens
only on the Labor side. When we look at this portfolio, going back to 2006,
when the Premier was the Minister for Racing and Gaming, then the current
Minister for Police, then the now Minister for Environment, we see that we are
the party and the executive government that reduces red tape. The so-called
party of free enterprise does not reduce red tape. Yesterday, there was an
interesting exercise in parliamentary debate in which the member for Roe got up
and said, ''We are supporting the protected entertainment precincts'',
and then went on for 20 minutes to say why the legislation was bad.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please!
Minister, that interjection was unruly, and I am rather keen to move on to the
next question.
Dr A.D. BUTI : I understand,
Madam Speaker.
It was great to be celebrating 15 years
of small bar reforms in Western Australia today and to launch the consultation
period. I invite people to encourage stakeholders and the industry to get
involved.
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