What it does
The Liquor Regulation 2018 (the Regulation) is subordinate legislation made under the Liquor Act 2007 (the Act). It operationalises the Act by prescribing detailed rules on licensing, fees, responsible service obligations, precinct-specific controls, and harm minimisation measures. At its core, the Regulation ensures that the sale and supply of liquor occurs in a manner that minimises alcohol-related harm while supporting legitimate commercial and cultural activities.
The Regulation is divided into 11 Parts. Part 1 contains preliminary matters, including an extensive interpretation clause (cl 3) that defines over 30 terms. These range from “general late trading period” (midnight to closing or 7 am) to “RSA supervisory duties” performed by RSA marshals. It also incorporates definitions from the Act and the Interpretation Act 1987, and clarifies that references to “sound and noise” are interchangeable (cl 3(1A)).
Part 2 establishes the fee regime. Application fees are listed in Schedule 1 and comprise a fixed component and a processing component. Electronic lodgment attracts a 10% discount on the processing component (cl 4(3)). Refunds are available on refusal or withdrawal, but the processing component is retained (cl 4(4)). Periodic licence fees, payable under s 58A of the Act, are calculated under cl 9 as the sum of four elements: the base fee element (cl 10), compliance history risk loading (cl 11), trading hours risk loading (cl 12), and patron capacity loading (cl 14, payable only if compliance loading applies). These elements are modulated by demerit points, live music venue status, and remoteness (cll 10(2), 12(5)–(6)). The Secretary issues notices (cl 15), late fees apply (cl 16), and reassessment or waiver mechanisms exist for hardship or error (cll 18–19A). Fees are adjusted for inflation via a CPI-based fee unit in Part 4 of Schedule 1.