Liquor Licensing Legislation in Australia
There is growing interest and concern in relation to the harms stemming from alcohol and the potential role played by liquor licensing legislation to contain or minimise such harms. In light of this, researchers at the National Centre for Education and Training on Addiction (NCETA), at Flinders University undertook a national review liquor of licensing legislation. This project was undertaken to examine the legislation in detail and to identify its strengths and weaknesses, especially from a law enforcement perspective.
The review involved a detailed examination of legislation from each of Australia’s states and territories as at 30 December 2010. The project also involved interviewing police from around Australia to gain their perspectives on the effectiveness of the legislation. This is the first time that such an examination has been undertaken.
The project was initiated by Australia’s Intergovernmental Committee on Drugs and funded through the National Drug Strategy Cost Shared Funding Model. The project was overseen by, and undertaken in partnership with, South Australia Police.
The reports from this project:
- identify the key features of liquor licensing legislation in each state and territory and provide examples of effective legislative tools
- highlight the perspectives of law enforcement personnel concerning their roles in preventing and reducing alcohol-related crime and associated harms, and
- recommend improvements to liquor licensing legislation.
The reports from the study also identify areas in which legislation and administrative arrangements could be strengthened to better enable police to reduce alcohol-related problems. The reports may be downloaded by clicking on the links below.
NCETA Resources
Alcohol and licensed premises: Best practice in policing, a monograph for police and policy makers [pdf, 1575 KB]
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Trifonoff, A., Andrew, R., Steenson, T., Nicholas, R., & Roche, A.M. (2011). Liquor Licensing in Australia: An Overview. Adelaide, SA: National Centre for Education and Training on Addiction (NCETA), Flinders University. |
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Trifonoff, A., Andrew, R., Steenson, T., Nicholas, R., & Roche, A.M. (2011). Liquor Licensing in Australia: A Jurisdictional Breakdown. Adelaide, SA: National Centre for Education and Training on Addiction (NCETA), Flinders University. |
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Trifonoff, A., Andrew, R., Steenson, T., Nicholas, R., & Roche, A.M. (2011). Liquor Licensing in Australia: Police Expectations and Experiences. Adelaide, SA: National Centre for Education and Training on Addiction (NCETA), Flinders University. |
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Trifonoff, A., Andrew, R., Steenson, T., Nicholas, R., & Roche, A.M. (2011). Liquor Licensing Legislation in Australia: Executive Summary. Adelaide, SA: National Centre for Education and Training on Addiction (NCETA), Flinders University. |
Order the ReportsThese reports are available in hard copy, or electronic copies are available on a DVD. Copies may be ordered: |
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Other NCETA Publications |
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Roche, A., & Steenson, T. (2013). Secondary Supply: What The Legislation Says About Supplying Alcohol To Young People [pdf 2,091 KB]. National Centre for Education and Training on Addiction (NCETA), Flinders University. |
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Roche, A., & Steenson, T. (2013). Key Features of Liquor Licensing Legislation in Australia [pdf 1 MB]. National Centre for Education and Training in Addiction (NCETA), Flinders University. |
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Roche, A., Steenson, T., & Andrew, R. (2013). Alcohol And Young People: What The Legislation Says About Access And Secondary Supply. Drug and Alcohol Review, 32(2), 124–132. Not available in hard copy |
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Other Resources
- Australia New Zealand Policing Advisory Agency (2008) Directions in Australia New Zealand Policing. Melbourne: Australia New Zealand Policing Advisory Agency [website].
- Fleming, J. (2008). Rules of engagement: Policing anti-social behaviour and alcohol-related violence in and around licensed premises. NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research [pdf].
Donnelly, N., Scott, L., Poynton, S., Weatherburn, D., Shanahan, M., & Hansen, F. (2007). Estimating the short-term cost of police time spent on alcohol-related crime in NSW. Hobart: National Drug Law Enforcement Research Fund [website]. - Homel, P., & Willis, K. (2007). A framework for measuring the performance of drug law enforcement. Trends and issues in criminal justice no. 332. Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology [website].
- Delahunty, B., & Putt, J. (2006a). Good practice framework: policing illicit drugs in rural and remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait communities. Payneham, SA: National Drug Law Enforcement Research Fund [website].
- Spooner, C., McPherson, M., & Hall, W. (2004). The role of police in preventing and minimising illicit drug use and its harms. Canberra: Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing [website].
- Jenner, L., Baker, A., White, I., & Carr, V. (2004). Psychostimulants - Management of acute behaviour disturbances: Guidelines for police services. Canberra: Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing [website].
- Nicholas, R. (2000). Education and training for police on the broad range of drug issues. Discussion paper for the Commissioners' Drug Committee of the Conference of Police Commissioners of Australasia and the South West Pacific Region. South Australia: Australasian Centre for Policing Research.