Venue owners, licensees, managers and bar staff in New South Wales are being put on notice, with the state government announcing tougher sanctions for those that fail to keep hospitality workers and patrons safe.
The reforms, currently in front of NSW Parliament, will be introduced as part of the third phase of the state government’s vibrancy reforms. It expands the grounds for suspending or cancelling a liquor licence to include cases where a licensee fails to address significant risks to staff or patrons, including by not preventing the risk of sexual assault.
Under these reforms, the Independent Liquor & Gaming Authority will have the power to revoke licences on these grounds, with NSW Police and Liquor & Gaming NSW able to lodge complaints directly to the Authority.
The changes will also make it easier for the Authority to revoke a Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA) competency card from anyone found to have engaged in harmful behaviour, including sexual assault, preventing individuals dismissed from one venue for misconduct from quickly being rehired at another.
The Authority will also have the discretion to determine if someone has failed to act in a fit and proper manner.
“The safety of our hospitality workers and their customers in NSW is simply non-negotiable,” Minister for Music and the Night-time Economy John Graham said.
“These reforms increase the ability for us to weed out the wrong people from an industry that is reliant on young people, often women, willing to work late in settings where the danger of sexual assault increases in lockstep with poor management.”
The move has been welcomed by the clubs and pubs industry.
“Registered clubs take the safety of workers and patrons extremely seriously. Clubs provide regular training and already have strong protocols in place, which is why our members pride themselves on being the safest venues in New South Wales,” ClubsNSW Rebecca Riant said.
“Those who fail to uphold safety standards tarnish the reputation of the entire hospitality industry. ClubsNSW welcomes this announcement from the Minns Labor Government — these reforms are a great step towards holding bad actors accountable and ensuring consistent, high-quality safety practices across the industry.”
The state government said the reforms follow concerning allegations about the workplace culture at some licenced venues in Sydney.
“I particularly want to thank Sorry Not Sorry, a collective of hospitality workers advocating against abuse, assault and discrimination in the industry, for their engagement,” Graham said.