Sale and Supply of Alcohol (Community Participation) Amendment Bill

Summary: 

The Salvation Army welcomes this bill as a step in the right direction of addressing the impact of alcohol harm in our communities. We are pleased some changes in this bill that support our previous advocacy work around appeals to Local Alcohol Policies (LAP) and standing requirements. However, we believe that without ‘giving an effect’ to LAP in the District Licencing Committee (DLC) process the removal of appeals will make little to no difference in regard to alcohol harm. In addition, we strongly oppose Section 205(C) pertaining to striking out evidence or brief. We believe this section is vague, subjective and thwarts community participation. Whilst we welcome this bill, piecemeal reform of the Act is not ideal. In our view, at the core of many of the problems around alcohol consumption and regulation are the failings of the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012 (SSAA). But even without a clear, comprehensive reform and review plan, the amendments in this Bill have a clear purpose to play in securing better outcomes for local communities. 

 

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