Liquor licence holders in Queensland continue to struggle with the vastly reduced opportunities to apply for one off extended hours permits. Here at LGS we have produced a flow chart and some notes which hopefully will help people navigate the new requirements. A couple of important things to remember…
First, applications for Queensland liquor permits are required to be lodged at least 21 days prior to the event. Recent experience has shown that OLGR are taking this quite seriously and will only accept a late application if it includes an endorsement of no objections from Police. Further recent experience has been that Police are equally reluctant to deal with applications lodged outside the statutory deadline. Therefore licensees would be wise to plan well in advance.
Second, the rule that a liquor licensee can effectively only obtain an extended hours permit for one event per month can have a harsh impact on businesses which would traditionally host numerous functions during a set period; such as Christmas parties during November and December. For licensees in this category it may be worth exploring a permanent extension of trading hours. LGS are working on strategies to minimise the cost of these kinds of approvals.
Lastly, despite the general policy of winding back liquor trading hours around the state, the one off extended hours permits can, remarkably, be applied for through until 5am. Hopefully this provides licensees with an opportunity to generate some additional revenue if only on the handful of significant dates throughout the year.
Download the extended hours approval flowchart and notes. (PDF viewer required.)
