Liquor & Gaming Specialists

by

COVID-19 OLGR Update 18 June 2020

Thursday 18 June 2020

Good evening

Today’s stage 2 update includes information on:

  • Nightclub trading
  • Groups and social distancing
  • Collecting contact information
  • Designated outdoor smoking areas
  • Documents you must display.

Nightclub trading

If you have a nightclub licence, under stage 2 you:

  • Can serve food and drink on a ‘seated, separated and served’ basis
  • Can’t provide normal nightclub entertainment services, such as dancefloors or live bands
  • Can only accept a maximum of 20 patrons if you operate under a COVID Safe Checklist or 20 patrons per defined area, if you operate under the Queensland Hotels and Clubs Industry COVID Safe Plan. The 1 person per 4sqm rule applies to all.

Groups and social distancing 

The checklists in the Queensland Hotels and Clubs Industry COVID Safe Plan provide guidance on how you should manage physical distancing in your venue.

Individuals from the same household or social group can occupy the same, or adjacent, table and do not need to be seated 1.5m apart.

Tables occupied by different groups should be 1.5m apart.

Collecting contact information

All venues must collect and keep contact information for ALL guests and staff attending their venue. The following information for each person must be recorded and retained for a period of 56 days:

  • name
  • address
  • mobile phone number
  • date/time period of patronage

Collecting the date and time period of patronage is a new requirement of the Chief Health Officer’s Direction.

These records must be complete and accurate, as they are critical for health authorities to contact trace efficiently if a person subsequently diagnosed with COVID-19 attended your venue.

You do not need to collect contact details for patrons buying takeaway.

Designated outdoor smoking areas (DOSAs)

We have received questions about if food and drink can be served or consumed in DOSAs.

Food or drink cannot be served in a DOSA, and smoking laws prohibit patrons from taking food into a DOSA.

A patron may take their drink into the DOSA however this should not result in them being in that area for any longer than it takes for them to have their smoke.

Under stage 2, licensed venues can only operate their DOSAs if:

  • they are only used for the purpose of smoking – smokers should return to the seat in their allocated defined area as soon as they have finished smoking
  • no more than one person per four square metres is permitted in the DOSA
  • social distancing is observed
  • existing smoking laws are complied with.

Documents you must display 

If you are operating under an approved Industry COVID Safe Plan, you must display a completed Statement of Compliance.

If you are operating under a COVID Safe Checklist, you must display the completed and signed checklist.

Your statement or checklist must be in a visible location.

If using an approved Industry COVID Safe Plan, you do not need to display the whole plan but should have it available if asked by an enforcement officer.

Whether you use the plan or the checklist, follow the simple message of Seated, Separated, Served to ensure compliance.

by

COVID-19: Further Easing and Industry Plans

Queensland restrictions on businesses were eased further on Monday 1 June and the industry COVID Safe Plans for hospitality operators were released on Friday 5 June, allowing licensees to have up to 20 patrons per defined area. The information below summarises the key changes:

  • All businesses permitted to offer on-premises service can now have up to 20 patrons on the premises. Businesses can choose to adopt an industry COVID Safe Plan or continue to operate under a COVID Safe Checklist. Those businesses not operating under a Plan are limited to 20 patrons for the whole of the venue, indoors and outdoors.
  • The industry plans most relevant to licensed premises are those for Hotels and Clubs and Food Services. There are several differences between the plans, and it appears to be open to licensees to decide which industry plan they choose to adopt. In our view the Hotels and Clubs plan provides the greatest flexibility for licensees.
  • Businesses operating in compliance with an industry COVID Safe Plan can have up to 20 patrons per defined area of the premises, subject to maintaining social distancing and having at least 4m² of public floor space per patron in each defined area.
    • Defined areas must be clearly separated by a wall, planters, partitions etc, and have at least 1.5m between patrons in separate areas where applicable.
    • Patron movement between defined areas is not permitted and must be controlled by the business operator.
    • Amenities may be shared with all patrons on the premises and, depending on which industry plan you adopt, staff may work in all areas.
    • The COVID Safe Plan is an alternative to the COVID Safe Checklist and licensees who have adopted a plan must display a statement of compliance but are no longer required to display the COVID Safe Checklist.
      • Please note: the COVID Safe Plans require certain signage to be displayed and recommend the display and use of checklists to manage and monitor compliance.
  • Patrons can now purchase alcoholic drinks without any requirement to also purchase food. However, drinks may only be served and consumed while the patron is seated at a table or bar.
  • Bar service is now permitted, but only while the patron is seated on a stool no less than 1.5m from the nearest person.
  • Patrons must not be seated next to serving or payment areas. This applies to all patrons but is most relevant to those seated at a bar and would require licensees to clearly delineate the service points at the bar.
  • Contact details for all customers, staff and contractors must now be retained for at least 56 days. This contradicts (and overrules) what is in the COVID Safe checklist.
  • ID scanning by relevant licensees in Safe Night Precincts is only required if the premises is open after 1am, Monday to Thursday, or after midnight on the weekends. If you are required to scan, scanning must commence from 10pm in accordance with the usual requirements..
  • All business operators must continue to comply with relevant Public Health Directions.

The industry plans are designed to provide a framework for business operators. If you require any advice or assistance in completing the plan, please contact our office on 07 3252 4066.

 

by

COVID-19 Update: On-Premises Dining

9 June 2020

Please check our latest article for current restrictions – COVID-19: Further Easing and Industry Plans

The following update is based on our understanding and interpretation of the most recent communications from Government. As you are aware, the rules seem to change rapidly and frequently, and the feedback we regularly receive is that the information from various sources is often confusing and at times conflicting. We are doing our best to distill accurate advice for you from these various sources, but unfortunately it is not possible to make a definitive statement in some circumstances.

Snacks Satisfy the Dining-in Requirements

You are no longer required to provide food that meets the definition of a meal to customers who wish to have an alcoholic drink on the premises. This will allow cafes, small bars and other licensed premises without the capacity to prepare meals to open for on-premises trade. Snacks, nuts, chips, tapas etc are now acceptable. Social distancing rules continue to apply. As we indicated in our earlier email update, the 1.5m distancing rule does not apply to people dining in a group at the same table. The distance must be maintained between groups and tables.

Bar Service

Customers may order and pay at the bar or another counter, but food and drink must be brought to the table where the customers are seated. This is aimed at reducing the amount of contact between staff and customers and to assist in social distancing.

What Licence Types Can Provide On-Premises Dining?

The Government roadmap refers to ‘no bars’, which is a reference to bar service, not to the small bar licence type. From the information provided, it appears that all licensed businesses can open for on-premises liquor sales, subject to the restrictions regarding food, patron numbers and social distancing, regardless of their licence type.

Non-Essential Business, Activity and Undertaking Closure Direction (No. 10) does separately deal with “nightclubs” – that is, it prohibits the operation of a nightclub business. However, we believe that this is a reference to a nightclub style of business operation rather than to the nightclub licence category, and that the holder of a nightclub licence is entitled to operate pursuant to restaurant rules in the way ordinarily permitted under the Liquor Act, and perhaps more extensively considering all of the other concessions that have been granted.

Given the complexity around the application of the restrictions to certain licence types (like nightclubs), we strongly suggest that you call our office for specific advice about your situation if you are in any doubt at all.

COVID Safe Training

All employees must complete the free COVID Safe Work training course through TAFE Qld. Existing employees must complete the training within two weeks of on-premises trade restarting and new employees must complete it before employment commences.

The link below will take you to an enrolment page. Employees must register their interest, create an account and then enroll in the course. The course takes approximately 30 minutes to complete and a certificate is provided for download. Employers should retain a copy of the certificates on the premises.

https://tafeqld.edu.au/campaign-pages/Covid-19-Response.html?#safe

We have personally undertaken the training and it is reasonably straightforward.

Planning for Level 2 & 3 Restrictions

We have received numerous enquiries regarding licensing changes required to allow you to maximise trading opportunities as restrictions are eased further (for example, if you want to accommodate more than 20 patrons in stage 2). The most important component for the level 2 relaxations will be the adoption of a COVID Safe Plan. These are being developed by the peak industry bodies in consultation with the Health Department and are expected to be approved and available soon. For more information see the OLGR fact sheet.

You will not need to submit your plan for approval. However, if you would like any help with this, please call our office on 07 3252 4066 and one of our consultants will be happy to provide you with some advice.

Previous Updates

You can view all our updates on COVID-19 at the link below:

https://liquorlicencequeensland.com.au/news/covid-19/

by

COVID-19 Compliance Under Level 1 Easing

The most recent email from OLGR indicates they were allowing licensees to get used to the COVID-19  obligations, but that investigators will be taking a stricter view regarding compliance this weekend. You can read the full email here and we have expanded on some of the main points below.

Social Distancing

The OLGR email states people dining as a group are not required to be 1.5m apart, but people in separate groups must be 1.5m from each other. However, the email contained a link to a compliance sign which contradicted this. We have sought clarification from OLGR and it has been confirmed that people dining together do not need to sit 1.5m apart.  At the same time, licensees should remain mindful that social distancing remains one of the key components in the fight against COVID-19.

COVID-19 Safe Checklist

Business operators are required to complete the COVID-19 Safe Checklist and display the completed document on the licensed premises. The checklist is quite detailed, and we recommend you spend some time working through all the requirements.

Some of the checklist items are described as ‘Where practical…’, but it is unclear whether checking a box is taken to be confirmation of understanding, or compliance with, that item. In the interests of everyone’s safety, we suggest you do everything that is practical to comply with the requirements in the checklist. However, in the interests of clarity, if it is simply not practical for you to comply with any of the non-mandatory requirements, we suggest leaving those items unchecked or clearly marking them in a way that shows you are not claiming to comply with that item.

Please note: the above recommendation does not apply to the mandatory items on the checklist. 

Workplace Health & Safety Plans

You must amend your Workplace Health & Safety Plan to include measures to protect workers and customers from COVID-19. Please consult the Worksafe Queensland website for guidance and to download a template:

https://www.worksafe.qld.gov.au/coronavirus/workplace-risk-management-b  

You are not required to display your plan, but you are required to implement any measures included in your plan and you may be requested to produce it on demand.

Practical Tips

Information from OLGR, and individual feedback we have received from dining customers, suggests some businesses do not fully understand the requirements. The suggestions below may help with compliance:

Seating arrangements – tables must be arranged to maintain 1.5m between groups on separate tables. If it is not practical to remove tables (e.g. they are fixed to the floor or there is no storage available), we suggest marking tables with signs or tape to prevent usage. Staff must monitor the usage and direct patrons if they ignore the signs.

Cleaning – tables must be cleaned with detergent or disinfectant between clients. At a minimum this would require floor staff to use cleaning spray, rather than simply wiping the surface with a damp cloth.

Calculating 4m² per person – it is clear that only public floor space is used to calculate total numbers and that no matter how large your premises is, only 10 people may be dining on the premises at any time. However, there is some conflicting information regarding the inclusion of staff and takeaway customers. For everyone’s safety, we recommend taking a conservative approach and if you are offering takeaway reduce the requirements for customers to come onto the premises by:

  • taking phone/internet orders as much as possible;
  • asking patrons to wait outside the premises, while observing social distancing; and
  • taking food to patrons, rather than calling them into the premises for collection.

Planning for Level 2 & 3 Restrictions

We have already received several enquiries regarding licensing changes required to allow you to maximise trading opportunities as restrictions are eased further. If you would like any help with this, please call our office on 07 3252 4066 and one of our consultants will be happy to provide you with some advice.

Previous Updates

View our earlier update regarding easing of COVID-19 restrictions.

Join our Mailing List

The information above was sent to our email subscribers. If you want to receive updates in your inbox, complete the form to join our mailing list. You can unsbubscribe at any time and we will not sell or rent your information to anyone else.

by

OLGR COVID-19 Update 21 May 2020

The information below was supplied by the Queensland Commissioner for Liquor and Gaming and is reproduced for the benefit of licensees who are not on the OLGR mailing list.

Our compliance officers have been out and about checking that licensed venues understand and are complying with requirements for Queensland’s easing of restrictions.

Education was prioritised over enforcement on the first weekend, but the importance of these requirements meant that some businesses had to immediately remedy areas of non-compliance. In some instances, they were required to stop their dining service while they made the necessary arrangements.

If an OLGR compliance officer visits your venue during stage 1, they will be checking a range of things including:

  • the COVID Safe Checklist for dining in has been completed, signed, displayed and is being followed
  • the maximum number of patrons for dining in is not exceeded
  • alcohol consumption is secondary to the provision of a meal
  • social distancing rules are applied
  • cleaning and hygiene measures are in place
  • record keeping is in order
  • alcohol is being served responsibly.

Last weekend, issues were identified across all these areas.  There’s much information to digest, so here’s a reminder of the key things you must do to operate in stage 1.

COVID Safe Checklist

All licensees opening their venue for stage 1 dining in must complete, sign and display a COVID safe checklist. You can also view Q&A’s in relation to the checklist.

Licensees should also review and update their WHS Plan to incorporate COVID-19 risks. If you have a WHS plan that covers your COVID-19 risks and you have consulted with your staff to develop it, then please continue to use it.

If you don’t have one, here’s a template WH&S plan you can use.

While the WHS Plan doesn’t have to be displayed, it does need to be made available to a compliance officer if requested.

Patron numbers & service of alcohol for dine-in

Under stage 1 you can only have up to 10 people, or 20 people (outback) – not including staff – at your business premises at any one time for dining in. To accommodate this number, you must have suitable space to meet the requirement for no more than one patron per 4 square metres.

Alcohol can only be served in conjunction with seated dining, no bar service is allowed. The provision of alcohol must be secondary to dining.

Customers ordering/collecting takeaway are not included in the dining in person limit, but you must manage the flow between your customers to ensure appropriate social distancing.

Social distancing

You must arrange your tables and seating so that people in separate groups are at least 1.5 metres apart.

If you’re still providing takeaway service, you must manage this in a way that keeps 1.5m between people and not allow takeaway food or drink to be consumed adjacent to the premises.

Appropriate hygiene measures

The COVID safe checklist clearly outlines hygiene and cleaning requirements for dining in restaurants, cafes, clubs, RSL clubs and hotels. Workplace Health and Safety Queensland also provides further information about how you can keep your workplace, workers and customers safe from COVID-19 risks.

Record keeping

You must keep a register with contact information for customers, workers and contractors for at least 28 days. It must include the name, address and mobile number of a person at each table for the purposes of contact tracing in the event of a COVID-19 infection.

These records must only be used for this purpose and are to be confidential and kept securely at the premises. You must not leave unattended sign-in books where customer’s personal details are freely available to others.

You do not need to collect contact information for customers ordering/collecting takeaway.

Training

Businesses offering dining in services must ensure workers complete COVID Safe training within two weeks of opening.

Free COVID Safe training is currently being developed by TAFE Queensland in conjunction with the Queensland Government. The COVID Safe for Dining In micro-credential is designed to build workers’ skills and knowledge to implement practices that will safeguard themselves, their colleagues and customers from COVID-19.

Register at TAFE Qld COVID 19 Response.  You will be notified once the training is online.

Responsible Service of Alcohol

All licensed premises must ensure the responsible service of alcohol, including that sales are not made to minors, disorderly or unduly intoxicated persons.

You should remind your patrons who purchase takeaway alcohol from your venue that in Queensland drinking alcohol in a public place is illegal and on-the-spot fines apply. The only exceptions are ‘wet areas’ designated by a local council, normally for occasions such as a wedding in a park.

Useful information

If you still have questions in relation to stage 1 easing of restrictions, we recommend you:

In-venue signage

We’ve prepared stage 1 signage for licensees to download and display at their venue. We hope this helps you educate your patrons on how you are currently operating:

Recent Posts

Connect With LGS

Liquor & Gaming Specialists

Contact Us

Liquor & Gaming Specialists
30 Prospect Street
Fortitude Valley QLD 4006 AU
T: 07 3252 4066
F: 07 3252 1466