The Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation has announced urgent measures to assist Victorian licensees during the COVID-19 shut down.
The department is working with Victorian licensees to support temporary limited licence options and will be waiving all application fees associated with the applications.
If you hold a restaurant and cafe or on-premises liquor licence, and there are no conditions on your licence that already permit the supply of liquor for consumption off your licensed premises, you can apply for a temporary limited licence to supply a limited quantity of liquor for off-premises consumption.
Licensees who operate a restaurant and hold either an on-premises or restaurant and cafe licence may apply for a temporary limited licence that authorises the supply, for off premises consumption, of limited quantities of liquor to customers who are purchasing a meal.
This limit is one bottle of wine, or one six-pack of beer, cider or pre-mixed spirits. Customers may purchase this liquor either when ordering a meal for delivery, or when picking up a meal to take away. Liquor cannot be supplied if a meal is not also being purchased in the same transaction.
Licensees who hold an on-premises licence and do not operate a restaurant, may apply for a temporary limited licence that authorises the supply of limited quantities of liquor for delivery to customers. This limit is two bottles of wine or two six packs of beer, cider or pre-mixed spirits, or one bottle of wine and one six pack of beer, cider or pre-mixed spirits.
Licences that allow the supply of liquor for consumption off the licensed premises, can operate a delivery service and allow customers to purchase liquor to take away.
The Everleigh (above and main), for example, is offering freshly shaken cocktails, home delivered within an hour.
These temporary liquor licences will only be in force until September 15, 2020 or the date on which the Declared State of Emergency Victoria in response to COVID-19 on March 16, 2020 ceases to be in force.
Victorian licensees who wish to apply for a temporary limited licence can apply online, see: Temporary Limited Licence application
The department said it will make every effort to determine these applications within 72 hours.
Business survival assistance package
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews announced details of a business survival package for Victorian licensees late last week, which offers $550 million to 24,000 small and medium-sized enterprises in the state with a payroll of less than $3 million as a payroll tax refund.
It is hoped the cash will help keep about 400,000 workers employed and ease the growing stress being felt by the hospitality industry.
"It is a refund back in the accounts of businesses in just a few days' time, cash that will be critical to them being able to support their workers and in turn those workers being able to support their families," Andrews said.
Other measures include waiving of 12,5000 venues' liquor licence fees due this month, worth a total of $30 million.
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