Liquor Licensing Compliance
What we are hearing is that there are currently two focus points for compliance.
The first ensuring that liquor sales are only to legal age customers. The NZ Herald reported on the 9th August that a police operation in Auckland city identified 10 licenced premised that sold alcohol to 15 year olds. These operations are conducted throughout the country every few months.
The second area for attention for licensing authorities is food service at on-licences. The intention is that an adequate food selection is available at all times of operation. A selection of chip flavours, or different fillings in meat pies, is not regarded as adequate. Licencees are advised to ensure that they understand what is an appropriate selection to avoid prosecution.
As a provider of LCQ training we regularly talk to people who contact us with problems, usually when it is too late to help. (They are not usually people who have completed training with us!) It is surprising the number of people who don't appreciate what it means for the manager to be on site at all times. They think that being close, i.e. next door, is acceptable. They think that they are being treated unfairly when they are held responsible for sales made to minors by their staff. The only support we can provide is to confirm the process of prosecution and appeal.
