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This article originally appeared in QHA Review magazine, December 2018 edition
Christmas trees, candy canes and carols – it’s that time of year again!
The holiday period is a great trading period for our venues, and where better to host a Christmas party or to catch up with friends than at some of the great pubs around Queensland?
As we get closer to the break, it is important that you remain vigilant and aware of your responsibilities so you and your employees can be prepared for the silly season and have a stress-free run.
As you may be aware, around Christmas and New Year’s your trading hours vary. While your premises is approved for certain trading hours every day, your liquor licence specifically states that this excludes Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve. On these days, your trading hours are those prescribed under the Liquor Act 1992.
In relation to the sale and supply of liquor, the trading hours permitted under the Liquor Act 1992 are as follows:
In relation to gaming, all gaming machines must stop at 12 midnight on Christmas Eve and cannot re-commence until 10am on Boxing Day. Accordingly, gaming must not be conducted on Christmas Day.
New Year’s Eve is a different set of rules for trading all over again. On New Year’s, all licensees are permitted to trade until 2am without having to obtain specific approval from the Office of Liquor And Gaming Regulation for extended trading hours.
This means that you may continue to sell and supply liquor until 2am, regardless of your approved trading hours. However, if your premises is approved for extended trading hours after 2am, then you may continue trading until the end of those trading hours.
If you need any assistance or advice in relation to your obligations during the Christmas period, please don’t hesitate to contact me on 3224 0230.
This article was written by Scott Vanderwolf, Solicitor, and Curt Schatz, Managing Partner
"The content of this publication is for reference purposes only. It is current at the date of publication. This content does not constitute legal advice and should not be relied upon as such. Legal advice about your specific circumstances should always be obtained before taking any action based on this publication."