Booze bad news

By Casey Neill
HILLS sporting groups and businesses say liquor licence fees could cripple clubs and small stores.
Emerald Football Netball Club senior vice-president Ross Macumber, local sports club member Viv Hyland and Upwey and Belgrave Cellars owner Rodney Kaye last week met with the Liberal Party’s Consumer Affairs spokesman Michael O’Brien, Eastern Region MP Edward O’Donohue, Gembrook candidate Brad Battin and Monbulk contender Matt Mills to speak out.
They said State Government changes to liquor licensing fees made last year had placed increasing pressure on local clubs and businesses and called for revenue from the charges to be spent on more police and education, not “bureaucrats with biros”.
But the State Government said it was working on the current fee structure and already had measures in place to help community clubs and small businesses.
Mr O’Donohue said the fee system was unfair.
“It is placing small local businesses and sporting clubs under the same category as bigger venues in Melbourne,” he said.
“The current one-size fits all approach just doesn’t work with local footy clubs and small business owners struggling under the enormous pressure from the increase in fees.”
Mr O’Brien said licensing revenue had increased from $10 million to $35 million with little community benefit.
“The State Government has introduced civilian compliance inspectors, who are more bureaucrats with biros when what people want are more cops with cuffs,” he said.
“They can issue fines to licensees but can’t arrest people on the street.”
“It’s not as though the community’s feeling any safer because of this.”
Mr Battin said the additional money clubs were being forced to pay in fees took cash away from ground maintenance and pavilions.
“Local sporting clubs are central to local communities providing a social outlet for the whole community,” he said.
He said Emerald Football Club’s fee increased from $50 to almost $400.
“Yet this club has changed where they get their revenue from, reduced the amount of alcohol to create a family atmosphere but there’s no reward,” he said.
“The State Government is actually encouraging them to sell more.”
Consumer Affairs Minister Tony Robinson said Responsible Alcohol Victoria was continuing to refine licence categories.
For the first time, he said, current liquor licensing fees recovered the real cost of regulating the system “to take the burden off Victorian families and taxpayers”.
“It costs more than $35 million a year to regulate and police licensed businesses and before we introduced the new fees, the industry was being subsidised by Victorian families.”