Information for Licensees

Information for Licensees

Licensees must adhere to the requirements of the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act, including ensuring their duty manager is certified, staff receive proper training, a manager’s register is maintained, and all operations comply with the Act and its associated regulations.

Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012

Sale and Supply of Alcohol Regulations 2013

Premises Toolkits

Depending on what licence you have there are different toolkit options:

• On licence premises toolkit
• Off licence premises toolkit
• Club toolkit

This will provide you with all the necessary information to ensure compliance with your license, allowing you to organize everything into a single, convenient folder. These are available from the Licensing team.

Appointing Managers

You are required to inform both the committee and police in the following situations:

• Appointment of a new certified manager
• Cancellation or termination of a certified manager
• Hiring of a temporary or acting manager

To notify them, use the Notice of Management Change form here.

The committee reserves the right to notify the licensee within five working days if the appointment is not approved.

Temporary Managers

If your manager is sick, absent for any reason, dismissed, or resigns, you can appoint a temporary manager, regardless of whether they hold a manager’s certificate.

However, the absence of your certified manager must be due to a genuine emergency.

For absences of two days or less, ensure that:

• The duty manager sign is updated to reflect ‘temporary manager.’
• The change is recorded in your manager’s register, including details of who they are replacing and the duration of their appointment.

For absences extending beyond two days, you must also:

• Ensure the appointee applies for a manager’s certificate while continuing to serve as a temporary manager.
• Submit a Notice of Management Change form to the Committee and Police.
• Keep copies of all relevant paperwork in your manager’s register.

Acting Managers

An acting manager can be appointed for up to three weeks at a time to cover manager illness or absence, and for up to six weeks per year to replace a manager on annual leave.

To ensure compliance, you must:

• Complete a Notice of Management Change form.
• Update the duty manager sign to indicate ‘acting manager.’
• Record the appointment in your manager’s register.
• Keep copies of all relevant paperwork in the manager’s register.

Manager's Register

You are required to maintain a record of all certified duty managers, acting managers, and temporary managers appointed on the premises.

Your manager’s register must include the following details for each manager:

• Full name, date of birth, and gender
• Manager’s certificate number and expiry date
• Date of appointment and, if applicable, termination date
• A copy of their manager’s certificate
• A copy of the Notice of Management Change form

This register is a live document that must be updated as changes occur. All recorded information must be retained for at least two years.

Feel free to download and customize this example of a manager’s register template to suit your needs.

Systems, Staff and Training- Best Practice Guidelines

To ensure lawful alcohol sale and supply, licensees must implement effective systems and provide regular staff training.

The committee requires all applications to include either evidence of existing training systems or details of planned systems.

Systems

To maintain compliance, consider implementing the following measures:

• Signage at Points of Sale: Clear and visible signs reinforcing the prohibition of alcohol sales to minors and intoxicated individuals serve as important staff support tools. While these signs are a mandatory condition of your license, they should also clearly explain the rules. You can collect signage from our office, order them online from the Health Promotion Agency, or create your own.
• Till Prompts: Installing software that prompts staff to verify a customer's age before completing a sale helps ensure adherence to legal requirements.

Proper systems and staff training create a responsible and compliant alcohol service environment.

Host Responsibility Policy

A clear and effective host responsibility policy must be in place and visibly displayed at all points of sale for both staff and customers.

Intoxication Assessment Guidelines

Staff should have easy access to intoxication assessment guidelines for reference. Free copies are available from our office or can be ordered from the Health Promotion Agency.

Staff Requirements

A properly appointed manager must be on duty and present whenever alcohol is available for sale. It is essential to demonstrate that you have enough managers appointed to ensure a duty manager is always onsite when alcohol is sold.

Staff Training

All staff must undergo training in host responsibility practices and compliance with the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012.

To meet requirements, you must provide copies of training programs and evidence that staff receive training at least every six months.

Examples of Training Approaches

• Ongoing training sessions using a copy of your license, host responsibility policy, and intoxication assessment guidelines, with staff reviewing and signing off to confirm understanding.
• Utilizing resources from the Health Promotion Agency, including:

1. The Bar Code: Frontline Bar Staff and the Law
2. Host Responsibility: Guidelines for Licensed Premises
3. The Managers Guide 2014
4. Intoxication Assessment Guideline

• Many organisations have their own in-house training packages that all staff must complete/attend on a regular basis. There are also external training organisations that do seminars and provide certificates of attendance.
• You could get all staff to complete and hold the Licence Controller Qualification, even if they do not want a manager's certificate.