WA seeks to create a “continental” drinking culture
The West Australian government is pushing through changes which will allow restaurants and cafes across the state to serve patrons a glass of wine or beer without a meal.
The changes will also allow the tourism chief to look at licensing decisions for new venues.
The state government is overhauling the laws as part of an election pledge that seeks to ensure the potential tourism, community and cultural benefits of any new venue are considered, along with public health and safety.
The big change will allow the chief executive of Tourism WA to lodge a submission on a new venue application.
Until now, the police commissioner and the Department of Health are the ones who who can lodge objections to new venue application.
The change will give tourism considerations equal weight.
The government will introduce laws allowing all licensed restaurants and venues to serve alcohol without a meal.
Patrons will also be able to take a half-finished bottle of wine home.
This is a radical shift for a system that required businesses to apply for a special permit to serve alcohol without food if they were under a 120 seat capacity.
That system was introduced in 2013.
It had become a big political issue with the number of small bars exploding in Perth in the past 10 years, and proprietors complaining of restrictive regulations.
The Premier Mark McGowan said the changes would help Perth compete internationally.
And if nothing else, it would attract more Melbourne and Sydney types.
"We all know hipsters want to go to Melbourne to have fun, we want to make sure Perth competes on a level playing field with Melbourne, and that's what these reforms are going to do," Mr McGowan told the media.
"Tourism means you have to be able to compete with other cities, with other places around the world."
by Leon Gettler, February 15th 2017.
