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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, First Session (54-1)
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Statutes Amendment (Liquor Licensing) Bill

Second Reading

Adjourned debate on second reading.

(Continued from 14 February 2019.)

Mr PICTON (Kaurna) (16:07): I indicate that I am the lead speaker for the opposition. Despite that, I still might go a bit shorter than the Minister for Environment did in his speech. I rise to speak on the Statutes Amendment (Liquor Licensing) Bill and indicate that Labor will be supporting this legislation. I am sure the Attorney was waiting on that with baited breath.

As the Attorney indicated in her second reading explanation, this is effectively a tidy up piece of legislation, so presumably not part of the action agenda for real change of the government but more a tidy up of a number of provisions to make sure that there is a bit of work going through the parliament. I am sure there will be a number of speakers to try to pad this out, but a very small number of amendments are being made to the legislation.

As members will know, there was a significant change to our liquor licensing laws through the Anderson review and an act that was passed in 2017 under the previous government. I understand that this seeks to make a number of consequential amendments and transitional provisions to that. They are largely technical in nature, and I understand that they have the support of the range of stakeholders that has been discussed, including but not limited to the AHA. They make amendments to the Liquor Licensing (Liquor Review) Amendment Act 2017 and the Statutes Amendment (Attorney-General's Portfolio) Act 2018.

The amendments to the Liquor Licensing (Liquor Review) Amendment Act 2017 update the powers granted to the commissioner to add, vary, substitute or revoke conditions attached to the licences of premises. The Attorney-General listed a number of licence conditions in her second reading explanation that are no longer relevant. I was reading through a number of them while we were waiting for the Minister for Environment to finish. There are quite a few interesting provisions that were part of conditions, for example that garbage or refuse, including empty bottles or cans, is not to be moved from inside the premises to outside storage bins between the hours of 11pm and 7am the following morning.

I guess that might seem like a sensible idea on some level—presumably it is about reducing noise for residents—but I dare say that under whatever length of time that provision was in place there was probably very little enforcement of it. Whether the liquor licensing commissioner was ever able to enforce that, I am not sure. It has certainly not been an issue that has ever come to my attention as a member of parliament, so I am sure that changing that would not be of great difficulty.

I was also interested to see that there was a condition in some liquor licences that the licensee shall ensure all rubbish—including broken glass, broken beer bottles, stubbies and cans—is removed from nearby streets adjacent/across the road from the licensed premises. I presume that that is a factor where you have premises, particularly pubs, in neighbourhood areas. In my electorate, I can think of the Beach Hotel at Seaford or the Port Noarlunga Hotel at Port Noarlunga where residents would occasionally be affected. I am sure in the Attorney's area it would be the Feathers or something like that. Is that in your electorate?

The Hon. C.L. Wingard interjecting:

Mr PICTON: I cannot say I have ever been to the Feathers. I have driven past it a lot.

The Hon. V.A. CHAPMAN: I only have two hotels in my electorate.

Mr PICTON: What is the other one?

The Hon. V.A. CHAPMAN: The Marryatville.

Mr PICTON: The Marryatville Hotel. I presume that is also in a residential area. I presume that might be an issue in leaving that premises late at night in that there might be broken bottles and things like that. Even though that seems sensible on the face of it, I think a good point is made that the liquor licensing commissioner does not have the ability to enforce that condition at all.

So having conditions that are unable to be enforced by the commissioner seems a bit redundant, given that it is outside the licensed area, that is, adjacent streets. However, I would like to hope that liquor licence holders would see the responsibility of looking after their neighbourhood and, despite that, would make sure that their areas are protected.

There are also a number of issues such as exit lights and entrances to outdoor areas, all of which I think in the gamut of the Anderson review are better dealt with through the planning and development legislation or council regulations, rather than through liquor licensing which is about making sure that the health and safety of the public is protected in liquor licensing venues. Those changes, those tidy ups, as the Attorney has described them, seem sensible. Hopefully they will not have a significant impact on The Marryatville Hotel or the Feathers or Port Noarlunga or the Beach Hotel.

Likewise, amendments to the Statutes Amendment (Attorney-General's Portfolio) Act 2018 resolve issues in relation to proof of age provisions. I am advised that the bill commences the provisions which allow a licensee of a licensed premise, a responsible person or a security guard to request proof of age information. I understand that the Liquor Licensing (Liquor Review) Amendment Act 2017 would otherwise cause these provisions to commence much later this year, which means that in the meantime only a licensee would be able to request proof of age information.

With those brief words on this tidying up legislation, I indicate the opposition's support. There are a small number of questions we will ask at the committee stage, but otherwise I am sure we can secure swift passage of this legislation this afternoon.

Mr ELLIS (Narungga) (16:14): I rise in support of the Statutes Amendment (Liquor Licensing) Bill 2019 and view it as containing quite a bit of common sense; also, the amendments reflect that. In the main, they remove conditions and regulations not relevant to the sale and supply of liquor and, therefore, are not the concern of the liquor and gambling commissioner.

I will always support actions that we take in this place that result in removing duplication or any additional layers of red tape and, most importantly, simplifying paperwork for our hardworking businesses in reducing the confusion and requirements placed upon them when they just want to get on with making a living employing people. Those sorts of steps that we take in this place will be steps that I will always welcome and support, and I am pleased to see them reflected in this bill that makes the liquor licensing system more streamlined.

As I said, this bill does offer those improvements and it streamlines the current licensing process. I have had a couple of inquiries to the Narungga electorate office on this topic from small business owners and non-profit community groups seeking clarification on just what type of liquor licence would suit their needs. A visit to the Consumer and Business Services website can be a complicated task, such is the wealth and depth of information available on it, covering a multitude of topics as well. I recall one small business owner phoning the office in despair because she did not know what type of paperwork to fill out for what type of licence.

She reported that the advice she received from one Consumer and Business Services staff member when she had rung them for help was simply to contact a lawyer to ask them and seek legal advice in order to have the correct licence and not find themselves in any sort of trouble. All she wanted to do was sell local boutique beer in her tourism-related shop and it was a nightmare. So I am certainly supportive of any steps we can take to reduce confusion, simplify paperwork and encourage and help small business to get on and prosper.

The bill before us makes two amendments to legislation to support the ongoing implementation of the review into the Liquor Licensing Act 1997, which was conducted three years ago in 2016 by retired Supreme Court judge, the Hon. Mr Tim Anderson QC, and which is now in stage 3 of implementation. The aim for all who have worked on these amendments, commenced by the previous government and continued with the election of the new government, has been to encourage responsible attitudes towards the promotion, sale, supply, consumption and use of liquor, and this is no doubt important work.

However, any tidying up of the current licence classes and obsolete conditions is welcome and in line with the intent of the 120 recommendations made by Mr Anderson's thorough review of the Liquor Licensing Act 1997. They are to create a modern and flexible licensing system that supports a vibrant hospitality industry in maintaining a safe drinking culture. It is common sense to shift conditions, such as when garbage can be removed from licensed premises, away from liquor regulation and into the domain of council or development approval processes.

What sort of rubbish can be removed and where and at what time, what type of exit lights are required where and on what premises, entry and exit points to smoking areas or outdoor licensed areas to meet noise laws are all regulations that can now rightly be taken off the desk of the liquor and gambling commissioner. They do not belong there as they do not relate to the sale and supply of liquor. The removal of such conditions through this bill accords with Mr Anderson's recommendations and makes way for a smooth transition to the new licensing conditions, which will provide much-needed clarity and improvements for all.

It does so by affording the commissioner absolute discretion to add, substitute, vary or revoke any existing conditions needed as a result of these reforms. The proposed amendments ensure that the commissioner is provided with that necessary discretion, which in turn will ensure that licensees remain aware of their obligations under planning and local council requirements. I am also pleased that it will assist licensees through the transition of their licences into the new liquor licence categories, which is set to commence in mid-2019, and that a new web portal that is described as easy to use will be developed. That will surely be welcomed by the people who have to go through the application process regularly.

The Marshall Liberal government believes in reducing red tape and streamlining government departments and broadly simplifying processes for improved efficiencies. The amendments before us deliver this important commonsense approach. I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge a couple of the local hotels that we have in the electorate of Narungga for their support over the past little while. I have been a long-time supporter of theirs, having spent quite a bit of time in the local pubs in Kadina.

I would like to acknowledge Trevor Evans from the Wombat Hotel, Darren Cave from the Kadina Hotel and Dion Pomery from the Exchange Hotel, Kadina, who have been great sounding boards for me on both liquor licensing laws and issues they have with running their business in general. I visit them regularly. Indeed, pre-election, I had a trip up and down the peninsula and the electorate to visit as many hotel owners as I could, from Kadina right down through—

An honourable member: How did that go?

Mr ELLIS: It was good. It was an enjoyable few days. I spread it out as best I could so as not to condense it all into one day. Right down the bottom, where there is a growing industry, a number of breweries are opening. A new one is due in Wallaroo soon, and there is one at Minlaton that is now serving at its boutique brewery. There is a new gin distillery just out of Arthurton, which takes the grain from the paddock next door and turns it into gin.

I am not quite sure what the process is called, but it goes from the paddock next door into the distillery facility they have built there. It is the Sunny Hill Distillery, a wonderful place, owned by the Collivers. It is a growing industry on the peninsula. It is value-adding local produce, turning it into beer and spirits. I look forward to continuing to see that growth, and these reforms will make it much easier for those businesses to continue to serve the products they are now developing so masterfully along the peninsula.

In concluding, I would like to acknowledge again the publicans and the hotels up and down the peninsula. They do a wonderful job of serving our, at times, tiny rural communities. Often, the pubs are the lifeblood of a town, and without them there would be nothing there. I also acknowledge the growing industry of breweries, distilleries and boutique beer and spirits on the peninsula. With those few words, I would like to commend the efforts of the Attorney-General to make this liquor licence process easier, simplify it and reduce duplication and red tape. I commend the bill to the house.

Mr BROWN: Mr Deputy Speaker, I draw your attention to the state of the house.

A quorum having been formed:

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Is somebody seeking the call? The member for Morphett has the call.

Mr PATTERSON (Morphett) (16:22): Thank you. I will seek the call.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Lucky you were standing up, member for Morphett.

Mr PATTERSON: Yes, exactly. I rise today, as others have previously, to speak on the Statutes Amendment (Liquor Licensing) Bill. I note that this bill seeks to amend the liquor review act in order to bring the state's legislative framework further into line with the review of the Liquor Licensing Act 1997 undertaken by the Hon. Tim Anderson QC. The recommendations of the Anderson review were implemented by the former government in the liquor review act commencing in 2017.

There are a few outstanding issues that this government has chosen to address within this bill, which has been at the recommendation of the Commissioner for Liquor and Gambling. It relates to the current licensing process. Notably, within the conditions that are placed upon the licence classes, there are issues that are either irrelevant or are no longer necessary to the object of the Liquor Licensing Act. These provisions are really more related to environmental and planning areas of the law and so should be removed to streamline this liquor licensing legislation and remove any irrelevant conditions.

When the act was passed in 2017, the former government failed to remove these conditions, which were, as I said, recommended in the Anderson review, and so this bill is addressing Mr Anderson's recommendations directly. In his review, Mr Anderson noted that it really is important to distinguish between planning-type matters and indicators of harm through the service of liquor and that there is confusion around whether local councils or, in fact, the liquor licensing authority is responsible.

At present, when considering whether the sale and supply of liquor detract from the amenity of local community life, matters that are considered include drunkenness, offensive or disorderly behaviour, the general harmony of the local environment, the possibility of nuisance or vandalism and not only the resulting inconvenience for local residents from that but also potentially an obstruction of public places, be it the footpaths, the streets or the roads.

When considering harm, there is certainly a need to ensure that the amenity issues, such as the traffic movement, parking, refuse collection and, as I mentioned before, inconvenience for local residents stemming from obstruction of these public places in the local area such as footpaths, streets and roads, should be considered as planning-type matters. If this is to be the case, these should be considered by councils as part of the planning and development approval process rather than by the licensing authority.

Just to clarify this, Mr Anderson recommended in his report and his review a delineation between the two bodies with local councils being responsible for matters pertaining to the venue and its subsequent land use. These matters include the capacity of the venue, the trading hours, any queuing that results, potentially, outside the premises, noise attenuation (particularly related to soundproof measures for the building), traffic management and car parking matters as well. These matters can be dealt with at the planning stage, and any conditions relating to those matters should be on the relevant planning approvals that the building receives.

By contrast, the liquor licensing authority should be responsible for matters pertaining to the supply and consumption of liquor. Some of these include the actual probity of the applicant and the persons responsible for managing the premises, to make sure that they are fit and proper people in the responsible service of liquor, as well as harm minimisation for the patrons, such as making sure that they will be able to get home safely.

Mr Anderson recommended implementing a clear line of delineation of these responsibilities between the relevant planning authorities—i.e. local council—and also the licensing authority. What we are speaking about today and what this bill provides for is to remove some of these conditions currently placed on a liquor licence that are best served as part of planning. In doing so, the Marshall Liberal government is delivering on another promise it took to the election: reducing red tape.

If I could just talk briefly about some of the examples of conditions that this bill seeks to remove, one of these is the regulation of garbage outside licensed premises. It is not to be removed from the inside of the premises to any outside storage bins between the hours of 11 o'clock at night and 7 o'clock the following morning. Common sense says that a condition such as this is not really related to the safe provision and sale of liquor and the supply of it. It really relates more to planning and development laws and should be a matter for local councils to enforce rather than the liquor licensing legislation.

Another similar condition, which this bill seeks to remove, is the one regulating the removal of rubbish, including glass from broken beer bottles that has been left on the streets that are adjacent to the licensed premises. Again, it is not an issue which the liquor and gambling commissioner has the power to enforce and so should not be included in this legislative framework.

Another condition this bill seeks to remove, which has more relevance to planning laws rather than to the sale and supply of liquor, relates to the placement of exit lights in licensed premises. At present an exit light is required operating from an independent power source above all exits, so you can see that is more to do with planning and is not so much about the supply and sale of liquor.

I note that while noise is certainly an issue that must be addressed in the regulation of licensed premises—they need to be considerate of neighbours—it is not relevant to the sale and supply of liquor. The legislation currently stipulates that the entry and exit points to smoking areas or outdoor licensed areas should remain closed except when in immediate use by the patrons entering or leaving. Again, this needs to be handled in the planning phase.

As I mentioned before, the impact on neighbouring residents is certainly an issue that needs to be taken into account when regulating licensed premises; however, the Anderson review recommended that these noise issues be dealt with by councils. As such, the conditions I mentioned above are set to be removed. Removing conditions such as these ensures that legislation is further brought into line with the recommendations of the Anderson review. As I said before, the removal of these conditions occurred because they were not included in the current act when it was originally passed in 2017.

This government is committed to streamlining government departments, making sure their work and efforts are focused on their area of expertise. In doing so, we reduce red tape. The amendments within this bill will certainly be a step in the right direction and will ensure that premises transitioning from the former licensing scheme to the new classes in November 2019 will be able to do so effectively and smoothly. While this will certainly affect all South Australia, I would like to spend some time talking about my electorate of Morphett. Locally, a number of licensed premises will benefit from this bill becoming South Australian law.

In Glenelg, there is the Moseley Bar and Kitchen, the Jetty Bar and numerous licensed restaurants around Moseley Square and along Jetty Road. The Stamford Grand is very popular, and you can see the sunset, so it is a great place for people to visit on a Sunday, for example, as the sun sets. I remember when I was on the council, its liquor licence came up for review, and one of the conditions was around sound. A condition of the liquor licence was that sound was to be attenuated, and there was considerable debate about whether an acoustic guitar was detrimental to people passing by Moseley Square. I would suggest that it probably is not; it probably adds to the amenity of the area. The conditions that we are seeking to remove are just cut and dried—take it out of the liquor licensing conditions and the responsible provision and sale of alcohol to be undertaken at the Stamford Grand.

The Hon. C.L. Wingard: Talk about the Broadway.

Mr PATTERSON: Absolutely. The minister has read my mind. In Glenelg South, there is the Holdfast Hotel on Brighton Road, the Bay Motel Hotel (BMH), which is very popular with the Sacred Heart Old Collegians, and also the Broadway Hotel, which is proudly family owned and run. These hotels are situated within a residential area and are all surrounded by houses. Those hotels are currently subject to noise regulations from the council and this act in question.

It is quite pertinent that they are subject to noise regulations because the amenity of the area is important to households around there. Some of them have young kids. I live quite close to them, so it is important that they are looked after, but that is best handled in the local area. The Broadway Hotel, for example, is currently run by Mr Mark Falconer. He has emphasised having a family-friendly hotel. Just before he took over from the previous owners, there was a lot of mayhem.

The previous licensee was looking to increase revenue and sought to do that by advertising cheap drinks for university students. They offered a drinks package that was quite well priced for university students, but unfortunately the consequences were a bit of mayhem in the streets. There were trees being knocked over on the footpath, there was a fair bit of noise and people were jumping fences and stealing things out of other people's yards. There was a bit of contention between the hotel and local residents. Those matters are best dealt with by the police and, in fact, they were, but the root cause is the patronage the licensee of the hotel wants.

When Mark Falconer came on board, he met with me when I was on council. He wanted to repair the reputation of his hotel and has really gone about making it very family friendly. In fact, he said that it was to the detriment of his bottom line but that he cared more for being a good neighbour and making sure that the clientele he tried to attract was on a family-friendly basis. Certainly, he has done that. His $10 schnitzel night on Tuesday you cannot really beat. They have fantastic schnitzels at the Broadway Hotel on Tuesday night.

He has also looked at upgrading the facilities. He has a beautiful beer garden on the broadway itself, where people go for a quiet drink, especially on Sunday afternoons, and it is great. Of course, it is not separated much from the footpath itself—there is a fence—but everyone is really respectful and it has actually added to the vibrancy of the Broadway. There is a beautiful cafe strip, the council has invested some money in the streetscape, and businesses like the Broadway are certainly making it a terrific relaxed place for people to visit, so I encourage people to go down there.

There are other hotels as well, if I move along Morphett Road, such as the Morphett Arms, which has also benefited from good management in recent years. It has had an upgrade to its function rooms and bars and it is a great place to go, especially on a hot day, as it has really good air-conditioning. Not far away, in Plympton, on the corner of Marion Road and Anzac Highway, is the Highway Hotel, which has a great outdoor area with lots of attractions. On Saturday night, my wife's cousin played there in a nineties revival band, which was well received.

The Hon. C.L. Wingard: They always have those fun messages on the board, too, when you drive past.

Mr PATTERSON: That's right. There are also some informative messages as you go past that are very respectful but always give you a chuckle when you are occasionally waiting at the lights to go further into the city. The Highway Hotel is certainly a great place to go. It is also in quite close proximity to a number of residential homes, so it will also benefit from this reduction in red tape.

I should mention that liquor licensing affects not only pubs and hotels but also restaurants and sporting clubs. Within my electorate, there are certainly some fantastic restaurants that are also subject to these liquor licensing laws and there are also some great sporting clubs, such as the Glenelg Football Club on Brighton Road and its attached restaurant, which has undergone quite an upgrade of late. The CEO, Mr Glenn Elliott, and the chairperson of the club, Mr Nick Chigwidden, have really made an effort to turn it around by providing a community area where people can put some money into the club as well, so they are not just relying on gaming.

That has also resulted in the ACH Group moving there. There used to be a function centre, but that has been replaced by ACH. It was a place where especially older people in our community could come. After they have been checked up and looked at medically, they can go downstairs to the Oval Bar or the VP Room. The Oval Bar is fantastic because it opens out onto the oval. There is an alfresco dining area, so it is a great place for family and friends to come along. Kids can go out and run around the oval and have a kick of the footy, while parents can be right there next to them, so I encourage people to go there.

I also mention the Glenelg Life Surfing Club, which I am a member of, and it is a fantastic place to go along to and enjoy a drink while the sun sets. That will also really benefit from these liquor licensing laws, as will some of the bowling clubs in the area, such as the Glenelg Bowling Club and the Novar Gardens Bowling Club, to name a few. A number of clubs and organisations in the electorate of Morphett will certainly benefit from these changes to conditions. These businesses are incredibly important to the state's economy and they are often family owned and run as well.

This government is committed to making it easier to run a business with less red tape and unnecessary regulations and conditions. Another example of this is the government's abolition of payroll tax, which will encourage businesses to hire more staff instead of punish them for hiring staff. Streamlining the Liquor Licensing Act and moving some of the conditions to the planning and local government regulations will also help businesses to not only grow and employ people but also offer a great service.

As the Marshall Liberal government celebrates its first year in government, it is timely for another bill such as this to be debated in this house to make it easier for businesses to run, to be profitable and to exist within the wider community. I commend the bill to the house.

Mr DULUK (Waite) (16:40): I also rise to say a few words on the Statutes Amendment (Liquor Licensing ) Bill 2019 and to thank the Attorney and the office of the CBS for their work in tidying up some anomalies out of the Anderson review several years ago.

As the member for Morphett so eloquently pointed out, the bill before us and the review of the act are making provision for the new licence classes, to which current licenses will be transitioned in November 2019. As part of this transition, Consumer and Business Services are undertaking a review of the current licence conditions, including changing and revoking certain conditions where necessary. I think it is really important that we spend time across all agencies, and obviously CBS are beginning this one, and that as a Liberal government we do what we can to remove red tape and regulation from business, especially from small business, which, as you know, sir, is the backbone of our South Australian economy.

As we mark 12 months from the election of the Marshall Liberal government, one thing in terms of reform and assisting small business has been around payroll tax reduction and increasing the threshold to $1.5 million. For so many businesses across South Australia, particularly in my electorate and including those associated with liquor licensing and the selling of alcohol, that is a very important and welcome small business reform. There is certainly a lot more to do in reform for small businesses, but payroll tax is a really important part. Other things that we need to certainly look at as a government and as policymakers is the cost of energy and the cost of power because that is another big impost on small business.

As a bit of background, the Liquor Licensing (Liquor Review) Amendment Act 2017 was passed in the last parliament. As I said, a lot of the reforms were developed in response to the 2016 review conducted by His Honour Tim Anderson QC. The review made 129 recommendations to create a modern and flexible licensing system that supports a vibrant hospitality industry, while maintaining a safe drinking culture. The state government delivered the 2018-19 state budget last year and, of course, this had several reviews and one of them was around liquor licensing fees. As I understand it, current licences will transition to the new liquor licence categories commencing in mid-2019.

In the current laws, there are some out-of-date provisions that put extra pressure on venues, owners and staff. I like to think that in some cases South Australia is a progressive state, and this government is certainly working towards assisting small businesses and removing that burden on the employers of so many South Australians. There are some old rules that we are looking to remove. The aim of the review is to assess the adequacy, effectiveness and relevance of the licensing regime, identify improvements to modernise the licensing regime and reflect current day community attitudes. There is no doubt that community attitudes have changed in relation to the way we drink and consume alcohol and in relation to where and what we drink as well. The review will promote greater business flexibility and encourage new bold and dynamic business models.

Three objectives of the review were reducing red tape, promoting a safer drinking culture and vibrancy, as I said. That report was released in July 2016, following extensive consultation, including public submissions. In his review, Mr Anderson stated that he believed that the conditions placed on a liquor licence should be relevant to the sale, supply and the consumption of liquor. In that report, Mr Anderson discusses the conditions relating to garbage, noise and planning conditions and recommends the matters are handled by the relevant bodies of local councils.

On that, I think one area where local councils can provide a lot more breadth and improvement in their speed of decision-making for small business is in the way they go about making decisions on granting liquor licences. In one example in my electorate, the City of Mitcham took almost 12 months to approve an extension of a liquor licence for a local cafe. The frustration that causes small business owners who want to provide wonderful product, food and beverage service is disappointing to them and really slows down their development. Ultimately, the approval was a positive one and that business has gone from strength to strength.

Another recommendation was that the liquor and gambling commissioner be provided with discretion to add, substitute, vary or revoke any existing conditions as a result of reforms. Unfortunately, there was still some red-tape anomalies when the Liquor Licensing Act was passed in 2017. This includes those conditions that are considered a planning consideration rather than a liquor regulation. The reforms that we are discussing today will allow the commissioner to do just that: to use his discretion and consideration to remove that red tape.

Some of the conditions in the current laws that will be removed through these proposed changes and amendments include that premises shall not be promoted as a bar, lounge bar, lounge tavern, in-hotel beer garden, nightclub or karaoke bar. The reason for the removal of this condition is that competing businesses will enforce this as a means to detract potential customers from going to a venue other than their own. That is obviously a condition around competition.

There is a bit of a change around rubbish collection. Currently, the rules state that no rubbish, including empty bottles and cans, can be moved outside or be taken away between the hours of 11pm and 7am. Naturally, this does not relate to the sale or supply of liquor and is a council matter and should be regulated accordingly. One of the other provisions currently is:

the licensee shall ensure all rubbish, including broken glass, broken beer bottles/stubbies/cans are removed from the nearby streets adjacent/across the road from the licensed premises;

This condition also does not relate to the sale and supply of liquor and concerns the area outside the licensed area. There are some changes around exit lights powered by a source other than the main power. This will be removed. Once again, it falls within council jurisdiction. The same thing applies around smoking areas at licensed venues. They must also remain closed. Once again, that falls into council jurisdiction.

There are a lot of different reforms and conditions that are being cleaned up in this review and I think that is very important. Liquor licensing law is an area that constantly needs to be reviewed and reformed because the hospitality industry more broadly across South Australia is a huge employer of South Australians. There are some aspects that concern me at the moment and are talked about in the general sphere, and that is around smoking in outdoor areas in hotels. There are some people who believe we should further restrict smoking in outdoor areas in hotels.

My personal view is that the rules that are in place at the moment are adequate and that the status quo should remain. If a patron wants to eat a meal in a designated smoking area and only they are in that area and the staff of the hotel do not need to go into that outdoor smoking area, then I think that is an acceptable rule. Many hotels and outdoor licensed venues spent a considerable amount of capital investment in recent years to comply with the current smoking regulations. I believe any change to the current regulations would be to the detriment of the industry and a lot of small business operators in South Australia.

Another thing I think we need to look at long term is the late-night liquor code as it applies to, predominantly, Hindley Street, and around the lockout laws, consumer choice and the discrepancy in terms of the serving of alcohol at certain times, such as serving alcohol in a glass or plastic cup. It is some of the silly rules where you cannot stand up in an outdoor area to have a beer that I find absolutely outrageous. If, after I have just enjoyed a Crows' victory against Hawthorn for example (as I hope we will this Saturday night), I wander down to Hindley Street at 12.01 on the way home, I would appreciate being able to stand up to enjoy my alcoholic beverage or my soda water—and it does not matter if it is a soda water, the same rules apply.

Under the previous government, as part of its small bar reforms and that of the liquor code, I think we went too far in some practices, and I would hate South Australia, in the long run, to go down the path Sydney has with its laneway liquor code which, essentially, has not dealt with the problems but pushed them into other areas. When we look at licensing and at issues around behaviour, intoxication and antisocial behaviour we have to look at those issues, not necessarily at where they occur. That is very important. Those are two issues of concern to me.

I am very envious of the member for Morphett for his rap of the card in terms of the wonderful liquor venues and public areas in his electorate. I would like to say that in the electorate of Waite there are, equally, some fantastic small business operators and family-run businesses that provide fantastic entertainment and food and beverage services. I know they follow this review, and they followed the Anderson review, very closely; it is certainly a matter of interest to them.

Some of my fantastic venues include The Duck Inn at Coromandel Valley. The member for Gibson is a big fan of The Duck Inn. They have wonderful meals, especially on a Thursday and Saturday night and are always packed out. It is run by the very successful Saturno family, who are wonderful employers of South Australians right across the board.

There is the Belair Hotel, which actually began as a Temperance Union venue many years ago, which is quite ironic. It has been a pub for the last 100 years or so and is one of the older licensed venues up my way. There is the Matthews Group and, of course, Chris Codling, who does a great job at The Ed, which has one the best beer gardens in South Australia. I know the Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing would have loved going to The Ed on Tuesday nights. There is the Torrens Arms Hotel, magnificently run by the Hurley Group, which is also a great venue in my electorate.

Whether it is Celebrations or Belair Fine Wines, they are great supporters of South Australian produce, South Australian wine and beer. More importantly, they are great supporters of South Australian jobs, and one thing we on this side of the house care about so much—which was evident again in question time today—is jobs. We care about getting the balance right, and we cannot have a hospitality industry if we cannot employ young people. For so many people, it is how they get their foot into the job market. My first job was at a licensed venue; it was the Dom Polski Centre where I was a glassy. For my sins, I remember working the 1999 New Year's Eve at the Dom Polski Centre, which was awful because I would rather—

An honourable member interjecting:

Mr DULUK: I was about seven years old, and I was a glassy at the Dom Polski Centre. However, for so many people I know that is how they entered the workforce. Whether it is pulling beers, working as a glassy or working in the kitchen, those skills you learn—

The Hon. D.G. Pisoni interjecting:

Mr DULUK: Unfortunately, I could not become an apprentice like the Minister for Industry and Skills, but it is a wonderful entrance into the workforce and for so many people it becomes their career—the trades and apprenticeships that are offered through hospitality.

Of course, so many of those jobs are in our hospitality industry, in our clubs, pubs and licensed venues. The opportunity they provide, the employment they provide, ensures that governments of all persuasions—and I am glad we are doing it on this side—constantly look at reviewing licensing conditions to ensure we have a well-regulated and well-supported industry in South Australia.

The Hon. T.J. WHETSTONE (Chaffey—Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development) (16:54): I, too, rise to speak on the Statutes Amendment (Liquor Licensing) Bill 2019 and to make two amendments to the legislation to support the ongoing implementation of the review into the Liquor Licensing Act 1997, conducted in 2016 by the Hon. Tim Anderson QC. The act has now passed and makes provision for two new licence classes for liquor licensing in an attempt to streamline the current licensing process. These licences will be transitioned in November of this year.

In undertaking a tidying up review of the current licence classes before the new licences commence, the Commissioner for Liquor and Gambling noted that there are currently irrelevant or obsolete conditions placed upon licences which realistically are a planning and environmental consideration. Some of these changes proposed through the bill include removing regulations that do not specifically relate to the liquor licensing commissioner's role such as garbage or refuse movements at set times, broken bottles in the streets around licensed premises, exit light regulations and noise issues.

It is important that the government updates this legislation to ensure that it works for the many liquor licence holders across the state, including in my electorate of Chaffey. I note that a number of members on this side have favourite watering holes. They have fond memories of yesteryear, whether they were glassies or worked behind a bar, or whether they were going through the later years of their school life or into uni. Some of the local pubs have always been a good opportunity for employment, working your way into a workforce or working your way through uni.

In the Riverland, it is somewhat different. The pub scene there is made up predominantly of community-owned premises. The majority of the Riverland towns have community-owned hotels and clubs, and that was done during the formation of soldier settlement properties, but it was also set up to support those small communities. It has been an outstanding success. For a little bit of an update, the community-owned hotels normally are run by a community board, of course with a chair, and just like all the boards the board members have roles to play.

We have seen over a number of years that the community hotels have been very successful. We have seen some different models come into play. I know that the Barmera Hotel is a community hotel that has had a number of leaseholders come and go. It is a beautiful big old building, like many of the Riverland hotels, but they continue to need updates and they need more patronage.

We have seen alternative methods used over a number of years. We are seeing the issue around drink-driving and new laws that forbid people to drink and drive. Regional hotels predominantly are not always up the street from your home. In some instances, you have to travel a number of kilometres, many kilometres in most instances. I have to travel almost 150 kilometres from one end of the electorate to get a drink at the other end, and it poses challenges.

If you do not have a designated driver, you have to drink responsibly, of course. But what it gives me is an opportunity when I am passing through a town nowadays to call in, to speak to the publican or the manager of that hotel and see what the vibe of the town is. We know that the majority of our hotels are the vibe of their town.

Last night, I was with the Deputy Premier, who launched a report—Where Everyone Knows Your Name—about the social and psychological value of having a 'local' in Australia. This report, which was undertaken by Professor Robin Dunbar from the University of Oxford, has highlighted the importance of having a local watering hole and what it means to the social fabric. A number of the objectives of the report included ascertaining whether drinkers who are self-identified as local interact differently from casual visitors; evaluating psychological health and wellbeing indicators for people who have a local as a subsection of the general population; and studying and comparing beverage preferences of local and casual drinkers.

The Deputy Premier did an outstanding job in presenting and announcing the report to the group. It typifies just exactly what it means. She put so eloquently how important some of our local watering holes are, particularly in isolated regional areas. Those regional areas are no different whether we are in the electorate of Stuart, in the electorate of Flinders or in the electorate of Chaffey because we have a lot of isolated communities and a lot of hotels, clubs and pubs that are, in some instances, a long way from those people's homes. They have to travel to interact and be part of the social fabric of their community.

The report picked up on isolation and loneliness. Being social and interacting with others is a fundamental feature of human life, and that interpersonal independence is the key to human survival. Many people who live in isolation need to interact with others, and what better way than to go along to your local hotel or club and interact with the community and chew the fat. It is about understanding the local vibe of the day or how the week has been since you were last there. It is also about expressing your views or frustrations in day-to-day life. That is what hotels were once set up for: a social interaction centre. We know that alcohol is regularly consumed by most. Some do not, but most do so as a way of releasing stress and the day-to-day frustrations we face particularly in some of those isolated areas.

The report made six key findings, and I will make mention of all six because they ring true. I know that because I interact with a number of hotels and clubs within my electorate. It is very important that people are able to have an opportunity to speak and be heard, and we know that publicans are very good at that. The first and second findings state:

1. People who have a local are more trusting and satisfied with life;

2. They also have broader friendship and support networks, and identify more closely with their community;

That really does ring true, and I know that too well myself, as once upon a time I would leave home and work down at my vineyard, which was about 50 kilometres from home. I would occasionally take my manager and my workers to the Overland Corner Hotel, and it would give us the opportunity to relax and destress. It is physical work setting up farm properties, particularly establishing new greenfield sites, and the Overland Corner Hotel is a historic 160-year-old mud hut hotel that was built below the 1956 flood level. We know that when the river flooded in 1956 water was up to the ceiling, but it survived. It has a couple of friendly ghosts and a great story to tell, and it gives a lot of those isolated community people the opportunity to come together, particularly after hours, and just sit down and talk about what is going on. Finding No. 3 states:

3. Most people who have a local say they use it for socialising and drinking with other people. Only six per cent of people who identified as having a local said they drank there alone;

Again, it highlights the importance of being able to socialise and interact with other people. Finding No. 4 is that beer is the most commonly consumed beverage for those who have a local. Finding No. 5 is:

5. Women and men appear to socialise in their locals in different ways, with men more likely to engage in intimate conversations and women more likely to converse in larger groups;

I think that pretty much tells the story. In a lot of country pubs, the men stand at the bar and talk about the local men's issues and the women gather and talk about the women's social issues. After a while of conversing, they all come together and compare notes. Finding No. 6 is:

6. Those who lived in rural areas, who were light/moderate drinkers, and had a local, had greater general mental health and less anxiety than those without a local.

That really tells a story about the importance and significance of what a local means to those who live in regional areas or in some form of isolation. It is important to acknowledge that it is okay to go down to a local, drink responsibly and interact socially, making sure that you have a capacity.

The study confirmed that people with locals are more trusting, more satisfied with life and more connected with their community. That is a story that can be told. People who are able to go to their local and engage are much more satisfied with life. They can go down there, come together and talk honestly. We all know that there is always that one person at the bar who has something bigger and better—the fish that he caught was two inches bigger than his mate's, and he always has a tractor that has a couple more horsepower—but, by and large, the banter that goes on in our locals is a great connection with the offerings.

I will come back to some of the pubs and clubs in my electorate of Chaffey because I use all of them as a connection with my constituents. My electorate has a large number of hotels and clubs. As community pubs and clubs, they are owned by the community and the profits made in them go back into the community. More likely, they go back into upgrading those facilities to make sure that they satisfy the needs and the ongoing upgrades that people expect nowadays. They make sure that the pub has cold beer and clean lines and that, if people are looking for some of the new types of beers and cocktails, they can be supplied and attract some of the locals from the area.

We talked about the Barmera Hotel, but the Barmera Country Club Motor Inn is also a great meeting facility on the Barmera golf course and provides a great opportunity for people not only to drop in but also to have a game of golf. It is quite picturesque, almost overlooking Lake Bonney. The Barmera Club is interesting, as it is community owned but also run by the Barmera Monash footy club. They have done an outstanding job, and they have just done a more than $1½ million renovation. It really is an absolute credit to the community, which has stood by the club over a number of challenging years, particularly in 2008-09 when the previous government decided to close Lake Bonney.

They put a regulator at Nappers Bridge. It was absolutely outrageous to think that they would consider closing off the lake, which is the lifeline of the Barmera community, and allow many hundreds of thousands of fish to die. The lake level receded to a point where there was hypersaline water. The town had a lake that was less than half full, and it almost destroyed the spirit of that community. It drove people from Barmera and some of the neighbouring towns—Loveday, Winkie, Cobdogla—almost to the point of rack and ruin. People felt destroyed and let down by a government that just did not care about what Lake Bonney offered to the community.

I am sure that many people listening here today have been to Barmera, and, hopefully, you have been to Lake Bonney. Many people have been up there and holidayed at the caravan park and utilised the great facilities. We move on. The lake is open. The foreshores are looking superb. We go to the Berri Club, which has a rich history and is now run by the 1834 hotel group. It is a hotel on the banks of the River Murray, and it has had a long history.

I am sure that any of the end-of-year footy trips that go up to the Riverland have been to the Berri Hotel and into The Vines. We all know that the footy players love to go up and check out the Riverland talent, whether it be the boys or the girls. It is always a great meeting venue. Over my years going to the Riverland one of the absolutes was definitely going to The Vines to check out the live entertainment that was put on.

We move on to the Big River Tavern at Berri, which is also part of the Berri Hotel group run by the 1834 group. The Blanchetown Hotel is interesting, and Wes and Danni are the owners. It is a 150-year-old hotel. It is at Lock 1, and they experienced a lot of hardship during the drought; that is, there was water above the lock, but a very much declining river level below the lock. That gave a lot of people concern about just exactly what the future held for any community below Lock 1.

I know that the member for Hammond would attest to that because his communities were put under severe stress, and the majority or all of his electorate is below Lock 1, I believe, and we saw a number of concerns. Those communities rallied, it rained and they lived to tell another tale. By and large, the Blanchetown Hotel is a great hotel. It is loved, particularly by motor bikers. It is an hour and a bit out of Adelaide, which gives them an opportunity to get out of town, clear the cobwebs out of their motorbikes to get up there and have a cold beer. And they have good meals. I think that is the key to success for a lot of these pubs—making sure that they have good steaks or good schnitties so that people will return, or when people go away they are good ambassadors for those pubs.

Of course, the Browns Well footy and netball clubs are run by community football enthusiasts and netball people, and they are great watering holes for that dryland farming community. Sadly, we have almost seen the demise of Browns Well, or Paruna as it is now known. The footy club is the glue, it is the fabric, that holds that community together. We see the independent footy league out there. The Browns Well Bombers have done a great job in recent years winning a couple of premierships with a very, very small farming community that is very passionate about making sure they keep it together.

We move down the river a bit and we call into the Cobdogla Club—again, another club that I regularly visit to have conversations and to connect with the community. One of the great assets of Cobdogla is not only the club but also the Cobdogla Steam Museum with the Humphrey Pump. It is the only working Humphrey Pump in the world. That is a great drawcard, as are the talents of the Cobdogla Tennis Club, which I know is supported by a great community that is very passionate, and that is part of what small regional communities are about: they patronise their club or their pub, and that is exactly what Cobdogla does.

The Cadell Club is also a community-owned club that does a great job. With the declining size in its community, and particularly after the drought, we saw a number of those landowners, horticulturalists, sell their water to the commonwealth and move away. However, by and large the club is doing an outstanding job. They support Morgan and Morgan supports Cadell, and they continue to put on a good meal. They continue to put on cold beer and, again, as I said, that is really important.

The Loxton Club, again, is a community club. Andrew Angeleski is the manager there and he does a great job. The Loxton Hotel, which has been recently renovated with new accommodation, is doing a great job. The Lyrup Community Club has been troubled of late with patronage, but, again, it has been resurrected. It does serve really good meals and cold beer.

The Renmark Club is award winning year after year. Darren Baker does a great job there. The Renmark Hotel is another community hotel, and Adam Buckley is the new manager who has just come in. The Renmark Country Club has new owners. I also mention the picturesque golf club there, and Jeff Last has now taken it over. The Hahn family at the Paringa Hotel does an outstanding job. Neville Hahn is well known by many, as is his wife, Jill, and they are assisted by Simone and her husband.

The Monash and District Club is another community club that does an outstanding job. The Morgan Commercial Hotel is managed by Andy Imray, and Phil Larson runs the Morgan Terminus Hotel. Phil is renowned for his hospitality. There are many more. I regularly visit those hotels by way of community engagement, and I listen to the community's concerns. I commend the bill to the house.

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