Special Edition No.11
The Hospitality Messenger is very conscious of WA’s liquor, hospitality, event and tourism industries being hit hard by the current COVID-19 situation and is committed to providing as much support as possible.
From this Saturday, 27 June 2020, current restrictions on businesses operating in the liquor, hospitality and tourism industries will be further reduced in Western Australia as the State Government implements Phase 4 of the COVID-19 recovery plan. Phase 4 includes the following:
Existing gathering limits and the 100/300 rule for venue capacities will no longer apply.
The 2m2 rule will only include staff for venues that hold more than 500 patrons.
There will be no requirement for seated service (except where a licence specifically requires that).
Liquor can be served to patrons standing up (except where a licence specifically requires patrons to be seated).
Events are now permitted except for large scale, multi-stage music festivals.
Unseated performances will be permitted at concert halls, live music venues, bars and nightclubs.
At the major sport and entertainment venues (ie Optus Stadium, HBF Park and RAC Arena) a 50% capacity rule will apply.
These changes will effectively mean that most licensed premises can resume trading under their usual licence conditions.
Licensees need to remember that they must continue to comply with the conditions endorsed on their licences and ETPs where they are more onerous than the Phase 4 trading requirements. For example, although under Phase 4 patrons are no longer required to be seated, venues operating pursuant to a restaurant class of licence must ensure patrons are seated at a table (or a fixed structure used as table).
Also, some of the requirements under Phases 1-3 will still apply.
The State Government has also released its Phase 5 and Phase 6 plans. Phase 5 is scheduled to come into effect on Saturday, 18 July 2020 and is intended to remove the 2m2 rule and the 50% capacity rule for major entertainment facilities.
Unfortunately for businesses reliant on interstate and international travellers, the hard border will continue for the foreseeable future.
Click here for the State Government’s latest published guidelines and see over the page for answers to anticipated FAQs.
The Hospitality Messenger has been informed that the licensing authority has been using the shutdown period to conduct some back-of-house cleaning of its own.
This has included an audit of the ASIC records of licensee companies to check whether there are any directors or shareholders not approved by the licensing authority or removed from the company without notification to the licensing authority.
The Hospitality Messenger understands that so far the audit has revealed only 50% compliance. “Please explain” letters have been sent to licensees who are non-compliant.
Licensees who have not obtained approval for any director or shareholder risk being penalised.
It would be wise for licensees to check now that they do comply.
A. Yes. You should review the Phase 4 guidelines and then update your COVID Safety Plan accordingly. You still need to have your COVID Safety Plan available for inspection if requested by an authorised officer.
A. Yes
A. Yes
A. No. However, the patron register that was required for Phases 1, 2 and 3 must be maintained with patron details until Phase 4 commences and then kept safely at the premises until 28 days after the official State of Emergency has been lifted.
A. Yes. The patron capacity of your venue will be determined by providing 2m2 for each patron. Despite that, the number of patrons cannot exceed any capacity specified on the licence or ETP.
A. Yes. That is why the 2m2 rule is still in place.
Yes. They include fines, imprisonment and venue closure.
CLICK HERE TO READ THE HOSPITIALITY MESSENGER PDF
