By JESSE GRAHAM
EILDON MP Cindy McLeish took to the streets in the valley last week, visiting licensed venues to hear the concerns of owners, with a Shadow Cabinet colleague in tow.
Ms McLeish and Shadow Minister for Liquor Licensing and Gaming, Russell Northe, visited venues across the Yarra Valley on Wednesday, 9 September.
The pair stopped in at the Healesville RSL, the Terminus Hotel and the Fluid Lounge in Healesville and Launching Place’s Home Hotel to hear opinions from business owners about what did and did not work with current liquor and gaming laws.
During a meeting with Fluid Lounge owner, Garry Christie, Mr Northe said the visit was both to gather information to put to the current government, as well as to develop the Coalition’s policies for the next election.
“We’re in opposition at the moment, so my job is to work with liquor and gaming venues and work out what improvements we can make to the current arrangements that are in place, with the ultimate view of developing policy so we can have good outcomes – not just for pubs and clubs and venues, but also making sure we give regard to the community at the same time,” Mr Northe said.
He said both he and Ms McLeish had heard about “challenges” for venues, in regards to applications for liquor and gaming licensing, and balancing the views of council and the community against “certainty” for businesses.
“We’ve heard the length of time and the costs associated with applying for a liquor licence, and the conditions that apply to that – not just with Garry, here, but with others as well,” Mr Northe said.
“If you’re a community or a council and you have a particular view … you want some certainty, but if you’re a business, you absolutely need certainty.
“You can’t be forced to have an application pending for a number of months or years.”
“With any business,” Ms McLeish added.
At the end of last year, the council approved a permit for Fluid Lounge to extend its opening hours to 3am on Fridays and Saturdays – ending a two-year dispute on the matter that went to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) twice.
Mr Northe said he welcomed the government’s announcement last month of a review of the Gaming Machine Arrangements framework, which will determine machine entitlements in the future.
A venue currently must have an entitlement for each gaming machine it operates, and current entitlements will expire in 2022 – the review will report back to the government by July 2016.
