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Ingram Welcomes Fee Structure Refinements For Country Pubs, BarsThe Independent Member for Gippsland East, Craig Ingram, has welcomed refinements to fee structures as part of a state-wide liquor licensing reform announced today by the Minister for Consumer Affairs. By Craig Ingram - 16th October 2009 - Back to News Speaking from Parliament House today, Mr Ingram said he had met with a number of small licensed venue operators throughout his electorate who were concerned that the original proposal put forward by the State Government would result in a massive increase in their licenses and has lobbied the Minister on their behalf.
"Some local venues would have faced increases of almost 400 per cent and these are small venues that are operated responsibly," Mr Ingram said.
"I raised these concerns during the debate in Parliament, outlining the effect it would have on these venue operators.
"The increase under the initial proposal would have dramatically affected the ongoing viability of these businesses, putting small country pubs and bars in the same league as large metropolitan nightclubs.
"This has now been adjusted whereby large capacity, late night venues will pay more than small pubs and bars.
"Alcohol-related violence is a community problem and is not necessarily something that can be easily solved.
"These reforms will mean that operators of poorly-managed venues that continually breach liquor licensing laws will pay more on their license fees and I believe the new structure provides a better outcome to those licensees who are doing the right thing.
"It will take some concerted effort by not just the licensees but the community, which must try to find solutions for it," Mr Ingram concluded.
Under the finalised fee structure:
• Venues with a patron capacity below 200 will not pay a risk fee based on patron numbers;
• Venues open until 1am will not pay a risk fee based on patron numbers;
• Venues with function centres closing at 1am will be able to apply to the Director of Liquor Licensing to have their function room capacity excluded from their total patron numbers, reducing the cost of their fee; and
• Sexually explicit entertainment venues will pay around $30,000.
Source: http://gippsland.com/ Published by: news@gippsland.com
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