Liquor Licensing Enforcement Activity in New South Wales

Abstract

This bulletin is the first attempt to provide a comprehensive analysis of liquor licensing enforcement in NSW. Four relevant data sources were accessed for this study; court proceedings, Liquor Administration Board conferences, police infringement notices and NSW Department of Gaming and Racing infringement and compliance notices. In 2001, the most recent year for which complete data was available, 4,619 enforcement actions were initiated under the NSW liquor laws. A large percentage of this enforcement activity was concentrated on patrons or minors, with over one-quarter of enforcement actions being against patrons for failing to leave a licensed venue and 14 per cent being against persons under the age of 18. Just 147 (3.1%) breaches for conduct offences were recorded by enforcement agencies in 2001. Data quality issues are noted throughout the bulletin and barriers to enforcement of the NSW liquor laws are discussed.