Page 5654 - Week 13 - Thursday, 18 November 2010
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Do you want your local pub to close at midnight?
Did you know your favourite pub could close down?
New fees and regulations introduced by the ACT Labor Government and due to come into force before Christmas will have exactly that effect.
And then they go on to say:
1. Large, inequitable fee increases for ACT Liquor Licensees
Enormously increased and inequitable fees for Liquor Licensees have been tabled in the ACT Legislative Assembly by Simon Corbell on 20 October 2010.
No consultation on these fees or the fees structure, which is simplistic at best, has been undertaken. Unless disallowed before 18 November 2010, these fees will be effective from 1 December 2010 …
The ACT Labor government claims the primary risk for alcohol related violence is late trading hours.
They are not willing to acknowledge or investigate other risk factors.
They are not willing to consult with ACT Liquor Licensees.
They are not willing to acknowledge the impact of the fees on either small business, or different business models that exist amongst licensees.
Under a heading “Failure to investigate risks to patrons” they state:
The ACT Labor government insists it is concerned with community safety. Licensees are also greatly concerned about community safety and the likely detrimental effect on the safety of their patrons from trading pattern changes smaller venues will be forced to make under the fees structure.
Licensees are concerned about what patrons will do and where they will go when smaller bars and pubs are forced to close at midnight or close down completely, because they cannot afford to pay the fees that will price them out of the market, which is historically price-sensitive. The government is not interested in listening to industry experience on the likely and logical negative flow on effects of this fees structure.
Under “Anti-competitive pricing”, the paper goes on:
The ACT Labor government is using the fees system to cost recover for services required to combat the negative impacts of alcohol on the community.
Liquor Licensees accept they have a responsibility to contribute to these costs.
All they are asking is for the ACT Labor government to implement a fees structure that is fair for all, recognising that the size of a business directly relates to its capacity—and responsibility—to contribute.
The fees structure in its current form is anti-competitive and places an inequitable burden on small business.
Under the heading, “Increased cost pressures, higher prices and choice limitations for consumers”, the paper says:
The fees for an on-license are based around one threshold only ($100,000)—a threshold introduced in 1999 and unchanged since. Prior to 1999, the fee was based on a percentage of alcohol purchased for ‘disposal’ in the previous year.
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