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The review of the policy included consultation with the Building Commissioner, Department of Health, Department of Water and Environmental Regulation, Western Australian Local Government Association, and liquor industry stakeholders.

As a result, the DLL identified that the 9-page policy created building, safety and health requirements with some overlapping, those enforced by other local, state, or national authorities.

The DLL also noted that the policy set specific and prescriptive standards which were not requirements of other laws and should no longer be required for licensed premises.

Examples of prescriptive policy requirements that have been removed include:

• wall surfaces in toilet areas must be tiled to a height of 1.8 metres
• there must be one glass washer per 9m of bar length
• higher requirements for work areas, finishes and toilet construction than set out in the National Construction Code
• restaurants must not have bar servery counters that exceed 2m or facilitate the consumption of alcohol at that location
• requirements for storage, refrigeration and cool room floors in liquor stores.

This has resulted in a simpler, 3-page policy that sets out the premises standards that must be met before a licence will be granted.

The release of the new Standards of Licensed Premises policy concludes the review process of all the DLL policies which has seen the total number of policies reduced from 54 to 14, resulting in a more practical, streamlined and fit-for-purpose suite of policies, and comprehensive guidance.

DLL Lanie Chopping joined WA Australian Hoteliers Association President Bradley Woods to expand and help better understand how the reviewed policies will benefit the local liquor and hospitality industry.