Introduction
The Geelong ‘Local Industry Accord’ [Accord] was first established in 1991 as a joint initiative between police, licensees, the Liquor Licensing Commission, local government and other relevant agencies.
The Accord or Code of Practice was established to adopt a range of positive, effective and community based harm minimisation strategies aimed at reducing crime and violence involving intoxicated people in and around Central Geelong.
Since 1991, the Accord has changed significantly to meet best practice and to ensure that current liquor licensing requirements are being met by Operators in the Geelong region. It has also continued to evolve in order to meet the needs and expectations of the community who have the right to enjoy our nightlife free of anti-social behavior.
The Accord and all those involved want the Geelong region to have a vibrant, diverse and innovative night life and support the right of operators to free enterprise and open competition, however, these rights must be balanced so as to counter any negative impact of excessive alcohol consumption that can lead to anti social behavior.
How it works
The Geelong Liquor Licensing Accord is a voluntary commitment. To gain acceptance as a member, licensed premises must demonstrate adherence to all the criteria detailed in the Accord. Membership is open to any licensed premises in the City of Greater Geelong and members will meet a minimum of three times a year to work together to reduce alcohol-related crime and improve the
perception of safety and appeal of the area thus making Geelong a safer place to live, work and visit.
Steering Committee
The Geelong Liquor Licensing Accord is overseen by a steering committee comprising:
o Victoria Police
o City of Greater Geelong
o Liquor Licensing
o 3 representatives from licensed premises.
The Steering Committee:
o Monitors and evaluates the progress of the Accord
o Deals with any major breaches of the Accord.
Accord Principles
The following principles have been adopted by Licensees in order to reduce individual and social harms by:
1. Allowing individuals within the community to enjoy drinking socially as long as they do not interfere with the rights and enjoyment of others.
2. Meeting ‘duty of care’ responsibilities to individuals and the community by upholding the responsible service of alcohol philosophy.
3. Providing and maintaining a safe and secure environment for individuals, staff and the general community.
4. Committing to improving and maintaining the external environment so as to minimise unacceptable impacts on the surrounding areas.
5. Building partnerships with all stakeholders to actively promote the Accord in order to implement local solutions and improve community safety.
Accord Objectives
In order to meet the principles of the Accord licensees commit to:
1. Promoting the responsible serving of alcohol in licensed premises;
2. Ensuring safety and security within and external to the licensed premises;
3. Improving the general amenity of Central Geelong and
4. Signing up Licensees in Central Geelong, and over the next two years, to extend the Accord to the wider municipality of Greater Geelong and surrounding areas.
Accord Performance Indicators
The KPI’s for assessing the effectiveness of the Accord annually are:
1. A reduction in alcohol-related crime and anti-social behaviour.
2. An increase in the number of people who perceive Central Geelong to be safe and
3. Enhanced relationship between licensees, local government, local police and Liquor Licensing Commission.
Accord Strategies
The following strategies have been identified by Licensees as a standard of responsible management within the Geelong Region:
1. Responsible service of alcohol
1.1 No underage drinking
o Actively monitor all patrons to ensure they are not underage by checking proper proof of age identification at the door. For licensed premises classified as “high-risk”, the implementation of an I.D scanner will ensure an effective strategy for checking age I.D is in place.
o Younger patrons without proper identification will be refused admission.
o Younger patrons who present false identification or in the possession of a person who is not the owner of the identification, then the document will be removed from the patron and forwarded to the police.
o Approved liquor licensing signage must be prominently displayed
o Licensed premises will comply by the “model policy for responsible serving of alcohol at functions” provided in appendum one of this document.
1.2 No intoxicated patrons
o Staff are to:
i. Refuse service of alcohol to any person showing signs of intoxication.
ii. Encourage patrons to drink responsibly and offer alternatives such as water or non-alcoholic drinks or a time out for the provision of service.
iii. Ensure bottled water is available for purchase and free tap water is available for patrons.
iv. Notify crowd controllers of patrons who are showing signs of intoxication so that crowd controllers can monitor and manage the situation.
o Crowd Controllers are to:
i. Refuse entry to all drunken patrons and to utilise the use of two way radios to notify the police of potential disturbances or anti-social behavior.
1.3 Restricting activities that encourage drinking excessively
o Prohibit the use of promotions such as free drinks and two for ones except with the consent of the Liquor Licensing Inspector.
o No drink cards to be sold or marketed.
o No promotions or functions designed to attract underage patrons.
o No media or internet advertising of drink prices.
o A ban on advertising that encourages excessive alcohol consumption.
o No all inclusive drink packages with the exception of pre-paid functions.
o Serve drinks at standard measures.
o No serving of doubles unless explicitly requested by the patron consuming the drink.
o Highly concentrated drinks such as shots are discouraged from being offered in the last hour of trading, ensuring patrons are given a chance to reduce the effects of alcohol consumption before leaving the premises.
1.4 Training
o Licensees will complete the “Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA)”
course and the “First Steps Licensee” course.
o Licensees will ensure all staff will complete the “RSA” course as per license conditions.
Self- Audit Checklist designed to assess the effectiveness of licensed premises commitment to ‘responsible service of alcohol’
Yes / No / Action RequiredLicensees and Managers have completed and are trained in the First Step Licensees course
Licensees and their management have read and understand their liquor licence. The licence is prominently displayed.
All liquor service staff have completed and are trained in Responsible Serving of Alcohol within 3 months of commencing employment
Required Liquor Licensing signage is prominently displayed
Patrons identification is actively monitored at the door to ensure they are not underage
Advertising for these premises promote the quality of entertainment, food, service and facilities in the spirit of the Liquor Control Reform Act 1998
Promotions and advertising do not encourage the rapid consumption of alcohol
Low and non-alcoholic drinks are readily available
A good standard of cleanliness is maintained in:
o Kitchen
o Bar
o Toilets
o Staff and public access areas
Continual reduction in anti-social behaviour at licensed premises
2. Safety and Security
2.1 Provision of a safe environment
o Crowd control safety and security risk assessment plans are in place and reviewed on a regular basis.
o Emergency evacuation procedures in place and all staff trained in implementing these procedures.
o Each venue to adopt a Patron Management Plan and train all staff including crowd controllers in implementing the plan.
o Licensed premises to discourage glass in toilets or on the dance floor to reduce both intentional or accidental injuries.
o Licensed premises to investigate the use of plastic glasses and glassware that cannot be broken for use as a potential weapon.
o Security surveillance requirements as per Licence conditions are operating.
o Central Geelong licensed premises classified as “high-risk” to implement an I.D scanner at the entrance of their premises.
o Encourage licensed premises to allow crowd controllers to have access to two-way radios for use within the venue.
o Police to be contacted immediately upon the identification of potential ‘problem’ patrons displaying anti-social or illegal behavior.
o A shared banned patron list for patrons who have displayed unacceptable anti-social behavior either inside the licensed premises or in Central Geelong.
o Trained first aid staff are on the premises during operating hours.
o A door charge is encouraged to reduce the movement of patrons between licensed premises in the early hours of the morning.
o Licensed premises closing after 3.00am will implement and operate a one-hour lock-out before closing.
o Licensed premises closing at 3.00am or earlier will implement and operate a 30 minute lock-out before closing.
2.2 Provision of qualified and experienced crowd controllers
o The Licensee will ensure the provision of qualified and experienced crowd controllers as per licence conditions.
o The licensed premises will ensure that all crowd controllers hold a current security licence.
o All crowd controllers are clearly identified through uniforms and a visible security number.
o All crowd controllers to enter full details of any incident into the security incident log book, including information on the date, time and nature of the incident and the action taken by staff and management.
o The security incident log book will be made available to police upon request.
2.3 Relationship with other authorities
o Close liaison and co-operation will be maintained with Police, The City of Greater Geelong and Liquor licensing on measures to improve public safety in and around licensed premises.
Self Audit Checklist designed to assess the effectiveness of licensed premises commitment to ‘safety and security’
Yes / No / Action RequiredAll crowd controllers are trained and hold a current crowd controllers licence
The Crowd Controllers Register is properly maintained
A code of conduct for patrons has been developed and is displayed for patrons’ information
An emergency procedure management plan is in place.
Staff are informed and trained in emergency procedures
Premises essential services meet the existing fire safety standard
A patron management plan is in place and
all staff are trained in implementing the plan.
Where required, video surveillance cameras are installed and placed in the appropriate locations. Surveillance footage is retained in accordance with licence requirements.
Where possible, glasses are shatter glass.
Security and reception staff are aware of the closest taxi and public transport options
An employee is present who holds a current accrediated first-aid certificate during operating hours.
All relevant staff are aware of maximum numbers permitted on the premises. This includes relevant management and security personnel.
3. Improving the amenity of Central Geelong
3.1 Central Geelong precinct
o All licensed premises to operate as a ‘good neighbor’ and have a genuine desire to respond to all legitimate complaints and concerns of other traders/residents in the Central Geelong by having a complaint procedure in place.
o Each venue to be pro-active in cleaning up the streets and doorways around the venue.
3.2 Entering the Licensed Premises
o Licensees will encourage patrons to disposed of open containers of alcohol in rubbish containers prior to patrons entering the licensed premises.
o Crowd Controllers to ensure any litter or waste identified within eye site is picked up and disposed of in rubbish containers.
o Crowd Controllers monitor patrons waiting to enter the licensed premises to ensure that patrons do not impact on the amenity of the area.
o Crowd Controllers are trained to manage patrons waiting to enter the licensed premises.
3.3 Leaving the licensed premises
o Crowd Controllers are trained to ensure patrons do not leave the licensed premises with alcohol or glass.
o All patrons have access to information on transport options when leaving the venue, including directions to the Safe Taxi Rank.
o Licensed premises support and promote the ‘Designated Driver Program’ by offering free non-alcoholic beverages for designated drivers.
Self Audit Checklist designed to assess the effectiveness of licensed premises commitment to ‘improving the amenity of the Central Geelong’
Yes / No / Action RequiredQueues are managed so as to be orderly and do not obstruct access to footpaths for other users
Management and security staff will work cooperatively with other venues and authorities to protect the amenity of other people.
Staff will monitor and discourage anti-social behaviour both in and near licensed premises
Staff and management will where possible encourage people to leave the premises in a quite and orderly manner.
Reduction in complaints from businesses surrounding licensed premises.
In addition to Licensees adopting and implementing the principles and practices of the Geelong Licensing Accord, the stakeholders below will use reasonable endeavors to achieve the following:
4. Geelong Police
o Maintain a visible presence on the streets at weekends and at key times.
o Undertake to monitor the safety camera network at key times.
o Provide police for key events.
o Work with traders and Council to implement the Accord and improve community safety.
5. City of Greater Geelong
o Undertake regular lighting audits in high risk areas of Central Geelong and where necessary, upgrade lighting in key locations in Geelong.
o Supply and maintain public toilets in a key central location in the
Central Geelong area.
o Investigate the introduction of an ID scanner for the safe taxi rank.
o Maintain the central safe taxi rank.
o Continued participation in the Greater Geelong Safety Committee and
Liquor Accord group.
o Continue development and maintenance of monitored CCTV system covering the CENTRAL GEELONG.
o Support the Police in their efforts to continue to achieve a highly visible police presence in the Central Geelong, particularly in the early hours
of weekends[v1].
o Investigate the establishment of a second safe taxi rank in the Central
Geelong.