As part of the NSW Government’s COVID-19 economic stimulus package, it has waived a range of liquor licence fees for businesses in the hospitality and entertainment industries.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said: “These fee waivers will deliver much-needed relief for small businesses, at a time when cash flow is crucial.
“Up to 200,000 licence holders will benefit from this fee relief package over the next 12 months. It is the least we can do to support these businesses and their staff through this challenging time.”
Annual liquor licence base fees and trading hours risk loading fees will be waived for most licensees this year. Most new liquor licence application fees and pro-rata liquor licence fees will be waived for 12 months.
Most licensees will have their annual liquor licence base fee and trading hours risk loading fee waived for 12 months (2020-2021 fee period). These licensees will receive a $0 invoice.
Licences eligible for the automatic fee waiver include: small bar licence; microbreweries and small distilleries licence; on-premises licence; club licence; hotel licence; producer/wholesaler licence; limited licences; general bar licence; packaged liquor licence (if three or less outlets are owned by the same licensee or business).
Bottle shops and home delivery businesses (packaged liquor licences) with four or more outlets owned by the same licensee or business are not eligible for fee waiver assistance at this time.
If a venue is experiencing financial hardship, but is not eligible for the automatic annual licence fee waiver, it still be able to apply for a fee waiver.
If a venue has applied for or been granted a limited licence for an event that’s been (or is likely to be) postponed or cancelled because of COVID-19, it can withdraw its application or cancel its limited licence.
If it chooses to do this the application fee will be fully refunded.
Aside from licence fee relief, the NSW Government is providing $10,000 grants for small business, protection for commercial tenants; employee and jobseeker resources; and personalised business support from Service NSW.