Liquor industry licensing continues to be a huge issue for licence holders in Murray Valley, but some progress is being made through ongoing representations to the Minister for consumer Affairs, Tony Robinson, The Nationals Member for Murray Valley, Ken Jasper, said today.

Mr Jasper said the State Government’s action in seeking to raise $35 million from liquor license fees with massive increases for all license holders has been a major issue, with enormous implications for license holders across his electorate of Murray Valley, and all because the Government needs to address problem areas in King Street and other hotspots, particularly in Melbourne.

A huge problem for license holders is that these massive fee increases have been approved from January 1 2010, creating difficulties for those seeking a review of trading hours or consideration for reduced fees on hardship grounds, he said.

Mr Jasper highlighted the impact of the massive fee increases on the new owner of the Wunghnu general store and post office, who had budgeted for a license fee of $245, based on the information he was given when he purchased the business around six months ago.

The fee to renew his liquor licence under the new system jumped to $6360, an exorbitant amount for someone running a mixed business in a small country town.

He received little respite following his initial representations to the Liquor Licensing Authority and, in his representations to me, asked: ‘Surely the Government doesn’t expect us little country town liquor retailers to pay for the Government’s inability to curb King Street and big city violence.’

The Minister, in finally responding to my earlier representations, and the information provided by the Wunghnu licensee, has now stated the fee will be $1590, based on reduced trading hours, Mr Jasper said.

The example quoted is typical of the impact the across the board increases in fees is having on all licence holders, with a lack of any justification for the increases, which should have been fully investigated prior to their implementation on the first of January 2010, he said.

The revised fee structure is still having an adverse impact through increased fees and has created continuing problems for the industry, particularly for small sporting clubs, vignerons and small hotel operators, many of who have made contact with me.

Despite my ongoing representations to the Minister regarding the new regulations, I have grave doubts on any final resolution to these matters that are the subject of continuing complaints, due to the anomalies and inconsistencies within the Act and the manner in which the licence fee structure is being implemented.

Many licensees and hotel operators have indicated concerns with the inspection process and said inspectors will have to show commonsense and objectivity when visiting licensed premises, who could find themselves in default of the requirements of the Act through no action which could be attributed to them.