Retail Drinks Australia is calling on the NSW Government to amend its rules around ANZAC Day trading, which it says will unfairly impact 3000 packaged liquor retailers across the state this April.
Recent changes to the regulatory framework in New South Wales will allow hotels, bars, clubs and restaurants in the state to sell takeaway alcohol throughout ANZAC Day – while 80 per cent of NSW packaged liquor retailers must remain closed.
Retail Drinks CEO, Michael Waters said: “This isn’t about changing the significance of ANZAC Day – it’s about ensuring fair treatment for all licenced businesses while maintaining the importance of the day.
“The NSW Government needs to understand that people commemorate ANZAC Day in different ways – whether joining a service, watching it at home or coming together with family and friends for a BBQ.
“It just makes no sense that the NSW Government would allow some licensed businesses to open but not others – it’s unfair, discriminatory, and anti-competitive.
“What you will see is a business on one side of the road open and selling takeaway alcohol, with another on the other side of the road forced to remain shut, or worse, customers driving to the next town because their local store is forced to close.
“The disparity particularly affects 1500 small, family-owned businesses that fall outside the NSW Government’s definition in the Retail Trading Act, despite being classified as small by other NSW Government agencies.
“These small businesses are vital parts of their local communities. The current situation creates an unnecessary two-tiered system that provides no benefit to the communities these businesses serve.”
Amendments proposed by Retail Drinks Australia, include:
- Allow packaged liquor retailers to open from 1:00pm and ensure no takeaway liquor by all other licensed venues before then
- Maintain all existing employee protections
- Ensure consistency between relevant legislation
- Support small business viability in local communities.
Retail Drinks said it was been working on a resolution with the NSW Government, but has not received any commitment that the issue will be fixed before ANZAC Day 2025.
Waters added: “We’re simply asking for a level playing field. The current situation disadvantages small, family-run businesses while larger venues can continue trading.”
Retail Drinks highlighted the impact the ANZAC Day closures will have on Shane Madden, owner of Retail Liquor Specialists which operates eight packaged liquor stores across regional NSW.
Madden said the state Government’s recent Bill means he can’t open his stores which will cost him $110,000 in lost revenue across his stores.
“ANZAC Day is an important day for all Australians and people commemorate in different ways,” he said.
“Heading to the local dawn service and then going to a BBQ with family and friends to remember is an important ritual.
“The inability for people in regional towns to purchase liquor and other retail items from their local store on the Friday of the long weekend, is going to create unnecessary angst and inconvenience.
“For many of my employees who live in these regional towns, this is their only job and only source of income – it’s their whole world. In previous years, they may have had a choice to work on the public holiday, but this year they have lost their freedom of choice, and they will just get nothing.”
“Why should pubs, clubs, and licensed cafes and restaurants be able to trade yet small local retail liquor stores can’t.
“On one of Australia’s most important days this is simply un-Australian.”