Proposed changes to online alcohol deliveries in South Australia have been welcomed by Retail Drinks Australia.
The Liquor Licensing (Miscellaneous) Amendment Bill 2019 was introduced into SA’s Parliament last week and should it be passed online alcohol deliveries (direct sales transactions) in the state will be permitted between 8am and 10pm. This represents a one-hour extension on the current time-frame and restrictions on the time of dispatch for alcohol deliveries will also be removed.
Retail Drinks’ CEO Julie Ryan, said: “We welcome the introduction of this Bill into Parliament and thank the SA Attorney-General for supporting Retail Drinks’ recommendation to extend direct sales transactions of alcohol across the state until 10pm, and to remove restrictions on the time of dispatch of deliveries.
“These changes are a big win for both SA consumers seeking the added convenience and accessibility of online alcohol deliveries as well as for the increasing number of licensees choosing to operate in this space.”
Ryan added that Retail Drinks was pleased to be able to collaborate with state and territory governments to help deliver positive outcomes in the online alcohol sale and delivery sector on behalf of retailers and consumers.
“Through our close collaboration with various state and territory governments, we have recently launched an industry-wide, voluntary Code of Conduct to complement existing legislation for online alcohol sales and deliveries.
“The Code is designed to equip liquor retailers across the country with the information and resources they need to participate in the online alcohol sale and delivery sector in a safe and responsible way.
“We are also promoting the Code and the benefits of becoming a signatory through our Small Business Digital Champions project in partnership with the Federal Government to assist small liquor retailers in ‘going digital’.
“We look forward to continuing our proactive consultations with Australian governments around the issue of online alcohol sales and deliveries whilst upholding our commitment to promoting safe and responsible retailing in this space.”