Guideline 65: Temporary changes to regulated hours for ID scanning

Liquor Act 1992 – Sections 173EE and 173EH

Under section 173EE of the Liquor Act, the Commissioner for Liquor and Gaming may set the regulated hours for ID scanning. This guideline outlines when the Commissioner will consider a temporary variation to the regulated hours.

In certain circumstances, the Commissioner will assess if varying the regulated hours of ID scanning is appropriate at a licensed venue. This would be due to:

• an impact on the venue as a result of patrons dispersing from a major event, which creates an unavoidable mass migration of people directly into or through a safe night precinct (SNP) at the times ID scanning would ordinarily commence
• and
• the strong likelihood for those patrons to interact with queues of people outside the licensed premises, which may heighten the propensity for violence in the area.

Criteria for temporary change to ID scanning hours

While each application will be considered on its own individual merits, the Commissioner may favourably consider temporary variation requests relating to:

• stadium concerts
• national and international level sporting events, for example
  • NRL
  • A-League
  • Super Rugby
  • international test matches.

Applicants would also need to satisfy these additional criteria:

• There is likely to be an unavoidable mass migration of people directly into, or through, the SNP.
• The event is scheduled to finish after 9.15pm and before 11pm.
• The demographic of patrons attending the event could conceivably increase the likelihood of adverse interactions in the SNP.
• The costs incurred to comply with ID scanning at 10pm due to crowd dispersal from the events are significant and demonstrable.

For any other type of event, the Commissioner will require sufficient evidence to demonstrate it is a 'major event' which meets all of the above criteria.