Intro
Effective date: 30 November 2010Last amended: 23 February 2021 Next review: August 2022
Sections 33 and 103A of the Liquor Control Act 1988 ('the Act') impose mandatory training requirements on licensees, approved managers, supervisory staff, bar staff and crowd controllers in relation to the management of licensed premises and the responsible service of alcohol.
Well managed premises and the responsible service of alcohol is seen as an important tool in providing consumers with safer venues that are committed to practising harm-minimisation techniques. Training provides licensees, managers, bar staff and crowd controllers with important skills and knowledge about the State’s liquor laws; alcohol and the effects of excessive alcohol intake; standard drink measures; options to assist customers to drink within appropriate limits; how to refuse service
Increasing the skill levels of people working in the industry will ultimately raise the standard and professionalism of the industry, which will benefit consumers and the public in general. This policy provides guidance as to the minimum requirements to be met in respect of this training.
This policy is designed to provide information in regard to the subject matter covered, and with the understanding that the Director of Liquor Licensing is not passing legal opinion or interpretation or other professional advice. The information is provided on the understanding that all persons undertake responsibility for assessing the relevance and accuracy of its contents.
There are two levels of training:
Under section 33(6b) of the Act, persons seeking approval to occupy positions of authority under a licence; that is, as licensee, are required to demonstrate that they have successfully completed an approved Course in the Management of Licensed Premises and in the Responsible Service of Alcohol prior to the approval of an application for a licence, or approval of a transfer of licence.
Similarly, applicants for a restricted or unrestricted manager approval must successfully complete either an approved Course in the Management of Licensed Premises and or in the Responsible Service of Alcohol, depending on the type of approval they are seeking.
These requirements and the training requirements for staff occupying supervisory positions and all other staff engaged in the sale and supply of liquor, including under an occasional licence, are set out below.
If a Restricted Manager subsequently completes the Course in Management of Licensed Premises (52863WA), they may apply to upgrade to an Unrestricted Manager Approval.
The Course in Management of Licensed Premises (52863WA) is comprised of a core unit and two elective units.
While the minimum requirement for new licensees and new unrestricted approved managers is the completion of the Core Unit (MLPLCA001), applicants are strongly encouraged to complete either elective unit to gain a greater depth of knowledge.
Certification (in hard-copy or digital format) proving the satisfactory completion of one of the following versions of the Course in Management of Licensed Premises:
Certification (in hard-copy or digital format) proving the satisfactory completion of one of the following versions of the Responsible Service of Alcohol course:
The Registered Training Organisations in respect of the Course in Management of Licensed Premises and the nationally accredited unit of Provide Responsible Service of Alcohol are listed on the department's website at Registered Training Providers.
Clubs WA delivers the Clubs WA Responsible Service of Alcohol — Club Industry Training.
Section 103AA of the Act states that licensees must maintain, on the licensed premises, a training register that records employee information and their training compliance. This requirement does not apply to an approved manager as they must have completed the relevant training in order to have been issued with either a restricted manager approval or unrestricted manager approval by the licensing authority.
The training register must contain the following details:
The penalty for non-compliance is $5000.
Each record must be maintained in the register for a period of four years or for the duration of employment of the trained employee. The register may be kept in any way the licensee considers appropriate, including by electronic means.
The licensee or an employee of the licensee must allow an authorised officer to inspect the register and to take copies of the register or any of its parts.
It should be noted that while there is no requirement to keep a copy of the training certification with the training register, it is nevertheless a requirement for the licensee to keep a copy on the premises as per regulation 14AG(2). This can either be hard copy or stored electronically provided it is available for inspection when required. To assist licensees, an approved standard format for this training register (PDF 25 KB) can be downloaded.
If a person fails to comply with these requirements, the licensing authority may decide to:
The requirement for crowd controllers to complete responsible service of alcohol training came into effect from 1 July 2018.
For further information, please contact the department on 61 8 6551 4888 (country callers please use our toll-free number 1800 634 541) or email the Director of Liquor Licensing.