To address the confusion and improve understanding amongst licence applicants and licence holder, the key reforms under Theme 5 include:
Industry education
Applicants need to better understand the process of applying for licences and permits. DLGSC has observed that some complaints about delays in receiving a decision about an application do not reflect the applicant’s contribution to this delay.
Applicants do not approach the regulator at the right time in their planning process, have misconceptions about the simplicity and speed of processing licence applications, or submit much more documentation than is needed.
DLGSC will review its education material and the delivery of this information to identify and implement improvements. For example, this may include developing educational videos on the liquor licence application process.
Website review
DLGSC will improve the content and accessibility of guidance material on its website, to make it easier to find and understand.
Other improvements being considered include:
- interactive ‘user friendly’ guidance material
- digital flow charts of processes, associated costs and timelines
- interactive online lodgement guide and checklist
- developing a tool to assist licensees find the correct licence for their business model, similar to the Small Business Development Corporation’s Business Licence Finder tool
- online chat function to allow applicants to chat to DLGSC officers in real time
- inclusion of an online booking system to facilitate face-to-face or virtual meetings between applicants and DLGSC officers.