Tuesday, 12 August 2025

 Rachel WESTAWAY (Prahran) (19:21): (1249) My adjournment matter tonight is for the Minister for Casino, Gaming and Liquor Regulation. The action that I seek is for the minister to provide a comprehensive report on the granting and enforcement of liquor licences in the seat of Prahran. Residents in my electorate, particularly along Chapel Street, are experiencing increased antisocial behaviour linked to licensed premises.

Since the establishment of Liquor Control Victoria (LCV) in July 2022 and the automatic extension of trading hours to 1 am in March 2022, my office has received numerous complaints from constituents about late-night disturbances, public intoxication and antisocial behaviour around liquor-licensed venues. Increasing the problem is that Chapel Street operates under a special regulation, which at face value requires additional licensing oversights for venues trading after 1 am and up to 24 hours a day, including comprehensive venue management plans, security arrangements, crowd control and noise management protocols. However, the lack of enforcement and a light-handed approval process has created a free-for-all. This has placed increased demands on our already overstretched Prahran police station. The recent removal of planning permit requirements in July 2025 has further heightened community concerns about the inadequate oversight. The Chapel Street precinct is vital to Prahran’s economy and cultural identity, but this must be considered and balanced with residents’ rights to peaceful enjoyment of their homes.

I call on the minister to provide a detailed data report on liquor licensing enforcement in Prahran since these regulatory changes took effect. Specifically, there are four areas that I am interested in: the total number of liquor licences currently operating in Prahran, broken down by licence type and trading hours compared to the pre-2022 figures; second, enforcement actions taken by LCV in Prahran since July 2022, including the number of licensees served with written warnings, infringement penalties, suspended or revoked licences for trading outside permitted hours, serving intoxicated patrons, serving minors or any other offence under the Liquor Control Reform Act 1998 or the Environmental Protection Regulations 2021. Since liquor licensing reforms in 2022, residents have reported increased late-night disturbances and antisocial behaviour around Chapel Street venues, and we need transparency on enforcement. I also need details of collaboration between LCV and the local council since planning powers were transferred, including how community concerns are now addressed. Fourth, I need compliance rates for venues with very late night and early morning trading hours and any correlation with reported antisocial behaviour.

My constituents deserve to know that liquor licensing laws are being robustly enforced and that there are adequate mechanisms for addressing community concerns. I call on the minister to commit to strengthening enforcement measures, regular compliance audits for venues with extended trading hours and enhanced coordination with the local council to ensure community voices remain central to liquor licensing decisions.