Victoria Police and the Compliance Unit are responsible for enforcing the Liquor Control Reform Act 1998 and licence conditions.
While Victoria Police and the Compliance Unit are respectively targeting antisocial behaviour and minor breaches of the Act by licensees, there is no whole‑of‑government enforcement strategy to address unlawful supply, which is the cause of much alcohol-related harm.
There are particular planning requirements for land used to sell or store liquor. Packaged liquor outlets, hotels, clubs and restaurants selling liquor are required to have both a planning permit from the local council and a liquor licence.
Weaknesses and inconsistencies in the legislation and licensing processes have reduced agencies’ ability to effectively minimise alcohol-related harm.
The Victorian Alcohol Strategy: Stage One was launched in 2002. It was followed six years later by Restoring the Balance: Victoria's Alcohol Action Plan 2008–13 (VAAP). In 2011, work began on a new alcohol and drug strategy.
Alcohol-related harm has increased over the past decade. The Department of Justice's (DOJ) poorly developed, implemented and evaluated initiatives have not been effective in reversing the trend of increasing harm.
Alcohol is a widely accepted part of Australian culture. It provides enjoyment to consumers and generates positive impacts for the state in the form of revenue and employment. In 2007–08, alcohol sales in the café, bar, catering service and restaurant industry contributed $3.4 billion to the Victorian economy, and employed 80 000 people. The food and wine tourism industry attracted 1.4 million visitors to Victoria in 2009.
Alcohol is a widely accepted part of Australian culture and generates positive impacts for the state in the form of revenue and employment. The number of liquor licences has more than doubled since the Liquor Control Reform Act 1998 was introduced. There are now over 19 000 active liquor licences in Victoria.
However, the misuse of alcohol can result in significant short-term and long-term harm for individual drinkers, their families, friends and the wider community.
Ordered to be printed
VICTORIAN GOVERNMENT PRINTER June 2012
PP No 141, Session 2010–12
In accordance with section 16(3) of the Audit Act 1994 a copy of this report was provided to the Department of Health and the four audited health services with a request for submissions or comments.
The submission and comments provided are not subject to audit nor the evidentiary standards required to reach an audit conclusion. Responsibility for the accuracy, fairness and balance of those comments rests solely with the agency head.
A judgemental sampling approach was used to select our sample of ten contracts for testing at each health service. Visiting medical officer (VMO) listings for the period ending 30 June 2011 contained on average 50 VMOs per site, therefore we ensured approximately 20 per cent coverage across the VMO population for each hospital.
The judgemental sampling approach was chosen to ensure a representative selection covering a range of variables, including:
Payments to visiting medical officers (VMO) have been subject to multiple reviews and Victorian Auditor-General Office audits, over the past twenty years. In 2010–11, rural and regional public hospitals paid over $108 million to contracted VMOs. It is important that these public funds are spent appropriately.