Liquor Control Victoria Strategic Plan 2023 - 2026

Since 2012, liquor was regulated by an independent statutory authority together with gaming and the casino.

From 1 July 2022 a dedicated liquor regulator, the Victorian Liquor Commission (VLC), was established by the government through legislation.

The VLC is supported in the exercise of its functions by dedicated staff in a business unit of the Department of Justice and Community Safety (DJCS).

Collectively, the VLC and these DJCS staff are referred to as Liquor Control Victoria (LCV).

Under delegation from the VLC, LCV staff perform some of the functions set out in the Liquor Control Reform Act 1998 (LCRA).

Following establishment, LCV is now defining its vision, goals, and strategic priorities as Victoria’s new dedicated liquor regulator, supported by a three-year strategic plan.

LCV’s environment is characterized by ongoing change including:

• New business models and industry practices such as online delivery;
• New social and economic expectations as Victoria emerges from the pandemic; and
• New regulatory and policy developments, including new harm related provisions in the LCRA, the end to a long-standing freeze on some late-night liquor licences, and the decriminalisation of public intoxication.

Vision

A safe, diverse, and responsible liquor industry focussing on harm minimisation and community safety.

Mission

Best practice regulation that minimises liquor related harm.

Core values

• Working together
• Making it happen
• Respecting other people
• Serving the community
• Acting with integrity

LCV’s success will be measured against the following goals:

1. Fair, strong and accountable

The right regulation in the right circumstances for dealing with the right risk.

• We provide certainty by being transparent, consistent, communicative, and accessible.
• We use the right regulation in the right circumstances for dealing with the right risk.
• We use risk-based actions to reduce harm.
• We consider individual circumstances in the application of the law.
• We are accountable to the Minister and our stakeholders and act fairly and responsibly in all our actions and decision making.

2. Engaged and listening

Working with the community, industry, and other stakeholders to achieve a reduction in harm.

• We work with the community, industry, and other stakeholders to achieve a reduction in harm.
• We provide accessible information and education which supports awareness and promotes compliance.
• We create an environment which promotes harm minimisation, best practice, and a culture of self-regulation by the community and business.
• We listen for current and emerging issues and industry practices to inform our risk analysis and information / data sharing with co-regulators and others in support of the objectives of the Act.

3. Proactive and responsive

Anticipating, identifying, and assessing new opportunities, the changing nature of business and emerging risks for the community.

• We remain vigilant and anticipate, identify, and assess new opportunities, the changing nature of business, and emerging risk for the community.
• We have confidence and assurance that the regulatory framework is operating effectively and delivers on the objectives of the Act and is ‘fit for purpose.’
• We continuously improve our processes, inform government as necessary of our findings and advise government of potential regulatory changes to enhance the effectiveness of the regulatory framework.

4. Enhanced capability and regulatory expertise

Continuously developing our capability and expertise to always achieve best practice in what we do.

• We are a capable and adaptive organisation by having the right people in the right roles to enable us to achieve our regulatory purpose.
• We continuously develop our capability and expertise to always achieve best practice in what we do.
• We have a positive and innovative culture working across government and with the community and other stakeholders.
• We have access to appropriate resources, capacity, and are able to readily draw on new skills and capabilities as required to sustain and improve liquor regulation in Victoria.

To achieve our vision, mission, and goals, LCV will focus on five strategic priorities for the next 3 years.

Strategic priorities will be reviewed on an annual basis to ensure currency.

1. Development of our people

Activities:

• Develop a workforce plan that defines the skills and capabilities that are critical to our regulatory work, identifies gaps, and plans to address those gaps including through training, development, and recruitment.
• Develop a culture and work practices that promote:
  • Thinking and acting like “one LCV”;
  • Communication;
  • Change leadership;
  • Proactivity;
  • Flexibility and adaptability; and
  • Risk based and proportionate decision making.

How we will measure success:

• Engagement scores
• Staff retention
• Stakeholder satisfaction survey results
• Achievement of performance targets

2. Increase awareness, education and training

Activities:

• Develop an education and training strategy that identifies the support industry needs to fulfill its social license and comply with regulatory requirements, identifies gaps, and plans to address those gaps.
• Develop a communications strategy to increase public, industry, and stakeholder awareness and engagement with LCV.
• Improve the clarity and accessibility of our communications, to make it easier for stakeholders to engage with our regulatory program and act on the information they receive.

How we will measure success:

• Compliance statistics
• Measurable actions under communications strategy
• Stakeholder satisfaction survey results
• Reduction in brand confusion

3. Strengthen relationships with stakeholders

Activities:

• Develop a stakeholder engagement plan to build marketplace presence and trust in the regulator.
• Leverage relationships to understand and respond to new business models, trends, emerging risks, and identify opportunities to work together as part of an integrated system.
• Define LCV’s service standards to stakeholders, and measures that underpin those standards.

How we will measure success:

• Stakeholder satisfaction survey results
• MOUs in place with partners
• Measurable actions under stakeholder engagement plan
• Performance against service standards

4. Review and update our regulatory approach

Activities:

• Review our regulatory framework to identify gaps and develop a plan to achieve best practice regulation that realises our vision, mission, and Government policy objectives, with a focus on:
  • Strengthening our risk-based licensing framework;
  • Strengthening our risk-based compliance and enforcement framework, to achieve general and specific deterrence;
  • Increasing our use of data and intelligence to provide greater insight and identify and respond to systemic risk; and
  • Modernizing our ICT systems to improve efficiency, effectiveness, and service quality and accessibility for stakeholders.
• Develop and implement assurance systems to ensure the regulatory program continues to deliver intended outcomes.

How we will measure success:

• Achievement of service standards
• Enforcement actions
• ICT transformation benefits
• Stakeholder satisfaction survey results
• Successful policy implementation

5. Strengthen our governance and operating model

Activities:

• Confirm and embed a fit for purpose governance framework and operating model that enables the liquor regulator to deliver on its mandate.
• Implementation of LCV’s strategic plan is supported by business plans, performance plans, training, and appropriate performance measures developed in partnership with Government.
• Work with Government to transition to a sustainable business model that reflects the principles of cost recovery.
• Demonstrate accountability to Government through performance reporting, and dialogue and advice to DJCS and the Minister on policy implementation and emerging risks.

How we will measure success:

• Effective exercise of VLC functions
• Sustainable business model
• Performance reporting to Government