Trading on Good Friday, Anzac Day and New Year's Eve

To see your Good Friday (also known as Easter Friday) trading hours, check the details on your current liquor licence and any special conditions which may restrict your trading hours. Generally:

• Licensees with a general, on-premises or, restaurant and cafe licence can supply liquor on Good Friday between 12 noon and 1am the following morning.
• Licensees with a club licence can supply liquor on Good Friday between 12 noon and 11pm.
• Licensees that have been granted a special temporary limited licence to supply liquor in an outdoor area can supply liquor on Good Friday between 10am and 11pm (other than those granted to packaged liquor licensees).
• Packaged liquor licensees cannot trade on Good Friday unless it is specified on their licence.
• Licensees holding a producer's licence can supply liquor on Good Friday between 10am and 11pm.

Your current liquor licence should be printed and placed in a visible position inside your venue.

This information is for existing licence holders and not for people who want to make an application to trade on Good Friday.

Anzac Day trading

Certain restrictions apply to liquor activities on ANZAC Day (25 April).

The Liquor Control Reform Act 1998 (the LCR Act) includes restrictions on the supply of liquor on ANZAC Day.

Section 15A restrictions

While there are some exemptions, section 15A of the LCR Act generally prohibits the supply of liquor between 3am on the morning of ANZAC Day and 12 noon on ANZAC Day, for the following licence categories:

• restaurant and cafe
• club (restricted and full)
• late night (general/on-premises or packaged)
• renewable limited.

Section 15A of the LCR Act also prohibits the supply of liquor between 5am on the morning of ANZAC Day and 12 noon on ANZAC Day, for the following licence categories:

• general
• on-premises
• packaged liquor.

Additionally, section 15A prohibits liquor from being possessed or consumed between 3am on the morning of ANZAC Day and 12 noon on ANZAC Day, in relation to a premises where a BYO permit applies.

Trading hours vary for licensees on ANZAC Day

Liquor licences will have specific trading hours listed for ANZAC Day that account for the restrictions outlined in section 15A of the Act. Refer to your liquor licence for trading hours in the first instance. ANZAC Day trading hours for the different licence categories are:

• for general, on-premises or restaurant and cafe licensees - between 12 noon on ANZAC Day and 1 am the following morning
• for packaged liquor or club licensees - between 12 noon and 11 pm on ANZAC Day
• for producer’s licensees - between 10 am and 11 pm on ANZAC Day.

The above are ANZAC Day trading hours that generally apply to the different licence categories, however, you may have different hours on your licence. It is therefore important for you to check your own liquor licence to see what hours you can supply liquor on ANZAC Day.

What time can I supply liquor on ANZAC Day?

If you hold a licence category listed above, you must consider both the trading hours on your licence – noting that most licences have specific trading hours for ANZAC Day – and the restrictions under section 15A to determine your ANZAC Day trading hours (unless you meet an exemption outlined further below). Whichever hours are less, that is the time you can trade on ANZAC Day.

Below are some examples of how this works:

Exemption to section 15A restrictions

Restrictions on the supply of liquor between the hours outlined in section 15A in relation to ANZAC Day do not apply in certain circumstances. Specifically, an exemption applies to:

• licences held by the Returned and Services League (RSL) or its sub-branches
• duty free shops and aircraft
• liquor supplied to people who reside on the premises
• wineries
• temporary limited licences issued by Liquor Control Victoria where it has specifically permitted the supply of liquor on ANZAC Day
• pre-retail licences.

If an above exemption applies to you, you may supply liquor between 3 am and 12 noon on ANZAC Day if the trading hours on your licence allow you to do so.

If the trading hours on your licence do not allow you to supply liquor between 3 am and 12 noon on ANZAC Day, and you wish to trade during these hours (for example, commence supplying liquor before 12 noon on ANZAC Day), you will need to apply for a temporary limited licence.

Supplying liquor before 12 noon on ANZAC Day

If you wish to supply liquor before 12 noon on ANZAC Day, you will need to apply for a temporary limited licence. Unless you are an RSL Club or sub-branch, we can only grant a temporary limited licence for the supply of liquor between 3am and 12 noon on ANZAC Day if the supply of liquor:

• relates to ANZAC Day commemorative activities, and
• is consistent with the solemn observance of that day.

When submitting a temporary limited licence application:

• applicants who are RSL Clubs or sub-branches only need to submit the temporary limited licence application online. They do not need to provide additional documentation with their application
• all other applicants must submit the application and provide a letter from a local RSL or sub-branch, or from RSL Victoria, detailing the proposed event and how it relates to the commemorative activities of ANZAC Day.

Temporary licences can take up to 8 weeks for processing, please ensure you lodge your application in plenty of time.

New Year's Eve trading

Some licences can automatically trade later under the Liquor Control Reform Act 1998 on New Years Eve.

It is your decision, as the licensee, whether you trade later or not.

It is important that you know the conditions of your licence as they apply at all times. This extension of hours does not override any conditions that prevent the supply of liquor in outdoor areas such as courtyards, etc.

Automatic extension of trading hours

Below is a list of the licence types that have an automatic extension of hours for supply within a venue only. There is no automatic extension of trading hours for a restricted club, renewable limited licence or producer’s licence.

Licences that can trade from 11pm on 31 December to 1am on 1 January

• On-premises.
• Late night (on-premises).
• BYO permits.
• General.
• Late night (general).
• Full club.

Licences can trade from 11pm on 31 December to 3am on 1 January

• Restaurant and cafe.
• On-premises - subject to restaurant conditions.
• Late night (on-premises) - subject to restaurant conditions.

Increasing New Year's Eve trading hours

If you want to trade later than in the list above, temporary limited licence applications can take up to 8 weeks, so please leave enough time for the application.

Venues within Yarra, Port Phillip, Melbourne and Stonnington council areas must provide additional documents with the application.

Your obligations and suggested safety measures

Please consider developing a Venue Management Plan to ensure you reduce the harm that might result from late-night trade on New Year’s Eve. In the plan, you can include these possible options:

• Stop serving shots after a certain time.
• Only serve one drink per person after a certain time.
• Advising patrons of low alcohol or alcohol free drink options.
• Consider having food available at the venue at all times.
• Changing your glasses to plastic or serving liquor only in cans.
• If you’re having an event, require patrons to buy a ticket ahead of the event.
• Consider hiring extra security to help control your venue.
• Making sure you have first aid equipment available.
• Focus on cleaning up the outdoor and immediate area during the night and after your venue closes.

If you’d like help to make a venue management plan, see our fact sheet for some further help.