The Victorian Liquor Commission was established to perform the regulatory, investigative and disciplinary functions conferred to it by the Liquor Control Reform Act 1998 and regulations.
From 1 July 2022, the Victorian Liquor Commission is responsible for the regulation of liquor. The Commission is supported in its functions by staff of the Department of Justice and Community Safety, within the business unit Liquor Control Victoria.
The Commission:
- undertakes licensing, approval, authorisation and registration activities
- promotes and monitors compliance with the Act and the regulations
- detects and responds to contraventions of the Act and the regulations
- advises the Minister in relation to its functions under the Act and the regulations
- advises the Minister on the operation of the Act and the regulations
- ensures that Government policy in relation to liquor is implemented
- informs and educates the public about the VLC's regulatory practices and requirements.
The Commission consists of:
- the Chairperson
- Deputy Chairpersons
- commissioners
- a sessional commissioner.
Danielle Huntersmith – Chairperson and Commissioner
Former commissioner of the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission, Ms Huntersmith has over 25 years of experience as a barrister. She is also a member of the National Sports Tribunal and a nationally accredited and advanced mediator at the Victorian Bar. Danielle has also been a director of the Skin Health Institute and chair of their governance committee and is currently a director of Cosmetic Dermatologists Education Inc. She was a panel member of the Liquor Licence Panel, sat on the Federal Government’s National Alternative Dispute Resolution Advisory Council, was Vice Chair of the Institute of Arbitrators & Mediators Australia (Vic) as well as the Deputy Chair of the Victorian Bar Dispute Resolution Committee.
Mr John F Larkins – Deputy Chairperson and Commissioner
Mr Larkins has been a barrister since 1975, practising in civil litigation and common law, especially in the areas of liquor licensing, gaming, gambling and administrative law. He has appeared regularly before the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation (now the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission), the Liquor Licensing Commission, the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal as well as the Supreme Court. Mr Larkins holds a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) from the University of Melbourne.
Mr James O'Halloran PSM – Deputy Chairperson and Commissioner
Mr. O’Halloran has provided advice to federal government agencies on regulatory, compliance and governance arrangements. He has held senior executive roles in regulatory, compliance, and enforcement areas. From 2007 – 2021 he was a Deputy Commissioner with the Australian Taxation Office with national roles accountable for policy reforms and program implementation. He holds a Master of Corporate Law and a Bachelor of Arts. He is also a Fellow of the Governance Institute of Australia and a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Mr Steven Brnovic – Commissioner
Mr Brnovic is a barrister at the Victorian Bar. He maintains a practice in administrative law, in commercial and employment law disputes and matters arising under licensing laws, including firearms licences, gaming licences as well as domestic and international privacy law. Prior to joining the Bar, Mr Brnovic was Director, Legal and Regulatory Services, and General Counsel for Commercial Passengers Vehicles Victoria, senior managing lawyer with the Taxi Services Commission and senior solicitor for the Victorian Government Solicitor’s Office. Mr Brnovic was admitted to practice in the Supreme Court of Victoria in 2006 and as a barrister and solicitor of the High Court of Australia in 2008.
Mr Brnovic holds a Master of Public and International Law from the University of Melbourne, a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) and a Bachelor of Arts from La Trobe University.
Ms Susan Daphne Timbs – Commissioner
Ms Timbs is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at EndUCD Foundation. She has recently been appointed as a member of the Independent Review Panel. Prior to this, she was an executive director at The Energy and Resources Law Association and was the inaugural CEO at Snowdome Foundation. Ms Timbs was a consultant at Mallesons Stephen Jaques. Ms Timbs holds a Bachelor of Commerce and a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) from the University of Queensland.
Ms Thu-Trang Tran – Sessional Commissioner
Ms Tran is the chief executive officer of Volunteering Victoria and a commissioner of the Victorian Building Authority. She holds a variety of board and committee appointments including with Good Shepherd Australia New Zealand, the ministerial taskforce for Victorian Volunteer Strategy, and previously, the Fitzroy Legal Service’s Volunteer Program Advisory Committee, and the Victorian Multicultural Commission’s Regional Advisory Council. Ms Tran founded Kita Delta, an international social enterprise that pilots social change programs in response to need. Ms Tran also worked in several roles within Consumer Affairs Victoria at the Department of Justice to deliver state and national regulatory and legal policy reforms. Ms Tran holds a Master of Laws and a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Commerce from the University of New South Wales.
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