'Staffies' are illegal in Victoria: VCGLR

It might be a tradition in many licensed premises for staff to have a drink or two after closing, but it is against Victorian law, the state's liquor regulator has warned.

In its spring newsletter, the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation (VCGLR) warned that Victorian liquor licensing laws only permit the 'supply' of liquor in accordance with the conditions on a licence, such as trading hours and within the red-line venue area.

"The definition of supply in the Liquor Control Reform Act 1998 includes 'give away'. This means that you can't supply (sell or give-away) liquor to anyone outside of authorised trading hours," the regulator said.

"There is no exception for staff or friends."

The announcement makes Victorian licensees' obligations crystal clear, in the wake of recent prosecutions for staff drinks in New South Wales.

Source: The Shout, 11 November 2013