Make no mistake, more restrictions are coming: Liquor stores CEO warns
The CEO of the Australian Liquor Stores Association, Terry Mott, has warned his members that they face ‘creeping restrictions’ on their businesses ahead of the group’s annual conference later this month.
Mott told TheShout that changes to the regulatory environment are expected at both state and federal government levels in the near future and his members need to be aware of the impact to their business.
“There are more changes coming – make no mistake, at both state and federal government level. Liquor retailers need to understand these changes so they can respond quickly and collectively. There are creeping restrictions on the way liquor retailers will be conducting business, and the smart owners and managers will be across what this means for their day-to-day operations.
“We often don’t notice is the creep of regulation that is increasingly impacting on our industry sector. Legislative responses by politicians to anti-alcohol media or advocacy campaigns sometimes results in knee jerk reactions with significant adverse regulatory change on our sector.
“Much of the change in regulation in this industry happens at the State and Federal level without great fanfare – it is happening insidiously over the years and without much recognition by the community including our consumers, who are, at the end of the day, the ones who are impacted by loss of social amenity, further inconvenience through availability restrictions and increased prices."
Mott has set the agenda at the 2014 ALSA Conference in Cairns to address many of these issues when it commences on Monday 25 August.
“The opening day of this year’s conference will be focused on the regulatory environment, with the program this year also featuring prominent Australian cardiologist and media commentator Dr Ross Walker, who will speak on moderate alcohol consumption as part of a healthy well-adjusted lifestyle,” Mott said.
Dr Walker will dispel a number of the alcohol and health myths and challenge why government advice fails to recognise the ‘J–Curve’ and the significant Cardio Vascular Disease (CVD) ‘protective effect’ associated with moderate alcohol consumption, when CVD is still the biggest cause of death in Australia.
Dr Walker will be followed by a Live Panel hosted by financial and business guru Peter Switzer in the afternoon on the first day. That panel will again feature key CEOs from the industry who will further explore the regulatory environment and the impact on the Australian alcohol beverage market. The CEO of DrinkWise, John Scott, will present the latest on DrinkWise campaign success in the Tuesday morning session.
“I can assure everyone in the industry that the 2014 ALSA Conference will have something valuable for every delegate,” Mott said.
Source: The Shout - 8 August 2014
