The licensee of a hotel in NSW’s Riverina region has been suspended for three months following a series of liquor law breaches including selling takeaway alcohol during a 28-day closure order for supplying alcohol to minors.
In June last year, the Royal Hotel in Temora became the first venue in NSW to have its trading suspended under the NSW Government’s new Minors Sanctions Scheme, which imposes tough penalties on venues caught serving alcohol to minors.
On 14 June last year – midway through the 28-day trading suspension – NSW police caught the hotel’s owner, Vojislav Krstic, and his son, Goran Krstic, selling three takeaway longneck bottles of beer at the hotel.
In December 2015, Liquor & Gaming NSW lodged a disciplinary complaint against both parties. Grounds of complaint against Vojislav Krstic included that he was not a fit and proper person to hold a liquor licence, and Goran Krstic was not a fit and proper person to be a close associate of a licensee.
The NSW Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority Board this week accepted a three month voluntary suspension of both men from holding a liquor licence or being the approved manager of any licensed venue in NSW from 1 July 2016.
The Royal Hotel has a long history of poor practice and serial breaches. During their tenure at the venue, Vojislav Krstic and his son have breached the Liquor Act 30 times for offences including permitting violent and quarrelsome behaviour, multiple liquor sales to minors and sales during restricted trading days.
In its submission to the ILGA Board, Liquor & Gaming NSW said it was “particularly concerning that surreptitious sale of liquor occurred on 14 June 2015” while the venue was suspended from trading. There was a “deliberate attempt to flout the requirements of the law” with the customer required to “exit through the back of the venue, presumably to avoid detection”.
“Furthermore, the absence of positive remedial action by the licensee and close associate to rectify any management issues following the suspension of the venue’s licence … exhibits a lack of agility and adaptability required to manage a licenced premises in line with the requirements of the Liquor Act 2007,” the submission said.
The Royal Hotel was also ordered to pay Liquor & Gaming NSW’s investigation costs of $7,332 and will be unable to trade between 1 July and 30 September 2016.