The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission today granted conditional authorisation for a pro-forma liquor accord arrangement in Queensland for three years.
Liquor accords are agreements signed between licensed premises and local authorities which aim to deal with harm resulting from alcohol abuse. The pro-forma liquor accord arrangement proposed by the Queensland Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation (OLGR) includes a range of measures such as some limited restrictions on discounting and on the supply of certain drinks.
"The ACCC considers that the measures proposed are likely to assist in efforts to reduce violence and other alcohol-related harms in and around drinking venues in Queensland," ACCC chairman Graeme Samuel said. "The ACCC recognises the benefit in empowering local communities to deal with the important issue of alcohol abuse."
The ACCC considers the restrictions in the pro-forma accord arrangement are likely to have some effect on price and consumer choice. However, the ACCC believes these effects are likely to be limited as the restrictions will be confined to drinking venues in areas where there are relevant identified harms, participation will be voluntary and the terms of each accord will be non-binding.
To ensure that the pro-forma accord arrangement does not have any broader anti-competitive effects the ACCC has granted authorisation subject to a number of conditions. This includes a requirement on accord bodies whose accords feature the restrictions to identify the relevant harms and provide documentation to OLGR.
The ACCC may authorise this type of arrangement when it is satisfied that the public benefit from the conduct outweighs any public detriment. Authorisation provides immunity from court action for conduct that might otherwise raise concerns under the competition provisions of the Trade Practices Act 1974.
The ACCC's determination is available from public register on the ACCC website.