The Board of Directors, Management Team and Staff shall be committed to R.S.A. for the best interest of the Club’s members and guests and will ensure that all requirements under the NSW Liquor Act 2007 are maintained.
Responsible serving of alcohol is vital for legal, health and community reasons. Our society is now less tolerant of the irresponsible use of alcohol that leads to drunkenness, drink driving and underage drinking. We are now far more aware of the serious social problems that are associated with such behaviour.
NBC SPORTS CLUB has adopted the following house policy, which provides a framework for the responsible service of alcohol:
- In order to prevent underage access and drinking our staff will require proof of age to be provided when requested.
- Persons who are intoxicated will be refused admission by our staff
- We will refer to intoxication signs in order to support our responsible attitude and meet the requirements of legislation
- Any patron in this establishment will be denied service by our staff if they are considered to be intoxicated
- We will educate our staff and our patrons as part of our duty of care to ensure that they understand the implications and abide by our responsible service of alcohol policy
- Our staff will support and actively promote initiatives to minimize drink driving in order to safeguard the wellbeing of our patrons
NBC SPORTS CLUB will assist to implement these strategies by:
- Implementing, monitoring and modification on an on-going basis of the house policy
- Prevention of under-age drinking by insisting on “proof of age” by requesting a driver’s license, passport, NSW Photo Card issued by the RTA or ‘Proof of Age Card’ issued by another Australian State or Territory (not NSW)
- Prevention of intoxication by recognizing the signs of intoxication and refusing service to anyone to the point of intoxication. We will deny entry or service to anyone who is already intoxicated
- Promote the service of non-alcoholic beverages, low alcohol beers and food
ALCOHOL AND THE LAW
In NSW various acts control the sale and service of alcohol. There are four basic points (listed below), which are
relevant to responsible serving practices:
- A person shall not sell or supply liquor to a person under the age of 18 years
- A person shall not sell or supply any liquor to any person who is at the time in a state of intoxication
- Where a person is intoxicated on the licensed premises the licensee shall be deemed to have permitted intoxication on the premises unless they and their employees took all reasonable steps to prevent intoxication on the licensed premises
Our responsible serving practices aim to:
1. Prevent under-age drinking
2. Prevent intoxication and intoxicated behaviour
3. Prevent violent or disruptive behaviour
4. Prevent drinking and driving
PREVENT UNDER-AGE DRINKING
We feel it is the responsibility of every staff member of NBC Sports Club to ensure that we are not breaking the law by allowing underage drinking on the premises.
The only proofs of age we will accept are a current photo drivers’ license, NSW RTA Photo Card, passport or ‘Proof of Age Card’ issued by another Australian State or Territory (not NSW).
NBC SPORTS CLUB BAR STAFF
It is our direct responsibility to check the age of all persons that we suspect are under age when they are ordering drinks. Report any refusal of service to the Manager or Supervisor. Don’t assume that because they got past the door they must be over age. If you are in doubt, check I.D.
ALL OTHER STAFF
Our role is one of surveillance and NBC Sports Club staff will report any suspicious persons to the Supervisor or General Manager.
NBC Sports Club believes if in doubt, our staff will always check. We feel it is better to be over cautious than to break the law and place the trading license of your establishment in jeopardy.
If a patron causes a fuss, NBC Sports Club staff will politely explain to them that by law it is our responsibility and that unfortunately if they don’t have identification, we cannot serve them – always bringing these instances to the attention of the supervisor or General Manager.
PREVENTING INTOXICATION
By law it is an offence to sell or supply any liquor to any person who is at that time in a state of intoxication. The meaning of intoxication under the NSW Liquor Act 2007 is as follows:
MEANING OF “INTOXICATED”
(1) For the purposes of this Act, a person is intoxicated if:
(a) The person’s speech, balance, co-ordination or behaviour is noticeably affected, and
(b) It is reasonable in the circumstances to believe that the affected speech, balance, co-ordination or
behaviour is the result of the consumption of liquor.
(2) Accordingly, a reference in this Act to intoxication in relation to licensed premises is a reference to the presence of intoxicated persons on the licensed premises.
(3) The Director is to issue guidelines to assist in determining whether or not a person is intoxicated for the purposes of this Act. Such guidelines are to be made publicly available in such manner as the Director considers appropriate.
(4) The guidelines issued by the Director may also indicate circumstances in which a person may be assumed not to be intoxicated for the purposes of this Act.
NBC Sports Club will assist to ensure that we prevent intoxication by:
- Actively marketing low or non-alcoholic drinks through pricing and promotion
- Encouraging customers to have non-alcoholic drinks in between rounds
- Promoting food sales (when applicable)
- Refusal of service.
- Actively promoting the Parramatta Liquor Accord.
If NBC Sports Club staff suspect someone has had too much to drink inform the supervisor or General Manager.
NBC Sports Club now has a Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA) Incident Register located in the count room of NBC Sports Club. This is a requirement of the Office of Liquor, Gaming & Racing.
Whenever a staff member working in any bar refuses any patron service or if a staff member working on the floor identifies a patron that should not be served any further drinks due to RSA then that incident must be recorded in the RSA Incident Register. Also if a patron is warned in relation to RSA that this will be their last drink etc., then that incident also needs to be recorded in the RSA Incident Register.
As the club is closed down at the end of the days’ trade the RSA Incident Register is to be checked and signed off by the Club Supervisor on shift at the time. Club Supervisors should also note any RSA incidents in the Supervisors Report each day.
PREVENTION OF INTOXICATED, VIOLENT OR QUARRELSOME BEHAVIOUR
It is the policy of NBC Sports Club not to allow intoxicated, violent or quarrelsome behaviour in or around your establishment. Report any person who is acting in or beginning to act in an offensive or violent manner to the supervisor or General Manager immediately. NBC Sports Club staff will try to pre-empt a problem and alert the supervisor or manager.
See below laws relating to intoxicated persons under the NSW Liquor Act 2007 (Section 77);
(2) An authorised person may refuse to admit to, or may turn out of, licensed premises any person:
(a) Who is at the time intoxicated, violent, quarrelsome or disorderly, or
(b) Whose presence on the licensed premises renders the licensee liable to a penalty under this Act, or
(c) who smokes, within the meaning of the Smoke-free Environment Act 2000, while on any part of the
licensed premises that is a smoke-free area within the meaning of that Act, or
(d) Who uses, or has in his or her possession, while on the premises any substance that the authorised person suspects of being a prohibited plant or a prohibited drug, or
(e) Whom the authorised person, under the conditions of the licence or according to a term (of the kind
referred to in section 134) of a local liquor accord, is authorised or required to refuse access to the licensed
premises.
(3) If, under subsection (2), a person has been refused admission to, or has been turned out of, licensed premises, an authorised person may, at any time, refuse to admit that person to the licensed premises or may turn the person out of the licensed premises.
(4) If a person in respect of whom an authorised person is, under subsection (2) or (3), entitled to refuse admission to the licensed premises is on the premises, the person must, on being required so to do by an authorised person, leave the premises. Maximum penalty: 50 penalty units.
(5) For the purposes of this section, such reasonable degree of force as may be necessary may be used to turn a person out of licensed premises.
(6) A person who has been refused admission to, or turned out of, licensed premises in accordance with this section because the person was intoxicated, violent, quarrelsome or disorderly, must not re-enter or attempt to re-enter the premises within 24 hours of being refused admission or being turned out.
Maximum penalty: 50 penalty units.
(7) After the 24-hour period ends in relation to any such person, an authorised person is not prevented from exercising the powers under subsection (3) in relation to the person.
(8) A person who has been refused admission to, or turned out of, licensed premises in accordance with this section because the person was intoxicated, violent, quarrelsome or disorderly, must not, without reasonable excuse:
(a) Remain in the vicinity of the premises, or
(b) Re-enter the vicinity of the premises within 6 hours of being refused admission or being turned out.
Maximum penalty: 50 penalty units.
(9) Without limiting subsection (8), a person has a reasonable excuse for remaining in, or re-entering, the vicinity of the licensed premises if:
(a) The person reasonably fears for his or her safety if he or she does not remain in, or re-enter, the vicinity
of the premises, or
(b) The person needs to remain in, or re-enter, the vicinity of the premises in order to obtain transport, or
(c) The person resides in the vicinity of the premises.
(10) In the prosecution for an offence under subsection (8), the burden of proving that a person had a reasonable excuse for remaining in, or re-entering, the vicinity of the licensed premises concerned is on the person charged.
(11) The functions that may be exercised under this section by an authorised person who is a licensee or employee or agent of a licensee may only be exercised in relation to the licensed premises to which the licensee’s licence relates.
(12) A reference in this section to turning a person out of licensed premises includes a reference to causing the person to be turned out.
IN SUMMARY
The policy at NBC Sports Club is very clear; we want all guests to enjoy themselves.
For many people alcohol is a pleasurable part of their daily life and we respect that. We are here to serve people with alcoholic beverages, professionally, in a friendly manner and responsibly.
This policy in no way limits people’s choice to drink and enjoy themselves. We want all customers to enjoy themselves.
What we don’t want to do is allow people to drink to excess and place themselves, our other patrons and the community, at risk.
By working together as a team we can create a safe, enjoyable and friendly atmosphere for all.
Contact us
For enquiries about this Policy please contact Administration:
NBC Sports Club
166 Windsor Rd, NORTHMEAD NSW 2152