Christmas and New Year trading hours and conditions guide
Christmas Eve
On Christmas Eve, the sale and supply of alcohol must finish at 12 midnight regardless of whether you have approved extended trading hours. Patrons must finish drinks and leave the premises by 12.30am on Christmas Day.
All gaming machine trade must stop at 12 midnight on Christmas Eve and may not start again before 10am on Boxing Day.
Christmas Day
On-premises
On Christmas Day, you are permitted to sell and supply liquor between 10am and midnight in conjunction with a meal in a part of the premises that is ordinarily set aside for dining, if the meal is also prepared, served and intended to be eaten on the premises. (Note: A 'meal' is defined as food eaten by a person at a fixed structure used as a table, with cutlery provided for the purpose of eating the food, and is of a sufficient substance to be ordinarily accepted as a meal.)
Patrons can buy alcohol for 1 hour before eating their meal, while they are eating their meal, and for 1 hour after finishing their meal.
Off-premises
You are not permitted to sell takeaway alcohol on Christmas Day.
Accommodation guests
On Christmas day, you can provide alcohol to in-house accommodation guests in their room or unit only.
Also, licensees with accommodation may serve alcohol to patrons eating a meal in the dining area of the premises between 10am and 12 midnight. This means that alcohol may be served to patrons for 1 hour before dining, during the course of a meal and for 1 hour after the meal is finished.
Boxing Day
Usual trading hours and conditions resume for Boxing Day.
New Year's Eve
On New Year's Eve, all licensees are permitted to sell or supply liquor until 2am on New Year's Day. This applies regardless of your regular approved trading hours and is an automatic entitlement for all venues.
This means that the bar must finish serving at 2am, unless the premises is currently approved to trade beyond 2am. Without approved post-2am trading, patrons must finish drinks and leave the premises by 2.30am.
