Articles published under the media release byline are news produced by the relevant business and remain unedited by Brews News. This media release was circulated by Retail Drinks Australia on Thursday 1st July.

Retail Drinks Australia (Retail Drinks) has today welcomed the NSW Government’s package of same-day alcohol delivery reforms which came into effect today.

Many of the reforms were closely modelled on Retail Drinks’ Online Alcohol Sale & Delivery Code of Conduct (Code), which has been in effect for two years as of today.

Retail Drinks CEO Michael Waters said that the organisation’s members operating in the same-day alcohol delivery space had demonstrated their commitment to upholding the highest standard of responsible retailing by proactively becoming Signatories and adhering to the Code.

“With many of the NSW Government’s same-day delivery laws formally in place, the regulatory environment now closely mirrors the framework created by our Code which has recently been recognised by the International Alliance for Responsible Drinking (IARD) as best-practice.”

“Many of the practices adopted by Retail Drinks’ members who operate in accordance with the Code in fact go above and beyond the NSW Government’s new laws.”

Waters also welcomed the consultative and collaborative approach taken by the NSW Government throughout the development of these laws.

“We have appreciated the collaboration with NSW Government over the past several years in designing a robust legislative framework for same day alcohol deliveries.

“Retail Drinks helped coordinate an industry working group to co-design the new Responsible Supply of Alcohol online training course, designed to ensure that all same day delivery drivers are not only aware of their responsibilities, but to help reduce the risk of intoxicated and underage service.

“To help inform, educate and assist both industry and government with the new online age verification requirements coming into effect from June 2022, Retail Drinks also recently coordinated a successful ‘industry-first’ Age Verification Pilot with key stakeholders, and plans for an expanded phase 2 of the Pilot are underway.

“Retail Drinks will continue to work closely with each of our members, the broader retail liquor industry and the NSW Government prior to the remainder of these changes coming into effect.”