The information below was supplied by the Queensland Commissioner for Liquor and Gaming and is reproduced for the benefit of licensees who are not on the OLGR mailing list.
Our compliance officers have been out and about checking that licensed venues understand and are complying with requirements for Queensland’s easing of restrictions.
Education was prioritised over enforcement on the first weekend, but the importance of these requirements meant that some businesses had to immediately remedy areas of non-compliance. In some instances, they were required to stop their dining service while they made the necessary arrangements.
If an OLGR compliance officer visits your venue during stage 1, they will be checking a range of things including:
- the COVID Safe Checklist for dining in has been completed, signed, displayed and is being followed
- the maximum number of patrons for dining in is not exceeded
- alcohol consumption is secondary to the provision of a meal
- social distancing rules are applied
- cleaning and hygiene measures are in place
- record keeping is in order
- alcohol is being served responsibly.
Last weekend, issues were identified across all these areas. There’s much information to digest, so here’s a reminder of the key things you must do to operate in stage 1.
COVID Safe Checklist
All licensees opening their venue for stage 1 dining in must complete, sign and display a COVID safe checklist. You can also view Q&A’s in relation to the checklist.
Licensees should also review and update their WHS Plan to incorporate COVID-19 risks. If you have a WHS plan that covers your COVID-19 risks and you have consulted with your staff to develop it, then please continue to use it.
If you don’t have one, here’s a template WH&S plan you can use.
While the WHS Plan doesn’t have to be displayed, it does need to be made available to a compliance officer if requested.
Patron numbers & service of alcohol for dine-in
Under stage 1 you can only have up to 10 people, or 20 people (outback) – not including staff – at your business premises at any one time for dining in. To accommodate this number, you must have suitable space to meet the requirement for no more than one patron per 4 square metres.
Alcohol can only be served in conjunction with seated dining, no bar service is allowed. The provision of alcohol must be secondary to dining.
Customers ordering/collecting takeaway are not included in the dining in person limit, but you must manage the flow between your customers to ensure appropriate social distancing.
Social distancing
You must arrange your tables and seating so that people in separate groups are at least 1.5 metres apart.
If you’re still providing takeaway service, you must manage this in a way that keeps 1.5m between people and not allow takeaway food or drink to be consumed adjacent to the premises.
Appropriate hygiene measures
The COVID safe checklist clearly outlines hygiene and cleaning requirements for dining in restaurants, cafes, clubs, RSL clubs and hotels. Workplace Health and Safety Queensland also provides further information about how you can keep your workplace, workers and customers safe from COVID-19 risks.
Record keeping
You must keep a register with contact information for customers, workers and contractors for at least 28 days. It must include the name, address and mobile number of a person at each table for the purposes of contact tracing in the event of a COVID-19 infection.
These records must only be used for this purpose and are to be confidential and kept securely at the premises. You must not leave unattended sign-in books where customer’s personal details are freely available to others.
You do not need to collect contact information for customers ordering/collecting takeaway.
Training
Businesses offering dining in services must ensure workers complete COVID Safe training within two weeks of opening.
Free COVID Safe training is currently being developed by TAFE Queensland in conjunction with the Queensland Government. The COVID Safe for Dining In micro-credential is designed to build workers’ skills and knowledge to implement practices that will safeguard themselves, their colleagues and customers from COVID-19.
Register at TAFE Qld COVID 19 Response. You will be notified once the training is online.
Responsible Service of Alcohol
All licensed premises must ensure the responsible service of alcohol, including that sales are not made to minors, disorderly or unduly intoxicated persons.
You should remind your patrons who purchase takeaway alcohol from your venue that in Queensland drinking alcohol in a public place is illegal and on-the-spot fines apply. The only exceptions are ‘wet areas’ designated by a local council, normally for occasions such as a wedding in a park.
Useful information
If you still have questions in relation to stage 1 easing of restrictions, we recommend you:
- View our latest Q&A’s
- Check how you can currently trade
by licence type - View the latest closure direction from Queensland’s Chief Health Officer for non-essential business, activity and undertaking and associated Q&A document
- Visit the Queensland Government’s latest updates and alerts
for COVID-19. This includes further information on the roadmap to easing restrictions - Follow us on social media
In-venue signage
We’ve prepared stage 1 signage for licensees to download and display at their venue. We hope this helps you educate your patrons on how you are currently operating:
- 10 people dine-in limit (COVID-19, Stage 1) sign
- 20 people dine-in limit (COVID-19, Stage 1) sign
- 10 people dine-in limit, 1.5m spacing (COVID-19, Stage 1) sign
- 20 people outback dine-in limit. 1.5m spacing (COVID-19, Stage 1) sign
- COVID-SAFE venue (COVID-19, Stage 1) sign
- Dine-in and takeaway (COVID-19, Stage 1) sign
- Refuse entry (COVID-19, Stage 1) sign
- Unwell, do not enter (COVID-19, Stage 1) sign