Safe night precinct local boards
Safe night precincts (SNPs) can be managed by local boards operating as incorporated associations.
Local boards promote the safety and amenity of the community by:
- developing and implementing strategies to minimise harm and violence from the misuse of alcohol and drugs
- liaising with, and supporting, community organisations that provide rest and recovery services in SNPs for people who have drunk alcohol or taken drugs.
Local boards are recognised under the Liquor Act 1992. They operate as incorporated associations in 10 locations across Queensland:
- Safe Night Airlie Beach CBD Precinct Inc
- Safe Night Broadbeach CBD Precinct Inc
- Safe Night Bundaberg CBD Precinct Inc
- Safe Night Cairns CBD Precinct Inc
- Safe Night Fortitude Valley Precinct Inc
- Safe Night Mackay CBD Precinct Inc
- Safe Night Sunshine Coast Precinct Inc
- Safe Night Surfers Paradise CBD Precinct Inc
- Safe Night Toowoomba CBD Precinct Inc
- Safe Night Townsville CBD Precinct Inc.
Membership requirements for SNP licensees
Liquor licensees who operate in SNPs must become members of the local board, where one exists, unless they're exempt licensees.
Exempt licensees are encouraged to join and participate in SNP local boards. They include:
- restaurants and cafes not licensed to sell liquor after midnight
- community other licence holders
- producers/wholesalers
- vessels
- cinemas
- commercial hotel licensees that only have a detached bottle shop in the SNP.
Members of SNP local boards can include:
- licensees of premises within the SNP
- owners or operators of other businesses in the SNP
- associations that represent the interests of businesses in the SNP
- community organisations that provide services in the SNP.
Use the OLGR interactive map to find your SNP and details of your local board.
Benefits of SNP local boards
The benefits of local boards include:
- sharing information about liquor and gambling harm minimisation
- developing harm minimisation initiatives
- accessing the SNP funding program for administration and operational funding
- restricting price and supply to minimise harm caused from liquor
- applying for funding to implement place-based harm minimisation initiatives through local councils and funding sources.
SNP grants
The SNP funding program allows SNP local boards to apply for administration and operational funding. Funding rounds generally open in July each year for 1 month.
Funding rounds are announced on this page.
Read the funding guidelines.
Legal protection for using price or supply controls
Licensees who implement price or supply controls (i.e. minimum sale prices or supply restrictions) on alcoholic drinks may risk reducing competition under the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (CCA).
However, exemptions from the competition provisions within the CCA may be available for liquor accords and safe night precinct local boards in certain circumstances.
Liquor accords and SNP local boards may adopt price or supply controls where relevant alcohol-related problems have been identified in their communities and the controls are agreed to be necessary to minimise harm.
Registering a price or supply control
Initiatives proposing to control price or supply must be registered with the Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation.
Before applying, you need to consult with stakeholders.
Complete the Registration of price control or supply control form and email it to OLGRstakeholder@justice.qld.gov.au (with relevant supporting documents, if applicable).
Initiatives that mirror a control under the Liquor Act 1992 will be automatically registered.
For example, members agree licensed venues will refuse to supply liquor to anyone who is unduly intoxicated or disorderly. This would be considered a mirror control because section 156(1)(e) of the Liquor Act already prohibits this practice.
The Commissioner for Liquor and Gaming will determine whether to register another type of initiative. The Commissioner needs to be satisfied it is:
- appropriate for reducing the alcohol-related problem
- proportionate to the problem.
Supporting documents
You need to provide supporting documents with your application, for example:
- the meeting minutes, resolution or agreement where members agreed to seek registration of the control
- a list of all licensees who agreed to the control
- information and data about the local alcohol-related issues, including from the Queensland Police Service, Queensland Ambulance Service or patron support services
- evidence of consultation with and support from local licensees and stakeholders
- a description of issues from local licensees and stakeholders
- a description of the identified harms the control will address.
Contact us
To check if your initiative is a control that must be registered, contact OLGRstakeholder@justice.qld.gov.au.
The difference between SNP local boards and liquor accords
SNP local boards are different from liquor accords because they:
- cover a specified area
- must be incorporated associations
- have membership requirements and rules that are specific to SNP local boards
- are eligible to apply for funding from a dedicated SNP grants funding program.
Local stakeholders in each area decide whether existing liquor accords continue to operate and how these may work together with the SNP local board.
Read more about liquor accords.
Links with public safety consultative committees
A public safety consultative committees (PSCC) is stakeholder groups that provides advice and help to each SNP local board.
Its members include representatives from:
- Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation
- Queensland Police Service
- emergency services (ambulance and fire)
- Department of Transport and Main Roads
- local government
- community organisations
- other organisations based on local needs.
PSCC members are invited to SNP local board meetings.
Also consider...
- Download the proud SNP member sign.
- Get advice about alcohol consumption and supply.
- Read about support services in safe night precincts.