Licensees may seek to enter into an arrangement or agreement with a third party relating to the conduct of the business under the licence.
When a licence is granted, it is granted to a specified entity (the licensee). The licence allows only the licensee to sell liquor and at a specified place (the licensed premises).
The Liquor Control Act 1988 provides the flexibility whereby licensees may seek to enter into an arrangement or agreement with a third party relating to the conduct of the business under the licence.
Parties to such agreements should be aware that the provisions of the Act override the terms of any management agreement. An application of this nature will not be approved where any terms of an agreement are contrary to the Act or seeks to contract out of the Act.
The licensee’s duties and obligations remain the same even with the creation of a profit sharing or management agreement. The licensee always has responsibility for the conduct of the business under the licence and must ensure the business carried on under the licence is personally supervised and managed by natural persons.
Furthermore, the agreement must not contradict section 37(5) of the Act. This means that the licensee must retain exclusive possession of the whole of the licensed premises and can not lease out a portion of the licensed area to a third party.
Agreements that seek to allow a company or manager to sell liquor on behalf of the licensee will not be approved.
Under Section 34 of the Act applications can not be granted if the applicant is:
Similarly, each person directly or indirectly interested in the application or in the business, or profits or proceeds of the business, to be carried on under the licence must be a fit and proper person to be so interested. Prior to any approval being granted the licensing authority will need to be satisfied that all persons seeking to be involved are fit and proper.
Applications of this nature will only be granted if the licensing authority is of the opinion that it would be in the public interest to approve of such an agreement or arrangement. In submissions for approval, applicants are required to address the public interest issue as to why it is in the public interest that such an agreement should be approved. The onus is on applicants to ensure that agreements or arrangements comply with the requirements of the Act.
Any approval given by the licensing authority does not authorise any person, other than the licensee, to conduct the business under a licence, and does not in any way abrogate the licensee from its obligations and responsibilities under the Act.
An application is not considered lodged until the fee has been received. An invoice for payment will be issued on receipt of your emailed or posted form and can either be paid through the licensee's online portal account, by posting a cheque made payable to the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries or a BPOINT payment link can be emailed on request. Application fees are not subject to GST.
Applications will not be progressed until the fee is received. Generally the application fee is not refundable, even if the application is refused or withdrawn.
In addition to the application fee, new applicants in respect of profit sharing agreements or arrangements will pay an additional $166 fee for each individual who is party to the agreement or arrangement and in relation to whom a background check is sought from the WA Police Service.
Applicants must lodge completed applications to the department. An application should be made using the forms provided below.
Department staff will be available between 8.30 am and 4.00 pm to assess your application to ensure that it meets the legislative requirements prior to lodgement.
Ensure all required documentation is attached to your application.
Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries
Level 2, Gordon Stephenson House, 140 William Street Perth WA 6000
Ensure all documentation is attached to your email.
rgl@dlgsc.wa.gov.au
PO Box 8349Perth Business Centre WA 6849
You can submit online through the portal.
Effective date: 17 December 1999 Last amended: 12 August 2020
This policy is designed to provide information in regard to the subject matter covered, and with the understanding that the Director of Liquor Licensing is not passing legal opinion or interpretation or other professional advice. The information is provided on the understanding that all persons undertake responsibility for assessing the relevance and accuracy of its contents.
Section 104 of the Liquor Control Act 1988 (‘the Act’) provides that the Director of Liquor Licensing may approve of an arrangement or agreement between a licensee and a third party in relation to the conduct of the business under the licence.
This document provides guidance on the legislative provisions relating to profit sharing and management arrangements, and the circumstances that must be taken into consideration when contemplating such arrangements.
Section 104 of the Act provides that:
Section 104(1) does not apply to or in relation to any agreement or arrangement in respect to the following:
With respect to cellar door extended trading permits involving more than one producer, section 104 does not apply where each producer only retains the profits from the sale of their own products. If the producers each take a share of the overall profits of the cellar door operation, the approval of the licensing authority is required.
Parties to profit sharing and management agreements should be aware that the provisions of the Act override the terms of any agreement. An application of this nature will not be approved where any terms of an agreement are contrary to the Act or seek to ‘contract out’ of the Act. In this regard, any agreement that purports to authorise a person to conduct the business carried on under the licence; or exclude, modify or restrict any requirement, responsibility or duty imposed on the licensee under the Act, has no effect.
The licensee’s duties and obligations remain the same even with the creation of a profit sharing or management agreement. The licensee always has responsibility for the conduct of the business under the licence and must ensure the business carried on under the licence is personally supervised and managed by natural persons. Therefore, any agreement between the licensee and the management company (third party) must not deviate from the principles set down in section 100 of the Act.
Furthermore, the agreement must not contradict section 37(5) of the Act. This means that the licensee must retain exclusive possession of the whole of the licensed premises and cannot lease out a portion of the licensed area to a third party. Agreements that seek to allow a company or manager to sell liquor on behalf of the licensee will not be approved.
There is nothing in the Act to suggest that the establishment of a partnership or other arrangement between a licensee and a management company creates a joint licenseeship between the licensee and the management company.
While the Director can allow for the establishment of a partnership in relation to the business carried on under the licence, in the absence of a joint licenseeship the provisions of the Act setting out the duties and obligations of the licensee do not alter. Therefore, the licensee’s duties and obligations remain the same despite the creation of a management agreement.
Each person directly or indirectly interested in the application, in the business, or the profits/proceeds of the business to be carried on under the licence must be a fit and proper person to be so interested. Prior to any approval being granted, the licensing authority will need to be satisfied that all persons seeking to be involved are fit and proper.
An application fee is applicable (in addition to the base fee payable for the approval of a profit sharing or management agreement) for each person who is party to the agreement / arrangement and in relation to whom a police probity check is sought to verify that they are fit and proper.
As a matter of general principle, approvals under section 104 for profit sharing or management agreements or other arrangements will only be granted if the Director is of the opinion that it would be in the public interest to approve of such an agreement or arrangement. In submissions for approval, applicants are required to address the public interest issue as to why it is in the public interest that such an agreement should be approved. The onus is on applicants to prove that agreements comply with the requirements of the Act.
It is the Licensing Authority’s view that section 104 of the Act is not intended to be the mechanism whereby not-for-profit organisations raise funds through the promotion and sale of liquor. For example, fundraising which involves a person inviting the placement of orders of liquor and is then responsible for distributing, collating and controlling these orders. In this instance, the member of the not-for-profit organisation is controlling the sale and supply of liquor, rather than the licensee. This is not considered to be in the public interest, nor is it consistent with the proper development of the liquor industry, a matter to which the licensing authority must have regard under section 5(1)(c) of the Act.
Examples of agreements and arrangements that may be approved include:
Examples of agreements and arrangements that would NOT be approved:
Section 119A of the Act prohibits, except where approved by the licensing authority, the conduct of a business on or from the licensed premises other than the business conducted under the licence.
In this regard, the type of licensed premises and the nature of the proposed business will determine whether approval is required to conduct the business. Approval is required where the business has no connection with the licensed premises. For example, a travel agency is not ordinarily associated with licensed premises and would therefore require approval. However, vending machines on a hotel/tavern licence are ordinarily expected and therefore no approval needs to be sought for this type of business.
Applicants for approvals under section 104 must lodge certain statutory information with the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries prior to an application being considered. To assist applicants in lodging their application, an application kit containing a lodgement guide, forms, and an information bulletin is available from the Department’s website.
Applicants for approvals of a non-liquor business under section 119A must lodge an application with the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries. To assist applicants in lodging their application, an application kit containing a lodgement guide, forms, and an information bulletin, is available from the Department’s website.
Customer Service staff are available at any time during office hours to assist applicants to understand the legislative requirements relating to the lodgement of an application by contacting is +61 8 6551 4888.
This information is designed to provide authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered, and with the understanding that the Director of Liquor Licensing is not passing legal opinion or interpretation or other professional advice. The information is provided on the understanding that all persons undertake responsibility for assessing the relevance and accuracy of its contents.