RSA Course Online

Author: Peter Cutforth

  • Queensland Laws Damaging to Night Life – Industry Claims

    Queensland’s late night operators in busy party districts say their businesses have suffered dramatically at the hand of new legislation meant to tackle alcohol-fuelled violence.

    The legislation which came into effect six months ago has led to some operators business profits falling up to 50 per cent.

    One bar manager spoke about how his venue suffered a 15-20 per cent drop in earnings since the legislation was introduced.

    Some bars have even had to close their doors due to bad business which business owners say is due to the legislation.

    Controversial lockout laws which came into effect on February 1, it is feared will only worsen the problem.

    Find out more at http://www.news.com.au/national/breaking-news/latenight-operators-say-qld-laws-damaging/news-story/929944a0dd339bb66704c4ef1069ac2e

  • Three Pubs Granted Sydney Lockout Exemptions

    The state government has announced the first venues to be exempted from the lockout laws in the city’s CBD.

    The venues are:

    • Palace Hotel
    • Arthouse Hotel
    • Observer Hotels in the Rocks

    The venues have each been granted an extra half hour before they must close their doors to new patrons. This means the closing times move from 1:30am to 2:00am. They will have to stop serving drinks at 3:30am instead of 3am.

    There are another 13 applications coming before bureaucrats who will decide if they will enjoy the same exemptions.

    According to industry feedback, there may be as many as 50 venues that could take advantage of the relaxed lockout laws.

    Read more at http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/sydney-lockouts-first-exemptions-granted-to-three-pubs-20170120-gtvbkh.html

  • Before You Drink Kombucha Again, Read This

    Kombucha is the latest buzz word in the drinking world and much of the craze is due to the fact that it’s so good for you.

    There are so many different flavours and brands to choose from, that it can be compared to soft drinks, although its  a lot healthier.

    So what exactly is it?

    Simply put, Kombucha is a fermented tea loaded with probiotics which aid in gut health, digestion and immunity, among other things.

    It’s become popular around Australia for its naturally detoxifying and energising qualities.

    It’s difficult to say exactly how much alcohol Kombucha contains, and different brands will most certainly differ in this regard.

    More details at http://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/2017/01/15/what-you-should-know-before-drinking-kombucha-again/

  • Research Shows Why Detoxes and Cleanses Don’t Work

    According to a post on HuffingtonPost.com.au detoxes aren’t just ineffective, they can be dangerous.

    The article cited research by Alexandra Parker and Anna Debenham, accredited practicing dietitians, says that our bodies do a good job of detoxing themselves, so we don’t need to help our bodies out by giving up certain food and drink or taking specific foods or supplements for a fixed amount of time.

    Organs such as the kidneys, liver, lungs and gastrointestinal tract perform the purposes of detoxing the body naturally so we don’t actually need to do it ourselves.

    Detoxes and cleanses can actually do harm to the body. Instead of detoxing, experts suggest a healthy lifestyle, introducing more plant based foods, reducing junk foods and increasing exercise.

    Read more at http://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/2017/01/18/so-detoxes-or-cleanses-dont-work-heres-why/

  • An Exciting 2017 Ahead for DrinkWise

    Over more than a decade, DrinkWise has put in $30 million into changing Australia’s drinking culture, into a more responsible one and the year ahead will be no different, according to CEO John Scott.

    Scott recently spoke at the National Liquor News for the 2017 Annual Industry Leaders’ Forum, about the “exciting” things planned for the year including newly commissioned research surrounding our current drinking culture.

    One of the ways the government has tackled the problematic drinking culture is through mandating Responsible Service of Alcohol training for all alcohol servers at licenced venues. Find out more here.

    Source: http://theshout.com.au/2017/01/16/article/DrinkWise-looking-forward-to-an-exciting-2017/VIJKWKAHIM.html

  • Hospitality Confidence Increases

    According to the latest quarterly Sensis Business Index, Australian small and medium business confidence is at its highest point for over six years.

    Confidence is also increasing in the hospitality sector with positive capital expenditure up 17 per cent in the last quarter.

    The year ahead is looking positive for the hospitality sector. Not only is this good news for business owners but employees as well as prospective employees.

    Read more about it at  http://www.theshout.com.au/2017/01/19/article/Hospitality-confidence-increases/MOSZUOJQYX.html

    Remember that to work in a licensed venue in the hospitality sector such as a restaurant that serves alcohol, you must be in possession of a Responsible Service of Alcohol Certificate. Find out more here.

  • Australians Love Buying Alcohol Online

    A new report from KPMG revealed that Australians love buying alcohol online.

    The study involved examining the online spending habits of almost 20,000 consumers from 50 countries, Australia being one of them.

    In Australia the top five categories for online shopping are women’s apparel, books and music, men’s apparel, electronics and wine.

    Australians are increasingly embracing online shopping but most people still only trust websites linked to bricks and mortar stores.

    Find out more http://www.theshout.com.au/2017/01/16/article/Alcohol-is-Australias-third-biggest-online-purchase/STXEQPGNCC.html

  • Study Says Children Less Likely to Drink if Given First Drink By Parents

    An Australian study has revealed that having an occasional drink with your parents even before you’re of the legal drinking age, will mean you’re less likely to become a binge drinker later on.

    Researchers at the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (NDARC) at the University of New South Wales, studied the European model of drinking earlier in life but in moderation and followed 2000 Aussie teens and their parents for 4 years as part of their study.

    They found that teens who were given alcohol by their parents were more likely to consume full drinks a year later but drank less on any drinking occasion. They were also far less likely to binge drink.

    Those kids given alcohol by their peers are more likely to binge drink.

    Whether or not parents decide to give their kids alcohol, as alcohol servers who have a responsibility to ensure WE never do. We must ensure that we ask for an ID everytime we suspect a person to be underage.

    Read more about the study at: http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/programs/hack/european-model-drinking/8170538

  • Sydney’s Third Anti-Lockout Protest Announced

    Not everyone is happy about Sydney’s entertainment district’s lock-out laws, in fact there are many people who are still protesting against the laws including the group calling themselves, “Keep Sydney open”.

    The group recently held its third rally on Saturday 21 January, at night in the Kings Cross entertainment precinct to protest against what it calls “pathetic lockout laws”.

    On its Facebook page, the group said it needed to defend the colour, fun and vibrancy of the city.

    The group is calling for the 1:30am/2:00am lockout to be  lifted as well as exemptions to the 3:00am/3:30am cease of service time. They also want the state government to revert the 11pm takeaway cut-off to midnight; and remove the freeze on liquor license applications in inner-city entertainment districts.

    Read more at: http://www.theshout.com.au/1970/01/01/article/Third-anti-lockout-protest-announced-for-Sydney/BQUNYZUSGJ.html

  • Cool App Helps Venues Split Bills

    If you’ve ever been stuck with the bill by your friends after a meal, you’ll be pleased to hear that there’s a new app that will make sure everyone pays their share after a meal.

    The new app will be used in over 200 venues across Australia to allow patrons to split their bill easily.

    Groupee allows groups of up to 20 people to split their hospitality bill electronically at venues that also use the app.

    How it works,

    The patron enters the total bill amount and number of people splitting it. A bill code is then shared with friends through the app and staff ensure the amount is equal to the bill total, before entering the venue’s Groupee verification code. Groupee adds on a 2.5 per cent surcharge for the service and it’s as simple as that.

    See more at http://www.theshout.com.au/2017/01/18/article/New-bill-splitting-app-for-venues/BZHHMYLFRA.html