Responsible Service of Alcohol Legislation Changes

Legislation changes in the Northern Territory have made the Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA) certificate compulsory for all hospitality employees serving alcohol at liquor licensed venues. New staff are now required to get their RSA certificate within one month of commencing their employment, while current staff have been given a yet to be determined ‘transition period’ to become compliant with the changes.

This has standardised the liquor licensing laws throughout the Territory and brought the NT in line with the rest of Australia. Prior to the change, Alice Springs was the only city in the NT in which the RSA certificate was compulsory.

“We’ve concluded this is a step in the right direction for helping create a better drinking environment for all,” Northern Territory Licensing Commission chairman Richard O’Sullivan said. “... this will assist licensees in having more qualified and assured staff. It is extremely important that staff serving alcohol are aware of the laws ... and have the skills and knowledge to identify them ...”

This news is found well by Casino School students, as the RSA certificate has been - and will continue to be - a compulsory part of the curriculum.

The RSA training includes an extensive look into the legal requirements of serving alcohol and ensures that persons serving alcohol are compliant with state and federal liquor licensing laws. The course also covers many practical aspects of alcohol service such as drink sizes, the physical effects of drinking, strategies for training staff, dealing with intoxicated patrons and ways to prevent underage drinking.

An extra demand for training will soon be seen by colleges who deliver RSA training, such as ICAE, especially while licensees get their existing staff qualified over the transition period. CEO Sean Mahoney says “We have been delivering RSA training for many years now and the bar owners and restaurateurs who have taken advantage of it have always seen positive results. I believe that the compulsory education of staff will make Territory establishments much better places for patrons to enjoy themselves.”