Two former Ivy licensees banned for failing to record incidents
Two former licensees of the Ivy venue in Sydney’s CBD have been handed one-year bans for failing to record multiple cases of severe intoxication following an investigation by Liquor & Gaming NSW (L&GNSW).
The investigation centred on the venue’s use of a makeshift on-site medical room that treated patrons for intoxication, drug overdoses and injuries. One case of intoxication involved a minor who had allegedly consumed alcohol at the venue.
Records showed that on-site medical staff managed over 170 medical incidents between December 2021 and August 2022. However, multiple incidents, including severe intoxication, were not entered into Ivy’s incident register as legally required.
On-site medical staff recorded 46 incidents noting intoxication and 98 where medical treatment was required, but the L&GNSW investigation found only 36 incidents were reported in the venue’s incident register.
The medical room was closed in 2022 and has not operated since then.
After considering L&GNSW’s complaint, the NSW Independent Liquor & Gaming Authority (ILGA) disqualified the two former licensees from holding a liquor licence, managing or supervising licensed premises, or being a close associate of any licensee in NSW for 12 months.
ILGA’s findings noted the significant number of serious medical incidents identified during the period under investigation, in conjunction with the evidence of heavily intoxicated people on premises.
L&GNSW Executive Director of Regulatory Operations Dimitri Argeres said venue operators had a responsibility to ensure patrons were safe, and that incident registers were an important tool in doing so.
“Under NSW liquor laws, most hotels are required to record incidents of intoxication and alcohol-related violence in their incident registers which must be made available to L&GNSW’s compliance officers during inspections,” Mr Argeres said.
"The requirement is an important harm-minimisation measure as it keeps licensees accountable for what happens at their venue and allows L&GNSW and NSW Police to properly assess any safety risks at the premises.
“L&GNSW and NSW Police identify misconduct and refer matters to ILGA to take action against unfit licensees. This ensures that venues are operated safely and patrons are not exposed to potential harm.
“Disqualifying people from holding a liquor licence if they fail to take all reasonable measures to comply with their obligations, sends a strong message that venues must be competently run in a safe way which is compliant with the law.”
The venue’s liquor licence has since been transferred to a new licensee.
ILGA’s decision on both licensees can be found here: www.ilga.nsw.gov.au/decisions/disciplinary-decisions