Legal Project Management Plan & Checklist
Use this plan when your client wishes to apply for a new liquor licence in New South Wales, whether for a hotel, small bar, restaurant, nightclub, packaged liquor store, producer, or wholesaler. Open this plan before the client signs a lease or commits to premises: the mandatory pre-lodgement Community Impact Statement (CIS) consultation process takes at least 30 days and must be completed before any application is lodged with Liquor and Gaming NSW (LGNSW). Earlier engagement is strongly recommended where the premises are in a sensitive location or the applicant anticipates objections from police or the local health district.
This plan covers the full application lifecycle before Liquor and Gaming NSW (LGNSW) and the Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority (ILGA) in New South Wales. Internal review lies with the ILGA Board under s 36A of the Gaming and Liquor Administration Act 2007 (NSW). External merits review is available in the NCAT Administrative and Equal Opportunity Division under s 36C and the Administrative Decisions Review Act 1997 (NSW). Three forks extend the plan: Cumulative Impact Assessment (CIA) precinct applications (Fork A - rebuttable presumption of refusal in South CBD, Darlinghurst/Oxford Street, Wynyard Station, and Kings Cross), remote delivery packaged liquor licences (Fork B - internet, phone, or mail order only), and contested applications with police or local health district formal objections (Fork C - mandatory ILGA Board determination).
The practitioner conducts character and suitability screening (National Police Check within 3 months, NSW Licensee Training Certificate, RSA Competency Card). The CIS category is determined: Category A for lower-risk applications, Category B for hotels, clubs, physical packaged liquor stores, and nightclubs. The notification radius is identified (50m or 100m depending on category). A Notice of Intended Application is served on all statutory consultees and the 30-day pre-lodgement consultation clock starts. Physical notices are posted and a letterbox drop is conducted. Submissions are logged and a final CIS is compiled incorporating BOCSAR crime statistics and outlet density data. A venue-specific Plan of Management is drafted. The complete dossier is lodged via the LGNSW Portal. Within 2 working days of lodgement, a new Site Notice is posted and a secondary letterbox drop is made. The application is published on the LGNSW Public Application Noticeboard for 14 days (simple restaurant) or 30 days (all others). If no police or LHD objection is filed, a delegate may determine the application. The determination and Statement of Reasons are published. A 28-day review window opens.
Use this fork when the proposed licensed premises is located within one of the four designated Cumulative Impact Assessment (CIA) precincts in New South Wales: the South CBD, Darlinghurst and Oxford Street, Wynyard Station, or Kings Cross precincts. Applications in CIA precincts face a rebuttable presumption of refusal under the applicable ministerial policy. The burden of proof shifts: the applicant must affirmatively demonstrate that the proposed venue will provide an exceptional community benefit and that its harm-minimisation measures are so comprehensive that granting the licence will not contribute to the cumulative alcohol-related harm profile of the precinct.
Use this fork when the applicant proposes to operate a packaged liquor business exclusively via internet, phone, or mail order with no walk-in retail sales to the public whatsoever. The regulatory pathway for a remote delivery packaged liquor licence differs from a physical packaged liquor store in four material ways: a Category A CIS applies (not Category B), reducing the notification radius to 50 metres and avoiding the full suite of Category B public authority consultations; a Statement of Relationship with Private Entities (SoRPE) is required for any third-party delivery platforms; the Plan of Management must address age verification at the point of delivery and prevention of walk-up sales; and crucially, decisions on remote delivery licences are made by LGNSW delegates and review lies only with the ILGA Board via s 36A of the Gaming and Liquor Administration Act 2007 - there is no NCAT merits review jurisdiction for remote-only packaged liquor licence decisions.
Use this fork when the local Police Area Command (PAC) or Local Health District (LHD) lodges a formal written objection to the liquor licence application during either the pre-lodgement consultation period or the post-lodgement noticeboard period. A formal police or LHD objection immediately triggers two consequences: the application cannot be determined by an LGNSW delegate and must be escalated to the full ILGA Board for determination; and the post-lodgement noticeboard advertising period is extended to a minimum of 30 days (if it was not already 30 days).
Key legislation: Liquor Act 2007 (NSW) s 48(5) (primary considerations: harm minimisation, community benefit, business viability), s 41 (Statement of Interested Parties); Liquor Regulation 2018 (NSW); Gaming and Liquor Administration Act 2007 (NSW) s 36A (ILGA internal review, 28-day deadline), s 36C (NCAT merits review, 28-day deadline from ILGA Board determination); Administrative Decisions Review Act 1997 (NSW); LGNSW Community Impact Statement Guidelines (Guideline 6: local community is the suburb or town; broader community is the LGA); BOCSAR crime statistics and outlet density data (mandatory CIS components); 1 July 2025 Ministerial Directions issued by the Hon. David Harris MP (require ILGA to give equal weight to all statutory objectives and justify restrictive conditions on venue-specific grounds). Post-lodgement noticeboard period: 14 days for simple restaurant licences, 30 days for all other licence categories. National Police Check: must be dated within 3 months of the application lodgement date.
* Disclaimer: We're nobody's lawyer, because we aren't lawyers. You are, so you know better than to take legal advice from an app. We also aren't accountants or dog trainers - just digital spirit guides taking zero liability for any of this. This site exists to gather the collective knowledge of practitioners like you. Verify everything and submit your feedback on the Liquor: Licence Application and Community Impact Statement (Applicant) matter plan to improve the playbook. THIS IS NOT LEGAL ADVICE, it's a request for input.
This legal matter plan provides a structured workflow for LICENSING cases, outlining the standard ADMINISTRATIVE process. Utilize these tracking templates to manage your legal cases efficiently.
All pre-lodgement compliance documents are assembled and the CIS category is confirmed, allowing the Notice of Intended Application to be served and the 30-day consultation window to commence.
Verify all prerequisite documentation has been obtained, cross-reference against the statutory requirements for this matter type, and confirm compliance with practice direction protocols.
Prepare the relevant forms and supporting materials required under the applicable legislation, ensuring all mandatory fields are completed and all attachments are properly certified.
Draft and dispatch formal correspondence addressing the procedural requirements at this stage, including any required notices, requests for information, or proposals for resolution.
The 30-day statutory pre-lodgement consultation window is running. The application cannot be lodged until the consultation window closes.
Coordinate the collection and review of all financial documentation required for disclosure, including statements, valuations, and supporting schedules as mandated by the rules.
Conduct a thorough review of all filed materials to ensure compliance with court requirements, verify service obligations have been met, and prepare for the next procedural milestone.
The formal application is on foot. The L&GNSW will publish the application on the Public Application Noticeboard, triggering the post-lodgement advertising period.
Assess the strategic considerations for interim applications, prepare supporting evidence, and draft the necessary documentation for urgent or time-sensitive relief sought.
Verify all prerequisite documentation has been obtained, cross-reference against the statutory requirements for this matter type, and confirm compliance with practice direction protocols.
The s 48(5) negative onus is the primary legal hurdle in every contested liquor licence application. The statutory test is NOT that the grant will be beneficial - it is that the overall social impact will NOT be detrimental. This is a lower threshold than a positive public interest test, but it is still a real burden on the applicant. Decision-makers and NCAT have consistently found that a CIS which simply lists stakeholders consulted without meaningfully engaging with the specific concerns raised fails to discharge the s 48(5) onus. The CIS must demonstrate that each identified risk has a concrete mitigation strategy.
Prepare the relevant forms and supporting materials required under the applicable legislation, ensuring all mandatory fields are completed and all attachments are properly certified.