The Hon. H.J. GUMBYS (16:03): I, too, rise to speak in strong support of the Liquor Licensing (Royal Commission Recommendations) Amendment Bill 2026. The Royal Commission into Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence was a landmark inquiry for South Australia. Its With Courage report was informed by the experiences and contributions of thousands of South Australians, including victim survivors, frontline workers, advocates, police, service providers and community organisations. The royal commission ultimately delivered 136 recommendations aimed at achieving generational change in the way South Australia prevents and responds to domestic, family and sexual violence. Those recommendations provided this state with a clear mandate for action. The Malinauskas government has been unequivocal in its commitment to implementing the royal commission's recommendations, and this bill represents an important part of that work.
The royal commission recognises that alcohol regulation has a role to play in the broader effort to prevent and reduce domestic, family and sexual violence. Recommendation 128 specifically called on the government to progress a series of liquor licensing reforms designed to strengthen harm minimisation and address emerging risks associated with rapid alcohol delivery.
Recommendation 129 called for the references in the Liquor Licensing Act to 'domestic violence' to be updated to the more comprehensive term 'domestic, family and sexual violence', reflecting contemporary understanding and the terminology adopted by the royal commission. This bill gives effect to those recommendations.
Responsibility for violence always rests with the person who chooses to use it, but acknowledging that reality does not absolve government of its responsibility to address factors that can contribute to the risk and severity of harm. Rapid alcohol delivery is one such factor. Technology has fundamentally changed the way alcohol is purchased and consumed. Consumers no longer need to visit a bottle shop or plan purchases in advance. Alcohol can be ordered with a few taps on a phone and delivered directly to a person's door, sometimes within minutes. Our laws must respond to that reality.
There are four key elements to these reforms. Firstly, the bill amends the long title of the Liquor Licensing Act 1997 to expressly recognise the importance of minimising the harm and potential for harm caused by excessive or inappropriate use of liquor. That is more than a symbolic amendment. It makes clear that harm minimisation is not merely one consideration within the licensing framework, it is a fundamental purpose of the act itself and will guide the interpretation and administration of liquor licensing laws into the future.
Secondly, the bill introduces a mandatory two-hour safety pause between an order being placed and alcohol being delivered where that delivery occurs on the same day. This will be a mandatory licence condition that cannot simply be varied or set aside by individual licensees. The rationale for the safety pause is straightforward. It creates a circuit breaker between the decision to purchase additional alcohol and the delivery of that alcohol in circumstances where excessive or inappropriate consumption may already be occurring. The obligation falls on the licensing system and those who sell and deliver the alcohol. It does not place another burden on victim survivors to manage another person's behaviour or take additional steps to secure their own safety.
Thirdly, the bill restricts same-day alcohol deliveries to the hours between 10am and 10pm. Together with the two-hour safety pause, this establishes a clear framework around rapid alcohol delivery and reduces the availability of additional alcohol late at night and in the early hours of the morning.
Fourthly, the bill modernises the language of the act by replacing references to 'domestic violence' with references to 'domestic, family and sexual violence'. This ensures that the legislation reflects the terminology adopted by the royal commission and recognises the broader range of harms experienced by victim survivors.
These are significant reforms. No other Australian jurisdiction has yet adopted a minimum two-hour safety pause for same-day alcohol delivery; however, the royal commission specifically recommended that South Australia take this step and the government has accepted that recommendation.
South Australia has never been afraid to lead when reform is supported by evidence, and these measures continue that tradition. Importantly, the government has listened carefully to concerns raised by industry and has designed these reforms to avoid unnecessary interference with ordinary commercial activity. The two-hour safety pause applies only to alcohol ordered and delivered on the same day. Ordinary wine club purchases, scheduled freight services and postal deliveries will continue without unnecessary disruption. Likewise, legitimate business-to-business transactions between licence holders will continue. The focus remains where it should be: rapid consumer access to additional alcohol.
Liquor licensing legislation necessarily involves balancing competing interests. South Australians should continue to be able to purchase and consume alcohol responsibly. Our hospitality, hotel, retail and wine industries make an important contribution to communities and economies across the state, but convenience cannot outweigh the need to address a recognised risk of harm. These reforms seek to strike that balance and, as with any significant regulatory reform, close monitoring and evaluation will be essential.
That is why recommendation 130 is such an important part of the royal commission's framework. Recommendation 130 calls on the Liquor and Gambling Commissioner to monitor and evaluate the operation of these reforms, recommend further changes where required, and review the regulatory tools available to ensure that alcohol regulation continues to advance the objective of harm minimisation. The government has accepted that recommendation.
These reforms will not simply be legislated and forgotten. Their operation will be assessed against the experiences of consumers, industry, regulators, health services and the domestic, family and sexual violence sector. Where the evidence points to further improvements, the government will be well placed to respond. South Australia rightly takes pride in its history of social reform. In 1894, South Australian women secured both the right to vote and the right to stand for parliament after years of determined campaigning and advocacy. That history should continue to guide and inspire us today.
When evidence demonstrates that our laws can do more to advance safety, equality and community wellbeing, this parliament should be prepared to act. This bill is part of that broader effort. It directly implements recommendations 128 and 129 of the royal commission and supports the operation of recommendation 130 through ongoing evaluation and review. It recognises that the way alcohol is purchased and delivered has changed. It places harm minimisation at the centre of the Liquor Licensing Act and responds to the legitimate stakeholder concerns while maintaining a clear focus on community safety. Above all, it demonstrates that the Malinauskas government is committed not only to accepting recommendations of the royal commission but to delivering practical reforms that give effect to them. For that reason, I commend this bill to the chamber.