South Australia has passed new alcohol delivery laws aimed at reducing alcohol-related domestic violence, ending 24-hour home delivery and introducing a compulsory two-hour delay for online orders.
The measures followed the state’s royal commission into domestic, family and sexual violence and make South Australia the first Australian state to introduce safeguards of this kind.
Under the new rules, alcohol ordered online cannot be delivered until at least two hours after the order is placed. The waiting period has been described as a “safety pause”.
Overnight deliveries are also prohibited. Same-day alcohol deliveries will be restricted to between 10am and 10pm.
South Australia puts safety ahead of convenience
Consumer Minister Michael Brown said the reforms were designed to strengthen regulation of online alcohol sales and better protect victim-survivors.
“These landmark reforms are an important step towards strengthening the regulation of online alcohol delivery to reduce alcohol-related harm and better protect victim-survivors,” he said.
Mr Brown said South Australia had taken a leading role in introducing safeguards in response to the way alcohol was increasingly being bought and delivered to homes.
Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Minister Alice Rolls said the relationship between alcohol and domestic violence was an issue the government “cannot afford to ignore”.
“This is about putting safety ahead of convenience,” she said. “It is about protecting victims and families and making sure our laws keep pace with the way alcohol is being bought and delivered.”
