Guidelines for wet areas
Page Content
The Commissioner for Licensing can authorise the use of a wet area for outside consumption of liquor
at sporting and other events. Wet areas are either authorised by the existing licence or by a permit. If
the wet area is authorised by a permit, conditions are generally applied; these conditions can cover but
are not limited to, the hours of sale, type of liquor container, availability of low alcoholic drinks and
security provisions required.
The following guidelines are provided to assist organisations to effectively
manage their wet areas:
- Adequate security personnel should be engaged to ensure effective and safe management of the
wet area. This should include sufficient licensed crowd controllers to monitor entry and exit
points and to control patron behaviour. Refer to Security at licensed premises for information on crowd controllers.
- The wet area should be clearly defined with appropriate physical barriers to delineate the area.
The barrier should be highly visible, sturdy and strong enough to remain as a stable structure for
the duration of the event. If the wet area is used on a regular basis then a permanent barrier
could be appropriate.
- The wet area should have clearly marked entry/exit points, with appropriate signage at these
locations. The width of the entry/exit points should allow security personnel to monitor the
movement of patrons in and out of the wet area and to assist in ensuring liquor is not removed
from the area.
- The size of the wet area should be sufficient to ensure that there is adequate space for the
number of patrons expected. Adequately sized wet areas avoid issues associated with
overcrowding which could increase the risk of frustration and conflict.
- The location of the wet area should be adjacent to the liquor sales point and/or outside booth
and be an area that security staff and police have easy access to.
- The wet area should be situated so as not to block access to areas that other patrons and young
people may need to use, such as the clubroom, kiosk/canteen and toilets facilities. The wet area
should be located to allow clear thoroughfares to these facilities to reduce risk and nuisance,
especially for families and young people.
It should be noted that Police Tasmania also monitor and enforce the conditions placed on liquor
permits.