A new era dawns !

There has long been a certain inconsistency in the approach to liquor licensing in New South Wales. For years the citizens were treated to the indignities of " the six o'clock swill " - the era when pubs slammed their doors shut at six o'clock and prohibition reigned until the ten o'clock opening the next day.

Strangely, this prohibition didn't extend to clubs, and hence we had the situation where club drinkers could imbibe at any hour, provided that the drinker was a club member. With this came the weird restriction that drinkers on a Sunday could access as much liquor as the wanted - provided it was consumed on the club premises - but buying take away liquor was totalled banned.

Slowly - civilization crept into our corner of the world. The six o'clock swill gave way to ten o'clock closing - and over the years extended trading entered the domain - and then that was swept away with some clubs and pubs trading 24/7.

But the lawmakers stubbornly resisted the call for liquor to be available in restaurants, cafes and kiosks. Liquor licenses for such places carried a licensing fee of $ 15,000 and there were draconian restrictions - in most cases liquor could only be served if the patron also ordered a meal. As a result, licensed places were few and far between.

Now we are finally seeing sanity prevail. That $ 15,000 licensing fee will shrink to an affordable $ 500 - and liquor will be available without the need for it to accompany a meal.
It will be possible to enjoy a glass of beer or a glass of wine in congenial surroundings without going to a noisy club or pub - and be affronted with the ubiquitous array of poker machines enticing you to play.

There will be some problems - controlling under age drinking being one of them - but hopefully this state will embrace the European experience where liquor is a natural beverage to be enjoyed in moderation - in congenial surroundings.

The dark ages of the finger wagging prohibitionist seems to be fading !